‘Ms. Whitman’ Review: A Clever Clapback

The infamous Danielle Bregoli, better known as rapper Bhad Bhabie, is back to making headlines for her confrontational personality. Instead of inviting the entirety of Dr. Phil’s audience to “catch me outside,” she invites Alabama Barker personally to tussle in her new single titled “Ms. Whitman,” her response to Barker’s track, “Cry Bhabie.” Dropped on Feb. 25, the two-minute track has over 12 million streams on Spotify with nearly 150 thousand TikTok videos lip syncing to the relentless yet catchy lyrics provoking Barker.

Opening with the iconic beat from Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, and ¥$’s “Carnival,” the song rejects the typical verse-chorus-verse structure and embraces what feels like a freestyle. Line after line paints Barker vividly in an unflattering light, leaving listeners feeling the annoyance that Bhad Bhabie clearly does at Barker’s provocation. Sexual references and lyrics like “you a tramp, Alabama” are sure to perpetuate the ruthlessness embedded in the track as a whole.

What makes the song embarrassingly personal for Barker are the references to past partners, including rapper Tyga and the illicit nature of their relationship. Bhad Bhabie goes on to describe Barker as “dirty” and “stanky” while insinuating that she sleeps around to benefit her lackluster career in music. Although these lyrics seem invasively demeaning, Bhad Bhabie is vexed by Barker’s discussion of her child and child’s father. Her threat to “Will Smith it,” referring to Will Smith’s aggression towards Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, paints her as a provoked mama bear.

Aside from personal problems, Bhad Bhabie makes digs at Barker’s musical ability in “Cry Bhabie,” insinuating she ripped off Latto, another female rapper. Yet, Bhad Bhabie’s onslaught doesn’t end there, as she also references the Kardashian Family and Soulja Boy. Evidently, the rapper is invested in the beef in spite of Barker’s alleged Instagram messages begging for “no more diss songs.”

The bulk of the song is catchy, upbeat, and great at inspiring the disgust and annoyance felt towards Barker. However, the short introduction and closing remarks poorly bookend Bhad Bhabie’s talent. Her rhetorical question, insinuating Barker’s stupidity in assuming their battle would end quickly, tells uninformed listeners that the pair have a history, but the comment is not seamlessly integrated into the following rhythm and sticks out as an afterthought.

Additionally, the short outro is both an abrupt ending and a funny last remark. Noting Bhad Bhabie’s refusal to tell Barker “what color socks I got on,” listeners can imagine Barker to be as inconsequential as a piece of gum on the bottom of Bhad Bhabie’s shoes.

The energetic chorus embedded in the “Carnival” beat as a background and Bhad Bhabie’s dynamic flow grab the attention of listeners who can’t help but acknowledge that “Ms. Whitman” is an easy listen. Coupled with the vivid storytelling and specific details, Bhad Bhabie not only powerfully responds to Barker’s instigation but makes clear that further issues between the pair can be handled without MP3 files and the Internet.

—Staff writer Madelyn E. McKenzie can be reached at madelyn.mckenzie@thecrimson.com.