Anycia's raspy drawl is slow and unconcerned, working as the centripetal force of every song she's on. The Atlanta rapper always sounds unfazed by whatever production is going on around her and whatever her guests get up to -- and the effect is hypnotic. Her 2024 debut album, Princess Pop That, includes the bold hit single "Back Outside" (featuring fellow Georgia rapper Latto), and while it aims for sports-anthem grandiosity, the nonchalant charisma in Anycia's subdued delivery becomes the only thing that matters.
At its best, Anycia's voice finds ways to subtly ensnare you -- you can trace the contours of a phrase and sense how every word resonates. Frequently she'll draw out the last syllable of a line so that its lingering presence acts as a conduit for disdain ("Type Beat"), braggadocio ("Splash Brothers"), or cocksure flirtation ("So Fine," featuring Chicago R&B singer and rapper Tink). "So Fine" appears on Anycia's July mixtape, Grady Baby, which she released with DJ Drama as part of the Atlanta-based DJ's Gangsta Grillz series. The record, which pays homage to her hometown, contains samples from ATL stars such as Jeezy, Lil Jon, and Waka Flocka Flame, but Anycia stands out from the pack. It's especially obvious on "Never Need" (which samples Khia's 2001 single "Don't Trust No Nigga"), where her minimalist flow takes center stage between the wordier but similarly sleepy Karrahbooo and the ferocious spitfire GloRilla.
The highlights of Anycia's discography come in little bursts. There's a quiet, already-over-it revulsion on "IDK Freestyle" when she talks about men's false promises, and she suffuses the hushed lines of "Dive In" with ecstatic sensuality. And when she deploys her calling card -- punctuating lines with "hyuh" -- that syllable serves as a simple, elegant prism of emotion that enhances the mood of any track. When Anycia raps, she makes sure every word counts.