A review of YG’s new single ‘STUPID’

YG in the music video for
YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)

YG just released another single STUPID, featuring Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray off his upcoming seventh studio album JUST RE’D UP 3, which also acts as the sequel to his 2013 mixtape JUST RE’D UP 2.

The project has reportedly been in the works for several years, with the first teaser appearing on the intro track to his 2016 mixtape Red Friday, where an automated voice announces that JUST RE’D UP 3 will be "coming soon".

More recently, the rapper would take to X to announce his plans for a July release and unveil a few promotional cover art for his seventh studio album.

On June 25, YG announced the official release date for JUST RE’D UP 3, citing that the album will be distributed to all DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) on August 16, 2024. The post also previewed the final cover art for the LP, which finds the rapper standing alongside multiple luxury cars while holding a red LV bag.

The West Coast rapper's latest single was delivered to streaming platforms yesterday (July 9) via 4Hunnid Music, under an exclusive license to BMG Rights Management.


Breaking down YG's latest single featuring Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray

YG teams up with producer DJ Mustard, who just had a massive commercial run with Kendrick Lamar for Not Like Us, to head the production on STUPID. This isn't the first time the duo has worked together given that they had reportedly produced an unreleased mixtape titled 400 Summers, back in 2017, aimed at building up the hype around JUST RE’D UP 3.

A screenshot from the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
A screenshot from the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)

Mustard also recruited producers, Bandz, JULiA LEWiS, and Kam Jackson, to assist with STUPID's production. Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray come together to deliver exceptional vocal performances and assertive verses, complimenting the West Coast energy that fills the track.

YG also dropped a music video for the single directed by Austin Simkins on his YouTube channel, which has garnered close to 200,000 views since it was uploaded. Notable themes that were highlighted on STUPID have been listed below:

  • Luxury
  • Excess
  • Wealth
  • Success
  • Lifestyle
  • Drugs
  • Gun Violence
  • Gang Affiliations
  • Faith
  • Respect
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Disclaimer: This review is explicit. Reader's discretion is advised.


(Verse 1)

YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Oh, damn, y'all done f--ked up / This beat hittin' like Bruce Lee with the nunchucks / Before the court room judge us / Please, wrong way, don't rub us"

YG opens on the song's first verse, taking shots at those who've doubted him and criticized his career. He references Bruce Lee's martial arts skills when alluding to the production of the beat "hittin'" like nunchucks.

The last lines appear directed at those who believe unconfirmed allegations against him and his peers before a court or a judge have ruled on the matter. This line highlights his desire to be accepted and trusted with no negative implications on his lifestyle.

"F--k, yeah, when it's beef, I eat cow / You ain't got chicken, but catchin' Z's, sweet pile (Sweet pile) / N---s know what I be about / Stop playin', I'll knock a n---a clean out"

YG hilariously draws comparisons between rap beefs and eating "cows," as he threatens his competition and asserts his status over all his critics by alluding to an affinity for violence.

YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Yeah, I got b---hes / Ugly n---a only got 'em 'cause my riches / I done made it out the trenches / I believe I'm him, I'm religious"

The rapper then speaks on his rise to fame and the luxuries, from the "women" to massive "riches," that come with it. He takes listeners back to his early days by referencing the hardships he came from.

Toward the end of this bar, it appears that the struggles YG faced during his come-up gave him the strength and faith to persevere.

"I couldn't see me without a check (Without a check) / You without a check, I'm a wreck / Penitentiary, chances, tick him to the neck (To the neck) / The money feel better than sex, oh"

YG ends his verse by proclaiming his love for "money" by comparing wealth to physical intimacy, while also citing how people will always find him flexing his riches wherever he goes.


(Chorus)

YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Yeah, let's get to it / If grump pays, I'ma do it / Remember them days I was slidin' in the Buick / Now I'm up goin' stupid, stupid"

YG then delivers the hook for the song by highlighting how much his life has changed ever since he became successful.

He starts off the chorus by reminiscing about his past when he owned and drove a Buick, before proclaiming a luxurious spending habit by stating he's "going stupid".

"I just took a model off my checklist, stupid / I just put a X to my ex-b---h, stupid / I'm the type to take by the necklace, stupid / Made it of the block like Tetris"

The rapper explains his various vices by speaking about his personal dating life, his affinity for jewelry, and his strong mentality. The last line is a reference to the famous puzzle video game, Tetris, which was created by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer in 1985.


