Of the nearly 100 artists who received invites to Dreamville Records’ legendary Revenge Of The Dreamers III recording sessions in Atlanta, one newcomer’s name particularly stood out. Despite only having a handful of extremely underground releases to his name and not being signed to any label, major or otherwise, Deanté Hitchcock was chosen to participate in those sessions on the strength of singles like “Talking To God, Pt. 2” and “No Secret,” ultimately appearing on one Revenge song, “PTSD,” alongside Omen, Mereba, and St. Beauty. It was enough to ensure that he wouldn’t stay unsigned for long; he signed with RCA Records in 2019.
Today, he made his major-label debut, dropping off Better, his 11-track full-length album, with features from fellow Atlantan rising stars 6lack, JID, and Young Nudy, as well as a reunion with St. Beauty alongside Grammy-winning R&B star Miguel. Despite being his 10th project overall — including five EPs, three mixtapes, and a live album — Better is as good a jumping-on point for his bandwagon as any, reflecting his soulful, introspective, and autobiographical sensibilities. Fans of Dreamville artists like J. Cole, Bas, Lute, and Cozz will find plenty to love here, as Hitchcock raps like it’s the only way he can draw oxygen, touching on topics as wide-ranging and personal as religion, romance, family relationships, and social consciousness over classic soul samples and hard-hitting trap drums. Deanté won’t fly under the radar for too much longer — he’s got all the makings of a star and the co-signs to help him reach hip-hop’s stratosphere.
Better is out now via ByStorm Entertainment and RCA Records. Get it here.