T-Pain & Kehlani, I Like Dat | Track Review 🎵

Grammy-winning, autotune loving, ‘rappa ternt sanga’ T-Pain collaborates with Kehlani on the utterly enjoyable “I Like Dat.”

Once upon a time, 🎙 T-Pain was quite popular in hip-hop and R&B circles.  His defining characteristic, of course, was autotune. Honestly, his overt use of the effect had a widespread effect.  The thing is, it was merely for effect because the man can sing well sans pitch correction.  Anyways, focusing on the present, the 🏆 Grammy winner has dropped a new single alongside 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B artist 🎙 Kehlani, 🎵 “I Like Dat”.  There’s definitely some nostalgia in the mix here – read on to find out what I’m referencing!  

Besides dipping into his falsetto, T-Pain exhibits even more aughts nostalgia.  He samples himself, specifically, one of the biggest hits of his career, 🎵 “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” (💿 Epiphany, 2007).  This familiarity definitely takes the listener back to his glory days when he was incredibly lucrative on the pop charts.  “I Like Dat” doesn’t sound like a copycat but more like a continuation we haven’t heard in some time.  As always, he sounds great, even if, again, the man sings fabulously without autotune.  His partner in crime, Kehlani, sounds awesome too, eschewing autotune and singing naturally.  When they sing together, they sound quite harmonious.  The main theme of “I Like Dat” – respecting and paying tribute to an independent woman who doesn’t need a man.  Works perfectly, particularly on the infectious chorus.

“Ooh, ooh-ooh, she don’t want the drink, she want the rent paid
Ooh, ooh-ooh, she don’t pay for nothin’, she just get paid
Ah, ah, ah-ha, I like that
She don’t even need me to try...”

Final Thoughts 💭

It’s been a while since T-Pain made a splash, TBH.  Perhaps “I Like Dat” isn’t ‘the second coming’ of this talented artist, but it’s a pretty solid and enjoyable return in 2021.  He sounds as potent as he did back in the aughts when he broke through, while Kehlani continues to elite.  In other words, what I’m saying is, “I Like Dat” … this song that is!

🎙 T-Pain & Kehlani • 🎵 “I Like Dat” • 🏷 Nappy Boy Entertainment / EMPIRE • 🗓 5.14.21

[📷: Nappy Boy Entertainment / EMPIRE]