DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: 500 BC – “On The Come Up”

The useful part

Cincinnati, Ohio's 500 BC is turning life experience into motivation on his new album On The Come Up, out now. Produced entirely by mixtape DJ Flipcyide, the project finds the genre-blurring artist navigating love, ambition, hardship and the determination it takes to keep moving forward when life refuses to make things easy. Growing up in Cincinnati, he developed a deep love for music at an early age and quickly realized that it could become his way out.

How it works

• The opening track, "Go," immediately establishes a forward-moving mentality, while "Another Day," "Grind and Hustle" and "Get It Right" lean into the perseverance and work ethic that define the project.
• Elsewhere, 500 BC explores the more vulnerable side of life on tracks such as "Don't Break My Heart," showing that the struggle isn't always about chasing success.
• Across 11 tracks, he turns the challenges of life into fuel, delivering a project for anyone still working toward something better.
• That mindset remains at the heart of his music today, where modern hip-hop and trap intersect with a broader, hard-to-categorize sound.
• On The Come Up captures that versatility while keeping the focus firmly on his perspective and storytelling.

What to take from it

Sometimes, it is about navigating relationships, disappointment and everything that comes with being human. That balance between ambition and vulnerability is one of the album's biggest strengths. His involvement gives On The Come Up an added connection to hip-hop's rich mixtape tradition while providing 500 BC with a cohesive backdrop for his message.

Example or evidence

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• His previous releases "Major Way," "Calling Me" and "Bounce" all made an impact on the UK Music Week Black Music Club Chart, peaking at #7, #4 and #4 respectively.
• 500 BC emphasizes that his music and lyrics are not, putting the focus back where it belongs: on his own experiences, ideas and voice.

Details worth keeping

For 500 BC, music has always represented more than simply making songs. The album's 11 tracks move between different sides of the artist. Most importantly, On The Come Up is a distinctly human project.