Los Angeles rapper Cletus Strap announces his forthcoming album rappers suck., arriving on August 7th via Tan Cressida Records. Alongside the announcement, he also shares a new single from the project “chilli,” as a first taste of his artistry and a new chapter. Born in a Oxnard, CA beach house while touring with hardcore band Zulu, the track finds him effortlessly weaving personal lyricism about his life experiences with witty wordplay delivered in his uniquely relaxed rhyming style as he floats on the beat’s production.

 

 

Blending satire with cultural critique and taking inspiration from the skate brand Droors’ iconic 1993 “Ravers Suck” t-shirt, rappers suck. captures the most transformative period of Cletus Strap’s career yet. Executive produced by Earl Sweatshirt and Cletus’ first official release signing to the label’s roster, the album offers a direct response to rap music’s current timeline often dominated by clout, algorithms, and snippet culture, poking fun at commonalities without standing outside of them. Across eight tracks it includes guest features from Earl Sweatshirt & VIP SKYLARK, alongside production from Laron, Omari Lyseight, madmax4800 and Cam The Chef. Cletus’ experiences with evolving friendships and relationships amidst learning what it means to build a sustainable music career have informed his new journey in moving away from glorifying negativity and towards music that still feels gritty but carries a different, more positive perspective. The attitude hasn’t disappeared, priorities have simply changed.

Speaking on the project’s title and overarching themes, Cletus says, “There’s a divide in hip hop between creativity and technical skill. It’s highly commercialized but somehow culturally niche and sacred while globally influential. Because of the accessibility and illusion of effortlessness, there’s a lack of respect for rap as an art form. Rappers distancing themselves from the title, calling themselves “artists” instead, is contradicting the plight.”

He’s clear that the point is more about respect and collective contribution to the effort of a release, as opposed to an all out diss. “I really wanted to poke fun at the superficiality of these narratives. This is me owning the title and taking the heat that comes with it. On this project I didn’t make any beats, shoot or edit the videos. I’m just the rapper.”

Hailing from Inglewood, California, Cletus Strap has been active in the underground hip hop scene for years as a rapper and producer having dropped a series of previous releases on his own Chill As Fuck imprint, and is also a drummer in the hip hop influenced jazz ensemble Sparker. His association with Earl Sweatshirt has evolved over time, starting with studio collaborations and leading up to this release on Tan Cressida after Earl first reached out to Cletus inviting him on 2025’s “3LWorld Tour” based on one of his recent EPs and the early impressions it garnered resonating with Earl and many others. The connection has naturally led to a string of potent musical and creative collaboration between the two with rappers suck. serving as proof that collaboration doesn’t have to dilute an artist’s vision, but can rather sharpen it. Cletus will also be joining the “Home on the Range tour” with MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, SURF GANG, and more across North America towards the end of the year.

Cletus Strap | rappers suck.
August 7, 2026
Tan Cressida Records

1. paddleball
2. chilli
3. on tha run
4. risk it (feat. VIP SKYLARK)
5. fuck no
6. nonchalant (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
7. goose chase
8. way more fun