# OsamaSon

**OsamaSon** (born 2003) is the stage name of Amari Middleton, an American rapper, singer, and producer from Goose Creek, South Carolina, known for a maximalist take on rage rap and dark plugg (obscure trap subgenre with melodic, lush synth beats), two internet-born strands of trap music built on heavily distorted 808 bass and processed vocals. After building a following on [SoundCloud](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundcloud) from 2021, he broke out in 2023 with the single "cts-v" and the mixtapes *Osama Season* and *Flex Musix*, signed to [Atlantic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-records), and reached the Billboard 200 with his third album *Jump Out* (2025).<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Amari Middleton; born 2003, raised in Goose Creek, South Carolina<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup> |
| Stage name origin | He is a junior; his father is named Osama, so "Osama son"<sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup> |
| Breakthrough | 2023: "cts-v" went viral; debut mixtape *Osama Season* released July 21, 2023, followed by *Flex Musix* the same year<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup> |
| Label | Atlantic Records, in partnership with Motion Music<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://music.apple.com/us/album/psykotic/1844725594)</sup> |
| Chart peak | *Jump Out* (January 2025) debuted at No. 151 on the Billboard 200, his first album to chart<sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup> |
| Critical reception | *Jump Out* received Pitchfork's Best New Music distinction and an 8.2 rating; *psykotic* (October 2025) received a 7.2<sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-psykotic/)</sup> |
| Genre | Rage rap and dark plugg, with critics noting comparisons to Playboi Carti's Opium roster<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup> |

## Early life and name

Middleton grew up in Goose Creek, South Carolina, in a musical family: uncles who made hip-hop and R&B, and older brothers who rapped. He started rapping in eighth grade, initially making funny songs for classmates, and was repeatedly disciplined at school, spending long stretches in in-school suspension and being expelled during middle school. As a teenager he listened to artists including [Trippie Redd](https://www.edgepedia.org/trippie-redd) and Speaker Knockerz, and discovered [Playboi Carti](https://www.edgepedia.org/playboi-carti) through a YouTube compilation clip of Carti performing "Fetti."<sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup>

The stage name is literal. "So I'm a junior. My dad's name is Osama," he told *Complex*. "And that's just really the correlation between Osama son."<sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup> His father initially paid little attention to the name but came to understand its reach once it began appearing on his own social media.<sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup>

## Career

**SoundCloud beginnings, 2021 to 2023.** Middleton began uploading projects to SoundCloud in 2021, including the underground release *Im Da Man*. Attention grew with the 2023 singles "cts-v" and "Thuggin W My Rounds," after which he signed with Atlantic Records and released *Osama Season* on July 21, 2023. Tracks such as "Werkin," "Troops," and "X & Sex" became streaming standouts, and the follow-up album *Flex Musix* arrived later that year.<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup> His first two albums were entirely solo except for the beatmakers.<sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup> In 2024 he released two collaborative EPs, *Still Slime* with [Boolymon](https://www.edgepedia.org/boolymon) and *3vil Reflection* with Glokk40Spaz, and toured with sponsorship from the Rolling Loud festival.<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup>

**Jump Out, 2025.** Leaks shaped the rollout of his third album. In mid-2024, 400 of his songs leaked in one go, and fans spent the year demanding official versions of tracks meant to stay private; at one point his team allegedly released a 10-song placeholder called *Leaks Tape* to sate the audience.<sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-jump-out/)</sup> After the full project leaked in late January 2025, he surprise-dropped *Jump Out* early, moving it up from a planned [Valentine's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentines-day) release.<sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup> Despite the leak, the album debuted at No. 151 on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200, earned a Best New Music designation and an 8.2 rating from Pitchfork, and drew praise from outlets including Rolling Stone, XXL, Complex, PAPER, and [The FADER](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-fader), which called him "the closest thing rage-rap has to a Playboi Carti heir."<sup>[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.livenation.pl/en/osamason-tickets-adp1611096)</sup> Charlotte-born producer ok executive-produced the album and is credited on 15 of its 18 tracks.<sup>[7](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-jump-out/)</sup>

**psykotic, late 2025.** Rather than resting after *Jump Out*, he released a fourth album, *psykotic*, on October 10, 2025: 17 songs in 42 minutes on Motion Music/Atlantic. Apple Music's editorial review described it as an "evil twin" of *Jump Out*, with more distorted bass and aggressive energy, and noted that it charted higher than its predecessor.<sup>[4](https://music.apple.com/us/album/psykotic/1844725594)</sup> Pitchfork scored it 7.2, highlighting tracks including "Whats Happening," "Habits," "Addicted," and "Get Away," and noting his pitched-up and pitched-down vocal manipulation as the record's defining trait.<sup>[6](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-psykotic/)</sup> A fifth album, *Nocturnal*, was announced as forthcoming as of 2026.<sup>[9](https://www.gq.com/story/osamason-balenciaga-campaign-interview)</sup>

