Free Nationals – Gangsta (feat. A$AP Rocky & Anderson.Paak) [Single + Video]

The track “Gangsta” from Free Nationals, featuring A$AP Rocky and Anderson.Paak, really hits the spot if you’re into a mix that takes a bit from funk, soul, and hip-hop. It pays tribute to the ensemble’s musical influences,  with a story that dives into themes about identity, heritage, and the near inescapable cycles of gang culture.A$AP Rocky, with his sharp lyrics, especially in lines like “On the G-side of things, on the street side of things/Where the word bad mean eighteen kind of things? (Yeah)/And it’s folks serving life eighteen kind of ways/And that was way before they eighteenth, by the way,” paints a vivid picture of what life’s like when you’re caught up in it from too young an age.

Accompanying the track, the music video, under François Rousselet‘s direction, offers a surreal yet pointed commentary, casting the artists as youngsters navigating a life of vivid imagination contrasted starkly against the backdrop of harsh street life realities. It’s a creative spin that sticks with you, showing the gritty life through the innocent eyes of children and H.R. Pufnstuf-styled puppets which makes the song’s message hit even harder. For anyone who digs a sound that bridges different musical eras and styles, all while pulling no punches with the storytelling, “Gangsta” absolutely delivers.

https://open.spotify.com/track/49oKnEjgRSs3DMXScEU2G1?si=e2639999cc27482c

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