Following the release of Project Black and Red in 2014, fans have been eagerly and patiently waiting for a new project from Yungen. The rapper kept his avid listeners satisfied with the release of several singles including “Fools Gold”, “All Night” featuring Mr Eazi and the chart smashing and platinum-selling single “Bestie” featuring Yxng Bane. Yungen also lent his talents to Steel Banglez’s all-star ensemble track “Bad” and to the Crazy Cousinz produced “Wifey Riddim” sampling track “Feelings (Wifey)” with M.O.
Project Purple is, therefore, Yungen’s first full-length project in nearly five years; and fans were hoping to hear more of the same from the lyrically talented and bar crafty artist that they were introduced to many years ago.
Yungen’s latest offering is nine tracks long and it does not disappoint; listeners are treated to more punchlines than they are likely able to handle and no track discriminates; even tracks like “Myself” featuring Angel and “LYB” that veer more towards R&B host carefully constructed punchlines and bars that are likely to have gone over your head on your first listen.
For your reading pleasure, we took on the task of narrowing down nine of the best punchlines from Project Purple; a difficult task given the project’s lyrical quality.
“I got my dream whip but I’m still working like a slave” from “Off the Record 3”
The project begins with the track “Off the Record 3” which acts as the project’s introduction. “Off the Record 3” is essentially Yungen telling personal stories and reminiscing about his childhood aspirations over a slow and reflective instrumental.
On the track, Yungen uses punchlines to emphasise the rawness of his lyrics. The bar, “I got my dream whip but I’m still working like a slave” is a powerful one; it outlines where Yungen is at in his career.
Following a successful season that saw him go platinum, perform at an array of festivals and collaborate with Craig David- an accolade he proudly reflects on in the track “First of the Second”, “I don’t know at what point you make it, but I got a song with Craig David, a house on the river, underground parking and a spaceship”, Yungen is living his dream. The fact that he is still working and still grinding proves that the artist is aiming high and still has more things he wants to achieve.
”Dubai seven up, I ain’t trying to let my tan go. Madman T, he might pull up in a Kangol. But it can get pear-shape if my brudda lets his man go” from “No Chorus”
Next on the track-list is “No Chorus” which receives an intro from radio legend Charlie Sloth that encourages Yungen to deliver a track with no chorus and instead one that solely consists of the delivery of bars. Yungen takes Charlie’s advice and the result is a fiery performance laced with intelligent wordplay and bars which makes choosing the best bars from this track a nearly impossible task; a separate feature of the nine best punchlines from this track alone could easily be written.
“I had to air one ting she used to force it. Said my boy had beef in East and then I sure ditched” from “No Chorus”
Yungen annihilates his doubters on “No Chorus” and he incorporates genre staple braggy rap lyrics about money, turning up abroad and cars. Significantly, Yungen proves his ability to laugh at himself with a cheeky bar that references his infamous Nando’s incident; “They thought they ended my career with that running clip. Two years later, look who’s platinum and who’s running shit”.
Yungen does this again with the line, “Yeah we went for dinner but she a mad hoe. And you know I like to drop tings like Nando’s”.
”Feds trying to nick a teen cos they know he’s got the smoke” from “No Chorus”
Other notable bars from this track include ”Feds trying to nick a teen cos they know he’s got the smoke” and “My boy moves Charlie, she asked him to leave 1Xtra”. The latter proves his fresh lyricism and ability to incorporate current affairs into his bars; a key and necessary skill for any lyricist.
”Power got daddy’s boys trying to act street. Have that Tommy turn your dad to a ghost like Tariq” from “Pricey” featuring One Acen
Punchlines and superb lyricism rely on the audience understanding the references used by the artist. Yungen is fully aware of this and constantly incorporates popular culture into his punchlines. A notable example is the track “Pricey” featuring One Acen where Yungen uses the characters and storyline of American television drama Power to rattle his enemies.
“Pricey” receives a catchy chorus from rising star One Acen and the track was one of the first from the project to drop with the official video being released last August.
Check the video out below.
”Her pussy tight so I had to buy her Loubs” from “Expensive”
“Expensive” is in the league of “No Chorus” and is another skilful track that aims to exemplify Yungen’s lyrical skill. The South London hailing rapper consistently delivers punchlines on this track, so many that it is likely that the majority will go over your head on the first listen. With the chantey singalong hook “You ain’t Gucci Gang cos you got a Gucci Belt”, the track is destined to be a fan favourite, especially for live performances.
It is an unwritten rule in rap that sexual innuendos and narratives about women are an important element. One of the standout bars in “Expensive” is “her pussy tight so I had to buy her Loubs”. Yungen mixes the both here, he uses a double entendre to make both a sexual reference as well as a fashion one. Again, listeners may only notice one or the other on the first listen.
A notable mention from the track is “now Jada wanna Kiss on the D, she knew I had Styles before I even made P” which pays homage to iconic American hip-hop artists and makes use of clever plays on words and pronunciations.
”I used to dream of going ’plat when I used to have the braids” from “Comfortable”
“Comfortable” features a melodic chorus from Dappy and the track details relatable experiences with fake friends. The track is radio-friendly yet still for the streets and the culture with smart lacing of bars and Yungen’s signature wordplay. ”I used to dream of going ’plat when I used to have the braids” is a clever play on words using both the hairstyle definition and the single classification in order to illustrate Yungen’s consistent and long journey to achieve a platinum selling single and other career successes.
Watch the video to “Comfortable” below.
“Yeah I want me a wife and kids but I’m still trying to find me a way in (Wayan)” from “Special One”
“Special One” samples Ginuwine’s 2001 hit “Differences” and the track is a slow and soulful one that sees Yungen speak directly to a romantic interest. The rapper is vulnerable and expresses his love for his girl on the track. Yungen still manages to incorporate punchlines into the lyrics and he delivers them with a chilled cadence. “Yeah I want me a wife and kids but I’m still trying to find me a way in (Wayan)” again references popular culture, this time the cult favourite comedy series My Wife and Kids which was created by and starred Damon Wayans.
“Been patterning since Evisu, now it’s a Burberry pattern and the McQueen’s new” from “First of the Second”
The closing track of Project Purple is reflective, autobiographical and bar heavy. Yungen details his rise to fame and he reflects on some of his career highlights including performing at Wembley stadium and collaborating with artists that inspired him in his youth.
The line, “been patterning since Evisu, now it’s a Burberry pattern and the McQueen’s new” can be interpreted in many ways, including the meaning that the artist has been aspiring for stardom and success since the heydays of Evisu which can be traced to the early 2000s. Burberry and McQueen’s are also viewed as a more luxury brand to Evisu; perhaps signalling a change in lifestyle for Yungen which he references several times on the track such as with the bar, “eight flights in seven days, it’s like going on holiday and getting paid, bring my friends with me and show them better days, we ain’t going back”.
Listen to Project Purple in its entirety right here on GRM Daily.