Memphis superstar Moneybagg Yodrops “Rocky Road,” a heartfelt, Kodak Black-assisted new single that affirms the pair’s status as the faces of modern, complex street rap. “Rocky Road” also arrives with an evocative video.
Cruising over emotive keys, Kodak kicks things off with a declaration of loyalty: “Tryna get to my hoe but the Perkys got me froze / Been doing my baby momma wrong and leaving her at home / I cannot leave you on your own, we made this child together.” For his part,Moneybagg injects memories of the hustle and damaged romance: “Out there standing by the pole, selling dope to buy some clothes / Cause I knew that attract the hoes, until one left my heart so cold / I just didn’t know no better made me hard on the next forever.” Soul-baring yet of the streets, “Rocky Road” is Moneybagg and Kodak at their best.
The video also dwells in that zone. Equal parts gritty, evocative, thoughtful, and real, the Young Chang-directed clip spins a familiar narrative as a man who’s already balancing life’s complexities finds himself at a crossroads: how to respond to another man’s reckless violence. The two rappers bear witness, occupying a perspective both within the scene and adjacent enough to have eyes on the bigger picture. It’s a space Bagg’s held down for a long time now.