On 2KBABY & Looking for Fulfilling Music

2KBABY makes fulfilling music. He satisfies a need I cannot entirely verbalize because I have yet to process 2020.

On Music…

I don’t do playlists. I am an album girl. I like the idea of sitting down for a full experience in the same ways I like to read novels in order. I don’t skip pieces in anthologies. I prefer things in their neat little rows. The playlist is antithetical to me enjoying music, but I will concede, a discovery playlist is something I wish I could enjoy. I wish I could give into a bottomless pool of options and fish out something to cherish.

It’s damning, because, for me, looking for music is often equal to chasing an unattainable high. I don’t think I’m much different from anyone else. Looking for new artists is an extension of trying to capture the feeling I get when I hear my old favorites. Sure, it’s an unfair standard, but I really do want everything to be the first time I heard Macadelic. I want everything to be the first time I heard Circles. I want firsts forever, but that’s not how music works.

I’ve been told time and time again that the music will hit different as you get older, as life settles down on your shoulders, and as the world slowly ends before you eyes. I refuse to believe I will one day hit a wall with artists, and be unable to bond with their stories and their work.

So, back to discovery playlists, I wish I could get into an endless loop of new music that might hit the heart. But I just can’t deal with the chaos of singles cobbled together to create a “vibe” I’ll maybe enjoy. Mostly, I find myself waiting to feel something. I can’t get that through a playlist showcasing the Big Single. I need to know the Full Story. I want moving bodies of work handed over to me.

Now, I’m lucky—I have people who want me to hear their music in my inbox all day. Sometimes, I find a new favorite artist. Sometimes, I find someone irresistible to root for. Sometimes, I find someone so compelling, I work them into my daily comfort rotation. Sometimes, I find a 2KBABY.

2KBABY is a Louisville-born artist living in Atlanta, who went viral in 2019 for his single “Old Streets,” but made good on his sudden fame with the Warner-released Pregame Rituals debut EP. As the story goes, 2KBABY came up rapping at the age of 15 with rapid flows and only began singing when he got to Atlanta. His melodies are infectious and syrupy—his voice just the right pitch to unlock something in the listener. He’s nicely imperfect, and his writing is from-the-soil.

2KBABY hooked me from the first two words of Pregame Rituals: “I’m drowning.” What follows is a two-minute tale of triumph. 2KBABY’s music has a jeer to it. Even at his lowest, his contagious smile permeates the record. There’s a lot to like about Pregame Rituals—the melodies are catchy, the writing is packed with quotables, and the pacing and features don’t drag the work—but the great success of the EP is the way it fulfills my need for something fresh while also giving me a sense of safety. That’s not to say Pregame Rituals is a stale body of work; rather, it’s a way of saying 2KBABY’s music is welcoming.

During quarantine, I’ve found myself going back to, and sitting within, my favorite albums for the comfort they provide. When every day feels like a big question mark, communing with the well-known is a saving grace. I’m admittedly less open to new artists, despite a great desire to find the next special act. That said, 2KBABY’s work has an edge tipped in security. His come-up stories are unique to him, and yet they feel universal. It’s the way 2KBABY pulls from current trends and takes calculated risks with his voice that make him one to watch and one perfect for quarantine listening.

Pregame Rituals won’t jar you into attention, but it will secure your attention for its 33-minute runtime. It will make you eager to support 2KBABY, if only because his music—born from the fires of Lil Durk, Polo G, G Herbo’s softer side, and others—satisfies a need to be in a time warp. Right now, there’s an overwhelming desire to be thrilled as much as there is a desire to accept stillness. Meaning, everything’s fucking weird. But 2KBABY fits nicely into that weirdness with a body of work inspiring a loophole in the system. We feel the present, we see his future, and all the while, we enjoy the tunes.

2KBABY makes fulfilling music. He satisfies a need I cannot entirely verbalize because I have yet to process 2020. That said, I’m happy to be in process with Pregame Rituals at my side. 2KBABY is the real deal in terms of artistry, sure, but most importantly, listening to his music makes me feel good during an era where everything is decidedly bad. So, maybe, I should backspace everything I’ve written and just lead with the obvious. Nothing feels right, but 2KBABY is absolutely on the money.