Secretly, I've been waiting for this song from Theophilus London. What song is that, you ask? Well, every rapper does this song. It's the “yeah, you thought I wasn't raw, but here's a sucker punch to the dome” song.
For most rappers the song is written during a stretch where the artist's integrity is in question, perhaps there's a gay humor, a battle recently lost, or an album that made critics and fans declare some so-n'-so a has-been. It's a reactionary song, in which you imagine an argument in the studio with the rapper's cronies and some hubris shouts of “what'chu mean they ain't feelin' me? Me?” Then, the rapper selects the rawest beat he can find, goes in the booth and delivers a late career burner that wins a few back.
Theophilus London is not backed into a corner, fighting for his life, which makes “Last Name London” all the more of a sucker punch. The jetsetting lover is done with the exotic vacations and back to put in work with raps like “I-I don't battle / I pro-rhyme / get-get-get with the program.” I cannot recall reading a Theophilus article that questioned TH's credentials, nor does TH sound bitter we never asked if he had some raw shit in him, but “Last Name London” answers such quandry's incase you were silently wondering. So stay off his Herbie Hancock, alright?
His Warner Bros debut is called Timez Are Weird These Days, which TH described as capturing a moment in time that reflects the current status of pop culture. Weird like end of days, maybe? Recorded in Stockholm, NYC and LA the 11 track debut features production by Ariel Rechstshaid (Foreign Born, MURS, Glasser), Jokke of The Teddybears, Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and John Hill (Santigold), who is responsible for “Last Name London.”
Timez Are Weird These Days is out July 19 on Warner Bros. You have until noon today to retweet the song through XXL to get a free download of “Last Name London”.
