Queens rapper and producer, Hannibal King continues to prep for his forthcoming project Don't Die, with the release of second single "Wedding Cake". As the album title suggest, the project deals with struggles of life and making it through seemingly insurmountable odds. His previous single "Don't Die," dealt with persevering through when all seems lost and your dreams have all but evaporated; it was dreary, but ultimately there was some redemption and he was able to hold onto life. Instead of the tremendous angst of being an creative, King discusses another, equally heart wrenching, life shattering topic on "Wedding Cake." Love.
Perhaps it is King's utter disregard for the machismo of rap that makes "Wedding Cake" as powerful as it is, or possibly his willingness to voice such difficult, but relatable characters in the music. He rhymes as both a female pining for love and a male, who is madly in love. Each story is earnestly told, which makes the track have an urgent emotional tone. The latter half is especially good, as he still places himself in typical hip-hop tropes, but flips the braggadocio on its head. King is selflessly willing to do anything for this woman that lets him hit it raw. His intonation as the woman character hits hard, as his voice sounds choked up and desperate.
World's Fair's Nasty Nigel contributes an interesting verse on "Wedding Cake," forgoing his usual bar heavy lyrics and opting to sing throughout. He also paints a picture of what it means to be in love, but his is more rife with conflict. Whether he and his girl are fighting, she is leaving, or they have to sleep on someone's living room floor, Nigel holds onto his love for her and is determined to have her stay.
Don't Die is shaping up to be quite the emotional journey for listeners. In his short absence, King has clearly grown as person and he is displaying the pains on wax. "Wedding Cake" is a love song that is at once a painful listen due to the flood of memories and images it stirs, but at the same time, a spell binding image of what true romance brings out of those that feel it. Give it a listen above.
