Two of rap’s hottest rising stars link up on “Obama,” the latest single from Blueface‘s long-awaited Find the Beat debut. This time, the loose-flowing LA rapper recruits Charlotte, North Carolina MC DaBaby for a raucous celebration of Blue’s favorite things: Presidential Rolexes, women, and designer fashion. The beat is a funky departure from anything the two rappers have previously worked on, with a jazzy saxophone loop backing the punishing 808s that make up the Scum Beatz production.
The sax may have also inspired the concept; former President Bill Clinton was known for playing his sax on the campaign trail and Blueface may have accidentally conflated America’s metaphorical “first Black President” with its actual one. Meanwhile, DaBaby does his thing on the second verse, rattling off a rapid-fire verse touching on his propensity for mismatching brands, freeing his big cousin who’s locked up, and a sly reference to his “Suge” video.
It’s ironic that the cover of Blueface’s debut album features a caricature lifted from the Wizard Of Oz because it’s been a long, winding road for him to get the project out. He’s delayed the release for some months, despite sporadically releasing singles like the Gunna-featuring “First Class.” He’s pushed the album back several times, with no solid release date in sight but to hold fans over, released his Dirt Bag EP last August. His newly-polished rhythmic ability is evidence that the time’s been well-spent fixing up his flow, but hopefully he doesn’t lose the quick-witted, quirky charm of his breakout record, “Thotiana.”
Press play on “Obama” featuring DaBaby above.
