Rappers tends to mimic each other’s style. Someone starts a trend, it gets adopted, and slowly but surely it leaks to the masses. From style to slang to even names, imitation has become a Hip Hop staple. Where would we be without Kanye’s pink-ass polos and fuckin’ backpacks? But perhaps the most prevalent form of copying is rap monikers.
Let’s take it back to the ‘90s: we had Big L, Big Pun, Notorious B.I.G., Big Daddy Kane and Big Boi. This appellation consumed the Golden Age, and carries steam into today’s landscape with Big Sean and Big K.R.I.T. The “Lil” prefix’s popularity has increased, starting with Weezy and Lil Jon, but somehow fumbled into the hands of charlatans like Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert. Thankfully the game’s funniest rapper, Lil Dicky, redeemed this name by applying a literal meaning with his personal flair. Then we have the “Young/Yung” craze, claimed by Thugger, Jeezy, Dro, Lean, Joc and more—one that I’d suggest incoming spitters shy away from. However, contending for the most interesting and unique one is “Boogie.”
Aside from the Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, New York’s A Boogie wit da Hoodie introduced me to this pseudonym. Considering I’m not terribly interested in the 21-year-old rapper, I dismissed the “Boogie” era as a short-lived distinction attempt. With one text, that changed.
My buddy hit me up last night, encouraging me to check out the track “Nigga Needs” by Boogie. Assuming this was the Boogie who rocks hoodies, I was skeptical—I couldn’t have been more wrong. Boogie is a socially conscious Compton-born rapper, keen on imparting his wisdom to the public. After inking an Interscope deal in 2015, he’s finally starting to achieve that mission by using his newfound platform to articulate his message.
“Nigga Needs” is a dexterous portrayal of Boogie’s honest and divulging introspection. With his slight lisp, he discusses a dichotomy of desires to satiate his needs that balance the extremes of life’s spectrum. From wanting a “boat of bitches” to understanding the importance of reinserting himself into his mom’s and daughter’s life, Boogie uses “Nigga Needs” to simultaneously prioritize his values and reveal his true self. His flow and rhyme scheme reach their pinnacle with the bars: “I'm a food stamp popping white tee rocking / Swap meet shopping / Instagram watching, DM hopping / Niggas know the deal / Now they know I got it, now they know I got it, woo.” Cleverly, this song’s duality applies Boogie’s subjective disclosure to encapsulate the Black community, exposing deep seeded truths.
This point is further contextualized with the powerful music video, showing two forms of Boogie: one wearing a white tee showing an abdomen gun wound, and one of him with a bruised eye, wearing a black sweatshirt, holding his young sleeping daughter. The two materializations exchange bars throughout the video, while they’re displayed as museum exhibits to an exclusively White audience. This significance speaks volumes, as Black individuals are constant subjects to White spectatorship; feeling examined, dissected and critiqued, like a museum exhibit.
“Nigga Needs” is the 10th track off Boogie’s debut studio album, Thirst 48 Pt. 2, featuring a host of rappers, including DJ Quik, Mozzy and K CAMP. This single and album foreshadow a hopefully strong future for the Compton spitter and Hip Hop. With mumble rapping eclipsing conceptual lyricism, we need intelligent guys like Boogie to properly evolve the genre.
Check out the compelling video below.