Underground rap heads probably know the name Rision from his extensive production work with Yeat and recent credits on the last YT record. But he’s also an artist in his own right. With his first single out now on the New York label b4, and a full mixtape on the way, we thought now would be a good time to send some questions over to the Florida artist and producer, whose beats have propelled some of the more consequential digi-rap tracks to smack the internet over the past few years. Read the interview, and listen to “4L,” below.

Can you remember the first beat you ever made? Who were some of your early influences? How have you changed as a producer in the subsequent years? 

Rision: Making my first beat was actually really satisfying—it felt like this was what I was supposed to be doing. I’d never felt that connected to anything before, fun fact, I stopped playing football to focus on getting good at music. I could feel every raw emotion through the music; it had soul. From the beginning, I was more focused on making what I felt instead of trying to chase a certain style.

Over the years, Rision has become more intentional and confident in his sound. What started as pure raw emotion has evolved into a more focused approach—knowing when to add and when to pull back. It’s less about chasing a style and more about trusting instinct and creating what I feel freely.

Some of my early influences were Redda, Wheezy, and Pi’erre Bourne.

How would you describe your production aesthetic? 

My production aesthetic is rooted in a bittersweet feeling. It’s emotional and reflective, balancing warmth and dark unconventional eerie hopeful intricate and ambiguously direct very real.

Tell us about Solo in Dawn.

Solo in Dawn really started back in high school. I spent a lot of time by myself—I knew a lot of people, but I never really meshed with anyone, so I preferred being solo. A friend used to joke and ask why I was always alone, and the word “solo” just stuck with me before I even made music. I always knew I wanted to do music, I just didn’t know how. My dad used to rap for fun and one day he said he needed a producer. I randomly told him I’d learn, and he brought me a laptop with FL Studio 11. From there, everything kind of clicked.

I showed my boy Redda some of my early beats and he really connected with the melodies, so we started collaborating. Seeing how good everyone around me was at the time pushed me to want to be just as good. I told my friends I wanted to build something bigger than just music—almost like a band, a lifestyle. When they asked what the name was, I said Solo in Dawn. To me, it means that at the end of the day, it’s on you to make it happen.

You’ve had a pretty prolific collaborative relationship with Yeat. How did you two first link up? Do you have a favorite track you’ve made together?

The first time I heard Yeat was in 2019 on a song called Pilot—that was right when I first started producing. A lot of my friends knew him personally, but I was never the type to ask for connections like that. In 2020, my boy Ice played Yeat some of my beats, and Yeat hit me up on Instagram right away like, “Yoo this shit slide, send dis gang.” At the time, I was only sending beats to my boy Jai, so anything he didn’t use, I started flooding Yeat with. I was making around 10–13 beats a day back then. The first four beats I sent him, he sent four songs back within an hour. One of them was “Ups and Downs :(,” which ended up dropping on the ‘We Us’ tape. My favorite songs we’ve made together are “Call Më” and “Rëal Six.”

You are working on a mixtape now, right? Could you talk a bit about that?

Yeah I am, I love the freedom of working on this mixtape—not boxing myself in or forcing one sound. It feels like two sides of myself wanting to speak. They’re very different, but they work together. The project lives in that balance, letting both sides exist without compromise, also keep a look for b4sounds, I have song coming out on their mixtape as well, shout out Bri and Garrie for always helping me and always pushing me forward. 🫶

How does being from Florida inspire you as a producer? Who is the GOAT Florida rapper?

Growing up in Florida was fire—there’s so much life and culture there, and I think that energy naturally comes through in my music. I grew up in North Miami Beach, and early on I was listening to NMB Stunnaz, which definitely shaped my ear. Florida’s sound is raw and unpredictable, and that freedom inspires how I produce.

If I had to pick the GOAT Florida rapper, it’d have to be Kodak Black

Do you have any dream collaborations?

Dream collaborations for me would be Future, Chief Keef, and Kanye West. All of them push culture and sound forward in their own way, and that’s something I really connect with creatively.

What’s the best thing to drink in the studio and why? 

Water is the only right answer. Keeping it simple keeps me focused. If I’m adding anything, it’s fruit—preferably mango—I be feeling like I’m brought back to life.