"War" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, featuring rapper

Lil Tjay Tione Jayden Merritt (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2017 with his song "Resume", and then the release of his breakthrough song "Brothers" which led h ...

. The song was written by Pop Smoke, alongside Lil Tjay, alongside production from 808Melo and Swirv. It was released by

Victor Victor Worldwide 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 forme ...

and Republic Records as a standalone

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on October 4, 2019. The song was later included as a

bonus track An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

on Pop Smoke's second mixtape, ''

Meet the Woo 2 ''Meet the Woo 2'' (alternatively titled ''Meet the Woo, Vol. 2'') is the second mixtape by American rapper Pop Smoke. Released by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records on February 7, 2020, it is the second installment in t ...

'' (2020). A drill and hip hop track, "War" sees Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay rap about intimidating people in the streets of New York. The song received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, with a number of them praising the lyrics. It peaked at number 100 on the Canadian Hot 100. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for the song was released on October 28, 2019, and was directed by JLShotThat. It features Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay rapping in a big mansion, riding on street bikes, performing live, and interrupting a show.

Background and composition

The song was written by Pop Smoke, known as Bashar Jackson, alongside Lil Tjay, known as Tione Merritt, Ellis Newton, known as Swirv, and 808Melo, known as Andre Loblack. 808Melo handled the song's production and programming. Colin Leonard

mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...

the song, while Fabian Marasciullo handled mixing alongside Thomas McLaren, who was credited as an assistant mixer. "War" was released as a standalone

and Republic Records on October 4, 2019. It was later added as a

on Pop Smoke's second mixtape ''

'' on February 7, 2020. Musically, "War" is a drill and hip hop song. Writing for '' Billboard'' magazine, Michael Saponara stated that the song has Pop Smoke rap with "croaky rhymes", that are mixed with Lil Tjay's "high-pitched croon". He continued, saying Pop Smoke "stays intimidating to his detractors by calmly saying one call can have them disposed of". Naimah Archibald-Powell of

GRM Daily GRM Daily (Grime & Rap Music Daily), formerly Grime Daily, is a British urban music outlet and entertainment platform. As the name suggests, the platform is an outlet for UK rap and its various genres, such as UK drill, afroswing, trap, and Briti ...

commented that the song "houses Pop Smoke's unique ad-libs(And looks like some listeners heard him say VOETSEK), a catchy

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

and assertive bars". Kemet High of '' XXL'' magazine stated that "on the sub side of the beat, Lil Tjay uses his voice to coat the foundation with an intoxicating hum. And on the surface, the timing of his bars is supreme and broken just enough to allow himself to come up for air before he dives back in".

Reception

"War" has been met with mainly positive reviews from

. Writing for '' Spin'' magazine, Emily Tan called the song a "stream-worthy single". The staff of ''XXL'' magazine described the song as "ominous". Aron A. of ''HotNewHipHop'' stated that "Pop Smoke's deep, raspy voice contrasts Lil Tjay's more honeyed melodies", and said it "keeps things exciting throughout the track". Saponara praised the song, saying Pop Smoke "stays war-ready", while opining that his chemistry with Lil Tjay "makes for an explosive combination". Dhruva Balram 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 ...

'' said that "Pop moke'scroak perfectly complements Lil Tjay's rapid-fire rhymes, making for a frenzied combination". Shamira Ibrahim of ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' opined Lil Tjay's "trajectory has been nothing short or an astronomical climb" because of the song. After Pop Smoke was murdered at the age of 20, "War" debuted at number 100 on the Canadian Hot 100 for the issue dated March 6, 2020, and lasted one week on the chart.

Music video

for "War" was released on October 28, 2019, and was directed by JLShotThat. The visual was shot in black and white, with it featuring Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay rapping their verses in a huge mansion, as scenes switch between them on street bikes, performing live, and shutting down a show. Torsten Ingvaldsen of ''Hypebeast'' mentioned the visual is "lightly edited", and commented that its "only hint of color are the various flame details that mark transitions throughout". Archibald-Powell opined that the video is "sweet and simple".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. * Bashar Jackson vocals, songwriter *

Tione Merritt Tione Jayden Merritt (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2017 with his song "Resume", and then the release of his breakthrough song "Brothers" which led h ...

vocals, songwriter * Andre Loblack producer, songwriter, programming *Ellis Newton songwriter *Colin Leonard mastering engineer *Fabian Marasciullo mixing engineer *Thomas McLaren assistant mixing engineer

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Lil Tjay 2019 singles Pop Smoke songs Lil Tjay songs