4batz

Mysterious Dallas-based singer 4batz crafts atmospheric R&B that feels intimate, alluring, and full of longing. Early approval arrived from Drake and Kanye West, while two 2023 singles that spread rapidly online sparked a fierce bidding contest among major labels, one of them being the Billboard Hot 100 entry “act ii: date @ 8.” In 2024 he issued his first mixtape, U Made Me a St4r, under the Gamma imprint while still drawing attention from Drake’s OVO Sound. Subsequent collaborations included Lil Baby on “roll da dice,” Jeremih on “Sick,” and the solo release “hood grammy.”

Neko Bennett, who records as 4batz, first appeared with the June 2023 single “act i: stickerz '99'.” The compact, romantic track, running less than two minutes and featuring a mid-song tempo and pitch shift, caught fire after a “From the Block” clip surfaced on the YouTube channel 4 Shooters Only. Listeners remarked on the striking gap between the performer’s hardened, balaclava-covered image and the gentleness of his delivery. The equally concise “act ii: date @ 8” quickly generated greater attention, reached the Billboard Hot 100, and earned endorsements from figures such as SZA and Kanye West. A Billboard report in January 2024 noted that numerous label heads were eager to secure his signature. Although he soon aligned with OVO Sound for a planned EP, Bennett instead dropped the mixtape U Made Me a St4r in May 2024 via Gamma; it opened at number 30 on the Billboard 200. Additional cuts that followed were “So Bad” with Skilla Baby before the standalone “hood grammy” arrived.