Richie Bux (far right) pictured with Mikey PX (far left) & B.B. Knight (middle).

In Hip-Hop, there’s a thin line between paying homage and biting. This was probably the first thought that jumped into my brain when I first seen the cover for Indiana native Richie Bux’s new EP, Early Infamy 1.5: Salute Me or Shoot Me.

Initially, I thought it was an odd name… then I heard the music. Clocking in at 8 tracks long, Early Infamy 1.5 plays true to the sound that Waka Flocks introduced — with his Salute Me or Shoot Me tapes — & pays homage to a great time in rap. Sticking to heavily drawn out trap drums and hi-hats that sound like they’re coming straight from a machine gun, Bux tapped producer Dymon Beats to exclusively handle production on this tape.

… & we were not disappointed.

Following 2016’s fan favorite, Early Infamy, Bux finally finds his signature sound on 1.5. Executive produced by Industry Plant Management Group, 1.5 see’s Richie sounding as confident as ever, as he gasses through flows and cadences like his aresnal is never ending.

While all eight tracks go crazy & there’s virtually no room for skips on this project, the two standouts are without a doubt, “Lemme See,” the piercing first single from the project that shows Richie rapping like a man possessed, & “Ballout,” an infectiously, energetic and enjoyable song that is just short enough to make you want to run it back 10-15 times before you move on to the next track.

“I’m going to try and make the Early Infamy series a late summer thing every year,” Bux tells RESPECT. via email, “I think it fits perfectly with the fall weather.”

Check out, Early Infamy 1.5 & be sure to keep an eye on the IPMG star, who’s set to perform at the A3C Festival, this October in Atlanta.

The post Rising Midwest Star Richie Bux Drops Off His Newest EP, ‘Early Infamy 1.5: Salute Me Or Shoot Me’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.