Orchestrating endearment through vulnerability, Luh Kelworks to right the wrongs in his relationship via “Be This Way.” The warm guitar-led R&B production draws slight similarities from Case’s “Missing You.”
The duration of “Be This Way” finds the singer fighting for love. But, rather than calling it quits, Luh Kel is determined to make things work with his better half.
Owning up to his faults in their spat, the L.O.V.E. Deluxe curator croons
“I shouldn’t put the blame on you (On you, on you)/Yeah, baby/And I know that it gets emotional/It hurts sometimes to hear the truth, oh.”
Following this, the top-charting musician wears his heart on his sleeve while detailing his truer intentions. Moreover, Luh Kel wants to quit going back and forth. Hoping that they can find some common ground, he also explains his coping mechanisms.
“Fightin’ for your love is better than fightin’ for nothin’/I just need your love, I need to get feeling from somethin’,” he sings. “Arguin’ all day and night, keep my mind just runnin’/Dealin’ with these assumptions.”
“Be This Way” is Luh Kel’s first single since he released his album in 2020.
The deluxe album included hits “Feen” featuring Trippie Redd and “Wrong – Remix” featuring Lil Tjay. In 2019, he dropped his Billboard charting breakout single “Wrong,” which also garnished over 150 million streams on Youtube! Luh Kel is back and ready to take over the R&B game.
Lil Zay Osama is primarily known for penning lyrics that hit close to home. Oftentimes he speaks on losing loved ones, being betrayed, dealing with heartache, and keeping individuals at a distance. The rapper also reflects on personal experiences that left a bad taste in his mouth and his come up. With hard work and dedication, Lil Zay Osama has earned several accolades.
The themes mentioned make way in Trench Baby 2, the latter of Trench Baby. On his 11-track project, Lil Zay Osama doesn’t bite his tongue. He addresses opps and other people who talk negatively about him. Additionally, he explains how to become successful and happy.
Songs like “Okay” and “Needed You” see Lil Zay Osama at his most vulnerable.
Aside from reflecting on fallouts, he expresses his gratitude. Not only is he thankful to see another day, but he’s financially free and living his dream. Trench Baby 2 ultimately teaches listeners how to roll with the punches. After all, he’s living proof. The artists featured on his album include EST GEE, Sean Kingston, Luh Kel, Mook6340, and Benny the Butcher. Sonically, the project takes on various approaches to trap. They also carry a heavy bassline. Some beats are more upbeat and aggressive, while others take on a somber tone.
One standout record from Trench Baby 2 is “Okay,” which sees Lil Zay Osama reflecting on the past.
“Okay” is a melancholic trap offering that allows listeners to dive into Lil Zay Osama’s mentality. In just two minutes, the rapper speaks about his grandfather’s drug addiction, getting out the streets, and discovering his former girlfriend’s infidelity. Moreover, he gives others a raw look at street culture. While the street culture may be glorified in music and media, there is nothing pretty about it.
One notable excerpt goes,
“They wanna know what go down behind these street signs/Whole lotta blood shit and R.I.P signs/Man that shit happened so fast wish I could rewind/It been too much on my brain, I need some me time.”
About Lil Zay Osama:
Throughout 2020, Zay has touched fans with singles like “Loyalty,” which encapsulates the emotional impact of his heaviest songs.
In one half-sung couplet, he distills the callousness of Chicago street life. One of six children born to a single mother, Zay employed every hustle available to him growing up—selling newspapers, playing bucket drums, illicit grinds—to provide for himself and his family.
But though Zay was in the street early, he was in the studio well before. By the time he was a teen, he was a budding star in the early 2010s Chicago drill scene alongside compatriots like Chief Keef.
Zay dropped his celebrated and celebratory Hood Bible (2019) while glowing from signing to Warner Records, but his forthcoming project Trench Baby takes a different tack. He captures grief, trauma, and romantic heartbreak as much as he articulates the joy of survival.
Fresh off the heels of his albums, L.O.V.E. and L.O.V.E. (Deluxe), Luh Kel is back on the R&B charts with his single “I Wish.”
Although Valentine’s Day revolves around paying kindness forward and showing affection, Luh Kel uses the national holiday as momentum to right his wrongs. Sonically, “I Wish” samples Ray J’s “One Wish” and emphasizes the soft piano loop.
From the beginning, Luh Kel admits to playing the field and explains why he did. The truth may hurt, but Luh Kel is laying it out on the table so that he can win his wifey back.
“I tried to tell you how I feel, but I stumbled on my words,” he sings with a velvety register. “Know I was tripping when I did it, but she put me first/But I’m just tryna’ make it work.“
Photo Courtesy of Billboard
It’s apparent that he regrets the decision he made, but what matters is that he’s trying to do the right thing.
As the song carries on, Luh Kel reflects on what he should’ve done as their relationship gets more robust. He says he would do everything he’s supposed to, mend her broken heart, and get to know her a bit better before going all in. Elsewhere, the R&B artist confesses that he should’ve been more attentive to her soul, body, and mind. All-in-all, Luh Kel didn’t want them to split. He’s hoping to reconcile with his woman so that he can make it work once more.
The St. Louis native has more than proven that he’s forever emerging as an R&B megastar. Throughout his career, he’s collaborated with Quando Rondo, Lil Tjay, and PnB Rock. Subsequently, he’s earned spots on the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs charts, Platinum certification by R.I.A.A. for his breakout single “Wrong” and two Gold certificates with “BRB” and “Pull Up,” Currently, Luh Kel is prepping to take this year by storm.
