Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Big, old-fashioned retro grooves are making quite a comeback in hip-hop at the moment, and it doesn’t take a degree in the fine arts to appreciate why this is the case when checking out the music video for this July. Staggeringly rigid in comparison to the overwhelmingly fluid approach to rhythm a lot of melodic rappers have been employing over the past couple of years, “They Don’t Love You” is every bit the pessimistic jam its title claims it to be – albeit a sincerely refreshing one for those who dig pure hip-hop.
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Melodically speaking, this has got to be one of the most minimalistic works I’ve heard from a pair of rappers this year, but this isn’t to say that the melodies that are present in the mix are somehow understated or missing the panache that I would expect out of this kind of performance. 8Ball is especially keen on setting up a framework for MJG to punctuate with indulgence, and when they’re working together in perfect synchronicity, it’s obvious that they’ve spent a lot of time perfecting the smaller details in their sound that a lot of other players might have overlooked.
Everything in “They Don’t Love You” revolves around highlighting the confidence of these two rappers, and I think they have a lot to be proud of in terms of what they’ve been able to do here. There’s still some room for a more elaborate lyrical scheme, but when you think about the physical theme they’re trying to emphasize with the structure of this song, that might not be the main takeaway from this track. 8Ball and MJG are onto something sweet here, and I’m starting to realize why other critics have been taking notice of them as well.
Kim Sullenberger
