35 ROUNDS WITH DA PLUG Plug Not A Rapper vs. Everybody, Every Era—and Ultimately Himself CRUSH MAGAZINE® | MUSIC • CULTURE • CATALOG

35 ROUNDS WITH DA PLUG

Plug Not A Rapper vs. Everybody, Every Era—and Ultimately Himself

CRUSH MAGAZINE® | MUSIC • CULTURE • CATALOG

Thirty wasn’t enough.

Not because the original CRUSH 30 failed.

Because the deeper the Plug Not A Rapper catalog gets examined, the clearer something becomes:

There are too many records that explain the artist to stop at 30.

So the tournament expands.

Five additional records enter the conversation:

STEPH.

OVER UNDER.

WIFI.

FLAVORZ.

FUKK FRIENDS.

And they aren’t being hidden at Nos. 31 through 35 just because they were added later.

That’s not how this works.

This isn’t chronological bookkeeping.

This isn’t a streaming chart.

This isn’t an algorithm rewarding whichever album was released most recently.

This is a hypothetical song-for-song catalog battle based on the totality of the music.

And when those five records are added, several belong near the front of the fight.

THIS IS NOT PLUG VS. ONE RAPPER

Forget one opponent.

Imagine everybody.

Every generation.

Every region.

Every style.

Every catalog.

Every kind of song.

The opposing side can theoretically reach for anything.

A club classic?

What does Plug play?

A relationship record?

What does Plug play?

A sex record?

What does Plug play?

A heartbreak record?

What does Plug play?

A personality record?

What does Plug play?

A money record?

What does Plug play?

A record women know?

A twerk record?

A nightlife record?

Something vulnerable?

Something funny?

Something melodic?

Something reckless?

Something that sounds unmistakably Southern?

Something that sounds unmistakably Plug?

That is the exercise.

Not:

“Is Plug Not A Rapper better than Artist X?”

The much more useful question is:

“If virtually any kind of record can come from the other side, how deep is the Plug catalog?”

That is 35 ROUNDS WITH DA PLUG.

And ultimately, the hardest opponent remains the same:

PLUG NOT A RAPPER VS. PLUG NOT A RAPPER.

ROUND 1

1. GREATEST

THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT

If you’re going to call a song “Greatest,” the record inherits the burden of the word.

That’s part of its power.

It is not timid.

It does not enter the catalog asking to be liked.

It enters making a declaration.

“Greatest” combines swagger, personality, self-belief and the larger Plug mythology into a record that naturally works as the opening statement of this exercise.

This isn’t merely about technical rap.

It’s about presence.

The imaginary lights come on.

The hypothetical opponent is standing across the stage.

You need the first record to establish that Plug believes he belongs there.

This is that record.

WEAPON: Identity / victory / swagger
BEST ROUND: Opening statement
CATALOG VALUE: Flagship
CRUSH STATUS: Defending champion

WATCH:
Greatest — Official Video on YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 2

2. STEPH

THE CATALOG CLASSIC THAT REFUSES TO AGE OUT

This is exactly why expanding from 30 to 35 matters.

Steph cannot be treated like an afterthought.

It belongs near the beginning.

The record reaches backward into the earlier Plug era while simultaneously revealing themes that would continue throughout almost everything that followed:

Women.

Relationships.

Personality.

Conversation.

Lifestyle.

An artist figuring out how to turn real social energy into music.

There is also something extremely important about songs from an earlier era that still make sense once an artist’s identity becomes clearer years later.

Those are usually not accidents.

They are DNA records.

“Steph” feels less like an old song being rescued and more like an early blueprint finally being properly recognized.

WEAPON: Women / relationships / early identity
BEST ROUND: Catalog-classic round
LEGACY VALUE: Elite
CRUSH STATUS: Foundational

WATCH:
Steph — Official Video on YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Stream ⁠Toxic Plug Love⁠ on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 3

3. SOMEBODY BIH

THE RECORD THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE PERSON

There are technically good songs.

Then there are songs where the artist’s personality becomes inseparable from the record.

Somebody Bih belongs to the second category.

Explicit.

