King Push arrived right on time. After teasing fans with talks of a new album for years, Pusha T finally descended upon hip-hop with DAYTONA. The album title references the Rolex Daytona, a luxury watch to display how Pusha had the luxury of time to make this album. DAYTONA proves that quality over quantity can produce a classic piece of work. Clocking in at just over 21 minutes, Pusha's latest body of work is being heralded as an instant classic.
Kanye West handled the production for the entire album, and it's good to see that Mr. West hasn't lost touch with his production skills. The beats on DAYTONA are vital to the theme. The seven songs feel like a short journey to a land when Pusha T rules, a crack-rap paradise where only the most prestigious hustlers may enter. The most talked about record on the album, "Infrared," features a few shots at Drake. Drizzy responded back with "Duppy Freestyle" almost immediately, proving that the ghostwriting claims still get under his skin. Although Pusha has yet to respond to Drake, "Infrared" causes enough damage on its own.
Although the tracklist may be short, there is no lack of bars on DAYTONA. As expected, Pusha T comes with lyrical ferocity on each record. While many of his bars are just windows into the world of crack-rap, when you dig deeper the level of lyrical expertise is astounding. The entendres have depth, the metaphors have subliminal meanings, and the hyperbole is illuminating. The G.O.O.D. Music president blessed the game with a lyrical onslaught, and these are the most savage bars on DAYTONA.
If You Know You Know
Waving at rude boy, I'm waving at you, boy
Ran off on the plug too like Trugoy
The company I keep is not corporate enough
Child Rebel Soldier, you ain't orphan enough
A rapper turned trapper can't morph into us
But a trapper turned rapper can morph into Puff
Been grantin' wishes like a genie
To bad hoes in two-piece bikinis
I've been hidin' where you can see me
The skybox is right next to RiRi's
The Games We Play
This is for my bodybuilding clients moving weight
Just add water, stir it like a shake
Play amongst the stars like the roof in the Wraith
Get the table next to mine, make our bottle servers race
This ain't for the conscious, this is for the mud-made monsters
Who grew up on legends from outer Yonkers
Influenced by niggas Straight Outta Compton,
If you ain't energized like the bunny for drug money
Or been paralyzed by the sight of a drug mummy
This ain't really for you, this is for the Goya Montoya
Who said I couldn't stop, then afforded me all the lawyers
Hard Piano
Never trust a bitch who finds love in a camera
She will fuck you, then turn around and fuck a janitor
Set the parameters
You either with the pro ballers or the amateurs
The rooftop can host a paint and sip for like 40
The Warhols on my wall paint a war story
Had to find other ways to invest
'Cause you rappers found every way to ruin Pateks
Still do the Fred Astaire on a brick
Tap tap, throw the phone if you hear it click
Art Baselin' the bezel
Your bustdown is bust down and don't match the metal
Come Back Baby
Blew through thousands, we made millions
Cocaine soldiers, once civilians
Bought hoes Hondas, took care children
Let my pastor, build out buildings
Rapped on classics, I been brilliant
Now we blend in, we chameleons, ahh!
If we go by connections made
I can still climb ladders when complexions fade (yugh)
White on white that's the tester
Black on black that's the Tesla
See these diamonds in this watch face?
All that shit came from pressure
The good die young, all dogs go to heaven
It's really just momma's falling out on the reverend
I play musical chairs with these squares
Rich flair before they was Ric Flair's
Santeria
I just place orders and drop dollars
Rotweillers roam the ground, the Glock hollers
The three of y'all too accessible
Seen all the wrong moves, watching The Untouchables
We don't do vegetables, niggas get flatlined
Welcome all beef, then we heat 'em with flat irons
Of all the things I've ever paid for
Know that it's no price tag when I wage war
It's no more to pray for, niggas get preyed on
Darken my doorstep, they told me the day's gone
You listening, De'von?
As I'm talking to your spirit, for God's sakes
I'm dealing with heartbreak
Checking my ego, I'm livin' with lost faith
I'm back in this hit, nigga, you ever seen Shark Tank?
And all praise, no jail bars can save
Leave you like Malcolm where X marks your grave
Hey, it's probably better this way
It's cheaper when the chaplain prays
What Would Meek Do?
Feds takin' pictures like it's GQ (GQ)
This Avianne collarbone is see-through
Angel on my shoulder, "what should we do?" (we do)
Devil on the other, "what would Meek do?"
Pop a wheelie, tell the judge to Akinyele
Middle fingers out the Ghost, screamin' "Makaveli"
I let the monies and the fools talk
I let the jewels and the hues talk
Watch face came with a fuse box
Smell it through the Tupperware (Tupperware)
Two can get you four like a double dare (woo)
I'm the king of the oven-ware (oven-ware)
You can piece the whole puzzle here
Infrared
Nigga’s beats is bangin', nigga, ya hooks did it
The lyric pennin' equal the Trumps winnin’
The bigger question is how the Russians did it
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin
Believe in myself and the Coles and Kendricks
Let the sock puppets play in their roles and gimmicks, shit
Remember Will Smith won the first Grammy?
And they ain't even recognize Hov until "Annie"
Oh, now it's okay to kill Baby
Niggas looked at me crazy like I really killed a baby
Salute Ross ’cause the message was pure
He see what I see when you see Wayne on tour
Flash without the fire
Another multi-platinum rapper trapped and can't retire
Niggas get exposed, I see the cracks and I'm the liar?
Shit I've been exposed, I took the crack and built the wire
Let Steven talk streamin' and Shazam numbers
I'll ensure you gettin' every gram from us
Let's cram numbers, easily
The only rapper sold more dope than me was Eazy-E
How could you ever right these wrongs
When you don't even write your songs?
But let us all play along
We all know what niggas for real been waitin' on