On the latest single by A$AP Rocky, titled “Babushka Boi”, the audience sees a slight return to his usual form, with catchy hooks, aggressive beats, and confident lyrics, as seen in his 2013 album, “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”.
The track, released on August 28th, 2019, right after his release from a Swedish prison on assault charges, pays homage to his recent trend of wrapping a bandana around his face, and tying it at his chin. He dubbed this style of wearing a bandana as a “babushka” after the Russian term for grandmother, who are also known for wearing this style of cloth in the same manner.
However, this song also comes as his first musical release since the commercial flop that was his 2018 album, "TESTING". "TESTING" was a serious deviation from A$AP Rocky’s customary style, following the death of his close friend and essential musical curator, A$AP Yams. Fans worried if the old Rocky would ever be returning to the music style they have known and loved him for.
Fortunately, it seems like the old Rocky is back, and augmented with some of the lessons he learned from "TESTING". “Babushka Boi” begins with a plucky beat and low-pitched vocals, already promising an absolute banger of a single. The beat is reminiscent of another beat off of "TESTING" called “OG Beeper”. The vocals remind the listener of Rocky’s low-pitched, Southern Hip Hop style he was known for in his 2011 come-up.
The lyrics start with him asserting his nickname, FLACKO, and rapping about the scar on his face that started his Babushka trend. He dubs himself “Scarface” and continues to rap braggadociously about his Prada pants and other fashionable garments.
Despite the relative consistency of his lyric content, Rocky adds to the song’s quality by continuing to vary the pitch of his vocals. He peppers in various vocal shifts, such as rewinding his vocals leading up to the hook. With this method he is able to differentiate himself from his less experimental peers, such as Drake or the Migos.
Even though the banger was a relative success for fans, with the music video hitting over twenty-one million views on Youtube, criticisms are to be had with some aspects of the song. For example, Rocky’s flow, while being stronger than on "TESTING", was not as strong as his flows from songs on “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”, and pales in comparison to the amazing instrumentals. But even if the beat was great and catchy, Rocky lets the beat go on for a little too long after his last vocals, stretching the song out.
Despite these criticisms, Rocky’s single let’s shine his best abilities, incorporating musical styles from his older, more popular, work but also his contemporary experimental pieces. This creates a piece that is both a reminiscent return to the character of Rocky that fans fell in love with, but also a fresh take on his old style.
The track, released on August 28th, 2019, right after his release from a Swedish prison on assault charges, pays homage to his recent trend of wrapping a bandana around his face, and tying it at his chin. He dubbed this style of wearing a bandana as a “babushka” after the Russian term for grandmother, who are also known for wearing this style of cloth in the same manner.
However, this song also comes as his first musical release since the commercial flop that was his 2018 album, "TESTING". "TESTING" was a serious deviation from A$AP Rocky’s customary style, following the death of his close friend and essential musical curator, A$AP Yams. Fans worried if the old Rocky would ever be returning to the music style they have known and loved him for.
Fortunately, it seems like the old Rocky is back, and augmented with some of the lessons he learned from "TESTING". “Babushka Boi” begins with a plucky beat and low-pitched vocals, already promising an absolute banger of a single. The beat is reminiscent of another beat off of "TESTING" called “OG Beeper”. The vocals remind the listener of Rocky’s low-pitched, Southern Hip Hop style he was known for in his 2011 come-up.
The lyrics start with him asserting his nickname, FLACKO, and rapping about the scar on his face that started his Babushka trend. He dubs himself “Scarface” and continues to rap braggadociously about his Prada pants and other fashionable garments.
Despite the relative consistency of his lyric content, Rocky adds to the song’s quality by continuing to vary the pitch of his vocals. He peppers in various vocal shifts, such as rewinding his vocals leading up to the hook. With this method he is able to differentiate himself from his less experimental peers, such as Drake or the Migos.
Even though the banger was a relative success for fans, with the music video hitting over twenty-one million views on Youtube, criticisms are to be had with some aspects of the song. For example, Rocky’s flow, while being stronger than on "TESTING", was not as strong as his flows from songs on “LONG.LIVE.A$AP”, and pales in comparison to the amazing instrumentals. But even if the beat was great and catchy, Rocky lets the beat go on for a little too long after his last vocals, stretching the song out.
Despite these criticisms, Rocky’s single let’s shine his best abilities, incorporating musical styles from his older, more popular, work but also his contemporary experimental pieces. This creates a piece that is both a reminiscent return to the character of Rocky that fans fell in love with, but also a fresh take on his old style.