Funny.

Conversational.

Women-centered.

Unapologetically Southern.

It doesn’t feel like an attempt to satisfy a genre template.

It feels like somebody turned PartyPlugMikey’s actual personality into a song.

That has enormous catalog value.

Because when you’re hypothetically battling everybody ever, sounding like everybody else is the fastest way to disappear.

“Somebody Bih” does the opposite.

WEAPON: Women / personality / Southern irreverence
BEST ROUND: Signature Plug round
LIVE VALUE: Very high
IDENTITY VALUE: Elite

WATCH:
Somebody Bih — Official Video on YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Stream Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 4

4. OVER UNDER

THE WILD CARD

Every great 35-song catalog needs records that don’t feel interchangeable with the obvious singles.

“Over Under” earns this elevated position because it strengthens an important part of the Plug universe:

game.

The language between men and women.

Confidence.

Judgment.

Attraction.

The constant back-and-forth beneath the larger nightlife environment.

The title itself creates tension.

Over?

Under?

Which side?

Which outcome?

That simplicity makes it useful.

A good battle catalog cannot consist entirely of gigantic concepts.

Sometimes a phrase is enough.

WEAPON: Personality / relationship dynamics
BEST ROUND: Wild-card
IDENTITY VALUE: High
CRUSH STATUS: Sleeper weapon

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper — Official Apple Music Catalog⁠

ROUND 5

5. THE 99 & 3000

MAKE THE ROOM MOVE

This is where analysis stops mattering for a second.

Does the room move?

That’s the assignment.

The 99 & 3000 is physical music.

Southern club language.

Twerk energy.

Sexuality.

Movement.

Visual culture.

Party culture.

It connects directly to the larger CRUSH world because it doesn’t merely function inside headphones.

It makes sense around:

Parties.

Festivals.

Women.

Cars.

Beaches.

Clubs.

Social clips.

Crowds.

That makes it one of the most strategically useful records in the entire catalog.

WEAPON: Club / twerk / movement
BEST ROUND: Crowd reaction
VISUAL VALUE: Elite
CRUSH COMPATIBILITY: Elite

WATCH:
The 99 & 3000 — Official Video on YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 6

6. WIFI

DIGITAL LOVE, PLUG STYLE

“WiFi” works because technology isn’t really the subject.

Connection is.

And connection has always been one of the central themes underneath Plug’s music.

Connecting with women.

Losing connection.

Reconnecting.

Being emotionally connected while physically separated.

Being physically connected while emotionally disconnected.

The digital language simply gives those old human situations a newer vocabulary.

That makes “WiFi” an important bridge between the relationship-driven Plug DNA and the more conceptual modern era.

It also proves that Plug can frame his familiar subject matter through a fresh object without losing himself.

WEAPON: Relationships / digital lifestyle / concept
BEST ROUND: Modern relationship record
CATALOG VALUE: High
ERA VALUE: Major Mr CRUSH representation

WATCH / LISTEN:
WiFi — YouTube⁠

APPLE MUSIC:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 7

7. RAWEST

ATTITUDE IS PRODUCTION TOO

Some records need an intricate thesis.

“Rawest” needs presence.

The attitude is part of the instrumentation.

The performance itself is part of the hook.

This is Plug operating from confidence rather than vulnerability.

That matters because a 35-round catalog requires temperature changes.

You can’t play introspective relationship records for an hour.

Sometimes somebody has to walk into the record acting like the room already belongs to him.

That’s “Rawest.”

WEAPON: Swagger / rap / performance
BEST ROUND: Attitude
FEATURE ENERGY: Strong
VISUAL VALUE: High

WATCH:
Rawest — Official Video⁠

LISTEN:
Rawest on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 8

8. FLAVORZ

ATTRACTION HAS OPTIONS

“Flavorz” may be one of the clearest examples of why Plug’s strongest lane is broader than conventional rap.

The record lives inside attraction.

Preference.

Taste.

Women.

Physical chemistry.

And personality.

The metaphor is naturally repeatable because everybody understands having a preference.

Different looks.

Different personalities.

Different types.

Different flavorz.

