Sacramento artist Showtime Ramon is one of those rappers who can come off the top of his head with about 20 different punchlines and references, all while keeping pace with any beat. That’s the impression I got from Ramon when he submitted his track “Pam Grier” to me earlier in the month. As I wasn’t as familiar with him as I would’ve liked, I took a listen to some of his discography. Songs like “Mike Tyson” and “Steve Francis” stand out amongst the crowded hip-hop musicsphere, mainly because of the way Ramon attacks each beat while still giving it time to breathe. Sonically–and lyrically–he reminds me of a mix between Joey Bada$$ and Blu. He has that West Coast chill and punchlines mixed in with that East Coast “BARS, n*gga!” type of flow and lyricism. All in all, he’s an artist that should grab your ears–regardless of what type of hip-hop you enjoy. While he’s not heavy on the melodic tip, his skills and wit should even keep those fans tuned in.

Getting back to “Pam Grier,” the song takes influence from Griselda-esque production and unorthodox patterns and rhymes (both internals and externals) to craft a song full of “things are coming up Showtime Ramon” moments. These moments don’t sound overly braggy, as there’s a huge hint of gratitude displayed throughout the celebratory rhymes. I also just love the fact that both he and Chuuwee have those “rap like the rent’s due” type of rhyme schemes and references. Comparing life to film legend Pam Grier over crunchy boombap beats is something that needs to be heard, especially if you’re one of those “I NEED BARS!” types of rap fans. I won’t give punchlines or too much else away, but know this: the duo give us extended metaphors throughout the song. Chuuwee’s verse bounces all over the place, but still crafts a succinct story and discussion about his own experiences. I think that the fact that it does manage to still be much more than just coherent goes back to the fact that both artists have a style that’ll remind you of a punchline from three-to-four couplets ago and tie that all back into the theme of the track.

Check out “Pam Grier” (as well as Showtime’s Abominable Snowman album, which dropped earlier this month) below and support dope music in all its forms. Lyricists come in all shapes, sizes, races, genders and alldat. So, get out of the mindset that “hip-hop is dead” and look for what you want out the genre in the underground–or at least away from just listening to what Spotify recommends on their Release Radar.