Arizona rap metal unit Dropout Kings drop video for ‘Deadname’

Last year, trap metal progenitors DROPOUT KINGS dropped Yokai, the final record featuring enigmatic frontman Adam Ramey following his untimely passing. After bringing together a career-spanning lineup of Kings current and past, the band took this celebration of Rameys life on the road to share with fans as everyone tried to heal from the shock. Lauded by fans and critics alike, with Nu Metal Agenda stating that “the name Dropout Kings should be on more people’s lips, no matter what the band’s next move may be,” Yokai proved to be a unifying force to a hurting community.

Post-release, the band has also released the video for “Deadname.” The neon-tinged, tumultuous digital visuals heighten the emotional song’s desperate energy. A mixture of They Live and the Ninja Turtles, there’s a subterranean vibe to the music video. The band is violently illuminated with vibrant, flashing flares of color that paint them inexciting glows. 

About the video, DROPOUT KINGS‘ Black Cat Bill states:

“Some songs you sing, others you let the spirits speak through you. This is ‘Deadname.'”

Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, DROPOUT KINGS fuse the raw energy of nu‑metal and rap, a synergy Adam helped forge from the very beginning. Just weeks before his tragic passing on May 19, 2025 at age 32, Adam completed the finishing touches on what he considered the band’s most personal and powerful album to date.

Yokai is more than an album — it’s a legacy. Across its tracks, the influence of Adam‘s dynamic stage presence and lyrical authenticity resonates profoundly. The album channels the same heart‑pounding aggression and rap‑rock fusion that brought hits like “Virus” to the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, but with an added emotional depth that can only come from one final shared chapter.

DROPOUT KINGS LIVE:
With Ghøstkid, Seven Blood, Stain The Canvas:
4/4 — Zurich, Switzerland — Komplex Klub
4/5 — Munich, Germany — Backstage Halle
4/6 — Nuremberg, Germany — Z-Bau
4/7 — Frankfurt, Germany — Das Bett
4/9 — Krakow, Poland — Hype Park
4/10 — Budapest, Hungary — Analog Music Hall
4/11 — Prague, Czech Republic — Bike Jesus
4/12 — Dresden, Germany — Club Puschkin
4/13 — Berlin, Germany — Hole44
4/15 — Oberhausen, Germany — Kulttempel
4/17 — Hamburg, Germany — Bahnhof Pauli
4/19 — London, UK — Oslo
4/20 — Manchester, UK — Rebellion
4/21 — Nottingham, UK — Rescue Rooms
4/23 — Paris, France — Backstage By The Mill
4/24 — Zulte, Belgium — The Cluck Factory
4/25 — Nijmegen, Netherlands — Doornroosje

DROPOUT KINGS ARE:
Black Cat Bill — Vocals
Rob Sebastian — Vocals
Chucky Guzman — Guitar
The Cowboy Drummer — Drums