Jimmy Wopo – Bench Boy

Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller’s success shined a light on Pittsburgh several years ago, but Jimmy Wopo isn’t following in their footsteps. The charismatic 20-year-old rapper is paving his own lane and introducing a harsh reality of the city that the aforementioned others could only speak about from the sideline. Bred in Pittsburgh’s violent Hill District neighborhood, Wopo’s music is a direct reflection of his circumstances and surroundings. Having racked up nearly 30K YouTube subscribers, with his “Elm Street” video pushing 3 million views, Wopo’s forthcoming Jordan Kobe mixtape is the Steel City music scene’s most anticipated release of 2017.

“What inspired me to do ‘Bench Boy’ was my big bro Ebo,” Jimmy Wopo told The FADER in their premiere of the Jordan Kobe single. “He had money and shit, nice cars, and he been telling me I was a star. So I just felt like nobody in my bracket was better than me so I called them bench boys.” The Jordan Kobe mixtape is a follow-up to 2016’s debut solo release Woponese, as well as the collaborative Trapnese project with Hardo. Limited tickets for Jimmy Wopo’s first headlining Pittsburgh show this Saturday are available here, and his Jordan Kobe mixtape is slated to release April 24th.