Lil Baby, Dead Fresh | Song Review

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Baby drops a respectable, though somewhat forgettable single with Dead Fresh, produced by Pharrell Williams.

Noted, Lil Baby (Dominique Armani Jones).  The Grammy-winning rapper doesn’t stop there, adding in the chorus of “Dead Fresh”, “Yeah, I pull up fresh as hell (Yeah), every one of us got M’s (M-M) / Bitch talkin’ ‘bout send Zelle (Yeah), ho, get out my ear (Bitch).” Ooh-wee! Lil Baby and producer extraordinaire Pharrell Williams wrote “Dead Fresh.”

“Dead Fresh” opens with a distinct four-count. You know what that means: a signature Pharrellean production. The production features bass-heavy drums and strings, which amplify the sophistication.  Meanwhile, the man of the hour, Lil Baby, brings a syrupy melodic rap delivery.  Can you always understand what he raps/sings? Nope, but that’s on brand. The chorus, excerpted earlier, is the best aspect of “Dead Fresh.” During the verses, the precision of the pitch is not the modus operandi. Lil Baby’s rhymes are fast and rhythmic. “First black man to do it where I’m from, I’m like Obama now (No cap),” he brags in the first verse.  “I invest my money in the streets and watch it double / Million for the lawyer fees, don’t care ’bout getting in trouble,” he spits in the second verse and adds, “I been that, fine shit in my section / I be making my watches match my car, I’m really flexing.” Does he say a lot? Meh, nothing game-changing. Ultimately, “Dead Fresh” is enjoyable enough, though by no means the second coming or that fresh. By Pharrell’s production standards, it’s average. 

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Lil Baby » “Dead Fresh” » Quality Control Music / Motown Records » 7.17.26 [📷: Quality Control Music / Motown Records]

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