Kanye West and Pusha T, together, put the two O‘s in G.O.O.D. Music.
Since their alliance was formed on the MTV Video Music Awards stage almost eight years ago, the dynamic duo have proven themselves to be masters of the “OO shit” reaction (see what I did there). And by the early sounds of their latest in-rhyme collab on “What Would Meek Do,” their latest collaboration that lives on P’s new album, DAYTONA (super-produced by Mr. West), that streak should see added incline.
Pusha detailed the Yeezy-laced album, formerly titled King Push, which is seven songs and features two guest appearances, one from Rick Ross (on “Hard Piano”) and another with Kanye. Before that LP arrives in its entirety on Friday (May 25), here’s a reminder of the many G.O.O.D. things that have come since the hot temper, Ye, matched with the cold killer, P. Together, they bring the best out of each other thus building the sonic definition G.O.O.D. Music. Ughck.
“Runaway”
Initially, when Kanye West debuted “Runaway” at the 2010 VMAs, it felt like a PR stunt — an expertly crafted PR stunt at that. Earlier in the night, Taylor Swift performed a not-so subliminal song about Kanye being “innocent” despite the (in)famous shrug-gate, and yet there was Mr. West, hitting the stage later, accepting his faults and bathing in his tub of douchebaggery. The soundtrack to that self-acceptance, “Runaway.” 2010 at the VMAs aside, though, what makes this moment grand is how Pusha T, the younger Clipse half and the devil-may-care spitter of the 2000s duo, fits in into this scheme. Ways away from his Ziploc manuscripts, Push delivers his most poetic verse sans a dribble of cocaine referral. With a guest appearance that caps at roughly 50 seconds, P makes his present felt, delivering repeat-worthy lines that warrant Biggie’s “lay my game down, quite flat” as an ad-lib. “I did it, alright, alright, I admit it/Now pick your next move, you could leave or live with it,” he raps, before later explaining that, “Every bag, every blouse, every bracelet/Comes with a price tag, baby, face it.” The best part about all of this? Kanye actually urged Push to be “more douchebag” for that verse. “We need more douchebag!,” the rapper recalled in a 2010 interview With that simple yet hilarious suggestion, not to mention the pair’s obvious juxtaposition on the song, the art of douche-baggery was born.
“Mercy”
Between Pusha’s boastful entrée (“My Audemar like Mardi Gras, that’s Swiss time and that’s excellence/Two door preference, roof gone George Jefferson”) and Yeezy’s calculative construction, not to mention the brilliant guest spots by Big Sean and 2 Chainz, “Mercy” is the definition of “melted like Dali.” The G.O.O.D. chemistry is on full display and bleeds through the speakers. All of this adds G.O.O.D. gem in the Ye-and-Push books.
“New God Flow”
The significance here can only be exampled by the following line: “New God Flow, fuck everything else“