More of the Same: ‘H.G.T.V.’ by Pusha T

Pusha T got the Carly Rae Jepsen treatment last year. Like her, he released a critically acclaimed sophomore effort , “King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude,” that commercially flopped (much like her “Emotion”). Coming off his first album as president of the record label GOOD Music, Pusha set about releasing a string of singles in promotion of his upcoming album, “King Push” (not to be confused with “King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude”). The first of these singles was the Jay Z-assisted “Drug Dealers Anonymous,” which is probably most notable for its brilliant use of a sample of Tomi Lahren bashing Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime show performance by attempting to use Jay Z’s drug history to discredit her as a role model.

“H.G.T.V.” is the second single in this run, and it’s quintessential Pusha, with his trademark wordplay, coke references, and braggadocio. The Mike WiLL Made-It-produced beat is minimal, with little more than a drum line and a faint bass. This song is notorious, however, for its scattered Drake disses, like, “It’s too far gone when the realest ain’t real / I walk amongst the clouds so your ceilings ain’t real / These n***** Call of Duty cause their killings ain’t real/ With a questionable pen so the feeling ain’t real.” Here, “It’s too far gone ” probably references Drake’s mixtape “So Far Gone”; “Walk amongst the clouds” references the cover of Drake’s album “Nothing Was the Same”; and the “questionable pen” hints at accusations of Drake using ghostwriters. This is masterful wordplay; Pusha T is at his best with this sort of brag rap that puts down any foes in his crosshairs. As far as subliminal Drake diss tracks go (and in 2016, there are a ton), this one’s a little bit harder than the average, but Pusha T is generally a harder rapper.

With that being said, “H.G.T.V.” isn’t a track that especially stands out, acting as a vehicle to demonstrate Pusha’s lyrical skill and not much more. However, its highs are great, like the line “Rap’s John Grisham / I can paint the picture with the words if you listen.” As one of the greatest coke-rappers ever—a genre that’s all about imagery—Pusha T’s claim here is pretty hard to dispute.