Wish by Denzel Curry
My (Current) Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Song
Happy Friday Music Appreciation!
Today we are starting a NEW season.
This season, I’m going to be sharing just a bunch of favorites. My favorite songs. Your favorite songs. Etc. Etc.
The song of the week is my CURRENT favorite Hip-Hop song. According to spotify, I discovered this song on February 22nd, 2024.
Have a listen, have a read, and enjoy.
(Listener Discretion Advised, this song features a HEAVY dose of profanity and slightly explicit subject matter)
My Favorite Hip-Hop Song (Recently)
What I Like Most
The sample is so interesting and really sets the mood of this “night out” cruise mode.
The lyrics are so smooth - every word and syllable (of Denzel Curry’s parts) just hits on beat and it just HYPES me up. It’s kind of like watching someone that is a pro at DDR or Guitar Hero. As the notes come down, as a viewer, you can immediately see what their challenge is - and there is just something so satisfying about seeing a master able to hit it all. With this song, it’s really high energy and there’s a lot of stuff going on, yet Denzel Curry just surfs on it so smoothly - he makes it look and sound easy.
The HOOK itself is very memorable and catchy.
In general, Denzel Curry is really clever when he raps. Although I’m not fully into the subjective material that he’s talking about (hooking up with girls after a night at the club), the way he’s doing it is just so smooth.
Denzel Curry’s verse hits so hard. I think I’ve sort of mentioned that already, but I’m listening to this song as I’m typing it and damn is it good.
As the song progresses, there’s just a perfect amount of novel material that makes the whole thing fun to listen to from top to bottom.
Some Thoughts
Earlier in this year, I was in this weird Denzel Curry phase where because I liked some of his songs they just kept popping up on my Spotify Discover Weekly // Smart Playlist mode. That said, when I heard this song for the first time, I think I rewinded to listen to it again two, maybe three times. It was just THAT good for me.
Slightly before hearing this song, I think I ended up at District with my friends (the so-so nightclub here on O`ahu). I’m not a huge fan of district or nightclub hip-hop music. The main reason being, although it is fun and high energy, sometimes the lyrics just feel stale and over simplified. One joy of rap music is that it is poetry. Many songs are pretty *brain off* mode, but other songs are really clever and the performance of those songs are musical and artistic feats. Those types of rap songs usually don’t end up in the club. People want catchy simple music for the club.
This song kind of rides both lines. It has that “club-ready” sound to it, while also being some damn impressive rapping. And on top of that, the beat and the music is just so good too. I don’t know - maybe it’s just a personal taste thing, but this song REALLY moved the needle for me and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in my top ten for most played songs of the year.
The Sample
When doing research on the song, I discovered the sample that is prominent throughout.
I don’t have many fully formed thoughts or ideas, but I think it’s just an awesome usage of this sample. Sample utilization is kind of like thrift shopping, you’re digging through these piles of used clothes and you’re looking for the piece that has juuuuust enough spark to be turned into something else. If done right, you don’t even notice it happening. It is for that reason that so many popular songs have samples that make people go - “wait, that’s a sample?”
Anyways, have a listen and let me know what you think.
Also - just a last note of, SAMPLING is this culturally significant thing for the genre of hip-hop. So when a hip-hop song uses a sample PERFECTLY it just evokes that nod to said culture - like DAMN they really flipped the switch on this one.
Next Week
Please! If you have any “favorite” songs you’ve had on repeat or any songs that fall in that category of favorite of all time, please send them over to me :)
Until then,
MYKAAAA
Bonus #1
When I dug into the information on the album a bit more, I learned that Denzel Curry made this album as an ode to / a product of homesickness for Miami/Florida. That area has such a unique musical texture to it. In general, all music is heavily influenced by the area that it is made in. Because of proximity to Cuba and other South American/international influences from that direction, there’s this latin/syncopated/afro-cuban groove and feel that’s just baked into the music of the area.
I’m not super keen on my hip-hop sub-genres, but one thing that is prominent from Miami is Miami Bass music. It is a sub genre of hip-hop that is more upbeat and has that “booty shaking” energy in it. Where the east (New York) had more chill jazz boom-bap hip-hop (think Biggie SmallS) and where the west had groovy bouncy G-funk (think Snoop Dogg), Miami had this sort of upbeat music with really driving high energy music.
That said, while I am not 100% sure that this song falls under the category of “Miami Bass,” it is a song that I found when looking at a Miami Bass playlist on Spotify.
Similar to “Wish,” this song has really on beat lyrics and it has this kind of wobbly, funky, sexy swirl to it.
The reason I’m sharing it is to give a bit of context for why I think “Wish” is so good. It is a song that pays homage to this sort of style and energy while also having it’s own unique take and texture on it.
Anyways, have a listen and enjoy.
Bonus #2
Kenny Beats’s “The Cave” series was so good (sadly they wrapped it up forever).
Denzel Curry has one of my FAVORITE episodes.
He just goes OFF on the track.
Excuse the profanity, but the dude is just so much fun and he’s so good.