Thirteendegrees° Unleashes Dynamic New Single “CHAMPAIN” Ahead of BLACK FRIDAYZ on October 3
Chicago’s own underground standout Thirteendegrees° returns with firepower, unleashing his latest single, “CHAMPAIN,” available everywhere now. The track sets the stage for his much-anticipated new project, BLACK FRIDAYZ, arriving October 3.
On “CHAMPAIN,” Thirteendegrees° commands attention with confident flows and magnetic charisma, weaving seamlessly through synth-charged production. Building momentum with every bar, he crowns the performance with the bold proclamation, “I’m the king when I step in the fucking room,” elevated even further by cinematic orchestration. The single pushes his boundary-breaking style forward while signaling that the throne may soon be within reach.
BLACK FRIDAYZ follows a string of buzzworthy drops, including “EXOTIC STRIPPAZ” and “PALACE” [with BNYX]. The latter earned acclaim over the summer, spotlighted by VIBE and praised by HotNewHipHop as “a wildly energetic banger that’s grand in scale with its blaring synths and hits of bells.”
With his enigmatic sound and relentless drive, Thirteendegrees° has solidified himself as a leading figure in the #NewChicago wave. His live presence continues to turn heads, from crushing Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash to selling out Reggie’s Rock Club and commanding attention at SXSW.
This moment follows a year of unstoppable momentum. In January, he dropped Clique City Vol. 2 and the fan-favorite single “Da Problem Solva,” further showcasing his melodic sensibilities and nostalgic MySpace-era aesthetic. Recognition poured in quickly—The FADER dubbed him one of “The 30 Coolest Artists Right Now” while Pigeons & Planes named him among “Best New Artists for Spring 2025.” Pitchfork put it best: “Chicago’s Thirteendegrees° is a standout from the ongoing nostalgia parade, a rap game time traveler who probably watches 106 & Park like white 30-somethings watch Friends.”
Now, with BLACK FRIDAYZ on deck, Thirteendegrees° is ready to raise the temperature of the game once again.
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Biography:
Despite the city’s temperature once dropping to a dangerously frigid -27°F, Chicago has incubated and heated up one genre movement after another. The Windy City has given rise to eras of jazz, blues, house, and, of course, hip-hop. Continuing this tradition with an incomparable and infectious style, thirteendegrees ° steps up as next in line straight out of the South Side. A proud pioneer of the “New Chicago” movement, the rising rapper, songwriter, and artist has quietly amassed millions of streams, earned superstar co-signs, and sold out gigs.
Attracting Island Records to his corner, he asserts himself as an icy and infectious force of nature on a series of 2025 singles and his upcoming debut project, Black Fridayz.
“I feel like I’m cold at what I do,” he grins. “When I get in the studio, I let the beat take me wherever it goes. I’ll write lyrics, but I also freestyle and add new lines. I keep my head open and let it flow.”
Long before pursuing music, he developed a lifelong passion for basketball. As a kid, he lived on the South Side with his mother, aunt, and grandmother, occupying as much of his time as possible in the paint. He excelled as a standout point guard, even achieving scholarships to play at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois and Our Lady of the Lake University in Texas. In the background, he immersed himself in hip-hop, listening to Lucki, Juice WRLD, SoFaygo, T-Pain, M.I.A., Santigold, and The-Dream. During 2021, he changed course, making a decision to focus on music.
As a student of the game, thirteendegrees ° knew that he would have to pave his own lane in order to be heard.
“I was looking around and thinking of all different cultures and artists in Chicago,” he goes on. “It’s not just drill. When I started making music, I noticed there was an open space for me to do a new sound of my own.”
Inspired by hip-hop, alternative, pop, and rock, he wrote his first rhymes in 2022. Just a year later, he dropped the fan favorite Metropolitan mixtape highlighted by “On Ha Heezy” and “Hood Tumblr Love.”
Gaining further traction, He honed his skills across 2024’s UPTOWN DROPOUT and Clique City. Kicking off 2025 with a bang, Clique City Vol. 2 spawned “Da Problem Solva,” which reeled in over 2.8 million Spotify streams. Co-signs followed from Rod Wave, Trippie Redd, SoFaygo, Teezo Touchdown, plaqueboymax, Rubi Rose, and more. Beyond inciting the applause of The FADER and Complex, he sold out his first hometown headline show at the iconic Reggies and ignited the stage everywhere from The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Festival to SXSW.
Teaming up with multiplatinum producer BNYX [Drake, Nicki Minaj], he turned the page on his next chapter with the single “PALACE.” A triumphant horn loop ushers along a head-nodding bounce fueled by glitchy synths. He flaunts his range by dipping in and out of the beat with melodic verses and a hard- hitting hook. Nodding to the historic “Malice in the Palace” game between the Indiana Pacers and
Detroit Pistons, he boldly proclaims, “I’m the best, no debate,” and backs his declaration up with an inventive and idiosyncratic flow.
It’s no wonder HotNewHipHop touted it as “a wildly energetic banger.” “BNYX started following me back when ‘Da Problem Solva’ began picking up,” he recalls. “He sent me two beats and ‘PALACE’ was one of them. The song reflects on what the past few months have been like for me. I’ve reached another stage in my life. I’ve been seeing different things, going to various cities, and meeting people. In the middle of everything, I’m just trying to make the best music I can.” It serves as the perfect precursor to Black Fridayz.
“This next project is going to show everyone that I’m a complete artist,” he exclaims. “I can do any sound. I’m not just one song. You don’t know what’s going to happen or what you’re going to hear from me. I’m adding in new styles, flows, and cadences. Everything is going to be different. I just want to elevate my sound even further, and I never want to be stuck in one box.” That’s why thirteendegrees ° is as cold as they come.
“I can be the artist who shines a whole different light on my city,” he leaves off. “I’m still a regular dude from Chicago. I’m not letting any of the notoriety, press, or attention get to me. I’m just trying to get through life, and hopefully I can inspire people along the way.”
Despite the city’s temperature once dipping to a frigid -27°F, Chicago has incubated and heated up one genre movement after another. The Windy City has given rise to eras of jazz, blues, house, and, of course, hip-hop. Continuing this tradition with an incomparable and infectious style, thirteendegrees °steps up as next in line straight out of the South Side. A proud pioneer of the “New Chicago” movement,
the rising rapper, songwriter, and artist has quietly surged as a phenomenon.
Long before pursuing music, he developed a lifelong passion for basketball. He excelled as a standout point guard, achieving scholarships to play at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois and Our Lady of the Lake University in Texas. During 2021, he changed course, making a decision to focus on music. Inspired by hip-hop, alternative, pop, and rock, he wrote his first rhymes in 2022. A year later, he dropped the fan favorite Metropolitan mixtape highlighted by “On Ha Heezy” and “Hood Tumblr Love.” He honed his skills across 2024’s UPTOWN DROPOUT and Clique City.
Kicking off 2025 with a bang, Clique City Vol. 2 spawned “Da Problem Solva,” which reeled in over 2.8 million Spotify streams. Co-signs followed from Rod Wave, Trippie Redd, SoFaygo, Teezo Touchdown, plaqueboymax, Rubi Rose, and more. Beyond inciting the applause of The FADER and Complex, he sold out his first hometown headline show at the iconic Reggies and ignited the stage everywhere from The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Festival to SXSW.
Attracting Island Records to his corner, he asserts himself as an icy and infectious force of nature on a series of 2025 singles and his upcoming debut project, Black Fridayz.
Audio:
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirteendegrees/
