The Mannequin Challenge is the opposite of the Macarena
What is the Mannequin Challenge? Well, the Mannequin Challenge is a video-based fad that developed recently in which participants stand completely motionless for a few seconds, usually no longer than one minute, while a song plays. Which song? Usually, it's Black Beatles, the hit single from American hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd from their second major album SremmLife 2, featuring a verse from fellow American rapper Gucci Mane. Neither have been exceptionally huge mainstream successes, though they do have their fans. Now, thanks to this challenge, this single has reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. Does the song really deserve it? I don't know, I'm no expert. Is it any good, at least? Let's find that out for ourselves.
This is your typical trap song with all of the bragging about material possessions the genre usually comes with. I have never quite understood why this is such a popular topic for rappers, especially when they do it on multiple different songs. However, considering how used to the cliché I am at this point, it no longer bothers me the same way it would have two years ago. Still, it's fairly generic. What I'm more interested in is the way this message is actually conveyed; the words.
Rap is interesting in that the way the message is conveyed is often just as important as said message. By Rae Sremmurd standards (which, for many people, are fairly low), this song is actually fairly clever. The main allusion these guys make is calling themselves "black Beatles" because of how successful they are. Swae Lee describes himself as "rockin John Lennon lenses", referring to Lennon's iconic circular-lens glasses which Swae's sunglasses resemble, and Slim Jxmmi (not a typo) declares he's so successful that he and Paul McCartney might as well be related. There are also lyrical allusions to the Beatles songs Day Tripper and Hello Little Girl. Gucci Mane's verse does not have any Beatles allusions, but he has his traditional style going for him. I definitely don't buy that these guys are as big as the Beatles, but it's an interesting listen, nonetheless.
Production on hip-hop songs is rarely a huge concern. You usually don't have to worry about how loud that guitar is, for example, because there's almost never a guitar. It's not too hard to make it sound good. Indeed, the production on this track is solid. Mike Will Made It is no George Martin, but he can piece a decent beat together. This song feels dark, moody, yet totally catchy. It feels as if this beat was made for this song and not just sampled from something unrelated or freestyled over. It's good.
Really, "good" is the best way I could describe this song. Not great, just good. This is easily the best of Rae Sremmurd's top 40 singles, which is not saying much. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of Rae Sremmurd, but if they put out more stuff like this, then I'm alright with that. I hope you enjoyed this quick little review, got it special for you to tide you over. See you next time.
SCORE: 7/10
SCORE: 7/10
