Persius is an emerging independent hip-hop artist from Chicago. Regular readers of The Static Dive will remember his January release “Paper Jayson“, as well his earlier tracks “Melancholy” and “Who Should I Fear“, both released back in 2021 when he went by the name Jay Smoove.

Since debuting as Persius, the prolific rapper has released six singles. He has connected with fans around the world on tracks like this summer’s “Ooh La La”. His sound is a unique mix of old-school and new, as he pairs boom-bap beats with modern production techniques, and verbose freestyle rhymes with soulful R&B-infused melodies.

“Mind Games” is the latest single from Persius, available worldwide via all major streaming services. An acoustic guitar opens the track with a melancholy chord progression. Psychedelic effects paint the edges of the mix as the beat drops on a downtempo trap groove. On the mic, the emcee delivers an introspective melodic rap about navigating life on the streets of the Windy City.

Check out “Mind Games” below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Dive : Hip-hop and R&B playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. Follow the links below to connect with the artist. Get on his socials and get in the loop on all of the music to come from this exciting young Chicago artist.