Long before the lights and the late nights, Kong & Vibes of $aveour$ouls were just two friends freestyling in the parking lot after football games and basketball practice. What started as recreational wordplay evolved into a genuine love for making music in their college years. “We could really do this. We could rap,” recalls Vibes, who cites 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and J. Cole among his biggest influences, while Kong points to artists like 2Pac, Biggie, and Dr. Dre; both emcees also tip their hats to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, crediting his boundary-pushing sound for inspiring them not to be too caught up in genrefication. With that shared vision, they formed $O$ and started performing around Orange County and LA, hitting spots like The Copper Door, The Commissary, the Cookies Factory, and Rarehouse, to name a few.
After a brief hiatus following the pandemic, $O$ locked back in, determined to refine their growing catalog. They estimate that they’re approaching nearly 100 recorded tracks in their archive, including several EPs and an eventual full-length studio album. For now, they’re leading with a single that captures the essence of what they’ve been building—“WYA”—a laidback cruiser that evokes feelings of a night in the VIP section, overlooking a packed dancefloor. “We weren’t even trying to make [‘WYA’] that night,” says Vibes. “The whole thing was completely freestyled.” Kong adds, “We were working on other songs, and when we got done, we just pulled up another beat and kept it going.” The song quickly became the highlight of that late-night session.

Collectively, $O$ reached a point where they knew it was time to make a statement. “If we’re gonna drop, we gotta drop everything,” says Vibes, “And it was like, ‘Where are we at?’ ‘We’re right here.’” Now, in the fallout of Summer 2025, $aveour$ouls are already gearing up for the Summer of 2026—preparing new releases and live dates to follow. Until then, the message is simple: tap in with the movement and follow $aveour$ouls on social media platforms as well as Vibes and Kong individually.
One West readers can stream “WYA” on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and read the full lyric transcription at RapGenius.
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