When their last EP Spring Cleaning II dropped, we spoke on our high expectations for the San Francisco Bay Area’s Sweatshop & Owl Green. And on their latest video single “Those Guys,” the young duo delivers and then some, upping their game to craft one of the most visually striking videos we’ve seen out of the underground hip-hop scene in a minute.

“Those Guys” serves as the first track on Spring Cleaning II and acts as a perfect introduction to Sweatshop & Owl Green if you’re just catching up with the duo. The video’s opening dialogue does a great job of introducing the boys’ vivacious personality, as they wake in a graveyard covered in trash, faces made up like they’re headed to a Walking Dead convention. That total transformation is thanks to bay area make-up artist HayleyyJay, though the boys deserve plenty of credit for going all in on their characters and embodying the spirit of the Halloween season.  

Musically, “Those Guys” is a perfect encapsulation of each Emcee’s swagger and skillset. Owl Green kicks off the track with his patented idiosyncratic flows and subtlety nuanced melodic intonations, flexing his vocal chops while dropping catchy line after catchy line. As soon as Owl really carves out his groove, and it feels like the track is shifting into a full-blown chorus following his “most high, those guys, that’s what they say when we roll by” refrain, the beat drops and we get another taste of Sweatshop and Owl Green’s intoxicating personality via some more amusing dialogue.

As soon as the second beat lands, Sweatshop gets busy to work, lacing “Those Guys” with a verse that’s equal parts Bay Area sauce and East Coast braggadocious flaunting. As Sweatshop’s bars progress and he incorporates his own flow shifts and dynamic delivery, the strengths of the duo as an artistic pair become more and more apparent; each MC balances the other, providing just enough musical variance and textural coloring to keep fans continually engaged and hungry for more.

By the time the last scene of “Those Guys” wraps, you’ve gotten a taste of what Sweatshop & Owl Green bring to the table; good vibes, groovy beats, subtly smart yet easily digestible raps, and an authentic personality that has helped the duo connect with anyone who meets them on the road or through a pair of headphones.

With three more music videos on the way soon, one for each of their tracks on Spring Cleaning II, Sweatshop & Owl Green are picking up momentum to close out the year stronger than ever. “Those Guys” aren’t playing Madison Square Garden just yet, but this video proves the Bay’s favorite stoner duo has the chops, energy, and personality to flex on any stage. Hit the replay button on that video and savor a truly out of the ordinary music video, and revisit the Spring Cleaning II EP to get a taste of where Sweatshop & Owl Green are headed next.