Abbie Cotto is a musician based out of Worcester, Massachusetts, an area that blessed us with the lyrical master, Joyner Lucas. Cotto’s style is versatile and often crossovers between soft melodies and attention-grabbing rhyme schemes. In the span of his career, Cotto has gotten recognition from DJ Chubby Chub, DJ 4eign, Hot 97’s DJ Hip–Hop Mike, and now, DJ Suss One.
During The Feature Presentation‘s New Artist Spotlight segment, DJ Suss One sat with the emerging artist to discuss his artistry, how he got into music and his musical styling. In response, Cotto said that he picked up his skill pretty late. Yet, growing up, Cotto found himself listening to 50 Cent, G-Unit, and Dipset. Once he settled into his early 20’s, Cotto began flipping through beats because his friend would often write songs.
Eventually, this same friend urged Cotto to give music a go. The musician admits that his first song wasn’t the best. Still, he decided to stick with it. “What I love the most about music is that it became my outlet,” he says, “My first rap was me expressing everything like the good days, bad days, what I did that day, etc.” Following after, Cotto began writing more and training himself sonically. With the help of an OG who was nice with the keys, he learned the importance of rhythm and time. Then, the artist honed into singing and began dabbling in other sounds.
“I keep myself open-minded. I try to do different genres,” Cotto adds, “I like to challenge myself.” Cotto has been creating music for 5-6 years, and for the first couple years, he compiled and debuted a mixtape, which he says can only be found on DatPiff. The mixtape sat well with the people in his city and received applause. He admits that this reaction came as a shocker because making music wasn’t in the plans before. Music, in his eyes, is not only for the artist but for the people.
Throughout the musical voyage, Cotto has been growing into his sound and working hard on his craft. He said, “I’m trying to grow and have fun at the same time.” When Cotto drops a track, he hopes to be relatable because of how much thought he puts into it. And it seems like he does just that due to his support from a personal live band, friends, and DJ’s across the nation. “I believe that somebody can do something!” Cotto says, “You can teach yourself anything.”
Outside of music, Cotto is a model, entrepreneur, and owner of a clothing line named heART. Moving forward, he plans on pushing his newest single, “Need A Thot,” and going on tour once again. Previously, Cotto put together a tour in which he traveled to 4 cities.
Cotto’s “Need A Thot” is defined as a fun, club record. Aside from the video snippet that Cotto provided fans with, which details how the song was made, Cotto broke down the whole process during his interview. Initially, Cotto was scrummaging through beats until he found the one for “Need A Thot.” Afterward, Cotto says he just went for it. “This song was something that I didn’t think a lot about,” Cotto says, “Whatever melody came to my head, I put words with it. Then, I recorded the hook.” Before the song’s big bang, Cotto thought it wasn’t a standout record. But, as time progressed, Cotto’s assumption became false. It was and is, very poppin’.
“Need A Thot” is what DJ Suss One jokingly deemed as a record that every man can relate to. The song highlights Cotto’s straightforward approach to the pen and pad. On “Need A Thot,” Cotto switches between singing with a soft melody and using a bouncy cadence to detail how he’s in full bachelor mode. Likewise, the “My Baby” artist uses rhymes that are out there. The verses ultimately see Cotto not biting his tongue about what he’d like from a little baddie. One standout punchline from “Need A Thot” goes, “The only time I settle is when I win a lawsuit.”
Another notable piece of the song is Cotto’s play on Cameron‘s “Suck It Or Not,” and the beat’s short-lived rendition of “Oochie Wally” by Nas. Production-wise, “Need A Thot” carries a playful tone. The beat also holds an infectious flute riff, lush synths, open hi-hats, and a booming bass. In the words of an Instagram user, Malachi, This record goes crazy and is definitely a club banger.
Listen to “Need A Thot” below and tune into Abbie Cotto’s sound.
