Ray Vaughn and Pusha T have teamed up to put on a lyrical clinic with their latest collaboration, the hard-hitting “Problems” — listen below.
Fresh off supporting Isaiah Rashad on his Cilvia (Demo) anniversary tour, TDE rapper Vaughn has his sights firmly set on taking over 2024, and if his first release of the year is anything to go by then he won’t have any problems achieving his goal.
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Opening the whining, percussion-free track, he raps: “Let ’em light up a square, ‘Billie Jean’ in the air/ Kept it 100, like an Air Force pair/If they don’t give me the chair, I clown ’em all, boy, this shit is unfair/ Behind closed doors I’m still gonna be forever aware.”
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg as Vaughn leads fans down a path where it’s understood they need to digest every single lyric, as well as the refrain that leads into the hook.
“Cocaine sicking to your gums like tables/ If you don’t like this shit then you can leaf like basil/ His back got batteries, we jump ’em like cables/ The Feds on scope so fiends pulling off the labels/ I don’t really wanna hear that shit, n-gga/ I don’t really wanna hear your problems/ I don’t really wanna hear that shit, n-gga/ If you don’t like it go and get a job.”
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Despite the lack of drums on the Rayo & Wizzle-produced cut, Pusha makes enough noise with his verse, which begins with a reminder that he’s always been a part of TDE’s inner circle and goes on to include a few words of advice for his “Problems” collaborator.
“My TDE calls come from the top/ The one I speak directly to is Top,” he spits. “New rappers trying legends for the notch/ And every has-beens interviews are watched/Listen, Ray Vaughn, be clear of your peers/ ‘Cause in a couple years it be musical chairs/ We done seen n-ggas panicking and show us they tears/ Reminiscing over hits but the money ain’t there.”
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An alternative version of the track, produced by Grammy-nominated collective Triangle Park, is set to arrive on Friday (February 23) and contains a “small portion” of “As Long As I Got You,” written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. A video for the original version will also be released on the same day.
Check out “Problems” below:
Ray Vaughn is the Long Beach, CA rapper who caught the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment through his viral “Freestyle Fridays” video series and signed to the label in 2021. He’s now being primed to be the face of the label’s next generation.
As for Pusha T, his last appearance prior to “Problems” was on CyHi The Prynce’s “Mr. Put That Shit On” which arrived back in November.
More recently, King Push took to Instagram earlier this month to wish Kid Cudi a happy birthday, thanking him for his “friendship and unmatched loyalty” over the years.
The birthday post came after the Cleveland rapper celebrated his 40th birthday at the Beverly Wilshire on January 30, where Busta Rhymes and Clipse performed.
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In his Instagram post, Pusha T shared photos from Cudi’s party and wrote: “Great night surrounded by friends and family celebrating the one and only ‘Rager.’ Happy Birthday Cudi, your friendship and unmatched loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed. Always love…”
Kid Cudi responded in the comments section with lots of love, writing: “MY BROTHER!!! LOVE U FOR LIFE AND BEYOND G!!! Was truly one of the best days of my life thanx to u guys. Always riding for u no matter what!!! Fam FOREVER my n-gga!!! Malice I missed u brother!!”
