“GNF (OKOKOK)” features a shoutout to late rapper Pop Smoke. Last year, Polo G issued his sophomore LP THE GOAT. After a long walk on the pier we make our way over to a shady bench, where he looks out at the Hudson River and says, “That water dirty as hell.”, Born on the North Side of Chicago, Polo G was raised in the Marshall Field Garden Apartments housing project with his parents and three siblings. We just deal with it ourselves. Some A&Rs have an easier time than others scouting talent. It’s like you ain’t good enough to live in your own neighborhood. Your raps can be extremely personal, and you’re not afraid to admit things that a lot of other artists might not. The track is the 9th song on Polo G’s debut studio album Die A Legend, and helped the Die A Legend album reach #6 on the Billboard 200 chart. I have to. Share "He is careful and meticulous, malleable and introspective. “And this was it.”, The 20-year-old now finds himself signed to a major label and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ariana Grande and Halsey on the Billboard charts with his Top 40 hit, “Pop Out.” His popularity has become centralized on YouTube, where pain-stricken rap crooners like YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Kevin Gates have found a home in recent years, and the comment sections on his videos reveal an endless scroll of prayer hands and heart emojis. It’s all I knew. I was really losing weight. In his music, it’s clear how much Chicago means to him, and he references the city constantly. “We all share this emotion.” His best song yet, “Deep Wounds,” details his never ending inner conflict. Polo G sits down with Pitchfork and closely examines his creative process. Wzmianka o używaniu narkotyków opisuje, jak Juice przeszedł z przypadkowego przedawkowania, próbując ukryć je przed policją, aż do gwałtownej śmierci. Polo G announced the album release date and revealed the album cover art on May 5, 2020. The sparkling New York City scenery is unimpressive to him, and his face remains statue-like when we’re suddenly trapped by a horde of elementary school kids on a class trip. I took it as God giving me chances and showing me that it’s time I make something of myself, or this is going to be the rest of my life. In an effort to serve as a vessel for Chicago kids like him, whose stories are never heard, he adopted a wounded, melodic delivery. CN Entertainment. I was going to go there for a year then transfer to Clark Atlanta University. Polo G: A lot did change when they tore down the projects. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at Last.fm. In his youth, he would often have little to no food in the fridge and hardly any clothes in the closet. Read Pitchfork’s Rising feature “Polo G Raps Through the Pain. “My mother and father was young, and they were really learning as they went,” he says, staring off into the dark waves. And there’s nobody in the neighborhood checking on these kids. “This shit deeper than the surface,” he raps on the album, over a mournful piano. Pitchfork: Has the North Side of Chicago changed a lot since you were a kid? I had to stop that though, especially with my kid about to be home. But then the effects started kicking in, and I seen myself changing. Pitchfork's Best New Music: Polo G 'Die A Legend' - a standout Chicago street rap. Pitchfork is the most trusted voice in music. Like on “Deep Wounds,” you say, “I swear I pop so many pills, shit got me losin’ weight.”. But after stepping out of prison that spring, he decided drill’s deadpan delivery wasn’t properly capturing the emotion of his traumatic upbringing. I had too much love and appreciation for rapping. It’s crazy they can just tear families and neighborhoods apart, and nobody cares. When did you begin to realize it was messing with you? The album sold 99,000 album-equivalent units in its first week and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. It features his US top 20 single "Pop Out", as well as the remix to the track titled "Pop Out Again" featuring Lil Baby and Gunna.The songs "Finer Things", "Battle Cry" and "Deep Wounds" were also released prior to the album. It follows Polo’s recent solo single “Epidemic,” which landed in September. Polo G raps with a sing-song lilt, but his songs are shaded with murders, heartbreak, and incredible pain. Did the fact that you were in and out of jail make you appreciate rapping even more? Some producers specialize in manipulating their samples until they a... re unrecognizable For Madlib, the hearing itself is as important as whatever happens after that See More... re unrecognizable For Madlib, the hearing itself is as important as whatever happens after that See More Did you have any other plans for your future before your music started to take off? His critically-acclaimed debut Die a Legend arrived in 2019. Last year, Polo G issued his sophomore LP THE GOAT. by: Matthew Strauss; August 11 2020. “I had to figure out what style was best to express myself,” he tells me on a recent humid morning in New York. His love for his hometown is no front: Sitting at the pier, he wears a thick green hoodie made by a Chicago designer, and as a kid he only listened to local rappers like G Herbo, Lil Durk, and Young Pappy. “The North Side is set up now like one second you’re downtown, next in a good neighborhood, then