Kehlani on Loyalty Over Business

8.18.20

Kehlani from Can I music video

Kehlani may be seen to many as a female in the industry with a lot of public relationships. She loves hard, but her music is incredible and should not be looked over. This past May, Kehlani put out her latest album, It Was Good Until It Wasn't. Word on the streets is that a deluxe album is coming, and one of our favorite songs from the album might sound a bit different.

It Was Good Until It Wasn’t was a quarantine album that was effected by the virus. On initial press tours, Kehlani mentioned that this was supposed to drop earlier in the year, but she was not able to do the proper interviews and promotions that artists normally do once they are ready to drop a new project. However, through it all, the album has been in the Top 35 Albums of Apple Music in the US, and Top 5 of the R&B/Soul album chart of Apple Music US, ever since its release.

Kehlani shared that she basically did the entire project in the vicinity of her home. She purchased instruments and apps then YouTubed how to use them, to master the project. Music videos and her album cover were made in her own home. Even before really getting into this album, it was already amazing the amount of work she put into it.

A lot of people refer to this as Kehlani’s ‘Confession Album,’ as she speaks of a lot of truth on harsh parts of her previously relationships. Many people know a lot of this is about rapper YG. My top three favorite hip-hop couples of all time, sadly taken a fall. This album can be super relatable to many, but whichever way you look at it, the girl made some great music.

One of the top singles on the album, if not the top hit, is Can I featuring Tory Lanez. The song is basically about a woman calling her love interest or ex that has moved on to a new relationship, reeling him back in then acting as everything is all good the next day. Sure many can relate to this toxicity in a relationship. But Kehlani is woman enough to know when something is preventable and someone’s feelings are on the line.

Tory Lanez on a love song, or a scandalous song, is always a good move. He has the vocals for it, and really has to filter to take matters as far as you want them to go. His verse was good and sounded really great in between Kehlani’s second verse and closing out chorus. However, Tory Lanez has been in the media for really negative reasons the past month, or so.

Kehlani claims that her and Megan Thee Stallion are real friends, beyond the hip-hop industry. Because she feels that after the shooting situation between Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion have left her friend and females alike uncomfortable with this man, she will be removing Tory Lanez from the song, once the deluxe version of the album releases. Though it was never confirmed that Tory was in fact the one who pulled the trigger, all signs lead to this being case. This right here may have just confirmed it for me. Kehlani is altering her number one hit, arguably the biggest feature on her album, out of respect to her darling friend, Megan Thee Stallion.

The video dropped on July 30th, just two weeks after the shooting incident had occurred. Kehlani shared a tweet in regards to the incident, stating that Tory Lanez verse remains on the song that will play, though he does not appear in the video. In the video, Kehlani uses quarantine to come up with her concept. It is her Video Chatting with dozens of woman online who are dancing or performing for her. Kehlani is just really cheering them on and complimenting them the entire time. Her Twitter clarifies that a lot of these women are trans woman, and also that it is meant to support woman who do this as a career. Finally, she clarifies that there will be a new verse on the deluxe album.

Just yesterday, Kehlani did a follow up interview for the album with Chicago’s top hip-hop radio station WGCI. When asked about this move, Kehlani did not tell us what the new verse would be, but she did confirm the removal of Tory Lanez from the song. She stated that she loves Megan, they say I love you in real life, and are true friends. When asked if he would remain on the song, knowing he has recently made many woman feel unsafe, she said absolutely not, he will be removed. Kehlani always touches on loyalty to her friends who have stuck by her and helped her get to where she is today. Though a huge move to change your top single, and potential hurting someone else’s pockets from whatever Tory may have received from a feature on a deluxe album, Kehlani explained she spoke with Tory about the matter, everything was all business and went over just fine.

I will say, she is a rider. What an amazing friend. But what will be interesting, is to see what this new verse will be. Can I see Kehlani going for verse number three? I can, but it is something that is so rarely done today. Where she has already recorded and released this song that has been so well received, does she have more to say, to enhance it? If she does, does this content touch on the situation at hand? The third verse could be the girl coming over for what was anticipated a good time and then things turning ugly, something that definitely does happen, and could represent whatever went down that night between Tory and Megan.

Or, will it be a feature? How savage could things get, if the new verse was Megan? I almost feel like this would be a petty move, but girls can be petty, and it would definitely be good for business. Meaning, the song would blow up. Overall, I think the two together on a track would be a really interesting duo. With Kehlani’s beautiful, soft voice and Megan’s aggressive demeanor, it could leave for a really interesting third verse rap.

I am not sure I see her going down the route of getting another male R&B artist to fill the spot. I think she got it right the first time. Also, I am not sure anyone would want to take Tory’s spot, either. They probably will support him the way Kehlani is support Megan. Maybe, the industry is riding heavy for Megan, but it a touchy situation, knowingly taking someone’s verse.

Ultimately, I think she has to change up the vibe completely for this third verse. Maybe there are changes to the song overall. A respectable move by Kehlani to support Megan Thee Stallion, and really all woman in abusive relationships of some sort. Let’s see if she keeps it classy with the remix, but either way, I now want a Kehlani and Megan Thee Stallion collab.