Standout Track: Using a blissful beat to attract ears, Peter $un’s single “When U Need Me” is a psychedelic song with a dark undertone. Originally produced as an instrumental by 19-year-old London native, Mura Masa, “When U Need Me” was a song that inspired $un to rap about his reality. “When you actually listen to the lyrics, there’s a lot of things that has to do with drug abuse [and] depression” $un says. “It was a track [that] just like opening up about my mind state and how I feel.” With this in mind, the single paints a clear picture of the inner struggles of $un, but is supported by a sound that brings listeners back for another play.

Musical Motivation: The up-and-coming Virginia rapper’s new single was created after $un was in a phase surfing through a plethora of instrumentals different from his normal sound. “When U Need Me” was a transformation from what many fans have already heard from the rapper’s last project, Sunset Castle. “I started to ask myself ‘can you really rap over this? What can you do with these sounds?’” $un says. Instead of just supplying bars over the instrumental, $un added vocals to the track giving it a trippy vibe.

Hoop Dreams: “When U Need Me” spotlights a sound very new for $un, but don’t get too comfortable with it. The song, he says, sets a new standard for how he wants to approach every song; a quest to diversify his sound, whether it’s his normal style of rap or something new. “It’s like basketball,” $un says, “you can use your right, and you’re good with your right … but if you can’t use your left, what good are you really?” With this in mind, $un continues his journey as one of the DMV’s up-and-coming rappers.