"I Am What I Am" is a song by American rapper
King Von featuring a guest appearance from New York rapper
Fivio Foreign it is the fourth single extracted from his debut studio album ''
Welcome to O'Block'' released in 2020. The song was released through
OTF and
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
labels on October 9, 2020.
It extablishes connection between the Chicago and New York drill worlds as never seen before
"I Am What I Am" peaked at number eight on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart by
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
.
In December 2020 was included in season 1, episode 8 of the TV series
Power Book II: Ghost.
Background
The song dropped on the expected release date of ''Welcome to O'Block'' that was instead delayed by Von after having a dream about his late friend T. Roy and wanting to commemorate his friend birthday by also releasing his album on October 30, as stated by himself on his official Twitter page.
In an interview for
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
King Von said he linked up with Fivio Foreign because he thought the New York artist would have been great for the beat that was already been done.
Composition
The song is defined "propulsive" by
HipHopDx
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
with Fivio coming first with a fiery opening verse where he pays homage to the late
Pop Smoke. King Von makes the hook, which has the internal logic of a street nursery rhyme: "I am what I am/What I’m not, See i’ll never be."
He also raps the second verse of the tune, in which he puts his vivid storytelling on display with more frightening street tales.
describes their performance as a passing bars back and forth, while showing elite drill chemistry.
The beat was produced by Chopsquad DJ.
Music video
The official video was released the same day of the single drop,
and is directed by Jerry Production. It finds Von and Fivio on O'Block, bringing dozens of supporters to Von's native O Block, as they sip Henny, count cash, and whip around in a Rolls Royce Wraith. The two emcees light up the block with their electric chemistry, evoking the chaotic energy of the earliest Chicago and Brooklyn drill music videos.
Charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:How It Go (song)
2020 singles
2020 songs
Empire Distribution singles
King Von songs
Fivio Foreign songs
Drill songs
Song recordings produced by Chopsquad DJ
Songs written by King Von