in the hood,” says Polo G. “But they never cared about us, they was trying to lower their crime rate—they didn’t care about a solution, just how to get rid of us.”, Otherwise calm and unbothered, Polo G stutters angrily when he speaks about the gentrification of his neighborhood. “He’s going to be a California kid, and I got no problems with that, but I’ll never take my son’s family or culture away from him,” he tells me, making eye contact for a brief, rare moment before looking back down at his Dolce & Gabbana sneakers. All rights reserved. People was put in places they was unfamiliar with, and that’s dangerous. Cabrini-Green was known for its dilapidated conditions and crime, but for generations of residents it was also a place of community. Pitchfork - Chicago artist Polo G is back with a new song. When I turned 20 I started to catch on that I was losing my temper, and my memory was gone. Polo G and Lil Tjay make their HNHH introductions together. His critically-acclaimed debut Die a Legend arrived in 2019. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices. Polo G released his excellent debut Die a Legend in 2019. “When G Herbo first came that’s when the real Chicago music started,” he says. Do you still use? Die a Legend is the debut studio album by American rapper Polo G, released on June 7, 2019, by Columbia Records. Polo G is an unmissable talent. Though Polo G recently moved his family to L.A. he’s set on making sure that his first child, who’s due in the coming weeks, is aware of his Chicago roots. He collaborated with Rod Wave on the song … Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Why do you think it’s such an epidemic in Chicago? I can’t influence him like that. It’s a coping mechanism, and that’s their escape. “I’m an old soul,” he tells me. Nobody ever comes to check on these kids, and without that it’s just a never ending cycle. The native Chicagoan talks about honing his emotive brand of storytelling, popping pills to escape trauma, and being a voice for his hometown’s youth in this Rising interview. Revisit Pitchfork’s Rising interview “Polo G Raps Through the Pain.”, © 2021 Condé Nast. In Chicago, what’s messing up the youth right now is the ecstasy pills. I’ve seen at least six or seven altercations that’s left someone bleeding out. Hear “Richer” below. Even in L.A. Listen free to Polo G – Pitchfork - The 100 Best Songs of 2019. That was my plan. “Finer Things” went on to collect more than 50 million views on YouTube alone. Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive.He rose to prominence in 2018 with his single "Finer Things". We desensitized to murders and shootings; if we hear shooting we don’t even move, it’s the norm. At that point, he had been rapping for a couple of years as Polo G, making hard-nosed tracks that were true to the drill music he fell in love with as a kid. It was produced by Tahj Money, D Mac, LondnBlu and Karltin Bankz. Polo G singles chronology "Bookbag 2.0" (2020) "Epidemic" (2020) "Bop It" (2020) Music video; on YouTube "Epidemic" is a song by American rapper Polo G, released on September 25, 2020 by Columbia Records. It had a lasting effect on me, because most of my family lived there when I was a kid. Yeah, there was a whole year where I couldn’t stay out of jail. On May 16, 2018, after facing a string of arrests for selling weed and stealing cars, Taurus Bartlett left Cook County Jail for what he promised himself would be the last time. Pitchfork - Polo G has shared the music video for a new song called “RAPSTAR.” The track is produced by Synco and features social media star Einer Bankz on ukulele. “GNF (OKOKOK)” features a shoutout to late rapper Pop Smoke. I’m definitely stopping. W "RAPSTAR" Polo G rapuje i śpiewa o swoich związkach, uczuciach i sławie. Polo G składa hołd zmarłemu raperowi. Imagine if you was somewhere all your life then out of the blue your family has to move to some place they know nothing about just so they could put new people where you used to live. “We didn’t really have no guidance.” He cherished school, finding it a brief distraction from the reality of his home life. SoulFly is Rod Wave’s sophomore studio album. “Because in Chicago it’s up to us to tell the stories nobody else will.”. Chicago artist Polo G is back with a new song. I was enrolled in school—I was accepted to Lincoln University, an HBCU. “I knew when I left school, my stomach would probably hurt from having nothing to eat, and I would be going back to those same circumstances that were breaking me.”, In 2011, when Polo G was 12, the city of Chicago tore down the last of the Cabrini-Green Homes, a project close to where he grew up and where much of his extended family was raised. The Chicago rapper’s follow-up to his riveting debut LP argues for him as an adaptable and unmissable talent, an unlikely star in a new major-label system. Pitchfork: Has the North Side of Chicago changed a lot since you were a kid? Despite the specificity and harshness of Polo G’s raps, his music’s mix of sorrow and ambition feels universal. Last week, he released his debut album, Die a Legend, which chronicles his growth and the mental struggles he continues to face with startling detail. I have to lean in when he speaks to make sure I hear every word of his short, direct sentences. Watch below Polo G’s sophomore album THE GOAT was released last year. Check it out below. The Chicago rapper followed with this year’s THE GOAT. “He told in-depth stories and showed people what Chicago really was.”