"Make It Rain" is a song by American rapper
Pop Smoke, released on June 12, 2020, as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from his
posthumous
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ...
debut studio album, ''
Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
''Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Pop Smoke. It was posthumously released on July 3, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, and a deluxe edition of the album that includ ...
'', released on July 3, 2020. The song features vocals from rapper
Rowdy Rebel
Chad Marshall (born November 24, 1991), known professionally as Rowdy Rebel, is an American rapper from Brooklyn who is signed to GS9 and Epic Records. He is a member of the Brooklyn-based GS9 crew alongside rapper Bobby Shmurda. Rowdy Rebel app ...
, whose verse was recorded over a phone, as he was in jail at the time.
Background
The song marks Pop Smoke's first release as a lead artist following his death in February 2020. The track was first announced a day before its release, on June 11, 2020, by Pop Smoke's manager,
Steven Victor
Steven William Victor (born September 6, 1980) is a Haitian-American record executive, artist manager, music publisher, and A&R representative. He is the founder & CEO of Victor Victor Worldwide and SVP of A&R at Universal Music Group. He former ...
, who announced the delay of Smoke's debut album and instead released "Make It Rain" as the lead single on the day the album was originally scheduled for release.
Victor stated that out of respect for the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
, "we have decided to delay the release of his album out of respect for the movement". Victor also helped launch the Victor Victor Foundation, a non-profit organization which works to support Black youths through voter registration efforts and aid programs focused on mentorship and emotional support.
The announcement of the song teased a mystery feature
on the track, which eventually turned out to be
Rowdy Rebel
Chad Marshall (born November 24, 1991), known professionally as Rowdy Rebel, is an American rapper from Brooklyn who is signed to GS9 and Epic Records. He is a member of the Brooklyn-based GS9 crew alongside rapper Bobby Shmurda. Rowdy Rebel app ...
, a member of
Bobby Shmurda
Ackquille Jean Pollard (born August 4, 1994), known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music. He rose to international fame in 2014 when his song "Hot ...
's GS9 crew.
Rebel has been incarcerated since 2014, when New York police rounded the whole SG group up and charged them with gang-related crimes.
Hence, Rebel's verse was recorded telephonically.
Composition
"Make It Rain" was produced by Yamaica,
Rico Beats
Ricardo Lamarre, known professionally as Rico Beats, is an American record executive, record producer, and songwriter. His most notable production credits are DJ Khaled's "Take That Off", Nicki Minaj's " Roman Reloaded", Soulja Boy's " Mean Mug" ...
and frequent Pop Smoke collaborater 808Melo.
The song delivers Pop Smoke's signature
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
style.
''Soundigest''s Luke Wells noted that the song "sticks to his
op Smokefoundational roots of jaunty hip-hop with an infectious, hammering beat underscored by deep, booming vocals. His voice is
idiosyncratic
An idiosyncrasy is an unusual feature of a person (though there are also other uses, see below). It can also mean an odd habit. The term is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. A synonym may be "quirk".
Etymology
The term "idiosyncra ...
— distinct to the point of unmistakability".
Critical reception
Jason Lipshutz of ''
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 ...
'' listed "Make it Rain" as one of the most essential releases of the week, calling it "classic Pop Smoke, with a wall-shattering beat and enough chest-thumping lyrics to ensure that the rapper's gravelly voice never loses your attention. Lipshutz opined that "listening to the song in the greater context of a career cut way too short makes for a jarring experience, yet 'Make It Rain' also captures Pop Smoke at his most triumphant, and it's a fitting pose". Tom Breihan 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 ...
'' praised the track as "a monstrous
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
track that does not feel like a half-finished leftover" and further found it to be "a real bittersweet pleasure to hear Pop's tremendous gruff voice-of-God
flow once again".
Luke Wells of ''Soundigest'' had a similar sentiment, saying "It's commonplace for posthumous releases to mark a decline in quality, but such is not the case with 'Make It Rain'.
''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
''s Sheldon Pearce commended the song, writing: "Posthumous releases often bring diminishing returns, but here Pop Smoke retains the intensity that made him great". Pearce labelled Rowdy Rebel's verse as "defiant and uncaged", further pointing out Pop Smoke's distinctness: "What really separated Pop Smoke from other local drill rappers is that thundering voice; its thick husk still feels coarse, severe, and unavoidable. The pounding Yamaica production quakes beneath him, as all the most menacing drill beats do, but his rhymes cut through commotion. He raps like he's unstoppable, and he sounds like it too". In a 4/5-star review, ''The Musical Hype'' complimented the "banging production" by Yamaica, stating "the synths are hellish, while the beat anchors things down superbly" and applauded Pop Smoke for being "tough AF. His rhymes are hard-nosed and unapologetic", while admmitting that although Rowdy Rebel's verse lacks quality due to it being recorded over a phone, he still sounds "rowdy". ''
Earmilk
''EARMILK'', sometimes stylized in all caps, is a North American online music publication. Launched in the late 2000s by Montrey Whittaker, Blake Edwards and Eric DeFazio, ''Earmilk'' publishes on a variety of music genres, often covering hip h ...
''s Nathan Whittle-Olivieri was particularly fond of the song's production: " the spectral, barebones instrumental allows the vocals to shine in hook after hook ripe with abrasion and personality. Dutch beatmaker and producer Yamaica lets twinkling synth leads bubble beneath blown-out bass in what feels like a fully idealized track completed before Smoke's passing".
Music video
A
3-D-style video was released alongside the song.
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2020 singles
2020 songs
Pop Smoke songs
Songs released posthumously
Songs written by Pop Smoke