The single marks Guapdad 4000ās first release with producer !llmind and 88risingās sister label, PARADISE RISING
Guapdad 4000 has something of a reputation for working unexpected samples into his music. To long-time fans, it's almost like a treasure hunt at this point. It's a guessing game of which piece of history he's going to flip and drop bars over. In 2017, harpist Dorothy Ashbyās Windmills of Your Mind laid the foundation for Scamboy. In 2019, he transformed Blac Chynaās viral āembezzledā meme into a beat. Last year, it was Beethovenās Moonlight Sonata in Alpha. Naturally, the scam rap artist keeps up his streak with the How Many, the first single off his upcoming album.
How Many borrows elements from Alice Deejayās Better Off Aloneāyeah, you know the oneāwith a staccato strum and the songās hook sung in a hushed, distant echo. Unlike Alpha and Scamboy, which flips instrumentals simply for the sonic impact, the quiet buzz of Alice Deejayās voice rings relevant to Guapdadās storytelling in How Many. The music videoāeccentric in true Guapdad fashionāillustrates this visually, too. Cue the scenes of the artist floating solo in a supersized bottle of Belaire.
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As the worldās first taste of his album 1176, the track is a departure from Guapdadās usual body of work. Granted, the flow and flips remain, but How Many dives deeper, a comfortable compromise between being more existential and less comical.Ā
If this change of course is any indication of what is to come for the full album, itāll be interesting to see what 1176 has in store for listeners next month. As a joint project between Guapdad and producer !llmindāboth of whom are of Filipino descentāand the first full album to be released by 88risingās sister label, PARADISE RISING, 1176 sets the perfect scene for Guapdad 4000 to write home.
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Listen to Guapdad 4000 and !llmindās How Many, available for your streaming pleasure on all major platforms. 1176, drops March 19th.Ā
Art Alexandra Lara