Earlier than “Black Beatles” and earlier than Swae Lee attached with Kanye West, Lee and Slim Jxmmi had been simply two brothers working outdoors hip-hop’s established guard because the duo Rae Sremmurd. The siblings hailed from Tupelo, Mississippi, however discovered their footing within the Southern hip-hop haven of Atlanta, the place they went viral with their signature melodic rhymes, catchy hooks, and leftfield supply. On their bold debut album, SremmLife, the dynamic duo ushered in a brand new class of hip-hop eccentrics.
Merchandise of the social-media age
Most individuals heard Rae Sremmurd’s hits earlier than they even knew the best way to say their identify (it’s pronounced “ray shrim-MER”). The brothers had made some noise due to their first two singles, “No Flex Zone” and “No Type,” each of which appeared on SremmLife when it was launched on January 6, 2015.
After toiling within the impartial scene and touchdown an look on BET’s countdown present 106 & Park, Slim (Aaquil Brown) and Swae (Khalif Brown) relocated to Atlanta, the place they gained a status for his or her stay exhibits and linked up with famed producer Mike WiLL Made-It, who had produced hits for the likes of Lil Wayne and Beyoncé. Will made Rae Sremmurd his flagship artist and signed them to his indie label, the place they labored together with his manufacturing workforce EarDrummers (whose identify, spelled backwards, served as inspiration for Rae Sremmurd’s).
On SremmLife, the brothers are joined by some spectacular A-list visitor stars, together with different self-styled MCs reminiscent of Huge Sean, Younger Thug and Nicki Minaj, who all make cameos. However it’s Slim and Swae’s present, as their chemistry offers SremmLife a really feel of real authenticity.
The album is each the product of (and inspiration for) numerous memes and catchphrases of the social media age, and spawned an album’s value of potential one-hit wonders, from the lead single, “No Flex Zone,” which hit No.36 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and earned a remix by Waka Flocka Flame, to “No Type,” which landed even greater, at No.16. Whereas “No Flex Zone” was all bouncy percussion and stabbing synths, “No Type” was a a lot hazier affair, highlighting the interaction between Swae’s squeaky soprano and Slim’s tight rhymes.
Greater than a novelty
With assists from Nicki Minaj and Younger Thug, “Throw Sum Mo” continued SremmLife’s string of hits, ultimately reaching No.30 on the Billboard 100 – though the 21-year-olds had been barely sufficient to get into the strip golf equipment the tune was destined for. With “This Could Be Us,” they interpolated one other social media catchphrase into one in all their tracks and made it right into a breezy break-up anthem, proving the duo may do reflective songwriting simply in addition to viral hitmaking.
A business and demanding success, SremmLife reached No.5 on the Billboard 200 and went on to promote over two million copies. The brothers from Tupelo had made it into the pop mainstream by merely being themselves and grinding the old school means.
Mike WiLL Made-It, who handles the vast majority of SremmLife’s manufacturing duties, created the right framework for Rae Sremmurd’s rising pop-trap type. Halfway by way of the 2010s, the duo had been on the forefront of the brand new Atlanta sound, with uptempo, turn-up anthems that packed the dancefloors and catapulted them to the highest of the charts. As we might quickly uncover, Rae Sremmurd had been simply getting began.
SremmLife will be purchased right here.