That gives the record a flirtatious quality rather than making sexuality feel one-note.

And that’s critical.

If women and relationships are going to remain major parts of the catalog, Plug cannot make the same women record repeatedly.

“Flavorz” finds another doorway.

WEAPON: Women / flirtation / sensual personality
BEST ROUND: Attraction round
HOOK POTENTIAL: High
CATALOG FUNCTION: Expands the women lane

LISTEN:
PartyPlugMikey / Flavorz era on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 9

9. CLOSEST FRIENDS

WHEN THE PARTY ENDS

And now the temperature drops.

That’s intentional.

“Closest Friends” matters because the women/relationship universe cannot be built exclusively from conquest.

Relationships hurt too.

Friendship becomes complicated.

Trust changes.

People cross lines.

People become distant.

Sometimes the closest people create the deepest wounds.

That emotional dimension makes the entire catalog stronger because vulnerability gives confidence context.

Without records like this, the party persona risks becoming a costume.

With them, there is somebody underneath it.

WEAPON: Emotion / relationships / vulnerability
BEST ROUND: Emotional counterpunch
CATALOG VALUE: Extremely high
WHY IT MATTERS: Humanizes the persona

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 10

10. FUKK FRIENDS

NOW FLIP THE EMOTION

This is why sequencing matters.

“Closest Friends” represents emotional complexity.

Then comes:

Fukk Friends.

Sometimes the response to broken relationships isn’t sadness.

It’s detachment.

It’s aggression.

It’s deciding that access to you has expired.

The concept provides the opposite emotional posture from the softer relationship material.

That contrast makes both sides stronger.

And visually, “Fukk Friends” has another advantage:

the performance exists.

The record has already been translated from audio into presence.

WEAPON: Detachment / confrontation / personality
BEST ROUND: Anti-friendship anthem
PERFORMANCE VALUE: High
SEQUENCING VALUE: Excellent after an emotional record

WATCH:
Fukk Friends — Live Performance on YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 11

11. ROXY

AFTER MIDNIGHT

“Roxy” occupies the emotional space between lust and attachment.

That’s dangerous territory.

And great relationship music has always lived there.

The person you know may not be good for you.

The attraction survives anyway.

Sex complicates the decision.

Emotions make the obvious answer less obvious.

That gives “Roxy” replay value beyond a traditional club environment.

This is late-night Plug.

WEAPON: Toxic relationship / melody / attraction
BEST ROUND: After-hours relationship record
WOMEN’S LANE: Strong
CATALOG FUNCTION: Sensual depth

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 12

12. THERAPY SESSIONS

REMOVE THE ARMOR

This record remains protected.

Because it does something the rest of the catalog cannot replace.

It takes the armor off.

That makes “Therapy Sessions” disproportionately valuable.

Thirty-five sex, club and flex records would not make this catalog stronger.

Range does.

“Therapy Sessions” gives the hypothetical battle a moment where Plug can stop performing invincibility and play something from inside.

WEAPON: Introspection / vulnerability
BEST ROUND: Emotional depth
CATALOG FUNCTION: Essential contrast
STATUS: Protected CRUSH 35 record

LISTEN:
Therapy Sessions on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 13

13. LONG ISLAND ICED TEA

NIGHTLIFE IN A GLASS

Some song titles immediately create scenery.

“Long Island Iced Tea” does.

You see the drink.

The table.

The club.

The women.

The conversations.

The bad decisions becoming better ideas with every sip.

That’s Plug territory.

The record turns nightlife into storytelling instead of merely announcing that everybody is partying.

WEAPON: Nightlife / women / lifestyle
BEST ROUND: After-hours
BRAND FIT: Elite
VISUAL POTENTIAL: High

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 14

14. WORLD YOGA COACH

ONLY PLUG WOULD CALL A RECORD THIS

That’s a compliment.

Specificity matters.

“World Yoga Coach” has identity before anyone even presses play.

The concept is strange enough to create curiosity but familiar enough to connect immediately to women, bodies, lifestyle and humor.

Catalogs need records like this.

Otherwise everything becomes:

Love.

Money.

