Brooklyn-based MC Rome Streetz was born in London, but his family moved to New York City when he was an infant (he later spent time as a teenager in London). He started rapping at an early age, though he’s said that being in the streets and living the life reflected in his gritty raps led to the “ups and downs” of jail time that hindered his career. Eventually, he gave rap his full attention. His rap name is in part a reference to roaming through the New York streets looking for ciphers and battles to hone his skills.  In 2019 he dropped Noise Kandy 3, which helped him gain the attention of Westside Gunn. Two more stellar releases (2019’s Joyeria and 2021’s Death & The Magician with DJ Muggs) led to the Griselda deal and Kiss The Ring, which made #23 on our Best Rap Albums of 2022 list. His diehard fans had already known him as a razor-sharp MC true to the essence of New York’s ‘90s golden era of street knowledge, but songs like “In Too Deep” and “Big Steppas” helped him reach a wider audience in America and beyond.  Now he’s dropped Noise Kandy 5, a batch of songs mostly recorded in 2020. He says the Noise Kandy series is meant to showcase “lyrical architecture.”    He’s getting his bars off over face-scrunching samples like “Chrome Magnum” and “Fire At Ya Idle Mind” (with Joey Bada$$). But he’s also re-exploring trap on songs like “Pocket Full Of Beans” and “Shake & Bake.”  Along with his rap success, he’s building up his Influence Enterprise label, where Chyna Streetz and Ox Omni are signees. 

Raw loops and raps from West Oakland