90 Proof
2022 single by Smino and J. Cole
"90 Proof" is a song by American rapper Smino featuring fellow American rapper J. Cole, released on September 30, 2022. The song was produced by Groove and Monte Booker, and serves as the lead single from Smino's third studio album, Luv 4 Rent.
01Background
"90 Proof" was originally planned to be on J. Cole's album The Fall Off, but Smino later asked for the song back. He explained, "I thought about it and the whole time I knew it would be great for me, being on J. Cole’s album. When I was wrapping up the tracklist, though, I just felt like something was missing, and I put "90 Proof" right after my intro and it just sounded like they were meant for each other. So I just called Cole and asked him if I could get the song back and he let me."
02Composition
The song features a "melodic, guitar-laced beat", in which Smino raps in his trademark "fast, expressive helium-cackle". In his verse, he apologizes for his vices that get in the way of his relationships. Meanwhile, J. Cole's verse remains "calm and grounded" with melodies that creep into his delivery.
03Music video
The song's music video premiered on November 3, 2022. It was directed by Phillip Youmans, and is described as a "neo-soul hip-hop southern gothic thrill ride". The video sees Smino, J. Cole, and their friends at a seemingly normal party, where shots are heard as the video takes a dark turn.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “90 Proof”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Smino - 90 Proof.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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