"Don't Play with It" is a single by American rapper Lola Brooke featuring American rapper Billy B. It was released in May 2021 and produced by Dizzy Banko. The song was a
sleeper hit, gaining traction through the video-sharing app
TikTok in 2022 and becoming the breakout hit of both artists.
Background
In an interview with ''
Brooklyn Magazine'', when asked how the song came about, Lola Brooke stated, "I was tired of people playing with me, for real. That's really what it was." Brooke was at home when Dizzy Banko was playing her some beats over the phone, and after hearing one of the beats, immediately told him to send it to her. She said, "I was listening to that and I was like 'Don't play with it, don't play with it, don't play with it!'" The song was originally a freestyle; according to Brooke, "I was walking back and forth in the house, and I was like, 'Don't play with it, don't play with it' and I just kept going."
After recording the song in the studio, she left an open verse, eventually choosing rapper Billy B for a guest appearance because they were both from
Brooklyn.
Release and promotion
The song was released on May 14, 2021,
along with a music video.
Lola Brooke garnered further recognition for the song with a performance on "From the Block" in November 2021.
It caught widespread attention via TikTok in 2022;
by October of that year, the video surpassed over 500,000 views.
The song considerably increased in streams on
Spotify, amassing two million streams in November 2022.
As a result of its success, Brooke received cosigns from various celebrities, including rappers
Missy Elliott
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,
Cardi B
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,
Meek Mill, JT of the
City Girls
City Girls is an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 1992). The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an un ...
,
Saucy Santana
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and
Pusha T,
Ella Mai,
Kim Kardashian and
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
,
and eventually signed to
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
.
Charts
References
{{Reflist
2021 singles
2021 songs
Drill songs
Arista Records singles