Since the re-release of his debut album There You Have It, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Reason has proven his worth as a viable artist — and true-to-form lyricist — within the label and among his peers. Earlier this year, he blessed the masses with a new single titled “Show Stop,” which was produced The 90’s and !llmind and is said to be taken from his forthcoming album New Beginnings. Following a listening party for said album in Los Angeles, he returns with another dope cut titled “Trapped In,” which features Shady artist Boogie and long-lost TDE OG Ab-Soul. All three absolutely demolish the beat provided — courtesy of Kal Banx — but its hearing Soulo back in the mix that really makes this release a true gem:
“All things fall apart, everything goes South/
Homie had the most heart, he a deadbeat now/
Stuck in the mud, man, we need to put the Sizzurp down/
Life ain’t quite the picnic when the chips are down, look/
Most of the niggas I pictured as winners just went away/
I had to get up and make a way I need the whole planet to know my name…/”
The accompanying visual is directed by Jon Primo and Moosa, and shows the collaborators politicking in the hood before things become terribly tragic. Speaking to Lyrical Lemonade, Reason explains the meaning behind the art:
”The video is about getting caught up in the system, of a cycle we create for ourselves…. You’ll notice that everyone is all caught up in their own little pockets and me, ab, and boogie are the only ones going around saying what’s up to the robbers and the drug dealers cause we see what’s going on. You’ll see kids playing basketball cause they think it’s their only way out but then they see a robbery or the murder and now they’re caught in that same cycle.”
Press play on “Trapped In” below.