Stemming from Reno, the Plush Life collective has spanned across the entire West Coast region. From Reno and Carson City, to Portland, and Washington, the crew has all come together to produce some of the best music that’s out on the market today. It’s hard to draw comparisons to other artists within the hip-hop/rap community, and that’s the way they want it. Their sound has great bass, beautiful lyrics, and sweeping melodies. There’s really only one actual word to define their sound: plush.
Plush Life consists of Lil Traffic, Icy Dave, Theonly1197, Lord Saiyan, Brooksy, Cvrlos Enrique, and 86’bul. Lil Traffic, Icy Dave, and Theonly1197 should sound familiar to you, as they have been slaughtering the Reno market when it comes to local hip-hop acts with a mainstream and underground appeal, throwing shows at the Holland Project and Potentialist Workshop as well as being opening acts for performers that come into town, most notably being Rich the Kid and $uicideboy$.
Lil Traffic’s biggest feature was on the track “Let Me Go” off of the 2017 album Hilo, released by EDM artist, Graves. Outside of that, he does have quite the body of work, and it’s all very high quality. Tracks such like “I wanna be a superhero” featuring Icy Dave, “Halle Berry Backwood” featuring Lo Adams and Icy Dave, “Gems” with Lord Saiyan, and “Bounce Out” all show his versatility in being able to sing and rap. Lil Traffic is a Reno artist now living in Portland that you should be on the lookout for this upcoming year.
Theonly1197 recently came out with a self-titled mixtape on January 8th of this year. The tape is all self-produced as well, and shows great versatility as well as good lyricism and instrumental structures. Outside of his mixtape, Theonly1197 has some hard-hitting features that’ll start moshpits wherever its played. High energy or somber, Theonly1197 can do it, and do it well.
Icy Dave has this high-octane delivery about him, spitting unrelenting bars at a fast pace. Some of his tracks that you need to check out are “31 Below,” “Lindsay LowEnd,” and “I married a Wiccan” featuring Theonly1197. These tracks show his ability to do either slow or fast tracks, and execute properly. Personally speaking, I’ve started many mosh pits and have just gone bonkers when listening to his music. All in all, Icy Dave delivers a fast-paced fury of fire on any beat that he hops on.
Lord Saiyan is originally from Vancouver, Washington. Using social media and Soundcloud to link with the Reno members of Plush Life, he has become an integral member of the group. Boasting a good online presence with his statistics on Soundcloud, it’s easy to see why once you listen to some of his music. “Vlad Tha Impaler” is a track that shows how fast Lord Saiyan can rhyme, and his melancholy repeating of “I can’t sleep no more” puts the listener in a trance before being knocked with a spirit bomb level of flow and lyricism. He’s also performed in Reno twice and looks to do so again in the future.
Brooksy is currently out in Utah, but he’s around in the Reno area, which is how he got together with the Plush Life Crew. His voice puts listeners in a trance, although he has a small offering available on Soundcloud currently,such as “Whowhatwhere” featuring Lil Traffic as well as “Too Much”. However, Brooksy has been around and has much more than is offered on Soundcloud, making it worth seeing him live and anticipating his next music release.
Cvrlos Enrique is a new addition to the Plush Life roster, although he brings his own energy and sound to the forefront. He, along with his own collective known as the Bass Boys, have also been killing each and every stage they’ve been given the opportunity to perform on, with hard hitting songs such as “Mix n Jax” and “Underrated.” 86’bul is also a new addition to the roster, but it’s easy to see why. Literally with every track that he’s featured on or releases himself, it shows an improvement and progression.
Overall, Plush Life is a group that boasts hits in many genres, as well as many diverse styles that it brings to the table. Factor that in with a group that with each release their music exemplifies their artistic styles and unique personalities, and you have a unique collective that’s making noise within the underground hip-hop and rap community. Plus, they’re from Reno, and it’s important to support your local artists, especially when they’re doing it big like Plush Life.