Melody Of A Memory

Eem Triplin's flow is smooth and melodic enough that he could make an easy switch to R&B, but he's ultimately a hip-hop artist whose wordplay is too intricate to be classified as the work of a singer. Also a producer -- he became known for his work with fellow MC $NOT -- Triplin has been releasing tracks commercially since 2018, when he was in his late teens. The tuneful "AWKWARD FREESTYLE," released in 2022, made the Pennsylvanian a viral sensation, and he has since released the Still Pretty EP and a handful of Sony-distributed singles, including the knocking "stephanie," across 2023 and 2024.

A native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Eem (short for Naaem) got into hip-hop through his brother, who introduced him to music by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, and Tyler, The Creator. His sister Nondi_ inspired him to take up beatmaking, and in high school he took music classes and performed in band. Triplin uploaded tracks made in his bedroom, started producing tracks for rapper $NOT, and eventually added rapping to his repertoire. From 2018 through 2021, Triplin issued an assortment of tracks, along with short EPs such as N0wh3r3, No More Tears, and Gutta, before he went viral in 2022 with "AWKWARD FREESTYLE." A slew of additional songs that included "Louie V," "Just Friends?," and the $NOT collaboration "Like You Know" was out before the end of the year. Still Pretty, a seven-track EP highlighted by "Walked In," followed in 2023. The next year, Triplin released singles like "stephanie," "FIJI" (featuring Cruza), and "CRAZY H*ES" with support from Sony. ~ Andy Kellman