What’s Poppin’ Remix

6.26.20

Tory Lanez, DaBaby, Jack Harlow, Lil Wayne What’s Poppin Remix Release: 6.25.20

Jack Harlow made waves in hip-hop with his hit single ‘What’s Poppin.’ This song peaked on several top hit charts including Billboard Hot 100 (16), Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B (10), Billboard Rhythmic (5) and the Rolling Stone Top 100 (11). Gaining the respect of many as a young, white male in hip-hop, Jack Harlow drops off the remix with several legends in industry.

Jack Harlow opens up the remix a brand new verse. Here, he certainly takes the time to show off his rap skills, and the success he has received since dropping the original, What’s Poppin. Though certainly not as sing-along-y as the original, the verse is respectable. Plenty of bars and play on scenarios throughout, as we also learn about a potential new son of his and his confirmed New Balance sneaker deal. I suppose you have to brag a little bit when you’re working your way to the top, and have Lil Wayne coming through at the end of your top song. I am sure this song brings Jack Harlow up to a million followers on Instagram, opening up this huge new fanbase brought on by features.

DaBaby of course has been doing his thing for the past year, year and a half now. Nominated for several BET awards, recently put out his new album showing his versatility, DaBaby is one of the top artists in the game at this moment in time. Every track DaBaby has released for radio play has become an instant hit, so this is a great feature to have no matter what.

DaBaby’s verse was fun as always. The first four bars start off with a “street smart” scheme and a play off his “Baby” name.

Call up my b**h, tell her, ‘Bring me that noggin’
Brain real good, she a scholar
I like the thing with low mileage, good brain with no college
Call me DaBaby, no toddler

He then goes on to tell us how busy he’s been making hits and holding down Billboard’s Hot 100, as him and Roddy Ricch have recently taken the top spot on the charts with their hit, Rockstar. Finally, if you did not include a Tekashi 6ix9ine diss in at least one of your verses since he’s been released from jail, you’re pretty much on his side, right? The second one especially, but here are two possible digs at the rainbow haired rapper from DaBaby’s verse.

The reason I ain't f**in' with these rap-a** n**s
'Cause they cap-a** n**s (Cap)
And they raps ain't real (Cap)
Believe me, you wanna keep your life, then take it easy

These n**s tattletalers, I'm a soldier
Ayy, somebody tell them n** that it's over
You know it's Baby

Tory Lanez has been having quite the poppin’ summer, himself. Throughout quarantine Tory has attempted to keep the mood light with his extremely successful and entertaining ‘Quarantine Radio’ hosted weekly on Instagram Live. More recently, Tory became an independent artist and is getting ready to release all kinds of music.

We listen to Tory Lanez to hear him sing. His vocals are fantastic and his music is for the ladies or the club scene. However, every now and then he gets on a rap song does the most that feels a bit off brand for him. Obviously you cannot take the chorus from Jack, so what does he do here? Perhaps being on his own now has given him the freedom to try new things and do what he wants. Not that we’ve never heard Tory rap before, but it worked out much better than I had expected. His verse was fast, but I could make out everything he said. The content was still completely on par with what Tory talks about in most of his songs, but he put a fun spin on the execution of it. This was definitely needed for this more fun, playful type of track.

Finally, Lil Wayne closes out the song. I would love to hear how this all came together. Lil Wayne is known as the best there ever was in rap, to many people around Jack Harlow’s age. This is huge for Jack to have him join him, and several others on his track that blew up for him. Though it has been a while since Lil Wayne’s prime, he still has been doing his thing, and actually dropped his album, Funeral, at the top of this year. I am sure Wayne was a fan of the original, respected Jack as an artist, and when received the opportunity, was excited to bring back some fun, remix energy to a new hit.

Now, I’ve heard a couple people say they did not love Lil Wayne’s verse. I had to listen to it three times to realize how absolutely incredible it is. For someone a bit older, like Lil Wayne, who has grills in their mouth which is not the norm any longer, maybe it is a bit difficult to understand. Let me explain, that Lil Wayne really studied the whole original song, and remixed it. He has kept up with music today, found out what is sticking, what people are talking about, and made a dope verse.

The beginning gives us Lil Wayne’s version of What’s Poppin and tells us why he’s still here doing his thing. He made references to Young Thug’s Slime team. His “black on black” tempo was a nod to Buddy’s track Black. Ninety nine problems and aftermath are taking us back to his prime time with Jay-Z and Eminem. Then, for the whole second half of his verse he made his own version of Jack Harlow’s most stand out verse from his original. Image Lil Wayne loving your verse so much he had to do his own version?

Plenty of chart toppers on this hit. Let’s see where it takes the young, artist. Congrats, Jack Harlow. Hope to hear more like this from him soon.