J Baybee Delivers a Stunningly Introspective Single Dubbed “4 Me”

Right out of the plentiful rung of struggle/grind-rap comes a new, boppy banger from J Baybee, an interesting cat out of New Iberia. J Baybee combines the outward demeanor of well-known Southern MCs such as Young Jeezy and Fabolous with the lyrical command and braggadocio of such cats as Fabolous and Yo Gotti.

Having been raised in the toughest neighborhoods in Louisiana and having gone through the roughest upbringings, J Baybee adds himself into the widely sought statistics of self-made rappers who overcome all the odds. All the usual self-aggrandizing elements are present: the cars, the women, the wide, sunny landscape shots. All of it’s there, and it speaks clearly of, as he labels himself in the song, a “young boss grinding”.

Friends and friendship matter — “4 Me” is a deliberate reaffirmation of this fact. It’s a simultaneous reveling in the joy of bringing your friends along with you in your success, but also a dirge in yet another sense: mourning the friends you lose along the way — oftentimes, as a necessary part of the journey.

More reflective concerns abound the merits of having patience as a young kid starting out; of grinding effortlessly; of keeping your eyes on the ball; of being aware that grief is part of the journey; that friends will get cut down (especially if they’re rich drug-dealers); of how to choose friends, how to protect friends, plant seeds, entrepreneurship,

In what also seems like a trend that’s currently experiencing something of a slow resurgence, J Baybee adopts a very deliberate use of autotune. The hooks aren’t any more adorned with it than the verses which make for a pretty honest, solemn effect. And if you know anything about rap music, then you know that it’s just as much about what you do within the song as without.

You might not tell from this track alone, but J Baybee has been brought up in music. His stepdad played the organ in the church so the inspiration runs deep, and part of his motivation for him is to chronicle this unique background into his catalog.

You can sample it in his Youtube, and follow his socials for more powerful rap releases.

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