Sugarhill Ddot Reunites With STAR BANDZ For 'Energy'

03-14-2025

(ICLG) Harlem's own Sugarhill Ddot reunites with Chicago's STAR BANDZ in the New York-set music video for "Energy," out now via Priority Records. After demonstrating their chemistry on the massively viral 2024 hit "My Baby," the teen rap sensations got back together for the upbeat, drill-inflected single, which appears on Sugarhill Ddot's 2 Sides of the Story Deluxe.

"Energy" is a feel-good track lifted up by stuttering drums, deep bass, bright tones, and the sweetly melodic interplay of Sugarhill Ddot and STAR BANDZ's vocals. The duo trades lines about living carefree, bringing the party wherever they go, and propping each other up the morning after. "Oh, yeah, I like this side of me / Yeah, I like your energy," he says, before she replies: "You bring out the best in me / This here feel like destiny."

The Haitian Picasso-directed video for "Energy" builds on the vibe, dropping Sugarhill Ddot and STAR BANDZ into a house party surrounded by friends. Yes, he arrives in a Rolls Royce wearing Celine, but the energy is low key and familiar as people dance, play cards, and share smiles. The track ends with them both laughing.

Sugarhill Ddot dropped the expanded edition of his celebrated debut album, 2 Sides of the Story Deluxe, in December. Buzzing new tracks like "Energy" and "Like This (Remix)" - featuring Bay Swag and wolfacejoeyy - appear alongside established favorites like "My Baby," whose music video alone has racked up more than 22 million views to date.

He and STAR BANDZ also took their hit to #FromTheBlock (5.6 million views), gave a joint interview to Our Generation Music, and picked up another 2.2 million views via a pair of video collabs with influencers Idris Majo and Noticuz - suggesting that fans have been turning out not just for the duo's viral song, but also for their overall chemistry. The two in fact made COMPLEX's list of "The 13 Best Teenaged Rappers Right Now." Sure enough, from early days, viewers were clipping content and creating endless video shorts celebrating Sugarhill Ddot and STAR BANDZ.

Despite his age, Sugarhill Ddot has been carving out his own lane for a few years, collecting co-signs from the likes of Cardi B, Drake, Ice Spice, and Lil Durk following a powerful run of self-released songs that culminated in his signing to Priority Records. He dropped a slew of singles across 2023, earning a rep for songs that swirled up the urgency of drill with the wild, youthful innovation that sparked rap's original rise. 2 Sides of the Story made good on that promise, showing an artist who can easily switch modes - hard-edged to melodic - and smartly curate talent with cameos from Skilla Baby, Hunxho, Luh Tyler, BBG Steppaa, and even the late PnB Rock, not to mention production from Fridayy, Hitmaka, Quay Global, MCVertt, and others.

STAR BANDZ, meanwhile, is at the beginning of what may become her own meteoric rise. The fellow drill prodigy is known for her distinctive flow and fearless lyricism - and also for making major waves without falling back on explicit language. She recently dropped her highly anticipated debut mixtape, ESTRELLA, out now on Priority Records, featuring highlights like "4 Deep," "Mirror Mirror" with BabyChiefDoit, and her viral "Yea Yea" featuring Veeze, which scored her a place on COMPLEX's "Best Rap Verses of 2024."