During the 1980s and the 1990s, the American hip hop music industry was primarily dominated by emcees from the East Coast and the West Coast. Representing the East Coast was Notorious B.I.G. and the West Coast was led by Tupac Shakur. It wasn’t until hip hop duo Outkast began to garner serious success that the subgenre of Southern Rap began to emerge. Today, some of the biggest name in the game have emerged from the south including Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Cee Lo Green, Ludacris and Young Thug. When most people think of Texas – the hip hop culture isn’t on top of the list but the music scene there is nothing short of booming.
Up and coming independent rapper Drain (Rashad Drain) was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up with his siblings under his grandmother’s roof certainly had its moments but nothing a little oxtail couldn’t fix. His passion for music started when he was a kid watching music videos and witnessing the industry evolve on 106 & Park. In high school he recorded his first song but it wasn’t until recently did he decide to direct his entire focus on his music and make a name for himself in Houston. The rapper released a handful of singles in 2021 including “Bass Jump” and “Face Down”. In the summer of 2021, Drain released his debut album “Winners Only” which he wrote and recorded independently. Turning heads on the scene, he received significant shoutouts by influential social media accounts WorldStar as well as RapTV.
Although a serious guy on social media, Drain is a self proclaimed goofy guy – a side of him fans get to see in his newest single “Knees” from his debut album. “What’s good, Drain in the building straight out of Houston Texas, and my single “Knees” is the biggest single from my previous “Winners Only” Mixtape. Little fun fact about this song is I never expected it to be my biggest song so far. It was one of the songs I made being goofy for my friends, but it turned out to be a smash.” Although the pandemic hit the club industry hard, Texas doubled down and the scene was hotter than ever, inspiring the club banger. “The reason this song is so different from my other songs is because it’s more on the party/dancing song side, and I’ve never made music like this before. I used to be focused on trying to be the next serious lyricist, so this song was definitely a game changer for me.”
On April 1st, Drain released a professional lyric video for his hottest new single “Knees”, giving it the life and energy that it deserves. “The song is about literally twerking and having fun with your people at any event or function.” The video doesn’t disappoint. With sexy silhouettes and suggestive animated visuals – this video screams FUN! The vignettes bounce with the track’s catchy beat which is a subtle but really creative way to give this lyric video some extra pizazz.
When asked why he chose a lyric video Drain said, “We chose to do a lyric video for this song to add to the excitement of the song, and also so more people will engage with the lyrics and learn the song word for word. The official music video is epic as well, but we wanted something more family friendly for some of our promotion efforts, so a lyric video made a lot of sense.” I love the different fabric textures featured throughout including leather and silk and how they are incorporated in the background or in the lyrics. It’s almost as if you can feel it! One of my favorite elements are the multicolored glowing lights. They give this music video that club aesthetic and really add to that party anthem theme. When we asked Drain about his favorite part of the video he said, “My favorite part of the video is when we were throwing the money. That’s such a Houston thing to throw Money in the club. Making it “rain” is always lit!”
What’s next for Drain? He says, “My “Winner’s Behavior” mixtape!!! Dropping Friday April 15th! This new Mixtape is also full of new party songs, more slow vibes, more bars, and everything else a music fan could ask for. After it drops, we’ll have more music videos and shows shortly after. Hopefully someone big endorses “Knees” and helps us spread it to the masses, which will draw new listeners to all my other music. Stay tuned, cause one way or the other, Knees will be the song of Summer 2022!” You can follow Drain on Instagram at @officialdrain or across all music streaming platforms.
Check out the official lyric video for Drain – “Knees” on YouTube Here: