The Ones: Rylo Rodriguez’s “Yesterday Blues”
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later.
Rylo Rodriguez - “Yesterday Blues”
Rylo Rodriguez is practically a blues singer; he just happens to rap. The Mobile, Ala., twentysomething sounds like he should be crooning alongside an acoustic guitar at a bar in the Deep South with cheap drinks and an open mic. He blends those bluesy elements with thudding drums and a stone-faced demeanor, showing the apparent influence of Young Thug’s Beautiful Thugger Girls. On “Yesterday Blues,” Rylo acknowledges his relationship to the genre: “Give a nigga the blues like Sir Charles,” he sings on an instrumental that samples Leon Bridges’ “That Was Yesterday.” He delivers soulful punchlines about paranoia, his reliance on drugs, and an undying love for designer brands: “Bought so much Palm Angels last night I saw heaven gates,” he belts at one point. With Rylo, nearly every bar is driven by pain, even if the topic is a frivolous Italian sweatsuit purchase. “Yesterday Blues” is an encouragement to gather around a fire pit with your loved ones, have a drink or five, and let the pain fade away.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from Rylo Rodriguez and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
