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YG and Kendrick Lamar ‘Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)’ on Woozy Team-Up

YG, "Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)," Kendrick Lamar, stream, 'My Krazy Life'

YG, whose alias is short for Young Gangsta, has made a name for himself not with gangsta rap but with the brand of minimalist party music produced by “Rack City” ratchet-ist DJ Mustard. Fellow Compton, California product Kendrick Lamar’s highest-charting solo song to date is good kid, m.A.A.d citys “Swimming Pools (Drank),” a song that extols listeners to down their beverages even as it portends nasty real-life consequences far worse than a hangover. “Really Be (Drinkin N Smokin),” then — a YG song with a deep-in-character guest verse from Lamar — is fitting. Both MCs matter-of-factly describe chemical use and abuse, with a sparse bass line reminiscent of Mustard and wobbly wah-wah bloops that bring to mind G-funk, but as YG points out early on, “This is not for fun.” The alchemical trick here is that, as on those early the Weeknd mixtapes or just about any Drake album, their miserable, misanthropic (and, yes, unfortunately misogynistic) hedonism turns out be pretty fun, after all, at least for this listener. The track, premiered via Funkmaster Flex, comes ahead of YG’s My Krazy Life, due out March 18 with guest spots from, yes, Drizzy, as well as Schoolboy Q, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, Jeezy, Jay Rock, and more. Listen below.