Standout Sound: A Closer Look at SossHouse

Behind every star is an entourage: a tight-knit circle of people who are always at the star’s ready. Musicians often surround themselves with dedicated lyricists, producers, hype men, and other unique creatives. For Pi’erre Bourne, that is no different. The self-produced rapper has not only made a lane for himself in the rap game, with his 8-bit inspired beats that stand out from hip-hop’s current sound, he has also built a collective burgeoning with talent and creativity. This collective is known as SossHouse.

Atlanta-based SossHouse was founded in 2014 by Pi’erre and two of his longtime friends, Marko Visuals, who does video production for the label, and A.J. Bourne, the label’s graphic designer. What started as a group of friends trying to have fun with new and unique sounds turned into one of the most exciting and standout groups in the rap game. In addition to Pi’erre Bourne, I am a regular listener of SossHouse members Chavo and Sharc. The group also consists of rappers Jelly, Bermuda Yae, J Billz, Frazier Trill, and Kura.

Last summer was hot for the label, with Pi’erre, Sharc, and Chavo all releasing new projects. Pi’erre came out with the final installment in his mixtape-turned-commercial-album series “The Life of Pi’erre 5” (“TLOP5”), which dropped in June 2021. It works well as a culminating project, showcasing the peak of Pierre’s production and lyrical capabilities. The beats get stuck in your head easily, featuring repetitive synths, classic 808s, and Pierre’s melodic-robotic voice and standard smooth transitions between songs.

Sometimes, I think his bars can be a little weak, but that may also be what brings charm to his projects. Tracks like “Couch” and “HULU” are filled with fun metaphors and quips about his life before and after fame.

Chavo, who hails from Boston, has been a member of SossHouse since 2016. Inspired by his father, Benzino, the owner of hip-hop magazine The Source, Chavo has been involved in music for most of his life, being credited on one of his father's albums at the age of 7. Although he’s released a couple of mixtapes independently, he didn’t release his first project with SossHouse, “Chavo’s World,” until 2020.

After gaining a decent following, he followed it up almost a year and a half later in August 2021 with “Chavo’s World 2.” Both mixtapes stay in my rotation, but “Chavo’s World” is the harder hitter in my opinion.The two were especially focused on solidifying Chavo’s presence and showing off both their skills in his first release. In addition, “Michigan,” the lead single from the album, garnered some popularity on TikTok, allowing Chavo to build a following rather quickly.

Not only did Chavo give us a glimpse of his world with these projects, he also let the world know he is the next big thing. Full of braggadocious bars and humorous, witty moments, Chavo solidifies himself as something the game doesn’t have right now. He may be from Boston, but his content sounds Florida-inspired, and his flows are more like southern rap, which makes him an impressive talent. Alongside Pi’erre’s quirky production on the mixtape, Chavo creates an atmosphere that is self-described a a “relaxed luxury trap,”  which makes the tape addictive and fresh. Tracks from “Chavo’s World” that I return to include “Boolie,” “LR Wrist,” and “Countertops.”

Sharc is not a recent addition to my playlists, either. The self-proclaimed “grimey” emcee from Atlanta released his debut project, “47 Meters Down,” two weeks after “TLOP5” in June 2021. He was — and still is — a relatively unknown artist, with only a handful of singles on SoundCloud before “47 Meters Down.”

Pi’erre produced this project and it begins with the deep-voiced narration that he uses for many of his older projects, announcing “This is 47 Meters Down. There’s only one Sharc.” Sharc does not fail to make himself known as a menace, rapping about being reckless in an aggressive way that no one has covered on a Pi’erre beat before. There’s the energy of Playboi Carti and Young Thug in his flows, but his unique, raspy voice coupled with beats packed with unique drum patterns, deep, rumbling bass, and eerie high-pitched synths make him stand out from the typical Atlanta sound.

Although Sharc is rather undiscovered by most of the music industry, the fact that Pi’erre Bourne is backing him is promising and compelling, and I think this mixtape is a solid debut. Some of the songs that best encapsulate Sharc’s sound from “47 Meters Down” include “100 Clip,” “Brown Water,” and “Gang Pop.”

Although I haven’t listened to everyone on the label, I can only imagine that with Pi’erre’s taste, the other members of SossHouse are just as interesting and fun to listen to. He has found a way to curate his own sound while also developing promising talent. All the artists bring something unique to the table, but what they all have in common is the ability to foster a fun atmosphere with their music.

Pi’erre is just doing what he’s good at: making music and having a good time. Pi’erre describes his sound as “happy beats over trap 808s,” and every time I hear his signature producer tag, “Yo Pi’erre, you wanna come out here?” I know I’m going to have fun. I got to listen to these releases during the summer before my 21st birthday, and they set the tone in a bold way for me. I had so much energy and fun listening to this music for the first time. SossHouse has the potential to blow up in the coming years and with Pi’erre steering the ship, it really can’t go wrong. Take a minute to check out the SossHouse collective before the wave.