PlayThatBoiZay

Emerging from one of Miami’s toughest districts, PlayThatBoiZay distinguishes himself locally through his aggressive delivery and the dark, gothic-leaning productions that frame his rhymes. He soon drew notice from fellow Florida rapper Denzel Curry and advanced via projects such as the 2020 Girls Love Vampires EP alongside the 2024 breakthrough full-length VIP, which includes contributions from A$AP Rocky and JPEGMAFIA.

Born Isaiah Loubeau and raised amid the Carol City section of Miami Gardens, a notorious center of violent crime, he strove to improve his circumstances and committed to hip-hop full-time in 2018 once his hopes of playing college football faded. Observing the active SoundCloud rap wave then rising from the region—most prominently the late XXXTentacion—he linked with another hometown standout, Denzel Curry, through a shared acquaintance. Curry supplied the first major guest verse on Zay’s 2019 release Nocturnal and returned the following year amid the COVID-19 pandemic for the EP Girls Love Vampires. (The gothic motif persists throughout his catalog: he refers to his supporters as “VIPs” or “Vampires Imitating People.”)

PlayThatBoiZay’s first proper album, 2024’s VIP, arrived after prolonged delays. Partly shaped by an especially difficult breakup, the project was set aside and reworked following a near-fatal car crash in 2021 that left him temporarily unable to walk and contending with memory loss. He regained full mobility, supported Curry on a 2022 tour, and delivered a forceful final version of the record. Standout tracks include “TEMPLE RUN,” “HOODLUMZ” (with verses from both Curry and A$AP Rocky), “LIL JIT” (a joint effort with Atlanta rapper Kenny Mason), and “YOO” (featuring JPEGMAFIA).