Pain.

Gangster.

Party.

Repeat.

Plug’s personality is strongest when he creates language other people wouldn’t automatically think to use.

WEAPON: Originality / women / humor
BEST ROUND: Wild card
TITLE VALUE: Elite
PLUG IDENTITY: Elite

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 15

15. BBL’S & HUSTLERZ

AN ENTIRE ERA IN FOUR WORDS

This might be one of the clearest thesis statements in the catalog.

BBLs.

Hustlers.

Women and ambition.

Beauty and money.

Sex appeal and grind.

Nightlife and business.

It’s practically a mission statement for a major portion of the Plug universe.

That’s why it survives.

WEAPON: Women + money
BEST ROUND: Lifestyle
ALBUM VALUE: Major
IDENTITY VALUE: Extremely high

LISTEN:
BBL’S Bad Baddies Love’ Sex on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 16

16. F*** ON YO THOT

THROW SUBTLETY OUT THE WINDOW

Sometimes sophistication is overrated.

A 35-round catalog needs at least a few records that kick the door open.

This is one.

Provocative.

Sexual.

Confrontational.

Intentionally reckless.

WEAPON: Explicit club energy
BEST ROUND: Shock round
LIVE VALUE: High
ATTITUDE: Maximum

WATCH:
Official Plug Not A Rapper Video Gallery⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 17

17. GOOD GOOD

DON’T OVERTHINK A HOOK

Sometimes the formula is simple because simple works.

Women.

Sex appeal.

Smooth energy.

Replay.

A phrase people can remember.

“Good Good” understands that.

WEAPON: Women / late-night / party
BEST ROUND: Accessible women’s record
REPLAY VALUE: High
CATALOG FUNCTION: Easy-entry Plug record

LISTEN:
BBL’S Bad Baddies Love’ Sex on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 18

18. TURN UP DA STRIP

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Cars.

Lights.

People.

A strip.

Bass.

Crowds.

This is not private music.

“Turn Up Da Strip” exists to increase the size of the environment around it.

WEAPON: Street-party energy
BEST ROUND: Outdoor crowd
LIVE FUNCTION: Strong
CRUSH FIT: Very high

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 19

19. MIKEY TYSON

TURN THE ARTIST INTO A CHARACTER

This is self-mythology.

“Mikey Tyson” takes the name, the personality and the word association and creates a character inside the catalog.

That matters because memorable artists become more than voices.

They become worlds.

WEAPON: Persona / self-branding
BEST ROUND: Personality
NAME RECALL: Elite
BRAND FUNCTION: High

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 20

20. SLUTTY VEGAN

ATLANTA BECOMES WORDPLAY

A recognizable Atlanta reference gets translated through the Plug universe.

Women.

Humor.

Sex.

City culture.

Personality.

This is what regional music should do:

not merely mention a location, but speak its language.

WEAPON: Atlanta / women / concept
BEST ROUND: Regional personality
MEMORABILITY: High

WATCH:
Official Plug Not A Rapper Video Gallery⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 21

21. FACES

RELATIONSHIPS HAVE MORE THAN ONE FACE

The deeper strength of Plug’s relationship catalog is that the songs don’t all express the same emotional position.

“Faces” gives that lane another perspective.

That makes the entire lane stronger.

WEAPON: Relationships / reflection
BEST ROUND: Change of pace
CATALOG FUNCTION: Emotional variety

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 22

22. MONEY

THE SUBJECT THAT NEVER EXPIRES

There are probably millions of rap songs about money.

That does not make money irrelevant.

It makes having your own version mandatory.

WEAPON: Hustle / flex
BEST ROUND: Money
UNIVERSALITY: Maximum

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 23

23. THE SPECIAL SERVICES

THE MODERN ERA

Home Screen moved the catalog into a digital conceptual framework.

“The Special Services” helps represent that chapter while maintaining the personality underneath it.

WEAPON: Modern lifestyle / concept
BEST ROUND: New-era catalog
ERA VALUE: High

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 24

24. MESSAGE

THE RELATIONSHIP NOW LIVES INSIDE THE PHONE

Messages start relationships.

