One thing that I feel is often forgotten about in the current day and age of music is the fact that every artist has a story that is often the influence behind their sound and their individualistic styles. Even if these experiences aren’t expressed in every single song put out, it is something that made that emcee who they are, and I never want to let that be forgotten. Gucci Mane and Lil Durk haven’t teamed up for a song in almost a decade, but I feel like they’re two talents who have a similar background.
Both seemed to be local icons for quite some time at the start of their careers and have had similar upbringings in the respective streets they grew up on in both Chicago and Atlanta. After having so much success in their local music scenes for numerous years, it was only a matter of time that others caught on, and now they’re legitimately two of the largest names in the entire music industry, not just rap. Although their brand-new song “Rumors” was a surprise, I welcomed it with open arms, and it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve heard in quite some time.
Thanks to a Tay Keith-produced instrumental featuring energetic, anticipatory synths alongside piercing percussion and attacking drums, these two legends have no choice but to be in attack mode, and the results are simply incredible. Durkio starts out with his verse and the hook, beginning with an active yet easygoing flow that swiftly picks up to even more enthusiastic and aggressive bars, and considering he has a pretty lengthy portion of the record, he has more than enough time to constantly switch up his deliveries and showcase a variety of talents.
Gucci comes in for the second verse acting almost as a bit of normalization considering his persona is just way too laid back to match Durk’s naturally assertive delivery. At the same time, Gucci’s words just roll off of his tongue in a masterful yet relaxed fashion that juxtaposes this momentous instrumental impeccably well. This song shows both iconic emcees at the top of their game, and the Jerry Productions-shot music video elevates it even more than I ever could’ve imagined, making “Rumors” the one song I’d say is a mandatory listen on this chilling winter day.