There are few feelings that rival waking up on a Friday. The pure, unadulterated joy of hearing the weekend knock on the door emits an uplifting energy, donning us in a cloak of good vibes. There’s only one logical way to supplement that elated feeling: get loose by bumping fun, borderline ignorant, music.
Rising Tennessee artist, Mr. N3il, debuted his track “Candy Yams” featuring Young Soul this past August to a welcoming audience. The melodic sonics present an enticing draw that will override your nervous system, forcing you to channel your inner Nelly—for lack of a better word, get loose. It has all the makings of a viral hit: a catchy hook, solid melody, hilarious lines, and beautiful women. I may be late to the game with this hit, but I’m just happy that I arrived before tipoff. (I feel like that nerdy kid on the rec basketball squad who runs into the gym late on gameday, laboredly breathing, one New Balance sneaker hanging off their foot, in the process of ripping off their AND-1 break-aways, yelling, “OKAY I’M READY COACH!”)
Watching this video brought a quote from Chris Rock’s “Blame Game” outro to mind: “You never used to talk dirty, but now you God damn disgusting!” “Candy Yams” is God damn disgusting—in conceivably every best way possible. Using the sweet vegetable as a metaphor for mind-boggling vagina, “Candy Yams” is an homage to all the beautiful women who rotate you from six to midnight. Sometimes though, when we’re in the presence of overpowering temptation, our wild imaginations force us to forgo sonnets, love ballads, and poetry in exchange for overt compliments, like “Girl, to be honest I don’t eat candy yams but tonight I’m gonna eat it all…Pussy so good had to put it up / In the refrigerator, just to eat some later.” I repeat: God damn disgusting!
With a smirk on my face, one eyebrow cocked, and laughter in my eyes, I couldn’t control myself from attempting to shimmy (who says shimmy?) due to the song’s incredibly fun, infectious nature. The song and video project an early 2000s aesthetic, thanks to the pseudo, euphoric G-Funk beat, Mr. N3il’s cornrows, and the parade of gorgeous, curvy women. Resuscitating yesterday’s sound while applying a modern spin bridges two entertaining Hip Hop junctures to create a highly enjoyable product.
Are you wracking your brain thinking of the missing song from your weekend turn-up playlist? Look no further: here’s Mr. N3il’s “Candy Yams.” Enjoy the video above.