One of SPIN’s Best R&B of 2013 picks has been arrested. So-called goon singer Tim Vocals has released a new video for his Weeknd interpretation “Next,” he made the clip on his last morning as a free man, literally on the way to turning himself in. The Harlem artist had the foresight to capture this rare, sad moment in HD quality — we’ve been assured that it’s legit, and that he’s been a ward of the state since.
As Vocals rides the subway in the clip above, he sings, “I wasn’t selling drugs, I was up there smoking bud,” and later, “I’m no slouch, I’m no punk, I’m no bitch, I’m no ho (that’s true) / How can I be so dumb to get pinched for a dime of the smoke?” His publicist says he’s not sure of the actual charge that landed the singer behind bars — the song hails from his Live From Harlem mixtape, which dropped in August.
Whether or not the lyrics pertain to this arrest, they certainly seem all the more poignant considering the circumstances. Vocals sings about the court opening at 9 a.m., he wonders if the judge will be in a forgiving mood, and expresses concern for meals consisting of bologna and time spent sleeping on a cold floor. In late February he shared a note on Instagram that read, “Tonite will be my last night free.”
If u wanna write me I’ll write back here go my info – Timothy hodge 13r0633Ulster P.o Box 800Napanoch ny12458
— Tim Vocals (@TimVocals) March 18, 2013
