"Don't Like Me" is a song by American rapper

Rico Nasty Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly (born May 7, 1997), known professionally as Rico Nasty, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Maryland. She rose to prominence in 2018 with singles such as "Smack a Bitch" and "Poppin". While in high schoo ...

featuring fellow American rappers

Don Toliver Caleb Zackery "Don" Toliver ( ; born June 12, 1994) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He released his first major label mixtape, ''Donny Womack'', in August 2018. He is known for his singles "No Idea (song), No Idea" and "After Party ...

and

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...

. The song was produced by

Buddah Bless Tyron Buddah Douglas Sr. (born February 8, 1992), professionally known as Buddah Bless, is an American record producer, songwriter, and former rapper. He has produced many hit singles, such as "Big Amount" by 2 Chainz (featuring Drake (musician), ...

, who also wrote the song along with the three artists. It was released on October 22, 2020 through

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and Rico's own Sugar Trap label as the third single from her debut studio album, '' Nightmare Vacation''.

Background and recording

"Don't Like Me" served as the third single off of ''Nightmare Vacation'' and was preceded by "

Own It "Own It" is a song by English rapper Stormzy featuring English singer Ed Sheeran and Nigerian singer Burna Boy, released on 22 November 2019 through #Merky and Atlantic Records as the fourth single from Stormzy's second studio album, '' Heavy ...

" and " iPhone". Mastering for the track was handled by Chris Athens, while mixing was handled by

Jaycen Joshua Jaycen Joshua is a mix engineer and music producer who owns the revered Canton House Studios in Studio City, California. Joshua started his mix career in 2005 when he became partners with his mentor Dave Pensado and formed The Penua Project. Joshu ...

, with assistance from DJ Riggins, Jacob Richards and Mike Seaberg.

Composition and lyrics

In terms of lyrics, the song was described as "a

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

for winners and those who have no problem bragging about their sexual prowess." Aaron Williams of

Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...

noted that the three lyrically "explain all the reasons their haters can't seem to find it in their hearts to let go", while "Toliver holds down the hook and Gucci provides his own verse running down all the reasons they have to flex." Rico Nasty and Don Toliver both repeat the chorus from two different perspectives, while

name-dropping Name-dropping (or name-checking or a shout-out) is the practice of naming or alluding to important people and institutions within a conversation,. story, song, online identity, or other communication. The term often connotes an attempt to impress ...

Gucci Mane in the

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

. Gucci later takes over and performs his verse before the former two each repeat the hook once again and the song ends. The song is in the key of E Minor at a fast-paced (146 BPM) beat.

Critical reception

Chris DeVille of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' described the song as "a woozy computerized banger that blurs the line between

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

and

experimental pop Experimental pop is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental techniques such as musique concrète, al ...

". Jon Blistein of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' wrote that it "boasts an ebullient beat with soft synth plunks shimmering atop booming bass and crisp drums". Blistein also described the chorus as "instantly memorable" and Toliver's verse as "delightful". Jackson Langford of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' also noted that Rico "deliver da more relaxed and understated performance than she's given throughout the year." Sajae Elder of ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'' praised the production, writing that "the soft synths and booming bassline act as the perfect backdrop for Rico and Toliver's catchy shared hook."

References

{{authority control 2020 songs 2020 singles Atlantic Records singles Rico Nasty songs Gucci Mane songs Songs written by Gucci Mane Don Toliver songs Songs written by Don Toliver Songs written by Buddah Bless Song recordings produced by Buddah Bless Songs written by Rico Nasty