Fresh Tracks Feature: The Uniquely Rowdy Hop

Oct 2

The racetrack horn. That’s the first thing you hear in Rowdy Hop’s "Saddle Up," and just as you’re settling in, it immediately pivots into a modern rap and electronic vibe. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. It was an immediate sweet spot hit for our Mud Creek Mafia playlist—a bit southern, a bit gritty, a bit modern, a bit rocking, and a whole lot of creative. Honestly, this song could be the theme song for the entire playlist.

The Genre Smoothie

What I love about the new world of independent music is that strict genre adherence is no longer required. Artists have the freedom and fluidity to create something new, and Rowdy Hop is a master of this. "Saddle Up" is an absolute blended-up smoothie of genre juice, pulling from a lifetime of influences—from the southern rock he first learned on guitar in Louisiana to the 50s doo-wop, Usher, and southern rappers like Juvenile he grew up with.

For Rowdy Hop, this fusion is the entire point. “Rowdy Hop is my outlet for everything I love about music,” he says. “It’s a fusion of all the genres and sounds that inspire me. I feel unbound with my creativity and free to explore the sounds, themes, and performances that make me happy.”

An Anthem Born from a Party

That free-spirited approach is baked right into the creation of "Saddle Up." The track was conceived as a high-energy anthem for horse racing fans, but its infectious vibe came from a much more intimate source.

“That song was instantly a vibe and a party,” he recalls. “Me and my girl were dancing drinking margaritas the whole time creating it. That’s the secret, is to inject the energy in the room into the music and dynamic. I knew it had to be the first Rowdy Hop release.”

From the Racetrack to the Rainbow

The horse racing theme isn't just a gimmick; it's a mission. After a 2025 invitation to the Santa Anita racetrack, he was captivated by the high-energy world but also saw an opportunity. “I really noticed the industry seemed kind of dead and barely getting by,” he says. “So, I got to work and injected myself into the atmosphere to be a part of building something fresh.”

That drive was forged in the "battle-tested" environment of Hollywood's legendary Rainbow Bar and Grill, where Rowdy Hop has been part of the JamNation community for over seven years. “Out of this sacred space is where Rowdy Hop was born,” he says. “What I learn the most through the jam is how to appreciate the moment. The music is lightning in a bottle.”

The Prophetic Moment

That legendary venue is also where the name itself was born. After years of searching for a musical identity and feeling held back by his real name, Tyler Forrest, which he felt was "too generic," he had a breakthrough.

“One night at the jam, I was discussing with Vaughn Bannister about doing the show and I was showing him the songs,” he recounts. “Up until this point I’d been playing... a song called ‘Rowdy’ that I love playing. We were listening to that, and Vaughn says, ‘broooo… this is Rowdy Hop.’ I immediately was struck. It was like the clouds parted and a light came down, revealing everything I had been searching for over the last ten years. It was a prophetic moment.”

The Final Word

You may wonder if a song about horse racing is for you. Maybe you don’t know anything about it. It doesn’t matter. Go into listening to this song with the idea that you’re about to hear something that is uniquely Rowdy Hop. It's not like anything you've heard before. As he prepares to release his debut album, likely titled "Stable to Stage," his philosophy says it all: “If you are authentic and inject your soul into something, the rest is just noise. Do the work because you love it and let the world see you for where you are on your journey.”