With his new algum out, CHALANT, artist YNG Martyr is painting a clear picture of where he stands today. The Australian rapper, born Seaton Rogers, has never quite followed the rules of how a rap career is supposed to unfold. With this new record, he moves further away from the detached cool that often defines the genre and leans instead into something more open — a project shaped by identity, internet culture, and the messy honesty that has always sat at the centre of his music.
YNG Martyr has always had an unusual origin story. Long before festival stages and hundreds of millions of streams, he was freestyling in Call of Duty lobbies, discovering rap not through traditional scenes but through the internet’s strange meeting points. That digital DNA still runs through CHALANT. The record is full of gaming references and online culture, forming an immersive lens through which listeners experience Martyr’s life and influences.
Alongside the album, Martyr released the video for BODYCOUNT featuring 1900Rugrat, placing both artists inside a Halo-inspired digital universe. The aesthetic feels less like a detached concept and more like a natural extension of the album’s gaming roots — a visual language that reflects the spaces where Martyr first started experimenting with rap.
The approach is intentional. As Martyr explains, “I am not projecting, I am not hiding. I am creating from the centre of who I really am.” That mindset shapes the entire album, from the confident punchlines to moments of self-reflection. Across tracks like MILKSHAKES, SINCE U BEEN GONE, and REAL GEEK, he moves between playful pop flips, underground rage rap textures and sharp lyricism that still nods to hip-hop’s storytelling tradition.
The project also reflects how much has shifted in Martyr’s life since his early online success. After building an international audience and sharing stages with artists such as Stormzy, Lil Nas X, and Rae Sremmurd, touring gave him a new perspective on the impact of his music. Seeing audiences connect with songs written thousands of kilometres away reinforced the strange global path his career has taken.
Much of CHALANT came together in the United States alongside producer and engineer REYKO!, with additional contributions from Ukrainian producer Shipy and final mixing by Grammy-winning engineer Teezio. The process, like the album itself, unfolded across continents and unexpected moments. “Just be yourself, make what you want to make, and just push it,” he says when asked about the philosophy behind the project.