Tana Steps Out Of His Comfort Zone With A Boom-Bap Song At PlaqueBoyMax's Rising Star, Fans Compare Him To XXXTentacion

Tana performs at PlaqueBoyMax's Rising Star event.© X/@PlaqueReport

Tana saved his biggest risk for last at PlaqueBoyMax's Rising Star event. For his final performance of the three-day competition, the young rapper ditched his usual sound and took on a boom-bap beat, the gritty, classic style of '90s hip-hop that leaves nowhere to hide. It paid off. The track became one of the most talked-about moments of the event. Some even said he sounded like XXXTentacion."Boom-bap is the closest thing to a rap stress test," one fan wrote,

Tana stepped out of his comfort zone for his final performance at PlaqueBoyMax's Rising Star event and made an INSANE song over a boom-bap beat ???? https://t.co/a6keB7GMTK

— PlaqueBoyMaxUpdates (@PlaqueReport) November 9, 2026

Tana's boom-bap performance at Rising Star

Tana opened the song by addressing the challenge head on, rapping that he had been told to make a boom-bap track and deciding to go for it.

From there, the song moved between confidence and something more personal. He rapped about hard times, keeping his back against the wall and holding back tears, as well as missing a friend he couldn't reach. He also brought plenty of swagger, before closing on a crowd-friendly hook asking everyone who supports him to put their hands up. The beat was a big change from his usual sound, which made the performance stand out even more.

How fans reacted to Tana's song

The response was mostly glowing. One viewer simply wrote,"Bro just healed hip hop." Another said Tana is "the most skilled" of the six artists, with the biggest fan base.

Several fans compared his delivery to XXXTentacion, with one writing,"He sound like old X." Another called it "some X flow." One fan also pointed out that Tana chose a respin because the first option felt too easy, and still came away with what they called the best song. The same viewer who praised his skill joked that it was "lowkey unfair for the others." Not everyone was sold. A few critics accused him of copying XXXTentacion's style and movements, saying they couldn't respect an artist who isn't being himself.

What is PlaqueBoyMax's Rising Star?

Rising Star is PlaqueBoyMax's competition for up-and-coming artists. Six rappers took part: BooHavinn, Hawsa, Matt Proxy, Raud, Earfzilla and Tana, all competing for a $25,000 grand prize.

The event ran from November 6 to 8 in Los Angeles, with the artists recording and performing new music across three days. It wrapped up with a live finale concert at The Belasco on November 8, where fans got to see the contestants perform in front of a crowd.