. The track arrives with a Cole Bennett directed visual. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21). Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago; Pitchfork Music Festival Paris; ... XXL 2020 Freshman Class: Polo G, Lil Tjay, Chika, Jack Harlow, and More. Polo G: A lot did change when they tore down the projects. On it, his success is layered with guilt about abandoning his hometown, and the song is fleshed out with unsettling, autobiographical lines like, “My friends got killed on the same block where we used to play.” “Deep Wounds” speaks to the oftentimes hopeless mentality of Chicago’s youth, the feeling that everything is designed to see you fail. The Official YouTube Channel for Polo G "THE GOAT” The Album Droppin 5/15! Are you still feeling the after effects of ecstasy? I wanted to be a sports broadcaster like Stephen A. Smith. Eventually, he blurs the lines between them. Pitchfork - Rod Wave and Polo G have teamed up on the new track “Richer.” The song appears on Wave’s new album SoulFly, which is out now. Pitchfork was smoking that kush, how the fuck is this mediocre ass album a 8.3 out of 10. Email:pologbookings@gmail.com IG:polo.capalot FB:Polo Capalot SC:polo.buckz It follows Polo… It includes previously-released songs “Street Runner” and “Tombstone.” Wave released Pray 4 Love Last … After a kid in our school dies at 13, no therapists are there. Pitchfork Today at 4:37 PM Rod Wave 's music is about finding love amidst all the demons he’s fi ... ghting, which is perfect for The Bachelor, a show where contestants think they need love but actually need therapy See More Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. It can be difficult to determine who will be the next rapper to blow up. © 2018 Condé Nast. Revisit Pitchfork’s Rising interview “ Polo G Raps Through the Pain .” I’ve gone through some bad times with the pills. “GNF (OKOKOK)” was written by Polo G and produced by WIZARDMCE and Varohl. The visual is directed by Arrad. “Even if you don’t come from the streets you can relate,” he says. I still get depressed and feel bipolar. His sound totters between drill and pop, sometimes hard, sometimes smooth. Your California Privacy Rights. All rights reserved. Polo G Articles and Media. You have to smoke crack to enjoy Polo G I swear. I’m stressed out, angry, for no reason. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. The track arrives with a Cole Bennett–directed visual. “Yeah, my friends died too, I know that feeling,” he attests on the song, “I’m poppin’ ecstasy to help me with the healin’.” Suddenly, his painful storytelling became more profound, as the production on his tracks started to incorporate soft pianos that could fit on the Titanic soundtrack. I always wanted to go to an HBCU, I just love my culture so much. When I started I didn’t see no reason to stop. Last August, he released a video for a song called “Finer Things.” The visual alternates between everyday shots of Polo G on a city block among friends and dreamlike scenes of the rapper on an open beach surrounded by family. “When I was a kid all the kids would be playing and I would be sitting on the steps with the teachers just watching.” To pass time he watches a rough cut of a new music video on his phone and scrolls through YouTube. It’s a lasting effect. The demolition was part of an ongoing effort to redesign Chicago’s North Side, and it resulted in the displacement of families. It’s a lot of staying home and preparing, but I’m cool with that. But I just knew I could never go back to that place, because at the time, I was doing worse than the things I was getting caught for. “GNF (OKOKOK)” was written by Polo G and produced by WIZARDMCE and Varohl. Are you nervous about the birth of your son? “Too wrecked to open up, just put my pain up in these verses.”, As he makes his way through Chelsea Piers, on Manhattan’s West Side, Polo G has no crew or security, just his older sister, who is also his tour manager. Almost everybody in the city pop pills—kids, older people—and they look at you like you crazy if you don’t. Check it out below. https://pitchfork.com/news/polo-g-shares-video-for-new-song-rapstar-watch "Picture This" Track Info. Welcome Back Lyrics: My shorties hot, they flipping blocks, one shoot one grab the wheel / I seen some shit I'm scarred for life I wish my eyes would heal / Slide 30 nights 30 days, we don't know how No, I just can’t wait for him to get here. Composition. Ad Choices, Polo G Shares Video for New Song “GNF (OKOKOK)”: Watch, The Chicago MC’s latest single features a shoutout to late rapper Pop Smoke, A daily roundup of the most important stories in music. “Music is so important,” he says, looking into the distance once again. “Raising my hand quick made me feel better than anything else,” he says. The album received acclaim from music critics. Emotion. ” his Best song yet, “ Deep Wounds, ” he says my temper, and that. Seen at least six or seven altercations that ’ s sophomore studio album by American rapper Polo G the. A coping mechanism, and that ’ s when the real Chicago music started, he. 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