A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, King of My City | Track Review 🎵

With his first solo single of 2020, A Boogie wit da Hoodie proclaims himself “King of My City,” playing up clichés rather being innovative.

Julius Dubose, better known as A Boogie wit da Hoodie, has had incredible commercial success.  Not only has Hoodie dropped a couple of platinum albums (The Bigger Artist and Hoodie SZN), he’s been a much sought after collaborator.  After collaborating on a couple new singles released by other artists in 2020, he returns with his own new single, the brief “King of My City.”

The two-and-a-half-minute “King of My City” arrives with production courtesy of Boi 1da, S.Dot, and BandOnTheBeat.  The backdrop is colorful, enigmatic, and moody (the beat, guitar, and synths), but perhaps not the most memorable production ever.  Regardless, in his unique, melodic style of rap, and as the title suggests, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie claims the throne of the Bronx – what else did you expect? On the chorus, which appears at the top, he references his drip (“AP cost a hunnid and fifty”) and the ‘deadly nature’ of his city (“My nigga you don’t wanna play with my city / Niggas die every day in my city…”).  The sole verse includes more drip, but devotes plenty of attention to violence, including gang references (Crips), while dropping a balling reference (“Throw it up like LeBron, yeah”).

Final Thoughts

So, how does the first single from 2020 by A Boogie Wit da Hoodie stack up? Well, “King of My City” is merely okay by my estimations.  As the headline states, the rapper plays up clichés rather than being innovative.  “King of My City” is short mind you but calling it “sweet” would be an overstatement.  It’s not bad, but, it’s also not great.  The production is respectable, but not game changing, while Dubose is, again, merely okay at best. The big rub is that “King of My City” just doesn’t sound like a hit; it’s underwritten.

A Boogie Wit da Hoodie • “King of My City” – Single • Atlantic • Release: 1.31.20

Photo Credit: Atlantic