Messages end relationships.

Messages expose relationships.

Messages resurrect relationships that should probably have stayed dead.

That’s why this concept belongs naturally in Plug’s world.

WEAPON: Digital relationships
BEST ROUND: Concept
REPLAY FUNCTION: Strong

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 25

25. BEEN2LONG

DON’T ERASE THE OLD PLUG

Catalog rankings need history.

“Been2long” survives because earlier versions of the artist matter.

The current sound did not materialize from nowhere.

WEAPON: Catalog history / identity
BEST ROUND: Legacy deep cut
HISTORICAL VALUE: High

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 26

26. AINT THE SAME

DIFFERENCE AS A PRINCIPLE

This entire 35-round experiment eventually comes back to one idea:

Don’t become somebody else to compete with somebody else.

“Aint the Same” captures that philosophy perfectly.

WEAPON: Individuality
BEST ROUND: Identity statement
MESSAGE VALUE: Strong

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 27

27. PLUG LOVE II

THERE’S A REASON LOVE GOT A SEQUEL

Love isn’t an accidental subject in this catalog.

Neither is lust.

Neither is toxicity.

Neither are women.

“Plug Love II” proves this lane has enough history to contain chapters.

WEAPON: Relationships / romance
BEST ROUND: Plug-love round
CATALOG CONTINUITY: High

LISTEN:
Plug Love II on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 28

28. TOO KOMFORTABLE 4 ME

THE TITLE ALREADY HAS PERSONALITY

That’s valuable.

Before hearing one bar:

Too Komfortable 4 Me.

The spelling itself belongs to the brand.

The concept gives the catalog another eccentric personality record instead of another generic title.

WEAPON: Personality / concept
BEST ROUND: Wild card
VISUAL VALUE: High

WATCH:
Too Komfortable 4 Me — Apple Music Video⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 29

29. GENERAL TSO

FUN COUNTS

Everything does not have to sound historic to become memorable.

Sometimes the concept is the entertainment.

Sometimes personality is the technical skill.

“General Tso” brings weirdness and humor into the tournament.

WEAPON: Humor / concept
BEST ROUND: Left-field
TITLE RECALL: High

LISTEN:
General Tso on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 30

30. SCREEN SAVER

HOME SCREEN WITHOUT LOSING PLUG

Technology provides the frame.

The familiar Plug world still has to exist inside it.

“Screen Saver” succeeds conceptually because the digital terminology doesn’t have to erase the women/lifestyle DNA.

WEAPON: Digital lifestyle / women
BEST ROUND: Modern concept
ALBUM FUNCTION: Strong

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 31

31. BADDIES

ONE WORD EXPLAINS YEARS OF MUSIC

Baddies.

That’s practically a category of the entire catalog.

Women are not background decoration in this universe.

They are characters, subjects, muses, problems, partners, temptations, relationships and sometimes the entire reason the party exists.

WEAPON: Women / CRUSH culture
BEST ROUND: Baddies anthem
BRAND ALIGNMENT: Elite

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 32

32. JIGGLY PUFF

MUSIC IS ALLOWED TO BE FUN

Sexual.

Visual.

Funny.

Movement-driven.

“Jiggly Puff” does not need to pretend it came to solve civilization’s problems.

It came to make people react.

That’s a real musical function.

WEAPON: Twerk / humor / party
BEST ROUND: Fun
VISUAL VALUE: Elite

WATCH:
Jiggly Puff — YouTube⁠

LISTEN:
Plug Not A Rapper on Apple Music⁠

ROUND 33

33. NEW ERA EVE

THE CHALLENGER GENERATION BEGINS

Now the old catalog has a problem.

Because the next era is arriving.

“New Era Eve” represents transition itself:

Old chapter ending.

New chapter beginning.

Celebration.

Lifestyle.

CRUSH.

Momentum.

No. 33 is not a prediction of where it finishes.

It is its entry point into the tournament.

WEAPON: Celebration / transition / CRUSH
BEST ROUND: New-era announcement
STATUS: Challenger
TARGET: Top 20

APPLE MUSIC:
Official song link forthcoming upon release.

