bbno$ is your Artist of the Summer
- Alli K.
- May 29, 2020
- 3 min read
In honor of Yung Bae’s new remake of "Bad Boy" with Wiz Khalifa, MAX and my favorite, bbno$, I want to focus on the talent that is “baby no money.” You might recognize his song Lalala from TikToks of people doing the "Lalala challenge." Alexander Gumuchian can be considered an underground rapper- not much publicity surrounding his name. However, his collaborations with Yung Gravy and producer Lentra have produced some of the most upbeat rap sounds in the current industry. With lyrics like Lil Dickey and beats like Chance the Rapper, his songs are the perfect music for your lakeside summer playlist.
In an interview with Alex, college student Valentin Lyazov writes that his goal is to keep music fun and upbeat. He grew up inspired by $uicideboy$, but his music presents an opposite vibe. “I have no interest in making sad stuff because if you do, you kind of end up living into what you’ve created. Even though music is still a business, the energy leeches into your everyday life.” Mostly collabs, his tracks all include unique beats that make each track different and upbeat. Joining the music industry alongside Yung Gravy created a professional and personal friendship between the two rappers as well as great tunes.
“I like it” by Cardi B, which was my summer 2018 anthem, is referred to under the genre latin trap. bbno$ and Yung Gravy’s song “Welcome to Chilis” instantly reminded me of this Cardi B hit. Surprisingly enough, that was the song that bbno$ brought up to Yung Gravy as inspiration for a track for the album. Because Gravy had supposedly never heard the Cardi B song, bbno$ clearly had most of the influence on this track. Rolling Stone refers to Cardi B’s track as a “trap-meets-salsa beat,” which is exactly how I’d describe the duo’s song that literally has Chili’s in its title. The saxophone, claves, and maracas are prominent in the beat, which makes anyone want to get up and dance with their margarita.
One of the pair’s most popular songs, “Whip a Tesla,” has a catchy chorus that will be stuck in your head for hours. Yung Gravy’s deep and distinct voice repeats “Hey Alexa, hey Alexa” which everyone recognizes from Amazon. They rhyme that with Tesla, Testa, Vanessa within rhythmic verses, consistent beats, and a flute to create a unique and upbeat song. Aside from the chorus, you can even jam out to the other verses knowing they’re all going to rhyme. Cheddar, weather, never, and leather are a few others they use in other verses. And, these words don’t just rhyme- they’re also fun to belt in your car.
One of my favorite bbno$ feel good songs is called Nursery. This album, titled Recess, is all very playful. With tracks titled “Banana” and “Chess,” it’s clear he’s going for a fun and childlike energy with this early 2019 release. With lyrics like “fee-fi-fo-fum” and “Jack and Jill up a hill,” bbno$ and Lentra are returning to their innocence through rap in a playful way. Words like those will put anyone in a good mood. The collaboration between bbno$ and Lentra in this track creates groove and funkiness that is hard to accomplish in hip hop music.
In that same record, bbno$ works with Y2K and Lewis Grant in his song Thankful. Although the verses are more melodic and sing-songy, he still finds a way to make it catchy and rhythmic. The chorus even includes a line about Ariana Grande and her 2018 hit about Mac Miller, “Thankful for my Ex,” which in and of itself draws a crowd. As far as the beat goes, he makes a staple with the use of the guitar. Its unique and distinct series of xylophone-like beats makes the song memorable. Rather than a song you want to get up and dance to, this is a song for your relaxing moments on the beach.
Have you ever thought about the psychological effects music has on our mood? Like I said, bbno$ always puts me in a good head space. Music stimulates visual imagery based on where your mind wanders while listening to certain music. “Mind-wandering” is when something in your environment influences your thought. Without awareness of it, something such as music can have a direct effect on your subconscious thinking (Koelsch et al). Listening to a slow, sad song is going to send your mind to sad places. However, the music I discussed in this post will do the opposite- you’ll go to memories on the playground or imagine yourself in a Tesla cruising through the sunshine.
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