— Detroit rapper 1Up Tee has wisdom beyond his years, aiming to teach life lessons with his music, as he does in his latest single and music video, “Accountability Pt. 2.”
With his signature lyrical dexterity, the 25-year-old 1Up Tee delivers hard hitting, introspective bars over an emotive piano and pulsating Detroit-style beat. “Accountability Pt.2” marks another chapter in Tee’s ongoing dialogue about personal growth and self-awareness. The accompanying music video sets 1Up Tee against a backdrop of television screens, symbolizing the overwhelming influence of media consumption. Additionally, a reflective scene set in a Chicago high-rise uses a kaleidoscope view to echo Tee’s poignant lyrics about self-examination, urging viewers to “take a look in the mirror.”
Stay tuned for his compelling 4 Shooters Only’s “From The Block” performance of “Accountability Pt.2,” where 1Up Tee features a deaf performer, underscoring his commitment to inclusivity and his efforts to bridge the gap within the diverse communities of his audience.
Inspired by local rappers Babyface Ray and Payroll Giovanni, Tee started rapping when he was a teenager, writing about the things he observed in his hometown, and eventually teaming up with close friend D Hen, 1UP to release the mixtape Y.N.A. in 2022. 1Up Tee capitalized on his hometown momentum with the single “Accountability,” released in 2022, framed as a conversation between two sides of himself–one side lamenting his lack of success so far, and the other side telling him to shape up and get to work. Late last year, Tee’s profile began to cross out of the Great Lakes region and make waves nationwide: the catalyst was “Good Karma (Freestyle),” an examination about why bad things happen to real ones, which became a viral On The Radar performance and generated over 4 million on-demand streams. He kept the karma going with January’s “Lose Lose,” which earned attention from Pitchfork, racking up over 1.8 million streams in its first six weeks. His recent inclusion on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Hip Hop playlist and a significant uptick in TikTok followers highlight his growing influence.
With influential tastemakers like Pitchfork, On The Radar, and Spotify’s Fresh Finds in his corner, along with strong co-signs from from Meek Mill, athletes like Damian Lillard and Marshawn Lynch, and fellow Detroiters including Babyface Ray, Dej Loaf, and BabyTron, 1Up Tee is ready to become the next rapper from the Motor City to become a breakout star. Stay tuned for much more.