Listening to Dallas, TX rapper Eli Manny, it becomes clear very quickly that he’s cut from a different cloth. You couldn’t tell from listening to his music that he was only seventeen years old, and still playing high school football: while he retains the urgency of a young artist looking to burst into the national consciousness, his tracks are mature beyond that of what a normal teenager can normally comprehend, let alone convey.

Manny’s newest single, “Journey”, continues the hungry, emotive tone of his last single “Bust”. Rapping over cinematic guitars and pianos courtesy of BrendanYouMadeThis, Manny strikes a perfect balance between humble flexes and reflective, personal anecdotes. Fans of artists like NoCap and Youngboy Never Broke Again will find a lot to love in Manny’s intense, melodic vocals, which add an additional layer of intensity to his bars.

“Journey” comes with a video directed by Texas mainstay FilmsByProphecy, and it’s another example of why Prophecy has continued to have local artists seek his talents. It’s equal parts grassroots and gritty, ranging from shots of Manny and his friends outside of local stores to scenes in an abandoned, red-lit warehouse. Everything about both “Journey” and its video screams that Eli Manny is here to stay, and the sky’s the limit for this immensely talented young star.

Watch the “Journey” video below, and follow Eli Manny on Instagram @1bandrunnaeli and on Twitter @realelimanny.