Hip-hop is seemingly obsessed with tropes of manhood – many of which can be quite harmful to subscribe to, which is why Duckwrth’s “Boy” track is a refreshing listen. The beautiful track is from his XTRA UUGLY mixtape, a clever contrast that belies Duckwrth’s artistry. He weaves an unconventional tale of romance on the minimalist, bass-heavy track, gently harmonizing before jumping all they way into his MC bag when the track crisp drums kick in. “If the sky is gray, I know you’d find a way to bring the sun up,” Duckwrth rhymes to the object of his affection.
Love is universal, but the Mette-directed video does a strong job of presenting a unique portrayal of romance. Duckwrth has said that ”when I made the song ‘BOY’ a year ago, I imagined a rad, androgynous woman (with a buzz cut), having the perfect balance of female and male energy.” That’s exactly who we see with the video’s literally kickass co-star. She’s warding off would-be attackers with an impressive fighting acumen, realizing Mette’s goal of “subverting the classic trope of a ‘damsel in distress.’” She also told High Snobiety that, “I wanted to see a woman deliver a man to freedom on screen… as women often do in real life. Boy, did she deliver.
