Today, South Florida rock artist POORSTACY releases his first single and music video of 2021, “Public Enemy,” out now via 10K Projects. Inspired by the social unrest and political distrust of the last year, “Public Enemy” shows STACY giving a middle finger to the establishment. The single and its accompanying music video, co-directed by POORSTACY and Mooch, kicks off his roll out for the forthcoming album Party at the Cemetery, which is set to release this fall. Though he first made his mark as the Soundcloud emo-rap artist behind underground hits like “make up,” POORSTACY has since grown into a full fledged rockstar with a placement on the GRAMMY -nominated soundtrack Bill & Ted Face the Music to prove it.
“A lot of people are frustrated with the state of the world so hopefully my music can help them push through that aggression and be a positive outlet for them.” — POORSTACY on writing “Public Enemy” and his forthcoming album Party at the Cemetery
Growing up on a diet of punk, metal, and hip hop, rising artist POORSTACY is a sum of disparate influences. The 22-year-old singer, rapper and guitarist spent his formative years performing shows in small venues around his hometown of Palm Beach, Florida: “There’s a real metal scene out here. Lots of punk rock, gothic stuff. I’ve chosen to actually make music based on what I grew up around.”
Born Carlito Milfort Jr., POORSTACY’s interest in music began when his father taught him how to play guitar as a kid. “There were all kinds of music and instruments around my house,” he says. Now endorsed by Fender, POORSTACY has been drawn to live music for as long as he has been playing. Over the course of his teenage years, POORSTACY focused on honing his sound, which he describes as a mix of the “pure melodies” of punk and tinges of the “old rap shit [he] was doing,” and by March 2019, he had gained a major following on Soundcloud. With early hits like the emo-rap centric “make up” which gained 35,000 plays in under 24 hours, he attracted the attention of 10K Projects who signed POORSTACY in mid 2019.
Since the beginning of his music making, POORSTACY’s influences have been eclectic, ranging from Slipknot, Billy Idol, Earl Sweatshirt and Flatbush Zombies. Citing legendary Z-Boys skateboarder, Stacy Peralta, as the inspiration behind his artist name, he notes, “Stacy Peralta himself was not shown a lot of attention at the start, but he ended up being one of the biggest legends in skateboarding in the end. I always loved the idea of that, of doing your own thing and having it pay off.” Also citing films like V For Vendetta, Rob Zombie’s remake of Halloween, and Trainspotting as inspiration, a core tenet of POORSTACY’s songwriting is drawing from unlikely sources.
His debut album, The Breakfast Club (2020) was a hip hop/punk record which reflected his South Florida upbringing and proved his ability to create a large cohesive project. Featuring tracks like “Hotel” and “Afraid,” POORSTACY flirted with the more punk rock sound he is now committed to.
The Breakfast Club’s success was quickly followed up by the Trainspotting-inspired single “Choose Life,” his first to feature frequent collaborator, Travis Barker. Also in 2020, STACY’S single “Darkest Night” was featured on the GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack for Bill & Ted Face the Music, placing the newcomer alongside rock-gods like Mastodon, Weezer, and Big Black Delta. The soundtrack feature further proved that STACY is a perfect “rock star for the SoundCloud generation,” as The Noise puts it, bridging the gap between his emo-rap past and the rock anthems of his present.
After a monumental past year, POORSTACY is busy planning ahead for an even bigger 2021, with the release of his first full length hard rock record Party at the Cemetery, which is set to release this fall. Inspired by the badassery and drama of 2000s icons like My Chemical Romance and Pierce the Veil, STACY channels the isolation and unrest of the chaotic last year. “I think a lot of people were hurting during COVID, hopefully people can use my music for healing and connection,” he explains.
LISTEN TO “PUBLIC ENEMY” HERE
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “PUBLIC ENEMY” HERE