ROUND 34

34. SUM FINE SHIT

BUILT TO ATTACK THE TOP 10

This is the important distinction:

“Sum Fine Shit” enters at No. 34 because it is new.

It is not being designed like the 34th-best record.

Its entire concept sits directly inside the strongest Plug territory:

Women.

Southern language.

Sex appeal.

Immediate hooks.

Club utility.

Personality.

CRUSH compatibility.

Its job isn’t to survive the bottom five.

Its job is eventually to force an uncomfortable conversation about:

Somebody Bih.

99 & 3000.

Flavorz.

Good Good.

And every other women-centered record above it.

That’s what progress looks like.

WEAPON: Women / club / Southern personality
BEST ROUND: Baddies nuclear option
STATUS: Challenger
TARGET: Top 10

APPLE MUSIC:
Official song link forthcoming upon release.

ROUND 35

35. GOLD BOTTLES

THE DOOR IS OPEN

Luxury.

Women.

Southern humor.

Brown skin.

Celebration.

Movement.

Repeatable language.

“Gold Bottles” occupies the final position because somebody has to stand at the doorway.

But No. 35 isn’t a prison sentence.

It’s a challenge.

If the finished record hits harder than No. 21?

Move it.

If it hits harder than No. 12?

Move it.

If it becomes one of the biggest live records in the catalog?

Move it again.

WEAPON: Women / luxury / Southern party
BEST ROUND: Crowd participation
STATUS: Challenger
TARGET: Top 10–15

APPLE MUSIC:
Official song link forthcoming upon release.

THE CRUSH 35

THE CURRENT BOARD

1. Greatest
2. Steph
3. Somebody Bih
4. Over Under
5. The 99 & 3000
6. WiFi
7. Rawest
8. Flavorz
9. Closest Friends
10. Fukk Friends

11. Roxy
12. Therapy Sessions
13. Long Island Iced Tea
14. World Yoga Coach
15. BBL’s & Hustlerz
16. F* On Yo Thot**
17. Good Good
18. Turn Up Da Strip
19. Mikey Tyson
20. Slutty Vegan

21. Faces
22. Money
23. The Special Services
24. Message
25. Been2long
26. Aint the Same
27. Plug Love II
28. Too Komfortable 4 Me
29. General Tso
30. Screen Saver

31. Baddies
32. Jiggly Puff
33. New Era Eve
34. Sum Fine Shit
35. Gold Bottles

NOTICE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TOP 10

The expansion changed the story.

The opening ten now read:

GREATEST

STEPH

SOMEBODY BIH

OVER UNDER

THE 99 & 3000

WIFI

RAWEST

FLAVORZ

CLOSEST FRIENDS

FUKK FRIENDS

That is much closer to the actual Plug Not A Rapper musical identity.

It isn’t 10 versions of one song.

It moves between:

Confidence.

Women.

Relationships.

Sex.

Partying.

Technology.

Personality.

Emotional attachment.

Detachment.

Swagger.

And that’s the point.

THE PRETTY-RICKY PRINCIPLE

There is an important distinction in understanding this catalog.

Plug Not A Rapper does not need to become somebody else’s version of a pain rapper or street rapper to compete.

His natural center is much closer to the Southern tradition where women and relationships are legitimate centerpieces of male music.

Sex doesn’t have to be a throwaway subject.

Women don’t have to appear only in the club record.

Love doesn’t have to be confined to R&B.

Toxicity doesn’t have to become melodrama.

A male artist can build an entire universe from:

Attraction.

Sex.

Relationships.

Breakups.

Nightlife.

Women.

Money.

Ego.

Humor.

Vulnerability.

And still rap.

That is why the Pretty Ricky comparison is useful as DNA, not imitation.

The destination isn’t:

Plug Not A Rapper sounds like Pretty Ricky.

The destination is:

PLUG HAS HIS OWN SOUTHERN WOMEN + RELATIONSHIPS + NIGHTLIFE UNIVERSE.

THEN ADD CRUSH

And this is where the potential differentiation becomes enormous.

Because the music doesn’t exist alone.

