B4 AVA

B4 AVA

Both of A Boogie wit da Hoodie's two personas feel distinctly complete—legitimate halves of a Bronx creator with a penchant for irresistible melody and blunt street raps. A Boogie represents the playboy rap star and pistol gripper, while Artist (he was born Artist Dubose) embodies his proclivity for tender tales of romantic disappointment. After establishing himself as a nearly ubiquitous musical force through his first few projects, A Boogie dove into these separate identities with B4 AVA, a 2021 EP that acts as a precursor to Me vs. Myself. Laced with gunplay, rich flexes, and ruminations on damaged love, it's an incisive microcosm of A Boogie in all his multitudes. On tracks like "Man in the Mirror," A Boogie emerges with the braggadocio of a rap titan. Coasting over lithe Western strings, he shifts between colorful boasts, implicit death threats, and a healthy dose of a lover's toxicity. "Do not come over here lookin' for love anymore/'Cause that shit don't belong in here," he sings on the hook. A Boogie surfaces again on "Girls Go Down," a piano-driven bop that combines flashes of luxury with a threat to turn an opp's block into the site of a charity. A mix of ostentatious brags, infectious singsong flows, and convincing menace, the songs serve as fly-guy theme songs studded with machismo and impenetrable cool. For his part, Artist strips down that armor in the latter half of the EP, expressing genuine sincerity as he reflects on flailing love. "Making You Cry" is an ambient confessional that emits disillusionment—from friends, allies, and ex-lovers alike. His gentle voice and quick succession of complaints emit real-time exasperation and the type of hurt you can't fake. "Be Free" is a delicate breakup letter that emanates empathy, warmth, and confusion. Traces of pettiness seep through the twinkling keys, but it's a necessary concession—an admission that our worst impulses are just as real as our best.

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