"24" is a song by American rapper Money Man. It was released on February 21, 2020 as a single from his eighteenth mixtape, ''Epidemic''. A remix version featuring

Lil Baby Dominique Armani Jones (born December 3, 1994), known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to mainstream fame in 2017 following the release of his mixtape ''Perfect Timing''. *Alt URL* * His deb ...

was released on August 14, 2020. Both versions and the song's title itself serve as tributes to basketball player

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

, who died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

Composition

The bass-heavy track starts off with Money Man paying his respect to

. He further "flexes his status as an independent artist", accentuating his "lavish" lifestyle, including the diamonds on his chains and the expensive cars he rides around. Aron A. of ''HotNewHipHop'' gave the song a ''HOTTTTT'' rating and said: "The rapper's hustler's mentality informs each bar he spits. It could be a light flex or a moment of introspection but Money Man drops jewels and gems throughout his music".

Remix

The official "24" remix with Lil Baby was released on August 14, 2020 and included on the deluxe edition of Money Man's ''Epidemic'', released a week later.

Composition

As with the original, the duo pay homage to Kobe Bryant over a "tantalizing", "muddy" bass and a "twangy" guitar loop. They also make references footballer

Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football, Delaware after transferring from Pi ...

and rapper Pop Smoke.

Critical reception

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

''s Charles Holmes praised the rappers for having "the

flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psyc ...

of the year", and stated "their total disregard for decorum in favor of showing off one's preternatural lyrical abilities is weirdly the most fitting tribute one could give to Bryant". ''HotNewHipHop''s Aron A. said "It's a glorious occasion when two certified hustlers team up on wax", appraising the collaboration: "Money Man's deep rich vocals glide on the production with gems from the mind of a hustler before Lil Baby comes through to keep his hot streak going in 2020 with yet another show-stealing verse".

Cover art

The cover art features black mamba snakes in the form of basketballs with the number 24 on one of the snakes. "Black Mamba" was Kobe Bryant's nickname and the "24" is the number he wore during his Hall of Fame career with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2020 singles 2020 songs Empire Distribution singles Lil Baby songs Kobe Bryant Songs about basketball players Songs based on real people Songs written by Lil Baby