## Style

OsamaSon works within rage rap and dark plugg, styles that grew out of the post-2020 SoundCloud underground and the influence of Playboi Carti's *Whole Lotta Red*. Critics have noted the comparison to Carti's Opium label roster and its densely packed rage beats beneath OsamaSon's singsong flow, while also tracing how he pushed past imitation: his vocals are treated as an instrument, run through distortion, pitch-down effects, and heavy [Auto-Tune](https://www.edgepedia.org/auto-tune) punch-in freestyling that is later edited into a continuous flow.<sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup> He has cited a childhood obsession with Skrillex and bass-boosted edits as the root of his sound, and works with producers including ok (wegonebeok), LEGION, and gyro, whose 808s function like a fuzz pedal.<sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup>

His working habits are idiosyncratic. He records alone in dark rooms, often for hours at a stretch, and builds songs from marathon sessions; the track "Waffle House" came from a 10-song session while he was on tour in Prague.<sup>[10](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-music-interview)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)</sup> Almost his entire discography is his own work, with only a handful of featured songs across some 20 releases.<sup>[11](https://www.thefader.com/2026/06/24/osamason-fader-documentary-stream)</sup>

## Touring and public profile

His 2026 PSYKTURNAL TOUR took him through European venues including Le Bataclan in Paris, the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, E-Werk in Cologne, Columbiahalle in Berlin, Klub Stodoła in Warsaw, SaSaZu in Prague, and TonHalle in Munich, with Australian dates scheduled for later in the year.<sup>[12](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917hjcV/osamason-events)</sup> [The Australian](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-australian) leg was postponed in October 2026 and rescheduled for December.<sup>[13](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/osamason)</sup>

His profile has extended beyond music. In 2026 he appeared in Balenciaga's high summer campaign, two years after releasing a song called "Balenciaga," and spoke to *GQ* about the then-upcoming album *Nocturnal*.<sup>[9](https://www.gq.com/story/osamason-balenciaga-campaign-interview)</sup> In June 2026 The FADER released *Psychotic*, a documentary directed by Alex Hodor-Lee following him on tour after *psykotic*, covering his creative process and mental health under public attention.<sup>[11](https://www.thefader.com/2026/06/24/osamason-fader-documentary-stream)</sup>

## Notes on the record

Sources disagree on his birthplace: Apple Music's album page describes him as Ohio-born, while AllMusic, Complex, and Pitchfork identify him with Goose Creek, South Carolina, where he was raised.<sup>[4](https://music.apple.com/us/album/psykotic/1844725594)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)</sup>

## References

1. [OsamaSon – Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/osamason-mn0004485971)
2. [OsamaSon Tickets, 2026-2027 Concert Tour Dates, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/osamason-tickets/artist/3023737?msockid=030a31d3d0a96cd131d6273ed1756d67&tt_scene=anchor_view)
3. [OsamaSon Lives for Music, Hooping, and Hanging Out with His Cats, Complex (February 27, 2025)](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-album-jumpout-interview)
4. [psykotic – Album by OsamaSon, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/psykotic/1844725594)
5. [OsamaSon, Bass-Boosted to the Big Leagues, Pitchfork (February 12, 2025)](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/osamason-bass-boosted-to-the-big-leagues/)
6. [OsamaSon: psykotic Album Review, Pitchfork (October 13, 2025)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-psykotic/)
7. [OsamaSon: Jump Out Album Review, Pitchfork (February 3, 2025)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/osamason-jump-out/)
8. [OsamaSon Tickets, Tour and Concert Dates, Live Nation Poland](https://www.livenation.pl/en/osamason-tickets-adp1611096)
9. [OsamaSon Touches Grass in a New Balenciaga Campaign, GQ (June 1, 2026)](https://www.gq.com/story/osamason-balenciaga-campaign-interview)
10. [Four Sight: How OsamaSon is Reshaping the Rap Underground, Complex (April 10, 2025)](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/osamason-music-interview)
11. [Watch OsamaSon talk mental health and his creative process in a new FADER doc, The FADER (June 24, 2026)](https://www.thefader.com/2026/06/24/osamason-fader-documentary-stream)
12. [OsamaSon - 2026 Tour Dates & Concert Schedule, Live Nation](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917hjcV/osamason-events)
13. [OsamaSon Concert & Tour History, Concert Archives](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/osamason)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › Internet-era and underground rap (SoundCloud, cloud, phonk, rage, plugg)*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
