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One artist that I’ve followed and believed in for a while now, as do many in the new wave of modern hip-hop, is beginning to release music again. And with a little luck and some quality packaging of his discography, this just might be his breakthrough moment. Of course, we’re talking about Houston native Lil Playah who has been silent, except for the occasional Soundcloud drop like the Poor Stacy collabed track Lately, since his last major project Pain Must Love Me in 2018. The album gained him a cult following, significant presence on most major streaming platforms, as well as millions of streams across the board on stand out tracks like Never Have I Ever and Little Did I Know.
As one of the top young underground emo/modern rap artists in late 2018, Playah is not only showing he still holds that crown but also taking the next step in his evolution. The image he’s branded for himself through social media and lyrics lately could not be louder on this subject. In 2020, he has finally come back and blessed his core fanbase with three new tracks. The first was Nah Foreal, a drill rap song with a Lil Uzi-esque vibe. The song racked up over 90K plays in less than two months on Spotify alone with similar numbers on Soundcloud too, where a large part of his cult following goes for their daily Lil Playah fix currently.
Playah then released Lied to me, Part 2 (hinting there’s a part 1 somewhere?), a song that brings back the Playah vibes of days passed that’s truly unmatched by others mimicking this rap sub genre today. Opening with “deep down in my mind I know I’m not alright,” the rap phenom instantly makes listeners understand his struggle while relating individually to it too, all while reeling back in both old and new fans over this catchy guitar loop. He explains it’s someone’s fault because what you(they) do to me(Playah’s) it has me(Playah’s) out my(Playah’s) mind,” calling whoever is important to him out for lying to him.
Later in June, Playah again released the part 1 to Lied To Me that many wondered even existed (similar to myself!). Lil Playah plays the low key vibe on this track, something that’s new in his sound but that’s also becoming increasingly possible in terms of highlighting his versatility and range with no explanation needed, I believe he knows what he’s doing when it comes to teasing the audience in this manner. The beat to Lied To Me is a very melodic strumming, allowing Playah to showcase his vocals more than his listeners might usually be accustomed to through singing and extending vowels while sacrificing a more traditional “real rap” sound. But nothing Playah does is meant to be traditional, he thrives in his authenticity and on this track does it as he adds more emotion, tone and substance. Lil Playah asks his girl to prove him wrong because he “can’t stand a bitch who will lie to me.” Putting all of these recent releases, new styles, and impressive lyrics together you can’t deny the potential that’s there for the Lone Star State standout.
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