I rarely toot my own blog horn over here, but a few relevant posts ago I called Nacho Picasso “[Possibly] Seattle rap’s Next Big Thing.” That was here. This is now. After a big look today on Pitchfork, not to mention the previous not-quite-as-huge “Mixtape of the Week” selection over at Stereogum, it’s become quite clear that the Cloud Nice affiliate may soon turn my humble presage into a cold hard reality.

No matter. Dude (like this blogger) seems content to just do his thing, replying to my congratulatory Tweet today with this blushing response: “bro I’m in awe my damn self I aint even smoke yet I’m just high right now?lol” That reaction seems at odds with his often hostile demeanor on the album in question, For The Glory (which you can still grab for free here — I’d hurry if I were you). On FTG, Nacho moves predominantly in shadows, showing glimpses of revealing humor and pathos, but generally perpetuating an air of sociopathic deviancy (peep his latest clip above, “Moor Gang,” for a visual sample). Judging from today’s developments, however, the rapper must learn rather quickly that even the most expert night predators can’t exist solely in the darkness forever.