Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Reddy‘s pre-release single “Thanksgiving“, comes off his upcoming album by the same name, and prominently features label mates Paloalto and Huckleberry P.
Fans of Reddy probably won’t be happy to see the track honestly dominated by Paloalto and Huckleberry P, but as a bigger fan of the latter two, I certainly didn’t mind. The collaboration of these three in particular meant that the listener gets hit with three unique tones and flows, and it’s to the benefit of a song that relies heavily on the talents of the rappers to make it work.
The beat itself is minimalist, with a heavy bass hit generously spaced apart by echoing drops going up a scale. For those into music for the production aspect of things, it could be seen as an uninteresting effort. Hell, even the distortion during the chorus got a bit grating (though likely better than listening to them quasi-singing raw in this case). However, it was all good enough to serve the purpose of allowing the talented trio of rappers to operate effectively, and that’s what mattered to me.
The music video is rather minimalist as well, featuring rather brutalist architecture (art nerds can correct me, lots of gritty concrete shit, whatever), which is fitting in that it allows a focus on the rawness of their skills and lyrics. The content of the song revolves around braggadocio, so nothing special is broached in the subject matter, but the way it’s executed is both impressive and amusing. Reddy tripling up words as a transition into referencing the theme of the track was memorable, as was Huckleberry P’s creativeness in expressing why the lyrics of others leave the souls of their fans empty but his fans can feel the overflow. But it was Paloalto who really sealed the deal for me, as he managed to make his disses both cutting and humorous.
Plus, there was a ‘Shaolin Soccer‘ and Stephen Chow reference, so how was I supposed to complain?
“Thanksgiving” has a seamless, chill overall vibe to it that’s easy for the listener to digest, and the effortlessness of the trio sell that atmosphere, but it definitely contrasts with the biting content expressed. That duality is just another factor that makes the track work, and for an offering that doesn’t make any effort to be a mainstream hit, I’ve found it to have a surprising amount of replayability. In the end, it’s a song that’s carried by the talents of Paloalto, Huckleberry P, and Reddy, and thankfully they all played their parts expertly.
