'AP' Review: Pop Smoke Talks To Us Nice

Pop Smoke’s acting debut goes hard in the film “Boogie,” and the late rapper hits even harder with the soundtrack. His latest single “AP,” released Feb. 26, leads the lineup of Smoke’s records to be featured in the movie, including “Fashion”, “No Cap,” and “Welcome to the Party.” All-stars like Jacquees, Kamaal Williams, and Fivio Foreign collaborate on the original soundtrack, with Smoke headlining as the star who gives voice to the journey of playing basketball through adversity.

The essence of the song “AP” can perhaps be best summed up by the lyric video, which casts Smoke in a hostile light as the antagonist ball player Monk. Vindictive as the beat of the drill on the track, Smoke raps about being a killer who “bust a check in my Nikes,” as he runs the court against leading actor Taylor Takahashi, who plays Alfred “Boogie” Chin in “Boogie.”

Balling under the Brooklyn bridge, Monk and Boogie struggle shoulder to shoulder in the beginning of the video, setting the mood for the conflict to come from director Eddie Huang. Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks get the viewer involved with the filming process, as well as allowing them to see Smoke grow into his first-ever acting role.

Pop Smoke’s signature drill beat drops just after the producer tag plays “Ayy, turn it up in the headphones,” getting the listener hyped right from the start. His flow morphs from staying on beat in the chorus to a quick-paced spit fire verse as the lyrics “get to sprayin’.” The grotesque word play in the second verse hints at comedic relief with “pop, knock his head off,” and “I bet he’d make a movie.” Overall, “AP” as a song is not distinctive from those we’ve previously seen in Smoke’s discography. Its sound resembles hits like “Welcome to the Party” and “Invincible” from albums “Meet the Woo” and “Meet the Woo 2,” respectively. But that’s precisely what makes it so trendy during an era when the iconic Brooklyn drill sound continues to revolutionize the hip hop scene.

The song flows seamlessly behind the lyric video, narrating Smoke’s transition from rapper to actor.

Smoke sings “I make a call and it’s war,” and the camera pans to Monk’s team barreling Boogie’s on the court. “Two tone, icy” sounds as Monk slams a dunk in a still frame. Smoke raps about “shawty wanna act like a diva” as a clip of the love-interest Eleanor (played by leading actress Taylour Paige) flashes across the screen.

“Boogie” is a story of hardship, love, and coming of age — things not necessarily associated with Pop Smoke as an artist. But Smoke bridges that gap by way of “AP,” connecting with the narrative and immersing himself into his acting role through the music. So while it may sound like every other Pop Smoke song, the fact that “AP” can be superimposed into a movie and still be relatable in that context is impressive.

Pop Smoke is an established icon in many ways already, and his influence only continues to grow.

— Staff Writer Alisa S. Regassa can be reached at alisa.regassa@thecrimson.com.