Usually, it takes a good amount of time and effort for a meme rapper to change the perception of fans to that of someone who should be taken seriously in the music world. Luckily for Rich Brian, his extremely unique, deep voice garnered the attention of fans from the start, so although his song concepts might have been comical, he didn’t have much trouble transitioning into a legitimate rap career. Since doing so, he has gained a massive following, going on tours and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music.
In order to spend his time in a productive way during this quarantine period, Brian decided to release a brand-new music video for his song “BALI” featuring Guapdad 4000. Spaced-out synths, speaker-busting 808s, and rattling percussion all pair flawlessly together to form a crisp foundation for an absolute hit. Although he is clearly known for his deep voice and intricate flows, Brian has recently been experimenting with singing and the results are pretty resounding. On the hook, Brian chops up his words before stretching out others, truly showing how variable his artistry can become. I actually didn’t even realize it was him singing at first because he really does sound so different than normal but in a very impressive way. He continues on with his melodic delivery into his verse but picks up the tempo of his cadence to differentiate it from the chorus a bit more. Guapdad comes in for the second verse, displaying a quick flow in a relaxed manner. His words are smooth and pair seamlessly with the new style of his counterpart, so it seems like getting him on this song was a pretty easy decision. While Brian talks about things like living a good life, not stressing about things in the past, and being financially stable, Guapdad mentions going wild at parties and driving foreign cars.
In the music video, Brian took the opportunity to spread a message of appreciation for those who are still out in the world trying to make a difference during this time. Before doing so, he began delivering care packages to various friends from his backyard via his drone. Carefully picking out little gifts to give his celebrity friends, each and every person was beyond ecstatic to receive their packages from the artist. Some of the cameos include YouTuber/musician Cody Ko who got a bottle of rosé and some celery as well as his counterpart Noel Miller who received a gag gift of hair products that will go unused because he’s bald, at least according to Brian. When Guapdad 4000 comes in for his part, he receives a care package as well featuring a ten-dollar bill for his verse on the song. He then flies his own drone to his friend Buddy’s house, gifting him with a package full of Rick and Morty apparel. Finally, some of the biggest cameos include Denzel Curry who received multiple packs of beans, Thundercat who opened some pristine Pokémon cards, and Kenny Beats, who got a “custom” pair of headphones, although it appeared as if Brian just wrote Kenny’s name on them himself. After all this giving, these artists wanted to help Brian give back. To do so, they all included generous donations before sending the drone back to Brian’s house. After divvying up the money, he then flew the drone to different workers and families in need, truly showing just how caring and important it is to give back whenever possible during this difficult time.
I was worried that it would be tacky showing Brian giving back to people in need, because a lot of times this just seems like a publicity stunt. This scenario is different, however, and it really does a great job of highlighting just how grateful these people are for any and every donation they receive. It’s not an easy time we’re living in right now, and some people are struggling more than others so seeing someone as fortunate as Brian and his abundance of successful friends give back and help the community out is very honorable. Beyond this gracious act of kindness, it was also really fun to see the myriad of various connections he has, while also seeing them come together, while actually remaining at a distance, in one visual. The music video for Rich Brian’s song “BALI” is truly inspirational, so if you can give back in any way to people in need, consider following suit and doing so!