Sideshow doesn’t aim to present himself as an elite lyricist, nor does it ever seem to be a concern of his. What comes across clearly in the Washington, D.C. area rapper’s music is the ebb and flow of a life packed with pain and significant progress, which is on full display on Sideshow’s latest album, TIGRAY FUNK.
To new ears, Sideshow’s signature drawl that clearly connects him to the Nation’s Capital stands out, but also a weariness that seemingly hit its zenith on his previous full-length, F.U.N. T.O.Y., which we named as one of the best projects of 2024.
TIGRAY FUNK takes all of the best parts of Sideshow’s past works, such as Wicked Man’s Reprise, WEGATHA TAPES Vol. 1, 2MM Don’t Just Stand There, and the aforementioned F.U.N. T.O.Y., and throws it all into a potent mix that sounds drenched in stark observation versus steel-eyed paranoia.
The album opens with “SIGNS+SYMBOLS,” featuring vocals from SEXWORKS and production from Laron. The breezy track would almost bring one to assume that Sideshow is fully leaning into the sound popularized by his 10k Global label chief, MIKE, but it becomes something entirely different. Sideshow’s four-bar verse/poem gives way to SEXWORKS’ somber vocals.
“KILL FROM THE HEART” follows, and WTFOMARI!’s off-kilter track gives Sideshow space to rep for T Side in his usual stone cold killer fashion. Sideshow’s use of violent imagery to back up his threats adds gravity to them, feeling at times unforgiving and remorseful in equal measure.
With “VOLUME METRIC,” produced by 10k Global labelmate Anysia Kim, Sideshow continues to the same bent of confident sh*t-talk, saluting the artists on his squad by stating, “I believe in the team, I see visions of us, I see winners/10K, global elite, we need millions.”
Sideshow isn’t the first Ethiopian-American rapper from the Washington Metropolitan Area of note. Still, unlike Ras Nebyu and the Washington Slizzards collective, Sideshow’s connection to the city’s seedier side has been readily apparent in his frequent nods to handling street business with all the violence his frame can muster.
Beyond it all, Sideshow’s dispatches also read as a cautionary tale of how one’s connection to the trappings of the black is destined to swallow up even its most effective and savvy foot soldiers. Yet, there are moments of brightness across the hour-long release.
El Cousteau, a fellow Washington, D.C. native, joins up on “3EEP IT 2OGETHER” with production from past collaborator, Alexander Spit. Cousteau is strictly on chorus duty, but the chemistry remains evident. During the interlude “FLOOD 2 FRENZY,” a pitched-down voice, presumably Sideshow, depicts the tale of a battle between a dog and a tiger looking to survive a flood. The recurring theme of survival by any means is prevalent throughout the album.
The album, in our opinion, isn’t packed with a series of singles. Instead, it plays like several running thoughts bouncing through Sideshow’s mind. But, unlike previous releases, this is the most clarity we’ve gotten from him, and while never completely biographical — Sideshow famously does not conduct interviews with journalists — he reveals more about whatever trials he and his family have faced between Tigray and D.C.
Speaking of, a highlight of the album, “ALENA(ኣለና)PARADISE LOST” with production from Dubya features Sidehow’s native tongue of Tigrinya and perhaps one of the strongest verses of the year thus far. Earl Sweatshirt, producing under his randomblackdude alias, provides the platter for “SOLID SNAKE,” where, as we noted above, highlights Sideshow’s disdain for talking to the press, but no offense is taken.
Laron returns to the production side with “SCHIZSHOW BOB,” another standout, albeit brief, as many of the songs across the project are. Niontay, another 10k Global labelmate who dropped one of 2025’s best projects in Fada<3of$, shows up for the stellar “HAPPY MACHINE” with production from Swaya and Tony Seltzer.
The album’s closer, “CHAOS CONSTANT,” is, in a word, chaotic. Dubya’s track is all over the place, yet Sideshow’s steady stance of both having grown tired of the hustling life but also centering his right and reasons for his sullen nature remains a constant theme, no pun intended.
TIGRAY FUNK stands as Sideshow’s most ambitious and lyrically-focused work. He doesn’t reinvent himself as much as he lift the veil of mystery just a shade. And while he might not ever fully embrace his growing presence as an emerging recording artist with openness, this is far more than we’ve ever gotten from the rising star.
Find the album at your preferred DSPs via the post below.
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Photo: 10K Global/Twitter
