Quando Rondo

Though Quando Rondo was born in 1999, he approaches the rap game with the skepticism of a veteran who’s been double-crossed one too many times. The MC, born Tyquian Terrel Bowman, in Savannah, Georgia, has been an integral member of the region’s post-trap melodic landscape, proving both prolific and thoughtful in his approach to the industry. “I wanna be number one in the world, but I stay away from the game. This music stuff can be too weird sometimes,” he explained to Apple Music. So, Quando Rondo focuses his entire energy on the music. He followed in the footsteps of his label boss and contemporary, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, forging a career built on sticky, swampy hooks and visceral tales of life on the street and in the drug game. On his 2018 breakthrough hit, the Lil Baby-assisted “I Remember,” he raps, “I remember when I first went to the juvenile/I remember when I first realized the envy/Locked up in the cell, I couldn't get a penny.” Rondo has never been shy about spelling out exactly how he got to his spot atop rap’s constantly shifting hierarchy. With albums like QPac and Diary of a Lost Child, both from 2020, he’s aware of where he came from and where he aspires to go. Quando Rondo’s hustle is relentless, but he’s not looking for help anytime soon. “There’s just so much competition,” he explains. “I’d rather do this job myself.”