written By Garfield
Who is outdoing VaughnyxOcho in the 8?
After running an exposure campaign thru damn near half of San Fernando, what remains for the Valleyside resident? One thing comes to mind.
The statement made from HAVE IT ALL is clear to see. Vaughnyocho has effectively built an empire in his own backyard. Still coming off the hype from FOLLOW THE LEADER and Bread & Butter (two full length albums), he’s committed to the old adage of a former 8 representative – “Job’s not finished.” A lot has happened within the short timetable of these releases. His fashion enterprise The8HatCo. has been rebranded, now officially “Valleyside” – a mentality that closer embodies the homegrown rapper.
The relaunch of his fashion collective marked a cultural shift for the San Fernando rap scene. Not only were outsiders paying attention, they’re tapping into the attraction. There is a common theme for events hosted by Vaughnyxocho in the valley – that shit is going up. Facilitating shoulder to shoulder events on any given Sunday seems to be light work.
While pop-ups can serve as a brand centered experience, the full blown concert tour is a box that remains unchecked for Vaughnyxocho. As a performer, we know the artist can deliver. Several questions come to mind with this, such as location, atmosphere, and audience involved. But it’s not hard to imagine the artist performing as the main ticket at CSUN and going forth from there.
With the release of the new album the arsenal is loaded with tracks that are readymade for live performance. It’s an art form the artists excels in, and tracks like Numbers, Set The Record Straight, and Judo present a level of energy that would elevate a real-time performance. The pop-up has proved successful without question, and may possibly serve as the live performance engine for Vaughn for the time being.
However the valley envisions bigger things for the bro. Hollywood Bowl, The Roxy, Staples Centers type shit. This rap shit is a Chess game with decades of work and dues paid before a meals placed on a table. From the looks of it, Vaughnyxocho looks to be a few moves from taking the vacant throne at the top of the San Fernando Valley.
Listen to the new album HAVE IT ALL by Vaughnyxocho, available on Spotify and Apple Music