Greyspot Syndicate Members J4 Mane and Udon Imagine ‘Designer Artillery’

After we introduced them in March 2021 as a “cast of shameless characters,” Greyspot Syndicate’s seven members have done a lot of work individually and through collaborations. Two of the group’s notable members, J4 Mane and Udon, have made a name as a duo named Designer Artillery.

The project plays on game culture, with references to weapons named after designer brands.

“I knew Udon had great storytelling ability, because his first two tapes were a story about him, like, killing and ogres and shit,” says J4 of his longtime friend and rap partner of over 10 years. “In regards to rap, I knew he would capture the vision.

“And when we freestyled, he would do it right with me, always caught on that vibe, just like that, he was with it. So, boom — we’re in the studio and I’m playing these beats, and I start saying the hooks and Udon is freestyling right off of me. I was like, I knew you would fuck with this.”

Their storytelling abilities are inherent in Designer Artillery 1, 2 and 3, where each track starts with a skit at the beginning and carries a banter-like dialogue with continuing skits halfway through or at the closing. From the first track, they open the storyline narrating as characters themselves, opening up a fictional retail store called Designer Artillery, where they sell, literally, designer artillery.

The three-part project includes songs such as “Jimmy Choo Chainsaw,” “Balenciaga Brass Knuckles,” “Comme des Garçons Gatling Gun [CDGGG]” and, the series’ first track, “Louis V Lightsaber,” which starts the story with a play on Louis Vuitton and Star Wars. There’s a blue-collar lore that carries the narrative, as their characters make sales and build a world with familiar imagery.

“You want to battle Darth Vader and look fresh? Come shop with us,” says J4. “It’s a straight-up fusion between designer/hip-hop culture and dirty movie quotes, right out the gate. It’s a lot of humor and really nerd culture, period. Video games, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, fantasy fiction, all of it.”

Udon notes the influence of digital culture in every aspect of society.

“Depending on the age group, these kids speak in hashtags,” he says. “Those guys finally have a culture in music. Like, they used to have witch hunts for people who liked anime. I read manga, I don’t give a shit.”

Though their earlier mixtapes aimed toward digital culture as a whole, infusing elements of fashion and “nerd culture,” the gaming aspect didn’t become apparent until later. And while video games began adopting aspects of hip-hop into games like Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite for decades, Designer Artillery are one of few lyrical artists adopting videogame themes into rap music, making music videos overlaying popular video games and directly referencing game culture in their verses and style.

“The video game shit didn’t come in until the third song, ‘Burberry Bowstaff,’” says J4, reflecting on how gaming naturally became part of Designer Artillery.

Udon’s verse in the first Designer Artillery goes, “I got a long-ass reach with Burberry Bowstaff. HBO special how I make them hoes laugh.”

“Like a doctor’s handwriting, we’re rough. We didn’t think of the game side of it, it was just organic. We were just being ourselves.” – Udon

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As active gamers, the duo’s topics, style and delivery are inventive and well-placed in hip-hop. A back-and-forth rap style makes their music invigorating for gamers and non-gamers alike, and exclusive for those in the know, as they make plays on words and specific references to game tactics appreciated only by those who have played the games.

Some of Udon’s verses include actual controller guides: “Press X to jump/Press twice to double up.”

But their music remains personal to gamers who can relate, J4 says.

“There’s some very intricate gamer-bars,” says J4. “If you didn’t play video games, you’d have no idea how intricate that bar is.”

The storylines are well drawn for all who listen, though, as they bounce off one another with ongoing ad-libs that personify the game world, with onomatopoeias of weapon sounds, personalized gamer knowledge and inside jokes that characterize the Designer Artillery brand.

Similar to past artists like Tenacious D, the duo’s clear bond, conversational musical style and ongoing humor keep listeners engaged. Above all, there’s a kinship that goes beyond worlds and shines throughout the three mixtapes as it does in person. The two musicians maintain a solid admiration for one another, arguing over whose verses were better.

“The whole thing started with an idea. We knew it wasn’t about to take off right away,” says Udon of Designer Artillery. “We knew we had to connect the dots. Like a doctor’s handwriting, we’re rough. We didn’t think of the game side of it, it was just organic. We were just being ourselves.”