We Speak Indie Artist
Rising Chicago Artist Rod212 Debuts Phenomenal New Track “Really Not Okay”
Blurring the lines of hip-hop and R&B, Rod212 is a rising artist/producer born and raised in Chicago. In college, he stumbled upon a YouTube video of Soulja Boy making beats and spent that summer immersed in endless FruityLoops tutorial sessions. Motivated by the undeniable magnetism of Drake and the vivacious energy of Skrillex, he perused his late mother’s records for inspiration and coveted samples. As a producer, Rod212 crafted beats for other artists until he decided to compete as a lyricist and artist in his own right.
Now with several well-received releases of his own under his belt, Rod212 is kicking off 2023 with a bang with the release of his brand-new single, “Really Not Okay”. The track is an instant earworm with its infectious hook and Rod212’s pulsating rap delivery and lyrical abilities on clear display. The track is boosted further by the lush vocals of featured artists Sal Ly and Rico Maz.
With lyrics such as “I’m stronger now more than ever / I’m doing better / That’s right I’m doing okay”, the track’s universal lyrical themes will easily resonate with listeners. Elaborating further, Rod212 says, “It’s hard to let people know about our pain and the things we think are wrong. We want people to tell us everything is okay, but the truth is, sometimes it’s not okay. This song is for anyone who has experienced love and heartbreak.” “Really Not Okay” is available to buy/stream now on all platforms: https://ffm.to/enkdega.
Keep up to date with the latest from Rod212:
There’s a particular kind of hunger that defines a band on the verge — that combustible mix of raw talent, hard-won momentum, and the unmistakable sense that everything they’ve been building is about to break wide open. The Chads, the pop-punk-ska fireballers out of Sayville, New York, have that hunger in abundance. And in 2026, they are ready to feed it.
The foundation is already in place. The four-piece — Joy, Mike, Mark, and Santino — spent the past year stacking wins that most bands spend a decade chasing. They took home the WEHM Battle of the Bands, earned a coveted spot on the Jumbalaya Stage at the Great South Bay Music Festival, and walked into a WPIX Morning Show segment that put their faces and their music in front of a New York City-wide audience. For a band still in the early stages of their career, it is a résumé that commands attention.
Their debut single “The Neighbors” — a razor-sharp, high-energy pop-punk-ska hybrid pulled straight from a true story of Long Island life — announced their arrival with a wink and a riff. Tongue-in-cheek in tone but tight as a drum in execution, the song showcases exactly what makes The Chads stand out in a crowded regional scene: they can make you laugh and make you move at the same time, which is a far rarer skill than it sounds. The track is available on Spotify and has been making steady inroads on radio, building the kind of organic buzz that no marketing budget can manufacture.
Now comes the next chapter. The Chads are heading into Dream Studios with producer Jason Mekler to record their new EP — a project that represents the most significant creative investment of their career to date. Mekler’s production experience combined with the band’s live-honed instincts makes for a pairing with serious promise. If “The Neighbors” was the introduction, the EP is the statement — the recorded proof that what audiences have been experiencing in clubs and on festival stages across Long Island translates just as powerfully through speakers.
The tri-state area has been the proving ground. The world is next.
Pop-punk has always thrived on authenticity — on bands that sound like they mean it, that write songs about real places and real people and real absurdities of everyday life.
The Chads check every one of those boxes. They are a Long Island band in the truest sense: specific enough to feel genuine, relatable enough to travel far beyond the island that made them.
Watch for the EP. Watch for the tour dates. Watch for the name.
The Chads are coming — and they are bringing Sayville with them.
Watch The Chads “MFH” music video on youtube here:
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