Rising artist Petti Hendrix is both introducing himself and embracing pure mayhem with his latest single and video, “APESHIT,” out now via MDDN Records. Taking a “guerrilla-style” approach, the track drops exclusively on YouTube, making the video and visual experience the only way listeners can truly tap in.
The song came together on a trip to Nashville, where Hendrix linked with acclaimed producers Nick Bailey and Andy K. Bailey — whose collective résumé spans an eclectic range of artists including Lana Del Rey, Quavo, Maroon 5, Sum 41, Blake Shelton, and more — adding yet another layer to the genre-agnostic artist’s latest effort. Though Hendrix’s sound has been coined “trap rock” once or twice, with each release, it’s becoming harder and harder for any one label to stick. It’s nostalgic, raw, and reflective of not only the diverse influences he grew up around, spanning Michael Jackson to Kid Cudi, but his curiosity and openness around adopting and interpreting new sounds. This refusal to fit into any one lane shows up in his body of work — one that includes hooky, pop-punk-infused tracks like “Be OK (RMX)” with Good Charlotte and Waterparks, next to tracks like “APESHIT,” with its punk attitude, distorted guitars, and rambunctious energy. Either way, he’s creating anthemic, addictive songs that are both unpredictable and uniquely his own.
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In a 2024 interview with AP, the artist told us, “The beauty of music is that so many people use it to connect to something, someone, or someplace. So I try to keep more life experiences in my music because if I or someone I know has gone through these experiences, I’m sure the masses have some way to connect to the songs.”
The video doubles down on Hendrix’s inherent unfiltered authenticity and allows us to see even more of him. Shot DIY-style in Milwaukee, Hendrix, alongside his childhood friends and relatives, finds himself in the same neighborhoods and houses where he grew up. From there, a Project X-inspired house party unfolds, entirely unstated and in real time — no glam squad, shot list, or A&R person in the vicinity — exuding a reckless energy that mirrors the track itself.
Directed and edited by Erik Rojas — who previously collaborated with Hendrix on videos for “Be Ok,” “Better Off Dead,” and “Last Night” — the “APESHIT” visual delivers an unfiltered snapshot of chaos, nostalgia, and hometown energy wrapped into two-and-a-half explosive minutes.