(Verse 2)

Lil Yachty in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
Lil Yachty in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Ayy, n----s be the loudest with no f--kin' money (Skee) / I be blowin' b---hes backs off two packs of (Wah) / How you sent your boys to war with no ammunition? Yeah, you pulled up Rolls Royce, but it's standard edition (Wah)"

Lil Yachty then opens on STUPID's second verse by proclaiming how people with no money as usually the "loudest" in the room, alluding to the multiple individuals who criticize Boat for his luxurious lifestyle.

"Found out where you hid this s--t like a bad magician / This enough to cook his waiter, lose existence / You wanna roll with the bad boys like a-- Pistons / My dog didn't pop every Perc', but he ended up itchin' (Brr) / He was quick with the tech like a paid-off ref"

Yachty then delivers a bar filled with double entendres as he explains why his competition will never match up to his level. The last line is a reference to when a referee stops the game (Basketball) and issues a violation or a technical foul to the player, with Boat implying that the call was illegally made since the "ref" was paid off.

The rapper is also suggesting how, although it may seem that people within his circle are heavily intoxicated, they're aware of everything that's going down and are quick to shoot back when needed.

"Tech" here is also a reference to Tec-9, a semi-automatic pistol developed by American corporation Intratec and a subsidiary of Swedish firearms manufacturer, Interdynamic AB.

Lil Yachty in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
Lil Yachty in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Ten on the mag, coupe got me hard on X (Yeah) / Free Jeff, we ain't spoke since before he left / S--t got hard, they turned left, n----s know it ain't right (Yeah) / I'm with Ju dropped a six in the Cranberry Sprite"

This bar speaks on themes of brotherhood and resilience, with Boat highlighting the tendency for people to turn their backs and walk away when times get tough. This appears to be a reference to the Young Thug RICO trail, with Yachty suggesting that people in Thug's circle should've stuck with him.

Yachty also shouts out Jeff (Thug) and calls for his release since he misses their interactions and hasn't spoken to the YSL rapper since he was arrested back in 2022.

"Geekin', I glide thru the lane like a well-made kite / On a mail man line trying to track my pints / B---h, I’ll go out with a fight, everything on sight"

Yachty ends the verse with a final warning to those who wish to press him. The rapper says although he may seem like someone who minds his business and stays in his lane, he's ready and willing to engage in conflicts by wishing to "go out with a fight".

YG's chorus repeats before the Babyface Ray opens on the song's last verse.


(Verse 3)

YG, Lil Yachty, and Babyface Ray in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
YG, Lil Yachty, and Babyface Ray in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"Man, you n----s got me f--ked up / 'Fore I sell myself for this s--t I sell drugs / Yeah, p---y n---a ain't got no love / How is n---a sleep on the mob, must be poured up"

Babyface Ray opens the third verse, acknowledging that as he continues to build his career, there will come times when he's given a choice to take the easy way out.

Ray cites how he'd much rather "sell drugs" than "sell" himself, showing his dedication to being original with his craft.

"Hah, you ain't never had to show up / Baby mama callin child support 'cause I'm goin' dumb / Yeah, out in Bompton 'cause I know the thugs / Louis Vuitton cross trainers like I bang blood"

The rapper then flexes his gang affiliations, especially with the Compton-based Bloods, when he references the slang "Bompton," used by Blood members when referring to the city.

Ray even directly references the Bloods by drawing comparisons to the red colors they rep and his Louis Vuitton cross trainers, citing how his red shoes imply that he'd "bang" sets for the gang.

Babyface Ray and YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
Babyface Ray and YG in the music video for 'STUPID' (Image via YouTube/@YG-vj2kq)
"I just scratched a baddie off my checklist, b---h / You don't have a budget on my necklace, b---h / N----s love front faces not that rich / Tell it to the thotties when I show them my crib"

Babyface speaks of themes like wealth, luxury, and success in this bar, as well as alluding to his affinity for women and intimacy. This appears to be a direct flex at his competition, who claim Ray doesn't live an exciting lifestyle.

"Real n----s do real things / Real numbers, real fans, ain't a thang change / Yeah, top down in the fast lane / Hands up, thanking God that the bag came, b---h"

Ray ends the verse by talking about being "real" in one's actions while stating how he's always been real with his streaming numbers and the fans who follow him on social media.

Babyface closes out the bar by praising and thanking God for all the success he's had in his career. YG's hook returns one more time before the song officially ends.


YG's upcoming album JUST RE’D UP 3 will officially follow up on his sixth studio album, I GOT ISSUES, which was released in September 2022.

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Edited by Perrin Kapur
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