50 Cent’s influence on the current crop of UK rhymers is far from a secret. Last year, Birmingham rapper M1llionz saluted Fif when he reworked “Candy Shop” into “Bando Spot”, and now Digga D has given Curtis probably the biggest hat-tip yet with his new tune “Hold It Down”.
The production from Cage kicks off with the immediately recognisable chords from “21 Questions” with Nate Dogg and sees Digga play off his hero’s melodic flow that made the original such a hit in the first place. The nods and references keep coming as we run through a lot of the same thematic notes as “21 Questions”, key amongst them the idea of a young hustler hoping and praying that his girlfriend will stay strong for him and be there on the other side.
Even the video, which was directed by Killerjack, recreates a lot of the same shots, including an eerily similar apartment and the urgent calls home. Pieced together with care and respect from start to finish, it’s becoming clearer by the day how deep 50 Cent’s influence runs over here.
Peep the video for “Hold It Down” above, and be sure to add the song to your playlists.