CRUSH provides an environment.

Beaches.

Homecomings.

Women.

Nightlife.

College culture.

Travel.

Fashion.

Parties.

Cars.

Merchandise.

Festival stages.

Summer.

Spring break.

Homecoming season.

Suddenly a record doesn’t merely need Spotify or Apple Music listeners.

It has places to live.

That should directly influence how future songs are created.

THE NEXT ALBUMS NOW HAVE A BRUTAL ASSIGNMENT

CRUSH RELOADED cannot simply be “another good Plug album.”

Neither can CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY.

The scoreboard already has 35 names.

So:

If Rich is great?

Somebody moves.

If Founder becomes the ownership anthem?

Somebody moves.

If The Temptations becomes a signature personality record?

Somebody moves.

If Waistline Tats becomes irresistible?

Somebody moves.

If Steak N Shake detonates in clubs?

Somebody moves.

If Ms Lady becomes the women’s relationship record?

Somebody moves.

Then CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY arrives.

If Turn Up becomes a crowd monster?

Move somebody.

If College Girlz becomes inseparable from homecoming season?

Move somebody.

If Baby Names becomes the melodic crossover?

Move somebody.

If Open2Real becomes a pure personality/rap weapon?

Move somebody.

Nobody is grandfathered in.

EVEN GREATEST CAN LOSE

That might be the most important rule.

No. 1 should not become ceremonial.

If the artist makes something genuinely better than “Greatest,” then the purpose of the entire process has been fulfilled.

Move “Greatest” to No. 2.

Then challenge the new champion.

That is what artists are supposed to do.

35 ISN’T THE DESTINATION EITHER

Eventually the objective becomes:

50 legitimate records.

Then 75.

But not 75 songs that merely exist.

Seventy-five records with a reason somebody would request them.

And eventually the hardest exercise imaginable:

PICK ONLY 20.

If cutting from 35 to 20 feels easy, the catalog isn’t deep enough yet.

If cutting from 50 to 20 starts arguments?

Now something is happening.

If different fans can build completely different Plug Top 20s and all of them make sense?

That’s when a catalog has developed real depth.

THE ULTIMATE HYPOTHETICAL VERSUS

Everybody gets a record.

Every legend.

Every generation.

Every style.

Plug gets his catalog.

No guarantee of victory.

No fake declaration that everybody who ever made music suddenly loses.

That’s not the point.

The point is building until the idea of playing the records against elite catalogs stops sounding ridiculous.

One weapon at a time.

One project at a time.

One era at a time.

And always with the same requirement:

SOUND LIKE PLUG.

Not the opponent.

Not the algorithm.

Not whoever happens to be hot this year.

PLUG.

THE REAL SCOREBOARD

The greatest accomplishment won’t be somebody saying:

“He made a lot of songs.”

It will be somebody saying:

“Wait—he still hasn’t played THAT one yet?”

That’s catalog depth.

When somebody thinks the biggest record has already been played—and there are five more.

When the women’s record gets followed by another women’s record with a completely different emotion.

When the party record gets answered by vulnerability.

When vulnerability gets followed by personality.

When the old catalog classics stand beside the new records without sounding disposable.

When an album comes out and suddenly three songs everybody thought were untouchable move down five positions.

That’s the standard.

PLUG VS. PLUG.

Thirty-five rounds.

Every era represented.

Five forgotten weapons moved to the front.

Three unreleased challengers waiting at the back.

More records approaching.

No permanent rankings.

No safe positions.

No automatic classics.

No filler protected by nostalgia.

No new song protected by hype.

Make the record earn its round.

Then make another one good enough to beat it.

THE CRUSH 35.

35 ROUNDS WITH DA PLUG.

STREAM THE CATALOG

Plug Not A Rapper — Apple Music⁠

WATCH THE VISUAL CATALOG

Plug Not A Rapper — CRUSH Official Video Gallery⁠

Plug Not A Rapper / PartyPlugMikey — YouTube⁠

CRUSH MAGAZINE®

Music. Women. Culture. Nightlife. Relationships. Ownership.

THE CRUSH CONTINUES.