Instagram/@papoose
Papoose, the rapper from Brooklyn, instigated a controversy among the hip hop community through his very direct freestyle. The Brooklyn artist uploaded at YouTube a short film where he was reversing the never-ending voting over the greatest rapper while he, so to speak, was declaring, ‘I am the greatest’. The execution, which also belonged to the ‘Counting Green Challenge’, has been very controversial, receiving as much criticism as praise for its complex wordplay and confidence.
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Papoose swaggers in the video. He kicks off the verse and tackles the topic of who is the best rapper. ‘I’m tired of all of you debating who is the best rapper’ his first words are. ‘I have written the best chapter in the history of hip hop.’ The concert’s rhythm is focused on a cascade of victories and smartly mastered with words that have become his signature. He speaks of his own hard-won, well-deserved attainment to greatness and presents the opposite side as one who implied they are using tricks, rapping, ‘You took the ladder to success, I got a second ladder.’
The freedom in the text is remarkable; it ranges from street-smart to quite funny and indecent bars. It was specifically the more than one line that drew the attention of the audience which was hooked, ‘You don’t need a BBL, good sex matters. If your man hit it from the back, your ass get fatter.’ The mixture of fun and audacity is very typical of Papoose’s standard. The opposite, however, was the verse which went into light with philosophical pearls like, ‘You can’t buy integrity, it ain’t in the store. This is grown man bars, you too immature.’ Especially this line, lighter than others, hit hard and was appreciated by the audience, wrapping what and how he could believe to be of an experienced and principled musician rather than a commercial one.
The audience was very much supportive of the freestyle, even the longtime fans taking it as a reminder of his everlasting skill. One comment was saying that the performance very clearly made the user to ‘rearrange My top 5,’ with Papoose’s place being ‘Higher.’ Another fan who took it for granted stated, ‘he been top 5 since alphabetical slaughter,’ referring to his 2021 highly rated album thus clarifying that the artist’s talent is not a one-off but an unbroken and steady presence.
One more fan was talking about the integrity line and said, ‘You can’t buy integrity it’s not in stores 🔥Grown man vibez.’ This implies that the way Papoose wins fans over, among others, is by being real and mature and not falling for the trap of a style which is mostly attractive to the youth and by the short-time nature of the trends. The line was so powerful that it was repeated by a good number of users, one of whom added, ‘these grown man bars you too immature,’ thus emphasizing the theme of the seasoned vs inexperienced in artistry.
The humorous lines were also pointed out. A user just quoted the ‘BBL’ line and then added crying-laughing and fire emojis to indicate that he was reveling in the lighter and more playful sides of the track. This shows Papoose’s talent in blending heavy themes and fun, a talent that makes his content engaging and relatable. Another fan was quick to celebrate his neighborhood by exclaiming, ‘BedStuy stand the Fuck Up!!’ This local loyalty is a huge part of his character and it connects his music to the surrounding area of Brooklyn.
Papoose’s career as a rapper has always been a hard-fought one but eventually leading to triumph. In the early 2000s the public was already able to spot his elaborate vocabularies and that’s when he was often referred to as a rapper’s rapper—he was mainstream but sometimes a bit to the side of the light. His works like ‘Alphabetical Slaughter’ and its sequel have put him on the throne of a vicarious narrator of the experience of the language. This recent freestyle sounds a loud confirmation that he is still a legitimate contender in the hip hop arena and not only his claim to be among the best but also the significance of his tale being told. The defining narrative of the culture that he, in his own words, is helping to write down is not just one manuscript—he is not just a part of the culture but the one who, in his own words, is assisting to write down its defining narrative. The enthusiastic response from his audience indicates that they can’t wait to read it. Papoose’s new verse is a strong reminder that in the realm of hip-hop, only real talent and lived experience typically are the ones that speak the loudest. His recent appearance on ‘Million Dollar Worth of Game’ further showcased his dynamic presence.
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In a recent hilarious martial arts moment with Wallo267 and Claressa Shields, Papoose showed his lighter side. The energy is reminiscent of the high-energy anthem he dropped with Busta Rhymes. Fans also celebrated the couple’s one-year anniversary with Claressa Shields in a heartfelt post.