Florida has been a key player in the hip-hop game for almost a decade now, and rising star PlayThatBoiZay is no exception to this rule. His aggressive and metal-influenced delivery and sound is propelling the legacies of fellow Floridians Ski Mask the Slump God and XXXTENTACION, and has been picked up in a high-profile way by frequent collaborator Denzel Curry. He makes an appearance on the newly released remix of Zay’s track “90s Baby” along with L.A. rapper ICECOLDBISHOP, and the results are unsurprisingly explosive. It’s accompanied by a whip-skirting music video and another new Zay track, “Lil Jit,” was released in tandem.
The remix keeps the original track’s rage instrumental, rooted in fuzzy and reverb-heavy saw synths that provide an atmosphere instead of a catchy melody. It’s a perfect backdrop for the harder-hitting drums that truly propel the track, and rage is also a formula that Zay seems quite comfortable inhabiting. It might not be as in-your-face or high-octane as his Denzel Curry collab “P.A.T.,” or when compared to his more popular songs like “SWAMP,” but it places more emphasis on Zay’s hedonistic chorus detailing drug-addled delusion and Glocks that “ain’t got no safety.”
Denzel keeps the hedonism going with a verse full of crazy flows and rhymes. He talks about new swag, feeling like Hades in the heat of both Miami and the streets, strumming quick like a ukulele, and urges enemies to stick to the topic of “f**k you, pay me.” Unsurprisingly, Denzel makes for the track’s lyrical highlight. The vocal highlight, however, is easily ICECOLDBISHOP’s raspy and high-pitched voice. Despite the jump in octaves, the MC is still able to come off murderous and dominant.
Check out the video for the Florida-L.A. banger “90s Baby” below.
Quotable Lyrics
I’m a hood 90s baby,
First gunned down a n***a shot with my cousin, .380,
All my n***as tweaking off the drugs, we goin’ crazy,
Pray the gang stay safe, I know these Glocks ain’t got no safety