Cash Cobain, as we said recently, loves samples, interpolations, and the like. His brand-new record, PLAY CASH COBAIN, sees him continue to tweak and experiment with past and current records for his sexy drill soundscapes. One track that we feel Cash Cobain did the best with in terms of playing around with previous works is “act like”. We also wanted to take a more detailed dive into the track because this was one of the singles from the project. Thirdly, the song seems to be receiving a decent number of listens, and we can see why.
If you know some basic facts about Cash Cobain, you probably know that he’s from New York. It’s where he gets all of his stylistic influence from and its why he’s a major force in drill right now. With that mind, what makes “act like” so cool is that he’s paying homage to one of biggest voices (literally and figuratively) in this version of this subgenre even after his death. That would be the one and only Pop Smoke. Where Cash gives Mr. Woo his flowers is on the chorus. You can hear a slight change from Smoke’s chorus on “For the Night”. Additionally, the track features one of the more stripped back yet interesting instrumentals on the project, so we recommend you check it out below.
AP, big rocks, n****s know I’m the realer Five K on the dinner, I’m really the top one Slizzer I did some wrong (It seems like—), but I’m always right Said I know how to shoot, and I know how to fight I could tell you once (It seems like—), won’t tell you twice You bae for the day, not bae for the night
Cash Cobain is unstoppable in 2024. In recent years, few artists have created a lane for themselves and not only thrived in it, but had the music world jumping at opportunities to take part the way he has. Since the start of the year, Cobain has made an excellent case that sexy drill could stick around for good in hip-hop. His 2024 singles — “Dunk Contest,” “Fisherr,” “Rump Punch,” and “Problem” — have all been standout moments that stamped and elevated his position in the rap game. Now, he takes it a step further with the release of his debut album, Play Cash Cobain.
The Bronx rapper and producer’s debut album is a 19-track promotion of daytime fun and nighttime debauchery. In short, it’s fun! Play Cash Cobain is a display of growth from Cobain, who rose to prominence by sampling R&B songs for his sexy drill record and earning a reputation as one of music’s horniest artist. While his sexy drill production thrives with or without a sample, Play Cash Cobain provides plenty of great sample moments.
Here are the five best sample moments on Cash Cobain’s debut album Play Cash Cobain.
“Act Like”
Sample: Tyrese’s “How You Gonna Act Like That” & Pop Smoke’s “For The Night”
“Act Like” was one of the most anticipated songs from Cash Cobain’s album. The track was previously teased by Slizzy member Marni and other associates during a livestream, and fans like myself quickly latched themselves to the record. “Act Like” begins with a sample of the first verse from Tyrese’s 2002 track “How You Gonna Act Like That” before Cash’s sexy drill production arrives. Echoes of Tyrese singing “it seems like” play throughout the track before the chorus arrives and in comes an interpolation of Pop Smoke’s “For The Night.” Cash thrives at using just enough of the sample for the song he creates, and this is a great example of that.
“All I Wanna Hear”
Sample: Elephant Man’s “Pon de River, Pon de Bank”
Jamaican dancehall singer Elephant Man’s most recognizable song is at the center of the third track on Cash Cobain’s debut album. “Pon de River, Pon de Bank,” an uptempo, high energy record, is slowed down for a more chill experience. On it, Cobain proves why he’s rap’s horniest artist with lines like “She said all I rap about is sex / I said, ‘That’s all I wanna hear,’” and “The other nickname for my d*ck is Jeff / It be Hardy.” This is what you get with the Cash Cobain experience and it’s a fun one to say the least. As for the sample, slowing down the keys on “Pon de River, Pon de Bank” is a simple yet very effective decision.
“CantSleep/DrunkInLuv”
Sample: H-Town’s “Knockin’ Da Boots”
Cash Cobain takes it back to 1993 with a sample of H-Town’s “Knockin’ Da Boots” for this song’s first half, “CantSleep.” Cash Cobain and H-Town both have the same energy, pursuing a foray into the bedroom. Once there, sleep is the last thing on the agenda as Cash suggests, but to H-Town’s point, “Knockin’ Da Boots” seems to be the priority. After introducing his song with a couple of lines from the hook of “Knockin’ Da Boots,” Cobain lets H-Town’s “good love” croons repeat in the background for the remainder of the song.
