Obscure yet innovative, Rozz Dyliams (real name Dylan Ross) has long been an unseen hand guiding the evolution of hip hop, from the general underground scene, to the Cloud Rap genre.
Since emerging from Ohio in 2010, his genre-smashing records have foreshadowed and informed the work of today’s leading artists.
While lacking mainstream name recognition, Dyliams’ impact reverberates through the mixing boards and streaming playlists of 2022. His 2015 album “Galeforce Beach” now reads like a precursor to the atmospheric hip-hop and post-punk revivalism defining the cutting edge. Meanwhile, his collaborative catalog with collectives like Team SESH and GothBoiClique has proven instrumental in forging these movements.
Dyliams’ influence extends well beyond production aesthetics. His music is, at times, straight-up silly, but make no mistake, even the silly songs are well executed. Songs like “Swept” evoke 80’s vibes, while “Gale Force Beach” is a cloud rap staple.
Since its release in 2015, the $uicideboys track “Handzum Suicide,” featuring Rozz Dyliams, has gone 8x platinum per RIAA streaming requirements, a testament to Dyliam’s career. Tone Start listed the track as #4 of “The top 10 saddest $uicideboys songs.”
As an artist, he encapsulates a restless spirit of innovative flair and reinvention – dabbling in everything from vegan cooking to kettlebell training between projects. It’s this diversity of passions, drawing from funk, jazz, and techno alike, that injects his music with an otherworldly quality.
Few capture this adventurousness as profoundly as Lil Peep, an artist deeply inspired by Dyliams’ oeuvre prior to his untimely death. Beyond cues embedded in their shared sonic DNA, Peep’s estate has explicitly cited his engagement with Dyliams’ catalog. An article on Elevator magazine about Rozz Dyliams revealed how his music even inspired the likes of XXX Tentacion.
In truth, Dyliams’ impact has long lurked beneath the surface – an underground current propelling new waves forward. Even as cloud rap and emo-infused trap have entered the limelight, the architect behind their formation has avoided the center stage. Dyliams musical catalogue is entangled with edgy and controversial lyrics, with some teetering on being “too far,” and encompassing topics of homicide (e.g. “Murder Show” track)
Yet make no mistake, Rozz Dyliams’ influence reverberates wherever bleeding-edge sounds are born. As the next generation takes up his amalgamated style, his legacy is assured. Much like the subtle magic woven through his recordings, Dyliams has insinuated himself into the psyche of rap music’s future.
