Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre’s rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, weird tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches his attention.
Rod Wave’s latest cinematic melodrama is a masterpiece
Rod Wave is a hotly debated figure among fans of singing-ass Southern pain rappers. Some wholeheartedly believe the Florida crooner’s writing about grief and heartbreak, mostly sung over beats driven by melancholy pianos and acoustic guitars, is the work of a genius; others think his music is so incessantly downbeat that it’s just depressing. I land somewhere in the middle. On personal favorite “Fuck the World,” the way he swerves from a grumbling baritone to a sweet falsetto is incredible. But over the course of a full-length project—a few which I really like—his mopiness can wear on you. I get that the driving theme of his music is how no amount of money or success can erase all the struggle he’s been through, but c’mon, the guy sounds like he’s on the brink of a breakdown on every damn song. Selling out shows across the country can’t be that bad!
Generally, his music is more powerful when paired with a music video. They’re usually mini documentary-like glimpses into his day-to-day, a Groundhog Day-style loop of longing gazes out of tour bus windows, pit stops at gas stations and strip clubs in small Southern towns, recording in basic hotel suites, and monotonous fan meet-and-greets. It’s the unglamorous side of rap stardom, which really works with music that presents Rod Wave as a timid outsider reluctant to accept the fame he stumbled into—in other words, a popular loner.
There’s another type of Rod Wave music video, though. I like to call this subgenre: Rod Wave Down Bad in a Beautiful Location. It’s where he sulks in his loneliness on a beach, private jet, or in a gorgeous mansion. His latest video for “Cold December” is a perfect example.
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It opens with a heavy-handed quote about the ego that’s about as deep as any message you would find on a mug in Walmart. Then we get tons of drone shots of snowy mountains, before the video transitions to Rod in Duck Dynasty cargo pants, chopping wood as if he’s living off the land like the girls on Yellowjackets. He lights a fireplace with the logs and then goes full Chalamet in the final scene of Call Me By Your Name, reminiscing on a past relationship while the wood crackles and burns. His heartbroken wails are laid over a chipmunk’d sample of Hank Williams, Jr.’s bleak country ballad “O.D.’d in Denver.” Yes, it’s as melodramatic as it sounds.
I used to think the extremity of Rod’s perpetual sadness was holding his music back, but maybe he just needed to go even harder. The “Cold December” video doubles down on the gloominess, and resonates emotionally despite its ridiculousness. Is he the spokesman of a despondent generation? Probably not. But I can’t wait to see where he’s moping next. Maybe on a desolate ranch in the Old West or at sea as the captain of his own yacht. The possibilities are endless.
The new Jim Jones mixtape features shameless trend-hopping—and a Betty White tribute (?!)
Jim Jones has a master plan: In order to conceal the fact that his new Gangsta Grillz mixtape hosted by DJ Drama is made up of blatant trend-hopping, he titled it We Set the Trends. Smart. So there’s a ton of drill on this mixtape, and even if that makes you sigh in theory, it’s way better than it has any right to be. Check out the Fivio Foreign-assisted “Crunk Muzik,” and “Stickup,” which decently flips a vocal sample (though it’ll still make you miss the Heatmakerz).
Unfortunately, not much else on the tape makes sense. Detroit rappers like Peezy and Icewear Vezzo are here. Toronto’s Pressa makes an appearance. Future signee Doe Boy gets the call. There are also some other rappers who may have gotten on here by blackmail, or maybe they go to the same gym as Jimmy. It’s all worth it for “Fit Lit (Betty White),” a Betty White tribute song of sorts, where he raps about buying a Porsche and naming it after her on the day she died: “RIP, the same day we lost Betty White (love you girl)/I bought Chrissy the Porsche and of course we named it Betty White (facts).”
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Speaking of Jim Jones… a brief appreciation for Cam’ron in Paid in Full
Last week, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the 2002 Roc-A-Fella Films classic Paid in Full at a special one-off showing in Brooklyn. Everyone knows that Cam is a supernova of energy in this movie, but his performance is that much bolder when you see it on the big screen. From his first appearance slicing up dudes alongside Mekhi Phifer in prison, to the infamous scene where he plays his homemade porno in the club, to his desperation during his final conversation with Wood Harris, it all felt so much more thrilling compared to watching it on my 32-inch TV. The best part: Taking in the everything-is-going-great montage that happens halfway through the film while Phil Collins’ eternal “In the Air Tonight” blared through the speakers.
Cootie: “Dead Presidents”
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The South still revolves around Gucci Mane. So when he signs an artist to his revamped 1017 Records or spotlights a rapper on a compilation tape, it’s a big deal. On last year’s So Icy Boyz, Arkansas rappers BiC Fizzle and Cootie stole the show with their natural chemistry. Cootie caught my attention again with his recent tape Welcome to the Trap. On the song “Dead Presidents,” he pairs his heavy, rumbling voice with blunt trap tales, bringing to mind the work of Young Dolph or Key Glock. Obviously, there’s some Gucci sprinkled in there, and you can tell he’s spent time with a foundational Atlanta mixtape like EA Sportscenter from the way he tumbles over a shimmering Zaytoven-like beat. Cootie has clearly been immersed in the last few decades of Southern rap history, but he isn’t weighed down by his influences.
Highlights from On the Radar Radio’s “Ladies Freestyle”
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Of late, On the Radar Radio has been a go-to stop for New York-area rappers looking to lay down a decently produced freestyle. The most memorable episode is probably the one where the Bronx’s DThang had an out-of-body experience. This week, the channel gathered seven women from around the city to take a crack at it over the Lox’s “Money, Power & Respect” instrumental. Here are a few highlights:
- Lola Brooke is the pint-sized Bed-Stuy rapper with a voice deeper than Bane, and a few her of punchlines got me to literally laugh out loud: “Dog nigga gon’ eat the pussy till it’s boneless.”
- How pretty Dij’s high-pitched voice sounds so sweet when she’s monologuing and so menacing when she’s in rap mode.
- The way Connie Diamond says “’Bout my provolone, swiss, and cheddar” makes me realize I could have imagined her on a late-’90s Clue Tape.
- Big Zen quietly stands in the corner the entire time like a boxer waiting to be called over by the referee, and then when she raps it sounds like she wants to put a boot through the wall.
- After Connie’s verse at 6:05, when they all get hyped up and start talking shit into the mic like they’re cutting wrestling promos.
A question about Zack Fox on Abbott Elementary
On ABC’s pretty good new sitcom Abbott Elementary, comedian-turned-rapper Zack Fox has a small role as a struggle rapper. He raps twice in the show’s second episode, and the viewers are supposed to think it is bad, because it is. But I noticed something: Zack Fox’s raps on the show don’t sound that much different from his actual rapping. So is this him admitting he can’t rap that well, or just another troll. We may never know.
MHG Dell and Jay BDZ: “Brand New XDs”
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Following in NYC crew YTB’s footsteps, MHG Dell and Jay BDZ are the latest rappers from the outskirts of Queens punching in tough talking bars over soulful vocal samples and throbbing drums. On “Brand New XDs,” the duo go back and forth with their barking flows as 808s blare in the background. The only issue is that the song only lasts a little over a minute, giving it the unfinished quality of a snippet. It’s a really good minute, though.
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