Yatta Bandz Returns With “Hard Headed”

Bay Area newcomer, Yatta Bandz, who has built a large and loyal following in his city and returns with his new single “Hard Headed” out now via EMPIRE. Gifted with the ability to mix melody and grit, Yatta Bandz is a master with his pen, transforming his most vulnerable moments into catchy earworms that exist in the space between swagger and sensitivity. In this piano-led ballad, the rising rapper wears his heart on his sleeve, allowing his soul-stirring vocals to gently float over rumbling bass with bravado and vulnerability. Flipping and distorting melodies, Yatta Bandz is ahead of the curve, testing the bounds of his sound at every turn.

The video for “Hard Headed” closely parallels Yatta’s approach to processing the betrayal he addresses on the track, mirroring the pragmatic perspective he chooses to adopt with its monochrome videography. Whether he’s laying on a rooftop staring at the sky, stepping out of his classic Mercedes coupe in an expansive, empty parking lot, or standing in a white-walled room full of ticking clocks, Yatta stands alone in every scene, trapped in his hardened head as he seeks a way to dispel his grief for good.

Stream “Hard Headed” –

Watch “Hard Headed” –

Switching flows like lanes, Yatta Bandz ducks in and out of heart-aching rhymes and magnetic melodies. The Hayward, CA rapper, singer, and artist extracts harmony out of heartbreak, transmuting trials and tribulations into airtight emotionally charged anthems and making a connection by sharing his truth. Enduring homelessness and a rough childhood, he penned his first rap in fourth grade. During high school, he started to post rap challenge videos from the car, attracting a fervent audience on Instagram. He continued to go viral before lighting up Soundcloud with early singles such as “Loyalty” and “Somebody.”

Regularly generating hundreds of thousands of streams, he organically gained traction on Soundcloud in advance of his 2021 breakthrough “Unseen Scars.” He initially previewed the song on TikTok where it exploded with countless videos. It even made its way onto A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s social media. Eventually, it cracked 2.3 million Spotify streams as he inked a deal with EMPIRE. After piling up millions of streams and views independently, and releasing his debut full-length Perfect Storm in 2022, he perfects this soaring and soulful signature style on a series of singles for EMPIRE and more to come.