Boogie has slowed down his output this year, though his fans have come to expect absolute gold with each new release. He dropped two excellent singles in March, one featuring Tink and the other a sequel to his breakout hit, and then took a few months off to work on his upcoming project, Thirst 48 Pt. 2. A couple of days ago, he made a triumphant return with "Man Down," which suggests that Thirst 48 Pt. 2 is going to be his best work yet. Before he drops the project's next single, though, the Compton rapper is already back with a new "Hypocrite Freestyle." The track is a heart-rending reflection on the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Over a melancholic piano backdrop, Boogie expresses the pain and fear he feels in the wake of this week's murders by police. "I ain't tryna be no hashtag," he raps, eventually thinking of his son, who apparently just learned the word "Bompton." Boogie is adamant that the track was not made for profit, but he, with stunning honesty, doesn't shy away from calling himself a "Hypocrite," even going as far to compare himself to the "good cops," who "don't really ever say shit." He doesn't come to a clean conclusion about his ultimate responsibilities as a black artist in such a precarious time for his race and his community, but in the process of trying to figure it out, he's revealed the emotional depth of his artistry and how gifted he is at expressing difficult feelings.
Quotable Lyrics
Stop it, I don't even want to get asked 'bout it
It's hard enough for me to rap 'bout it
Without me thinking I'm a hypocrite, I should be out here in this shit
Not trying to make a track 'bout it
Mmm, woah, that's why I feel like I ain't shit