Brooklyn rapper Desiigner put his head down late in 2015, pinned his ears back, and decided that regardless of what anyone said or thought, his freight train wouldn’t be derailed. A regionally popular single, “Panda,” quickly became a national favorite, a favorite of Kanye West‘s, and a favorite of rap radio across the country. Meetings with West at L.A.X. produced a G.O.O.D. Music record deal for Desiigner, who was 18 when he signed on the G.O.O.D./Def Jam dotted line, and newly elected president of Kanye’s renowned rap imprint, Pusha T, instantly began raving about his first round draft pick.
Meanwhile, Hip Hop fans and critics were significantly more tentative to get behind “Panda,” which skyrocketed to the #1 spot on the Billboard charts in May. It would be remiss not to acknowledge the glaring similarities between “Panda” and a good chunk of Future‘s music, and comparing the two quickly became the thing to do. It didn’t help that during the first quarter of the year, Future released two projects, and was as ubiquitous as any rap star. Still, “Panda” reigned gleefully, and Desiigner danced and dabbed his way through Madison Square Garden, Kanye West’s “Famous” reveal in Los Angeles, late night TV, Wendy Williams‘ show and a Vogue video feature.
Yes, that Vogue.
Today all that comes to a head, as Desiigner’s debut mixtape, New English, has been unleashed. Considering “Panda” is the only solo song he’s officially released, this makes for one of the more intriguing releases of recent memory, and you can check it out below, or here on Tidal. Naturally, Pusha T is the lone feature.
