The 999 and 111 gang, together at last. That's right, New Jersey rap/metal/techno duo Ho9909 have linked up with California ghetto metal outfit Slay Squad for the raucous new track "War Bait." This latest single is Ho99o9's follow-up to June's "Power In Numbers," the first release from the group since their acclaimed 2025 album, Tomorrow We Escape. The track arrives in conjunction with the launch of the groups' North American tour with N8NOFACE.
"War Bait" dissects how global geopolitical struggles barely register for anyone with firsthand experience of inner-city gang violence. From Slay Squad member Keilo Kei's whispered opening line ("Don't stop for war") through to his bandmate Brahim Gousse's list of at-home threats that cause him to fear gunshots even in his sleep, the track paints a vivid picture of the struggles that bear a striking resemblance to what's going on halfway around the world.
All these chops the hood look like a war ship / Fuck ya force and fuck who tryna enforce it / Nigga this war I'm with water boards, extortion's, genocide, and sum more shit / All I need is more clips
A standout line from Kei's opening take-no-prisoners barrage gets at the heart of the apathy that arises when violence abounds: "Military industrial complex / Fuck that just tell me where they want me to bomb next." This willful detachment registers as ironic given the darkly satirical/tongue-in-cheek nature of the groups' previous work. By the time they get to the chorus ("Said you was gon' kill me what you waiting for?") and Gousse's third verse ("I'm crashing today / Don't give me no dap, I'll slap it away") the sentiment has devolved into nihilism and petty antisocial behavior, which only serves to enable the worst impulses of those in power.
Produced by theOGM and frequent Ho99o9 collaborator Yung Skrrt, "War Bait" blends breakbeat drums, paranoid trap synths, and hardcore guitar riffage for an undeniably agitated—and agitating—soundscape to match the dark, harrowing lyrical onslaught. Once again, theOGM and Yung Skrrt show a knack for sonics with the power to unsettle and get the pit moving in equal measure.
Fans can see Ho99o9 with opener Slay Squad on their North Amerika Tour right now. In addition to co-headliner N8NOFACE, select dates will include DJ performances from LIL2HOOD. Tickets are on sale now. Click here for more info.
Check out dates and the music video for "War Bait" below.
Ho99o9's latest album, Tomorrow We Escape, is out now on Deathkult and Last Gang Records.
SINCERELY, THE VOID: NORTH AMERICA 2026
10/23 Garden Grove, CA @ Garden Grove Amp
10/24 Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman
10/25 Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
10/27 Seattle, WA @ Substation Seattle
10/28 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
10/29 Boise, ID @ The Shredder
10/31 Denver, CO @ The Oriental
11/01 Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
11/03 Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
11/04 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
11/05 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s
11/06 Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
11/08 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
11/09 Montréal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques
11/10 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East (Downstairs)
11/12 New Kensington, PA @ Preserving Underground
11/13 Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus
11/14 Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
11/15 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
11/17 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/18 Asheville, NC @ Revival
11/20 Miami, FL @ Churchill’s Pub
11/21 Winter Park, FL @ Conduit
11/22 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory)
11/24 Dallas, TX @ Trees
11/25 Austin, TX @ Come & Take It Live
11/27 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
11/28 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
11/29 Tuscan, AZ @ 191 Toole
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