Pz’ in the video for “ØWay Cypher”
Atlanta rap collective ØWay kicked off 2026 last week with an eight-and-a-half minute cypher. The crew’s profile hit new highs in the fall following the success of “Bada Bing Bada Bøøm,” the breakout single of ringleader Tezzus and right-hand man diamond*. As the song blew up, footage of the pair performing at a nightclub made its way to Young Thug, who signed them to YSL.
Like Thug’s other 2025 signings (1300SAINT and the controversial rage-baiter/alleged groomer Nine Vicious), these guys sound like they grew up listening to So Much Fun and Whole Lotta Red. But their best songs push past simple clone allegations thanks to sharp beat selection and elastic flows — and their 2026 cypher is a great example. And while Tezzus and diamond* make a great introduction to the group, some of their friends are even better rappers.
What is ØWay?
ØWay is technically the second incarnation of 4ET (as in, “forever thumbin” through paper), an Atlanta rap crew that included Southsidesilhouette, Diorvsyou, and Rollin Thrax (Hardrock was part of 4ET back in the day). Tezzus and diamond* were already close to Southsidesilhouette and Diorvsyou so they sound plenty natural on songs together. Sk8star and Florida’s Percaso, two rappers who aren’t featured on the cypher, are also closely affiliated to the group.
I can’t pin down exactly how they all connected, but a broad swath of ØWay has close ties with Ian Connor, a fashion designer associated with Kanye West, Playboi Carti, Drake, and A$AP Rocky, and who has been accused by several women of sexual assault. It’s unclear how involved Connor is with ØWay, but the group’s rise has coincided with a minor resurgence in his relevance. In February 2025, Connor even teased a compilation album that was set to feature diamond*, Rollin Thrax, and Diorvsyou, alongside Young Thug, Dean Blunt, and Nettspend, though it was never released.
Perhaps it’s darkly ironic that “ØWay” means “against oppression,” per Tezzus, though he adds it’s more about artistic freedom than anything overtly political. The way these guys pepper it into their songs, it’s first and foremost a catch-all adlib.
What’s the “ØWay Cypher”?
“ØWay Cypher” is essentially 3 mini-songs, rather than a traditional cypher or freestyle. The first section is an in-your-face rage rap banger produced by Kassgocrazy; the second section, produced by ivvys, project4play, and Devfried, leans more dark ambient. The track’s final movement, produced by DP Beats, Venexxi, and Casio5k, feels more like a mainstream Atlanta trap beat, but stuffed with so much percussion you would never mistake it for a song by Future or Thug. Taken as a whole, it’s a snapshot of the sonic trends dominating the SoundCloud underground.
Below, every verse on “ØWay Cypher,” ranked.
12. 10kdunkin
Best bar: “I’m talkin’ to the ho like Creflo Dollar / She look like a model, got a thousand followers”
No disrespect but seeing 10kdunkin in this video made me feel 1000 years old. Props to ØWay for not indulging in ageism! This isn’t a terrible verse, but 10kdunkin’s boilerplate topics combined with a cringe NDA line make for an anticlimactic outro.
11. Lil Righteous
Best bar: “I tell her do it, she gon’ do it / bitch, Alexa”
Impassioned delivery can’t save this Lil Righteous verse from going in one ear and right out the other. His lyrics feel bland and nonspecific, recycling tropes without a personal touch.
10. ShawtyRokk
Best bar: “Rock the show in Dior Homme / I fucked my dream bitch, then kicked out my home”
ShawtyRokk’s two verses on this song focus more on his snarling delivery than lyrical content, though his repeated love for Hedi jeans is mildly endearing. He sounds better on the song’s third movement, where his flow feels more attached to the bounce of the beat.
9. diamond*
Best bar: “My dog said, ‘Fuck the judge,’ he tryna take that shit to trial”
diamond*’s verse here is super laid back, almost unremarkable. My theory is that Tezzus told him to chill out after diamond*’s hook overshadowed T’s verse on “bada bØØm bada bing.”
8. Southsidesilhouette
Best bar: “I’m in the trench right now with a tote bag / yeah, it’s holdin’ a blick”
Southsidesilhouette coolly rifles through an #OOTD check, saying he’s wearing a plain gold watch because he “fucked up my two-tone presi’” and popping the collar on his leather jacket. It’s a solid verse, but nothing to write home about either.
7. Reezy X
Best bar: “N***as life suck and they all in denial / I bet all my old hoes proud of me now”
It’s entirely possible Reezy X is getting hazed by ØWay right now: why else would they put so many drums over his bars? That being said, his energetic flow works surprisingly well amidst the cacophony.
6. Lilkixkdor
Best bar: “I used to have to take cold baths / Now, I’m lit, I take sponge bath”
“Whole family died, aftermath / Trippin’ off these drugs, Kodak,” is incredibly bleak no matter how you couch it. It suggests an artistic persona molded by trauma no matter how glitzy things are getting, and that’s reflected in his bluntly violent lyrics about knocking off hats and blasting at 12.
5. billi0n
Best bar: “I’m in the corner having late, night / talks with my kiiidney”
It’s not what billi0n is saying, but how he says it — his voice is like a cross between Nino Paid and the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes. His yelped delivery pushes “ØWay Cypher” into high gear from the very first verse.
4. EA TJ
Best Bar: “Smash the Benz’, had to switch the tag, got bitches stalkin’ me / Big dog, n***a, I got steppers all the way in Albany”
EA TJ only raps four bars on this song but the way he says “Al-ba-ny” has been rattling around my head for a full week. It’s a testament to the quality of his micro verse, which feels exciting and not just tacked on.
3. Yung Fazo
Best bar: “I knew would do it / I knew I would get to the top, I been touchin’ the stars, gon’ be the influence”
Yung Fazo is ØWay’s other intergenerational recruit, probably better known for his pre-pandemic successes than anything he’s released since. He seems acutely aware of his profile, turning in a fluid melodic verse that switches his flow up beautifully halfway through. In interviews, Tezzus has called Fazo “cooler than NAV,” which, depending on your tastes, is maybe a low bar to clear. But it’s entirely possible 2026 could be his biggest year yet.
2. Tezzus
Best bar: “N***as gettin’ robbed on eBay, in my last life, I caught bodies, bitch / Me and this ho had a e-date, it was just a glass of wine and narcotics, bitch”
Tezzus’s first verse on this song is kind of bad. The hyperaggressive beat pushes him into an aggressive flow, but it’s all bark no bite, despite him claiming he’ll “have a Blood kill a Blood, a Crip kill Crip.” He redeems himself on the song’s third movement, where a more melodic approach emphasizes Thug’s influence, and Tezzus’s typically brash vocals melt into Auto-Tune currents.
1. Pz’
Best bar: “Lil’ baby, I’m goin’ ballistic, the fabrics on me is Celine / I wine and dine with Spanish fine lil’ shawty, she work for Celine”
Of the extended ØWay roster, Pz’ seems most likely to break out next (a cosign by Playboi Carti’s YVL camp can’t hurt). His flow is delicate even as it feels intricate. “Hermes bag cost a wallet, and that bitch might cost a chain / We might bust you in your brain, Man, Lil Pz’, you goin’ insane,” he coos midway through. It’s a breezy verse that indicates a star in the making.
