IshDARR‘s second album, Broken Hearts & Bankrolls, is expected to drop on Friday, and the man dropped two tracks over the past week to hype it. Before we get into ‘Bad Four You,’ which will be on the new album, let’s talk a little bit about ‘NINEFIFTIES.’
‘NINEFIFTIES’ is IshDARR’s take on the Weeknd’s ‘Starboy.’ I would normally argue that the real fun of a rapper putting a twist on a popular song comes from the familiarity with the song. Take, for example, Childish Gambino’s ‘R.I.P.,’ a song that heavily samples Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall.’ ‘R.I.P.’ is a great song because it pays homage to ‘Nightcall.’ ‘NINEFIFTIES’ is totally different. It sounds more like IshDARR’s made it his own than like he’s playing with someone else’s music. It just doesn’t feel like the Weeknd once IshDARR gets his hands on it. That said, IshDARR remembers to acknowledge the song’s source material with lines like:
I peep that
I ease back
Mothafuckin’ star boy
Momma I mean that,
Mothafuckin’ DARR boy
Beamer I clean that
Don’t say it in ya song
If you don’t really mean that
Check ‘NINEFIFTIES’ out below.
Now let’s move on to the main event: ‘Bad Four You.’ This might just be my favorite IshDARR track so far. IshDARR talks about recognizing all the people and things that slow him down or distract him from pursuing his art. In doing so, he talks about the importance of recognizing what is “bad four you,” what gets in the way of your own personal growth, and making sure you don’t get caught up in those things. The second verse is my favorite part of the song:
Don’t call when you want me told you don’t get comfortable
‘Cause I never feel it no I never feel it but you’ll end up hurtin’
I’m out the country with no service way too determined
You was poppin’ percs when I’m behind the curtain
Every day is news swear to god I’m learnin’
You gone’ get the boot if you don’t got a purpose
IshDARR’s lyrical style and word choice is unarguably hip hop, but the message here applies to everyone. We can all learn a thing or two from this song. Regardless of who you are, what you do, or what your dreams are, there will always be temptations. We all have habits that get in the way of our dreams. IshDARR’s here to remind us all that he has the same bad habits, the same temptations, and that we can all overcome them just like he did. It’s also worth mentioning that IshDARR isn’t condemning the “bad habits” outright: he’s not saying there’s anything wrong with “poppin’ percs,” but rather that you’re not going to make it to the top of anything if you’re too busy enjoying yourself.
Stay tuned for an update on IshDARR’s new album, Broken Hearts & Bankrolls, after it drops tomorrow. Until then, bump this.
