The more time I spend looking at the cover for Kodak Black's recent mixtape Lil B.I.G. Pac, the less farfetched it seems—that is, the idea of Kodak Black approaching B.I.G. and Pac status. It’s happening, in some ways, rapidly. It’s hard to imagine a new, young rapper who can appeal both to aging Southern rap fans—those who grew up with the Guccis and Boosies of the mid-2000s—as well as fans of the new generation of SoundCloud-bred careers, the Cartis and 21s. And with such style! He reminds me of Young Thug in the way that he wears his influences on his sleeves (in Thug’s case, Lil Wayne), but makes his own stake for their advancement. He modernizes the old swag with a bite that is very much Kodakian.
You can almost hear the Kodak bop dance in the way he raps—his flow is a casual slalom, dodging around the downbeat with Neo-level ease. And you hear just how easy it is for him, like he could rap the same way while fully focused on pouring out a specific measurement into a baby bottle of lean. At least that’s how “Vibin in This Bih” feels. Some of the best rap songs, like Seinfeld, are about nothing at all. “Kodak Black but my hoe red, she get her own bread/I hit your girl with the pole, now she walking bowlegged,” he raps. His delivery is utterly matter-of-fact, which is perhaps the most compelling way to explain why your girl is walking differently these days.
In a strangely poetic turn of events, just as Kodak was incarcerated, we celebrated the return of Gucci Mane from his most recent stint in prison. During Gucci’s time sitting down, we got was stitched-together tapes and features of the same ilk. It didn’t feel the same as an out-of-prison Gucci. “Gucci get out it’s a problem,” rapped Drake on “Digital Dash,” joining leagues of other rappers in saluting Mr. Zone 6. And as soon as he did get out, we heard his 2016 version of “First Day Out,” this time entitled “First Day Out Tha Feds,” which I think it’s safe for everyone to admit was not as memorable as the original. We also heard him on a Kanye supercut called “Champions,” which was cool, if not a little bit out of place.
But on this one, with Kodak, he truly arrives. Regardless of post-incarceration hype, Gucci's back for real: “Lock me in a box, but I’m coming out swinging!” he opens. This is also testament to just how well Kodak assimilates with some of his predecessors. The only other rap feature on Lil B.I.G. Pac just happens to be the (relatively) newly freed Boosie. This Father’s Day, let's celebrate the freedom of Kodak’s two rap fathers by Kodak-bopping in the club to “Vibin in This Bih,” and, while we're at it, let us pray for the day the three of them can do so as a family.
