Right in time for summer, Tampa Bay spitter Tae Bae drops his lush, luxurious new single “B.B.” on Warner Records. The track is a celebratory tour through designer stores and low-lit bedrooms assisted by Chicago singer/rapper Dreezy, and it arrives alongside a steamy video. After a decade sitting atop Florida rap, Tae Bae is back this year with a vengeance, and “B.B.” is one of his smoothest records to date.
The allure of wealth is a familiar theme in hip-hop, but Tae Bae puts a spin on it by turning his track into a love story. He bounces around the beat, telling a lover she deserves a Birkin bag, smooth-talking before he cuts the lights down low. Dreezy offers her own charismatic flexing, claiming she “can’t even date a n***a that gotta search for a tag.” Their chemistry sneaks up on you thanks to the instrumental, a slice of pop magic full of warm synth chords and chiming bells. It’s airy, warm, and bright—the perfect song for taking to the streets on a summer afternoon.
“B.B.” is Tae Bae’s second single of 2021, after the irresistible “K.A.T.,” but these new hits are part of an even longer hot streak for the Tampa great. His record “Ova East” was named one of VICE’s “Best Songs of 2020”, and the DrewFilmedIt-directed video garnered even more attention. Before that, he dropped the bouncy “3 Bags” and the reflective club cut “Dusse’” with Wale. The strength—and continued acclaim—of these singles is indicative of Tae Bae’s staying power and talent. He’s spent the last year and change re-acclimating to the limelight after having served a nearly seven-year jail sentence. Prior to that, he was popping in Tampa Bay at the top of the 2010s. If the new music is any indication, his name has held weight all that time, and he’s on his way to returning to the top while fulfilling his promise as one of his city’s most gifted rappers.