“Dunk”
Sample: Soulja Boy’s “Donk”
In a rare upbeat moment from Cobain, the Bronx native takes on Soulja Boy’s “Donk” for “Dunk.” While the focus of Soulja Boy’s “Donk” is to praise a woman’s assets, Cobain’s “Dunk” incorporates the same bluntless to achieve his goal of ending the night with a woman. He gets the job done with the same drum pattern as Soulja Boy’s original track, and in the end, we get a new sample of how expansive Cobain’s artistry can be.
“Problem”
Sample: Laila!’s “Not My Problem”
The singles Cash Cobain put out ahead of his album all did their job in grabbing the world’s attention. “Dunk Contest” was a great appetizer for the summer hit songs that “Fisherrr” and “Rump Punch” turned out to be. Next came “Problem” which samples Laila!’s “Not My Problem” and turned her record into a massive posse cut. For seven minutes, Cobain, Fabolous, Kenzo B, Big Sean, Lay Bankz, Luh Tyler, Anycia, Chow Lee, Kaliii, 6LACK, Flo Milli, YN Jay, Flee, Don Q, and Rob49 laid quick verses as Laila!’s “problem” and “not my problem” chants play at the end of each line. “Problem” is a great and fun moment on the album, and proof that everyone wants a part of Cobain’s sexy drill sound.
Play Cash Cobain is out now via Giant Music. Find out more information here.
Cash Cobain has certainly built a reputable brand off of his sexy drill soundscape. You can pretty much say that he’s essentially the sole creator of this wave in hip-hop, as there are a few copycats out there trying to replicate what he does. However, it’s not nearly going to have the same impact. The Bronx/Jamaica, Queens native’s name has become so massive that no one will probably trump him. However, in our honest opinion, that, along with some okay sample flipping, is about all we can give to PLAY CASH COBAIN.
Unfortunately, the consistent aspect holding back drill as a whole is that it’s difficult to keep each instrumental from sounding the same. This subgenre is known for its specific drum and hi-hat pattern, and it can feel as if its copied and pasted to each song. Pair that with Cobain’s constant and sometimes over-reliant usage of samples, the 19-song tracklist became kind of bore pretty quickly. Additionally, when he raps, he uses the same sort of sleepy and warbly delivery on nearly every occasion. While we appreciate Cash Cobain’s knowledge and respect of past work’s, the repetitive nature is too much to overcome in the end.
Cash Cobain has risen to stardom on the wave of his pioneering production style of pairing sexy samples with compelling drill rhythms. His newly released debut album, Play Cash Cobain, is laden with the sound, and one of the best examples is his standout focus track, “Act Like.” As its title suggests, it’s an inquisitive plea to a lover, based on a sample of R&B star Tyrese Gibson’s 2002 hit “How You Gonna Act Like That.”
“How You Gonna Act Like That” was a smash in its own right, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, powered by production from The Underdogs, which consisted of Damon Thomas and Harvey Mason Jr., the latter of whom is now better known as the CEO of the Recording Academy.
Cash Cobain’s rollout for the album has been about as slick as his sampling technique, consisting of the runaway success of his breakout single “Fisherrr” with Bay Swag and its Ice Spice-featuring remix, as well as a remix of Laila!’s standout TikTok favorite single “Not My Problem” featuring seemingly every rising rapper from New York alongside a bunch of blog rap faves. Cobain is currently supporting Ice Spice on her Y2K! tour, and likely enjoying the success of his debut album.
You can listen to Cash Cobain’s new single “Act Like” below, and watch the video above Friday at 9 am PT/12 pm ET.
Play Cash Cobain is out now via Giant Music. You can check it out here.
Today, Cash announced the release of his new album, Play Cash Cobain. The LP is due to drop on August 23 via Giant Music with 20 tracks, including previously released singles “Fisherrr,” “Dunk Contest,” “Rump Punch,” and the newly released “Problems.” The cover art is quintessentially Cash Cobain, with a very of-the-moment photo of a young woman holding up her phone to her forehead, Heads Up-style, with a screen that reads “Play Cash Cobain” (as someone with a lot of DJ friends, don’t actually do this, though; most DJs hate it and are probably not going to play the song you want, especially if they already did). Check it out below.
Cash Cobain
Play Cash Cobain is due on 8/23 via Giant Music. You can find more information here.
