Virginia’s 909Memphis is a popstar; though not in the typical sense of the term. 2018 saw him transcend from a rapper to an artist like a caterpillar to a butterfly, and Memphis is out to prove that he even though he may be heartbroken, his success in the forthcoming year won’t be undermined by anyone. His style is refined yet rugged, his delivery is smooth yet occasionally wavering; the DMV’s blond-haired loverboy stands suave yet vulnerable.
In the MOSHPIT directed video, we take trip back to the 1980’s. “Forfeit” sees Memphis sorrowfully detail yet another recently broken relationship with a girl he loved, though instead of brushing it off and setting sail for better horizons, he’s quick to blame himself and find the faults in his own ways that lead to such an undesirable outcome.
Virginia veteran CashBently’s soft pairing of simplistic hi-hats and a bouncy kick with a gloomy guitar meets Memphis as he croons up and down the instrumental. Drawing comparisons to Owen Wilson, Danny Duncan and even a younger Sean Penn (his favorite), the video finds Memphis clad in a fur vest and toting a blue guitar along a lake as he woefully admits to his continual longing for the girl whom he loves but simply cannot have.
“Yeah, she broke my heart, she broke my heart this morning / She looked up to me, I’m such a shitty boyfriend / All the problems that we had, it’s hard to forget / If we do another round, I might just forfeit”
Memphis caused plenty of commotion in 2018 with a catchy drop in “Pure Spirit“, and while the version of him that we’re seeing now has changed drastically in the past few months, his pursuance of relentlessly addicting hooks and emotional relatability in every single line continue to be two incredibly prevalent themes in his music. Whether you’re just now tuning in or have been following along since “New June,” one thing should be undeniably clear: you should be paying attention to 909Memphis.