Filipino producer Bassuura indirectly references society’s insatiable materialism in his latest beat track, “SALAMAT SHOPEE” (Thank You, Shopee).
The track was released on October 10, which coincides with this month’s huge sale day on Southeast Asia-based online shopping platforms like Shopee and Lazada, which take place every month.
The producer, whose style is directly inspired by the 1990s Memphis rap subgenre called phonk (a hip hop and trap derivative characterized by old funk and Memphis rap samples), wrote of the track: “For whatever reason, majority of the male human population agree that high-end luxury vehicles are a sign of success.”
The single’s art cover shows a blurred version of a 2017 orange Lamborghini Aventador LP700, which retails around PHP40 million (around USD800,000). “’Lambos,’ they say wishfully.” However, Bassuura thinks that owning such ostentatious property may cause more harm than any presumed satisfaction. “I feel like riding a Lamborghini in the Philippines will immediately turn me into a human target. Most people in the Philippines right now are considered human targets by the government and local police force.”
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Thematically, “SALAMAT SHOPEE” offers commentary on the presumption that financial security is a be-all and end-all solution for all our needs. “Ooh, got the cash / Gonna break the bank / Money on my mind / Tryna take away the sad.”
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