Artist

Artist

By the early 2010s, the stylistic DNA of New York hip-hop had begun to evolve. Nicki Minaj infused it with pop and color-saturated camp as she became a rap icon, and A$AP Rocky further erased regional boundaries, embedding stylish raps with soundscapes indebted to Houston and Memphis. The next addition would come from A Boogie wit da Hoodie, a Bronx rapper who made melody the foundation of his creative universe. Born Artist Dubose, he announced his presence to the world with his debut mixtape, Artist. Coated in singsong raps that could turn any couplet into a self-contained chorus, the project distills themes of romantic disillusionment and street aspirations in equal measure. From the beginning, A Boogie establishes his ability to convey genuine complexity with tones that can rest between exasperation, bitterness, and resignation. For "Still Think About You," he fuses his lithe vocals with an aqueous bassline and fluttering keys for a tale of frayed love and its vicious accompanying blame game. He's forceful as he raps about the lessons he should have learned before the heartbreak, but the supple climax of the hook suggests that a part of him is glad he didn't. "D.T.B. (Interlude)" continues themes of disappointment and distrust, but A Boogie isn't a dedicated sad boy. He journeys to lighter regions of the same spectrum for "Friend Zone," where he ditches lonely contemplation for playful sexcapades. Having split his rap persona in two—Artist is the thoughtful lover, while Boogie is the block dweller—he makes sure the street gets attention, too. "Trap House" is an anthemic celebration of the bando, and "I Know What's Real" is all machismo and menace—a sign of the raucous spirit BX drill would bring to the forefront a few years later. A Boogie has bops of all kinds, but at its most compelling, Artist is buoyant and aspirational, as on “My Sh*t.” Featuring easygoing keys, equally lighthearted bars, and a near universally relatable phrase, the track has become one of his most popular. The chorus itself was both a functional directive and a forecast for A Boogie's artistic destiny: "Now every time they play this song, she say 'This is my sh*t.'"

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