Ohio native Trippie Redd is not just a hit-maker, but a genre chameleon as well. His four singles so far in 2022 have seen him work with his trademark styles: acoustic ballads, melodic emo rap, hard-hitting trap, and his newest track "Ain't Safe" brings psychedelic vibes into the mix. Assisted by Don Toliver, Trippie taps into his Travis Scott influences on this track and completes a general picture of his artistry with his singles this year.
Production-wise, "Ain't Safe" borrows heavily from the wave of psychedelic trap and melodic song structures and verses that Don has helped establish as an influential movement in hip-hop and popular music at large. It's nothing new at this point, but the graceful piano melodies and dense ad-libs make for a fun atmosphere to match the percussion. It's the type of beat that isn't hot on impact, with its bouncy bass hits and understated hi-hats and snares, but it works engagingly as a dreamy combo.
Don Toliver opens the track with a catchy and tone-setting verse that outlines its lyrical topics. It ain't safe out there for his enemies, he's moving around with ease, he's meeting women over the world, and he stays strapped with .40s and Oxycontin. His voice is always a winner for tracks like these, especially when it's paired with a dynamic flow. In contrast to Trippie, he actually comes across as the more relaxed and laidback part of the song, and it's the track's catchiest moment.
The "Miss The Rage" star doesn't slouch on his track, though. He expands on a lot of the same flexes and mindsets that Don started the track with, but with a more powerful vocal performance. Trippie slides in between snarls, soaring yells, and fast flows with ease. Much like Don Toliver, the 23-year-old's voice has always been one of the most interesting and idiosyncratic elements of his artistry, and to hear two imaginative vocalists together makes for some compelling ear candy.
"Ain't Safe" follows three other singles this year in anticipation of Trippie's next album, A Love Letter To You 5. It's yet to come, but he's already said it's his best body of work to date. He's said that it won't be experimental like other projects of his, so it makes sense that these singles have all seen him tap into his most popular musical excursions.
Trippie has shown his big artistic personalities with all his 2022 singles, whether it's the trap banger "Big 14" or the emo-inspired dual release First Draft. This year's even seen him enter the anime world with a Boondocks producer, so stay tuned to HotNewHipHop to see what other magic Trippie Redd has in store for fans.
You can check out "Ain't Safe" featuring Don Toliver on your preferred streaming service, and check out some quotable lyrics below.
Quotable Lyrics
You know this like risky (Yeah)
Try me, b***h, I'll spray 'til it's empty (Grr, baow)
Purple in my cup, I feel like Pimp C (Swear)
Keep some n***as 'round me down to fall and catch a case