Fifty Grand means business. The LA-based TeamSESH singer and producer stakes his claim in his latest single, “Oh Yea!” The song is brazen and spunky, an expression of confidence with more sleuth than severity. From past poetic deliveries to presently firm assertions, Fifty Grand floats closer to the foreground, making sure his voice is heard and message unforgotten.
Kodyak’s lushness and Ghostrage’s gleam compliment each other’s production on the track. Mostly captivating with a bit of creepy, the instrumental is like a sly-footed walk through an abandoned carnival. Strange lights flicker, playful haunts abound, and an eerie atmosphere treads among a prowling beat. The melody, while merciless, is more vigilant and calculating than harsh or scary.
This song’s absoluteness rests firmly in its lyrics. The instantly iconic line, “My hundreds can’t breathe they all blue, and my wrist so sick it’s skippin’ school,” made a strong impact on early listeners. He acknowledges the people he surrounds himself with, equally as determined and hardworking: “Fuckin’ with my team that’s some bad news.” His banter between verses is witty and succinct. There’s little room for error in such a tightly spun song.
With a self-descriptive style as “Big Bad Wolf,” it’s hard to listen to “Oh Yea!” and not pick up its waves of confidence. It’s riveting to hear the artist lay back on a flow and still push it forward with uncanny ease. Older Fifty Grand tracks have a softer vocal approach, usually adorned with chant-like qualities and a haunting vibrato. The heavier, artistic use of autotune in “Oh Yea!” isn’t a crutch. It is an appropriate stylistic choice for the nature of such a whimsical and enigmatic song.
We never doubted Fifty’s sleight before, but it’s definitively solidified now. After assertion comes dominance, which we can only hope and support Fifty unto that tier. Listen to “Oh Yea!” and the rest of his eclectic discography here.