I became familiar with OTR Chaz’s music somewhere around 2019. It was either through a Baltimore rap-generated YouTube algorithm or through a reference from a friend. But whatever the introduction, it didn’t take me long to become a fan of his music, which I’m pretty much listening to everyday at this point. Chaz feels like one of the more spot-on depictions of what young Baltimore looks and feels like right now. Stylistically, he’s on trend: long hair that’s typically in braids or twists, designer tennis shoes, and crisp white tees. Musically, he’s part of a class of Baltimore artists who, over the last few years, have been carving out a melodic brand of street storytelling over pounding production. Artists like StayTrue D-Nice, Leekonnacomeup, and his regular collaborator Roddy Rackzz are just a few names that occupy this space. The sound itself is not entirely original to Baltimore. There are definitely cues being taken from Atlanta but there’s something about the slurring of words, local slang, and regional dialect that make them undeniably Baltimore.
And what makes the West Baltimore native stand out is that he’s the most well-rounded of this bunch. He can give hard-hitting crooning like he does on “3 Letters,” high-pitched damn near ballads with songs like “Politics” or he can go punchline crazy like he does on “Movin.” Over the past three years he’s been consistently dropping quality music every few months and more and more, it feels like he’s just one breakout track away. It helps his chances that he has the hottest producer in the city as he main guide in White Boy (the producer’s locally-ubiquitous “White Boy came with the bag like it’s Christmas” tag comes from Chaz’s “Get in Dere”). I recently met Chaz in a studio in Parkville, just outside the city, to talk to him about his musical approach, what he thinks he needs to reach the next level, and what his place is within the local scene.
I had to go back and listen to your older music and that first tape — More Than Rap — was interesting. Because it's so different from your other shit.
That was some real rapping shit. With that, I was just rapping because I wanted a rap. That was when I was thinking, am I ready to just rap, or am I trying to be a rapper? I had to think of what do niggas want to hear? Like what type music do niggas wanna hear? ‘Cause I'm saying the same message, but it's how you word that shit.
So what made you make the pivot though? Like, was it, ‘This ain’t traveling the way I want it to travel?’
Yeah. That and it just wasn’t — I knew it was hard — It just wasn't what niggas wanted. It’s like you go in the Gucci store with a brand new pair of [New Balance], like, “Yo these is the 990s” but everybody like,”Bro, I want the Gucci’s.”
When did you realize that? Did somebody have to tell you like, dummy this not working out or it was something that you sensed?
It was more so, I had to sit back and think like, this shit a business too. You feel what I'm saying? Like, I had to think about my name and all that. Because I ain't never had no nicknames. So I'm like, is niggas even gonna buy music from a nigga named Chaz? I had to think about all that. Because it's certain shit that just make me not wanna fuck with a nigga. Just ‘cause I don't like your voice or it be a little thing that will fuck your whole package up.
One thing I think that's interesting about what y'all got on your side of town is that y'all hood probably produced the most rappers since this current Baltimore scene started taking off in 2013-2014. Tadoe, Lor Stackks, Twon O.D., Roddy Rackzz, and you.
Yeah. Quality rappers.
I just wonder, what was that like for you? I look back at old videos, like the Twon O.D videos or old Lor Staccks videos and I see y'all in those videos way younger. What was it like to witness that?
When Stackks was really first popping for real, I ain't really want to be a rapper. I ain't even know I could really rap. I ain't even really give a fuck. It wasn’t really doing nothing to me or for me because I wasn't benefiting from it. Lor Stackks my cousin so it’s just regular. But now this shit is more open. Like it was niggas rapping then. But niggas wasn't willing to share the limelight. Even now it’s niggas that still wanna be that nigga, but they more willing to work with another nigga. Because every time ain't your time.
When would you say you started realizing you had a real audience?
I ain't gon lie, I knew niggas was really fucking with my shit when I dropped “Monopoly.” But see, that bitch ain't even really — it showed me niggas was paying attention to some of the shit I'm doing. But then I dropped “Steal Da Wave” and I didn't even like that song like that. I did that song in like 15 minutes. That bitch did like a 100k views fast with no promo. I couldn't even promote it on Instagram ‘cause they kept saying I was trying to sell weed in the video. Then it was “Get In Dere.”
“Steal Da Wave” was the one for me when I was like, ‘I really fuck with yo.’ It was the hook.
