There’s a special kind of boldness in titling your record Grace First. It’s the sort of name that sounds like it should be stitched on a motivational pillow, but in practice becomes this sharp thesis statement: whatever else happens, whatever braggadocio or flexing or chaos exists in the record, it’s grounded in the simple idea that grace comes first. It’s simultaneously humble and audacious, which is a neat way of describing PEOPLEZ330 himself. Because if this project proves anything, it’s that Ohio has been quietly brewing an emcee capable of being both raw and vulnerable, brash and reflective; sometimes all within the same track.
The album doesn’t open politely. “Blue Fanta” is a slap in the face, in the best way. Built around a soul sample that feels like it was ripped from the kind of dusty vinyl Griselda would salivate over, the track is all hunger. PEOPLEZ isn’t easing you in. Rather, he’s demanding your attention. The flow is urgent, the lyrics are sharp, and the subtext is clear: this is an artist not asking for space in the hip-hop landscape but taking it. It’s the mission statement disguised as track one.
Then, almost mischievously, the vibe shifts. “Drift Away” slides in like it’s been imported straight from a late-night drive playlist. The beat recalls Kendrick Lamar’s Poetic Justice era; smooth, slightly woozy, dripping in neon light. Here, PEOPLEZ does something clever: he eases off the aggression without losing momentum, proving he can inhabit multiple spaces without compromising his voice. You can practically see the city lights blurring outside the car windows as he delivers lines that are more contemplative, less “listen to me now” and more “sit with me here.”
Of course, no hip-hop record is complete without at least one track that makes you wonder if the artist secretly wants to dethrone Chris Brown. Enter “Bae Dreams,” an R&B-laced cut that leans heavily into melody. And honestly? It works. It’s smooth without tipping into cliché, largely because PEOPLEZ treats singing not as a gimmick but as another weapon in his arsenal. He doesn’t abandon rap; he folds melody into it, crafting something that feels like a crossover without losing credibility.
The pendulum swings again with “Ray Ban Tints,” and suddenly we’re in Lil Baby territory. The production is glossy, the flow is cocky, and the whole song feels like it’s smirking at you. This is PEOPLEZ flexing, plain and simple. But what’s refreshing is that even here, beneath the bravado, there’s honesty; tiny acknowledgments of the work, the pressure, the image that has to be maintained. It’s ego, but ego with footnotes.
Elsewhere, “No Panik” revs the engine with high-energy bombast, while “Journeys” slows things down to a reflective crawl. Each track feels like it’s been deliberately placed, part of a larger conversation rather than a random shuffle of vibes. And then comes the title track, “Grace First.” If the rest of the record is a series of portraits, this is the self-portrait. Structurally reminiscent of DaBaby’s “Intro,” it strips back the gloss and lets PEOPLEZ speak plainly, almost nakedly. It’s not the hardest beat or the slickest hook; it’s the truth. And it lands.
Here’s the thing: hip-hop is oversaturated. Every week a dozen new projects drop from artists all claiming they’re the next big thing, all trying to replicate whatever formula the charts are favoring this quarter. Grace First doesn’t feel like that. It feels like a deliberate refusal to fit into a single mold. One moment it’s classic boom-bap grit, the next it’s woozy late-night R&B, the next it’s brash trap swagger and somehow it all coheres, because PEOPLEZ himself is the throughline.
And that’s the point. The Midwest isn’t traditionally thought of as the engine of hip-hop innovation, but PEOPLEZ330 is staking a claim. He’s saying Ohio isn’t just part of the conversation; it can lead it. Not by pretending to be Atlanta, or New York, or L.A., but by leaning into his own contradictions: bold yet vulnerable, brash yet graceful.
PEOPLEZ330’s Grace First swings between moods and genres with reckless confidence. And that confidence is justified, because PEOPLEZ has the talent to back it up. It’s the kind of project that doesn’t just showcase potential; it demands you take that potential seriously.
If there’s any justice, this won’t just be remembered as PEOPLEZ330’s coming-out moment. It’ll be remembered as the point where Ohio hip-hop stopped waiting for recognition and started taking it.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
