I was thinking of writing a post for 'Algorithms To Live By' today, but I simply could not. The reason: this song has been stuck in my head for days. Therefore I had to write a 'Rap Day' post for it. Here you have 'Penelope' by Col3trane brought to you by Colors. If you have not heard of Colors before, I recommend that you check it out. Thanks to that channel, I have discovered several artists that I enjoy listening to.
At times Col3trane sounds like Frank Ocean (which is certainly a compliment), but his own sound emerges [...], a forward-thinking take on R&B and pop music that draws influence from rap, too. (Pigeons and Planes)
Cole Basta a.k.a. Col3trane is a 19 year old London artist with American and Egyptian parents. Among strong percussion, and emphasized rhymes, his hip-hop and R&B influences emerge. When asked by The Fader what was his inspiration for this song, he answered: "In The Odyssey, Penelope is the motivation for the long and dangerous journey that Odysseus takes. Along the way, he has a spell cast over him by a nymph called Calypso, who he falls in love with, but only to drive him insane and make him realize what the purpose of his journey was in the first place. I found these stories mad interesting and just kept reading and writing about them [...]" (Col3trane).
I think it is important to mention that Col3trane has gained all this fame and following in the course of just one year! The earliest material he has is from 2017. Usually, with new artists, the hype is bigger than the actual product. Nevertheless I do not believe this is the case with Col3trane. Everything in his work has the quality to compete with the leaders of the music world. His lyrics, influences, beats, and videos are a carefully concocted potion that can turn a bad day around. The beat changes are so sick that not even him can avoid moving around with the rhythm. Lastly, I want to touch on the person behind the artist persona. On min 2:33 of the song, you will notice how he sends his regards to his mother. I think this speaks tons as to what kind of person he is. He is proud of what he is doing and he has not forgotten where he came from.
Heart fell to the floor
Think I had bruises on my knees
I spent years looking for it
Just to find out that I couldn't see
But the world is my oyster, yeah
We got shipwrecked and ended up on a beach
And we so quietly
Figured out exactly where we're supposed to be
Penelope come back and check on me
I need you to rescue what's left of me
You want me and you know what's best for me
You don't act like love is sold separately
And we had a beautiful chemistry
We've been feeding off each others energy
Yeah I left on a quest for serenity
Girl I wish I could have had you next to me
Always forward never backwards
Work so hard boy I feel like I'm doing backflips
For myself girl I'm really gonna work this magic
Till I got 90210 on my address
Till I can check myself and say that
I really done did everything I imagine
Keeping tabs on my own give a fuck bout the fashion
Be a gentlemen and still know that I'm the baddest
Till I can check myself and say that
I really done did everything I imagine
Keeping tabs on my own give a fuck bout the fashion
Be a gentlemen and still know that I'm the baddest
Never been a gambler
I don't risk what I don't own
I saw - fools gold
Move the peasant to the throne
Down on luck
Need your whisper in my ear
My calypso
You can take what you want from me
Always forward never backwards
Work so hard boy I feel like I'm doing backflips
For myself girl I'm really gonna work this magic
Till I got 90210 on my address
Till I can check myself and say that
I really done did everything I imagine
Keeping tabs on my own give a fuck bout the fashion
Be a gentlemen and still know that I'm the baddest
Till I can check myself and say that
I really done did everything I imagine
Keeping tabs on my own give a fuck bout the fashion
Be a gentlemen and still know that I'm the baddest
[Beat Switch]
Yeah I'm ready for a change to come true
Yeah I'm ready for my boys to come through
I need some change in my life seven years too long I been here
And it's for the best that we through
Yeah you need me more than I needed you
You did a bunch of things I do not think you wanted to do
Since inception
Misdirection
You infectious
You proof
I can't trust you we through
Penelope come back and check on me
I need you to rescue what's left of me
When I feel pain you feeling ecstasy
She wanna see me in a cemetery
And we had a beautiful chemistry
We'd been feeding off each others energy
Yeah I left on a quest for serenity
And I wish I could have had you next to me
Yeah I'm ready for a change to come true
Yeah I'm ready for my boys to come through
I need some change in my life seven years too long I been here
And it's for the best that we through
Yeah you need me more than I needed you
You did a bunch of things I do not think you wanted to do
Since inception
Misdirection
You infectious
You proof
I can't trust you we through
Sources:
- http://www.thefader.com/2017/09/28/col3trane-penelope-video
- https://pigeonsandplanes.com/music/2018/01/col3trane-tsarina-mixtape-language-video
What kind of rap do you like best? Who is your favorite rapper? Leave a comment and feel free to share and contribute to #rapDay. If you enjoyed the song and/or would like to get more #rapDay on your feed, feel free to upvote, follow and/or resteem. Thanks for reading.
Best,