The first thing you hear on Kamaiyah's "Playa In Me" is the distinctly West Coast sound of the 808 cow bell. It's a sound that's heard throughout the Oakland rapper's sophomore project Before I Wake, released without warning this week. The opening loop is also an instantly recognizable nod to Lil Jon's "Play No Games." From there, chunky synth riffs and climbing synth brass give the record the aspirational feel that much of Kamaiyah's debut A Good Night In The Ghetto contained. While "How Does It Feel?" found the rapper dreaming of a better life, "Playa In Me," which arrives after a XXL Freshman placement and some A-List collaborations, is a confident statement of success. "You can tell by the fur I wear / That I'm the coldest bitch alive," she sings on the hook, one of the catchiest moments on the project. However, she's still well aware that she deserves more, and that no man will be able to give it to her: "It doesn't matter what you provide / Cause the playa in me it ain't gon' never be satisfied."
Stream the full 10-track project here.
Quotable Lyrics:
Can't name one fear
'Cause I ain't took one yet
Fly as fucking hell and only took one jet
With Keyshia Cole to see the fight
Have Floyd bets
We just make money
No, we don't void checks
We just make cash and we take cash
I can smell the deceit on your fake ass