Keem Ain’t Done: “Hooligan / Sons & Critics Freestyle” Single Review
By Owen Tait
Upon realizing Keem was going to be absent in the 2020 XXL Cypher performances, I was pretty disappointed. After all, Die For My Bitch stood out to me as one of the most unique, left-field trap albums of 2019, and I was anxious to hear more from Keem as a growing artist. Well, we may not have gotten a cypher verse, but the two singles we received in return were more than enough to demonstrate Keem’s staying power in the industry. Released under Sony Music Records, “hooligan” and “sons & critics freestyle” both feature everything one could want from a standout Baby Keem track. Catchy hooks, bouncy beats, memorable quotables, and a long list of amusing ad-libs can all be found in these singles, all in a matter of six minutes and change of runtime.
“Hooligan,” a sleek banger led by dramatic keys and a whistle sample that gave me stank face, sees Baby Keem boasting his status as an up-and-coming star in the industry. From a production standpoint, it’s nothing unusual for a nocturnal trap song; however, Keem’s delivery on this track unlocks a potential that I believe few other artists could unlock over a beat like this. He flows effortlessly across the verses, finding time to add charismatic ad-libs in between hilarious lines such as “dripped in all black like an emo bitch” and the already-infamous “I ain’t done / Bitch, go to your room.” To top it all off, Keem delivers a refrain so ridiculous that only he could pull it off, with the triumphant “Fa fa fa, fa fa fa” he sings in between each bar growing so infectious that you just have to sing along.
The following track, “sons & critics freestyle,” is one that I unfortunately think will be overshadowed by its predecessor. It’s a much stranger experience, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get stuck in your head just as easily. The hook on this single is truly different, as Keem combines an almost unnatural flow with a repeated ad-lib he delicately sprinkles over the beat (which is also strange as hell). The 808 pattern ramps up over and over throughout the track, ducking out in the first half of every measure to let the instrumental breathe. As one would imagine, this creates a really bouncy rhythm for Keem to weave his punchlines over, which he succeeds at yet again. And while I would argue that Keem’s lyrics here are not on par with the rest of his discography—if this really is a freestyle, you can tell—his charisma still carries him leagues ahead of his competitors.
As I said, these singles have nearly everything a person could ask for in a Baby Keem track, and even better, the replay value on them is through the roof. I’ve likely listened to “hooligan” well over 30 times as of writing this review, and rather than growing sick of it, I’ve only found myself wanting more. If these singles are truly our first look into his next project, then Baby Keem’s sophomore studio album can’t arrive soon enough.
Listen to “Hooligan / Sons & Critics Freestyle” here:
Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter to get updated whenever we post:
-
A year ago we compiled a list of albums to help everyone weather the quarantine. Here we are a year later, still st… https://t.co/fdusHMOSLK -
Happy 6th birthday to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ one of the best albums ever released 💿🦋 What’s the be… https://t.co/4boKEsxxJM