Beau Young Prince is a quintessential product of his environment. While being so heavily influenced by your surroundings could hamper one’s sound as an artist, Prince uses it to his advantage. From his earliest work to his studio debut Until Then, Beau has personified versatility. You are as likely to hear BYP rap about falling in and out of love, as you are to hear him croon about getting a Half & Half from the carry-out joint down the street.

Beau’s versatility is his greatest strength, as evidenced on genre-blending tracks like “What We Do,” recorded with hit U.K. artist TroyBoi, and released under Diplo’s Mad Decent label. His collaboration with New York’s DJ YMNO—comprising the duo Young Futura—brilliantly mixes lyrical gusto and swagger that exemplifies the best of hip-hop, with the percussive heartbeat that makes house music thrive. Prince is also capable of turning it loose and showcasing his masterful flow on tracks like Hounded’s “Crazy Love.” BYP is able to switch flows, cadences, and tonalities to suit any given melody, reminiscent of musical juggernauts like Kid Cudi.

The self-proclaimed “Groovy God” has also amassed a great following online and throughout social media. Until Then has over two million plays since December 2016, and Prince has gained thousands of followers on Twitter and Soundcloud. His reach has also translated into the creation of a global fanbase. Prince has collaborated with artists all around the world, and has had his music featured on MTV, BBC UK, Hypetrak, and more. He has also performed at SXSW for three consecutive years, and has opened for stars like Danny Brown, Wale, and Ryan Hemsworth. Prince briefly negotiated with Atlantic Records in 2011, but decided to finish school before fully pursuing a career in music.

Above everything else, BYP’s music is a reflection of his upbringing in DC. The southeast native clearly studied his city’s musical roots and implemented them into his music. Traces of jazz, hip-hop, and perhaps most notably, go-go music are all present in Beau’s work. Prince, a true DC native, blends elements of the city’s most iconic beats and sounds—everything from Chuck Brown flair to Fat Trel grit to Oddisee lyricism bubbles to the surface in BYP’s music. As a classically trained bassist, there is no sonic terrain too foreign for Beau to explore. Fortunately for listeners, unknown terrain is precisely where Beau Young Prince makes his most innovative, moving creations.