Hip-hop is for lovers, or so the story goes. At least, such is the case for our latest band of wistful heroes --Young "Slime" Thug and Chris "B" Brown-- two gentlemen who have taken to roaming the world in a Bill & Ted-esque fashion on a seemingly endless quest to satiate their unquenchable hearts. As it happens, the recently released Slime & B marks a first-hand documentation of said journey. One that reveals deeper insight into what makes our heroes tick, their vices and desires alike. Sometimes, their desires are their vices.
Take Thugger for instance, a man of material means. For him, he wears his fortune like a peacock wears its feathers. One glimpse of the coupe and the deal has already been half-sealed, as he tells it. Next thing you know, your girlfriend has become a master of disguise, a veritable adulterous Dana Carvey.
Look at her stare at the coupe when I'm droppin' the top for the sky
I hit your lil' bitty bitch, got her running around disguised
I got a coupe, cost a million, I bungie that bitch when I ride
- Go Crazy
While Thugger tends to use his net worth as a means of whittling down his prospects, his compatriot Breezy understands the inherent dangers posed by living a lavish lifestyle. Especially when romantic prospects can't be fully trusted to form the connection he professes to seek. Yet he doesn't seem to mind, as his desire for x-rated debauchery has never once been dormant.
Hoes on my phone when they find out that I'm rich
Then they switch when they see I'm choosin' on my bitch
Top down, got her doin' donuts on the dick, yeah
- Go Crazy
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On that note, it's clear that Thug places the utmost value on physical attraction, lining damn near every verse with heightened sexuality. Even when he runs the risk of revealing Too Much Information, his imagery is so undeniably evocative it borderlines on absurdist comedy. Sometimes, he comes off like Jim Carrey in the elevator scene in Liar Liar, dealing in a blunt and smutty directness that leaves nothing to the imagination.
Nuttin' three or four times
Automatic drapes gonna wake you, no blinds
You're my mommy, yes I know, ma
Someone call the officer, lift the blouse on her
- Help Me Breathe
Yet even he has his limits -- tempting though it may be to deviate from them in the heat of the moment.
I had to pay her tuition, the way this lil' baby was suckin' my nuts
I gotta keep this shit pimpin', man I'm never fallin' in love with a slut
- I Got Time
In fact, though Thug seems to appreciate a night of bawdy hedonism, his "relationship goals" are far more straightforward. He simply wants somebody he can relax with, someone to fall back on after a whirlwind evening on the town with Breezy. For those moments, he remains unafraid to drop his front, demanding to be respected even at his most slovenly.
Lovin' skills, I need some lovin' skills
Left my dirty drawers and you love me still
Eyes come lazy, but she is real
Dressed to kill , we can bump bump til you're tired
- Go Crazy
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Though both men seem to enjoy the thrill of enacting pornography on a nightly basis, to the point where Thug actually requested to have "pussy" on his rider at all times ("Trap Back"), it should be noted that Breezy possesses the foresight to understand the inherent dangers in seeing such a lifestyle run to its conclusion. Cautionary reflections ring all the more profound when paired with a melancholic guitar-driven beat. True, that doesn't mean he intends on taking preventative measures, but as they say, knowing is half the battle.
Poppin' bottles in the club
Fuckin' models, doin' drugs
And I can't do this anymore
I feel like an animal
- Animal
And never forget, as pointed out by the likes of Pat Benetar and Jordin Sparks, that love can and will feel like a battlefield at times. Breezy may make the sunnier side of the journey seem like a rollicking good time, but he's not about to sugarcoat those inevitable dark days. Remember how frivolously Young Thug seemed to boast about turning taken women into disguise donning cheaters? It's no coincidence that Breezy's most brutally honest moment of musings finds him invoking similarly disguise-centric language -- might he not have been on the receiving end of a similar tactic? Live by the sword, and so on.
You took my sanity, I got no peace of mind
Overdrawn on my memory, bank can't buy back my time
But you tryna cap though, talkin' 'bout you layin' low
When you switch on n***s like you change clothes
- Stolen
Like many stories in the midst of being told, we have yet to see a proper ending on the horizon. As of now, Slime & B paints a picture of two men eager to settle down and find romantic stability -- though the constant temptations that frequently arise as a result of their chosen lifestyles make doing so more difficult than it needs to be. But given the pleasure they seem to derive from engaging in uninhibited sexcapades, we'd be fools to shed tears for these would-be romantics. If the joyous sounds of their first debut album are any indication, they'll figure it eventually.