Yeah. I fuck with it, I just ain't like it at the time. I like it more now.
It’s just one of them songs you don't even realize you're listening to. You sing that shit throughout the day. To me, it just feels like you are super musically-inclined. And when I say that, I mean like I never really heard you out of pocket on anything.
Because niggas don't be knowing: It's about the delivery. It ain't even about what you say, it’s how you say it. We could both say the same word at the same time but my shit might sound more appealing. It’s just how I twisted the word.
Sometimes when I listen to you, I feel like you remind me of Future the most. You don't sound like him. It’s more about your ability to get into different pockets consistently.
That's what I had to realize to myself. I had to realize that you supposed to take — you supposed to learn — from the niggas that inspire you. You could take it into you, but once it come outta you, it’s something different.
Who would you say that you incorporate into your style?
Future, Thug, Uzi. But I like Drake too ‘cause I like to sing.
Compared to when you first started, how do you feel like the Baltimore scene has grown? Or even if you don't feel like it's grown. From my perspective, 2016, it was like, ‘Alright, we got something here. And it's a couple niggas I think could make it.’ But now it's hella artists that I feel like could be stars based off music solely, based on views, based on all that. But to me at this point, it's more like who got the personality, who got the best team around them.
Well as far as structure, Baltimore don’t got none at all. But it's hella talent, hella potential. Ain’t nobody a nigga could go to that can put nothing on in Baltimore. It ain't even a nigga who don't live here but still a big homie. Ain't none of that. You can't even go to a nigga for a question because they ain't never did shit. Fuck is you gonna tell me? Then even the niggas who think they did shit, they don't wanna tell niggas anything.That's why this shit so fucked up. Niggas really think they doing shit. Not even the artists, but the niggas who job was to find artists and and put niggas in position. And they not. Who you think the biggest alive right now out of Baltimore?
A rapper? Probably Shordie Shordie.
Right. Or King Los. That's what I'm saying.
So what’s the answer? Do we team up with people from the DC area? Or do we figure it out on our own?
No. We just gotta — all the niggas that's doing it right it now in Baltimore is like the big homies. The only other niggas I could say who I’ve even thought of as an inspiration is G-Rock or Lor Scoota. And they gone.
And even they ain't really break out. They was on the way.
That's what I'm saying. Like nobody else really can't tell me some shit that I ain't already did to make me look up to you. Ain’t even did nothing to make me wanna do that.
Do you feel like you need to leave?
I used to think that, but it's not even that. Cause you can put the music anywhere. You feel what I'm saying? I got niggas who listen to me in Africa and shit like that. It ain't hella plays, but they got a phone somewhere over there listening to that shit. It's definitely about your team. And it's about the timing. Really be about the time.
Do you feel like you got that good structure around you?
No, I definitely got good structure right now, but it still gotta be the right time. You can get as much money as you want and then still never be a star. Or it can be the right time for you and you have no support and you can be a broke star. You just hot. Niggas could have been probably did some shit just for some fame and followers. But I don't be on that route. I’m tryna have all that at the same time.
I'm assuming you and Roddy Rackzz grew up together, but when did y'all start actually looking at it like, alright, we can approach this like a duo? Or an unofficial duo. Y’all have hella songs together.
We ain't never even talked about being a team ‘cause we already together. So I ain't even think of it as like, we need to make it a thing. Like I ain't never once —I ain't gonna say never — but I don't go make songs and be like, I need to get Roddy on this song. I be with Roddy already. We be already in the studio and just made the songs. Everything we do be natural.
Was it the same with White Boy’s production?
Yeah, like, even with his name, bro. I said “White Boy came with the bag like it’s Christmas” on “Get In Dere” but he wasn’t even thinking about beats or nothin’ at the time. We was talking about some whole other shit. But any nigga got a banger out right now, it’s probably on a White Boy beat. That’s facts. My voice on every one of them songs.
Do you feel like he brings the best out of you musically?
Yeah. It's like 50/50 ‘cause he might need niggas around him to feel a certain way for the beat to come out. He might be in a whole different mode if he go by his self. Same way I need the beats. But I need them to be the way I be feeling. We gotta feel the same way.
Where do you see yourself within the whole Baltimore scene?
All I'ma say is if it was a Mount Rushmore, I gotta be one of ‘em. I don’t even give a fuck who else on that shit.
