Poundside Pop, born Aziz Smith in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a soon-to-be-star rapper from a city with a long history of breeding them. Pop’s journey—albeit unorthodox—is one that inspires, and has led the Philly phenomenon to the doorstep of his dreams. His latest project, the Clear Vision EP, is a seven-track peek into Poundside’s diligent come-up, which is short on neither adversity nor resilience. “Made it off the block, I’m dedicated to the grind,” he raps on the chorus of “Do What I Like,” a cautious celebration of the life Pop has afforded himself, thanks in part to the viscous drawls that give his tracks their distinctly mellow and tempered feel. DJ Booth considered him one of the “10 Rappers You Should Know Right Now” and NPR dubbed him part of its ‘Heat Check’ playlist. DJ Drama, Gillie The Kid, Lil Uzi Vert and a bevy of other historic Philadelphia figures agree: Poundside Pop has got both now and next.