Griselda Records first lady Armani Caesar has always boasted of her versatility since officially signing with the Buffalo, New York-based label in March of this year and with her new single, “Simply Done,” she proves it in spades. Although she’s been great at crafting the so-called “stripper rap” that marries bass-heavy, twerk-ready beats with money-hungry lyricism, on “Simply Done,” she proves she’s more than capable of hanging with the grimy guys of Griselda, employing a classic DJ Premier production to channel the tough spirit of ’90s Kim and Fox with fierce, chest-puffing rhymes alongside Benny The Butcher.
“My n****s sharpshooters, aim and click, I ain’t talkin’ no Twit’ pic,” Armani growls in her verse. “I get in that booth and I rip sh*t / No playin’, no kid sh*t.” DJ Premier provides a typically soulful beat, looping up a cinematic sample with his signature boom-bap drums to give Caesar the perfect backdrops for her threats. Benny runs the anchor leg, sneering at his opponents, “You get what you pay for, you wanna be a hustler / But you can’t afford the work, n***, don’t quit your day job.”
As Westside Gunn teases his departure from the rap game and passes the torch to Conway, Benny, and Armani, it appears Griselda is in good hands as they become one of the premiere (heh) labels in traditionalist rap today.
Listen to Armani Caesar’s “Simply Done” featuring DJ Premier and Benny The Butcher above.