Pusha T featuring Jay Z – Drug Dealers Anonymous. First collaboration. Do I really need to say more? Well I kind of do, but I wouldn’t blame you guys for going off to listen to the track.
Actually just use the link below (I need the views).
First off let’s salute the OG young Hov for coming through with a second verse in week, that’s two more verses than he came through with in the whole of 2015 (2015 = 0 Jay Z Verses). The second salute goes out to Pusha T for finally managing to convince Hov to jump on a track with him.
Securing a Jay Z feature is an achievement for most, but for Pusha T it means that much more. Push’s hunt for that elusive Jay Z verse has been going on for the best part of the last decade, consisting of him doing everything and anything to get Hov’s attention. This meant emailing him song concepts, verses, hooks, beats, probably even offering to babysit Blue Ivy on Hov and Bey’s date nights… and finally, after a hell of a lot of attempts he got Jay to drop a verse! Yeah, Push’s conversation rate isn’t looking too good at this point (but I doubt he cares much).
Here’s How He Did It:
A Bit Of Background. ‘Drug Dealers Anonymous’ samples controversial American political commentator Tomi Lahren, accusing former crack dealers such as Push and Jay for destroying black neighbourhoods; singling Jay out particularly for selling crack cocaine in the hood for 14 years. As you can see in the clip below Jay was deeply affected by her comments.
To add insult to injury there’s a running joke in this song that most people seem to be missing. Both rappers aren’t only reminiscing on a past life in the drug game, they’re trying to tell us they’re still in it!
Pusha T raps “the date I stopped still has an asterisk after it“, similarly to Jay who proudly states “14 year drug dealer and still counting“. Jay even jokes (well I hope he’s joking) that he’s been “opening up Studios and 40/40’s up” to clean his money. Go figure, Jay Z is actually Heisenberg (Breaking Bad reference if you didn’t catch it).
Now on to the track itself. As big of a Jay Z fan as I am, I must admit I was worried about this verse. Unlike most Jay Z verses this one got off to a rocky start and was ‘touch-and-go’ for the first few lines. In these lines he uttered the words ‘bruh’. Jay you are a 46 year old man with a wife and child, that word has no right being in your vocabulary and definitely no right being on this song!
But all is forgiven. After a few teething problems Jay really starts to hit his stride and drops us right in the middle of his pre-Reasonable Doubt flashbacks AKA his comfort zone – recalling his trips to London in 89′, crusades through Virginia and how his closest friend Emory Jones opted to take a 12 year jail sentence rather than snitch on him.
We can only assume that the statute of limitations on all of his past dealings are well and truly up because I’ve never heard him rap with such detail about this time of his life. Some parts of the verse were so honest that you wouldn’t be far off the mark in accusing Hov of ‘self-snitching’. Not only has he given us the details but he’s also given us the year AND location AND even the name of the bank he used to launder his money (Deutsche, in case you were wondering) – definitely not a regular feature of Hov’s verses over the last two decades.
Sidenote : The last time we heard Hov spit with such vivid detail was on his guest verse on Jeezy’s 2014 track, Seen It All. Who knows, these very graphic recollections may become a regular feature Hov’s songs over the next few years…
Whilst Jay’s verse starts off rocky, Pusha T’s is anything but! As usual Push’s verse is infallible, blitzing his way through double entendres with ease and giving us a graphic insight into his world. The delivery and content are as potent as ever, drugs…. drugs…. and you guessed it… more drugs, To the point where you could probably OD off of too many listens; and I know what most of you are thinking, “Pusha T is so predictable, all he raps about is dope”.
Predictable he may be, but it’s all about the execution and Push’s is second to none!
To all those who are tired of Push’s ‘predictable’ verses, I have this to say to you:
Do you ever get tired of watching Lionel Messi leave 5 players in his wake? Did you ever yawn at the sight of Michael Jordan in full flight? Or get bored watching Michael Jackson perform the moonwalk for the 1000th time?
The answer is NO! You stood there with your jaw halfway to the ground, applauding and appreciating the fact that you were able to witness such magnificence again!
Predictability Does NOT Mean Redundancy People.
Final Thoughts. This track is just what the rap game needed. ‘Drug Dealers Anonymous’ flips the narrative of the ‘drug-user perspective’ rap we’ve grown accustomed to in recents years and puts the ball firmly back into the court of the dealers. Not to say that either narrative should be celebrated, but heck if the song’s good, I’m good!
‘Drug Dealers Anonymous’ also serves as the first single off of Pusha T’s upcoming third solo album, “King Push”.
Who Had The Better Verse, Jay or Push? Will ‘King Push’ Be Pusha T’s Best Album Yet? Is A New Jay Z Album In The Works?
As Usual Comments Are Encouraged!
Standout lines from both rappers:
Pusha T: “America’s nightmare in Flint, Children of a lesser God when your melanin’s got a tint”
Jay Z: “Cases we buries ’em, before Reasonable Doubt dropped, the jury hung”
Also, check out my other blog posts on Jay Z and Pusha T:
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