After an eight-year-long hiatus, Hopsin is back with a new project with a grand story.
Marcus Jamal Hopson, professionally known as Hopsin, last released a studio album in 2017. While he has released several singles between now and then, fans are still eagerly awaiting the next album, set to release sometime this year. On February 10, 2023, the underground rapper released the first chapter in this new narrative, explaining that the being “Hopsin” had been summoned to help save the Earth from destruction in trade for the whereabouts of his son – a pain point that Hop has not been afraid to talk about throughout his career.
Hopsin is another independent rapper with a prolific career that spans multiple decades. The 37-year-old began his rapping career in 2001 and is known for his hard-hitting, dark, gritty, and often eye-opening lyrics, remaining one of the most controversial conscious rappers to date.
“Rebirth,” released on March 10, 2023, is the second installment of this concept that Hop is unleashing upon the world, and seems to be a continuation of chapter one. The two-minute intro shows Hopsin reaching his destination in this Sci-Fi themed storyline. The song itself serves to re-introduce the rapper to the world, dishing out bars like:
I’m from the land where the teenage kids are lost
I got sticks for the beef like a shish kebab
So nigga don’t ask why I’m so twisted dawg
You wanna be me? Better get your dick enlarged, come on
Hip hip hurrah, it’s the don Hop the biscuits done popped
This shit non stop, Em and Pac hybrid with vengeance on top
And going hard in the second verse as he spits:
You get left in the D.C.’s while begging me please please inevitably so pipe down (shut up)
Amigo but don’t ask how I stack my C-notes (why not?)
I get a kick outta eating these beats though so the only way to define it is Hapkido (hi-yah)
Oh he nasty with it and he different motherfuckers can’t admit it jabs is hitting hard he be slamming niggas he remind me of Popeye with his can of spinach
The music video for “Rebirth” cleverly shows Hopsin inciting riots and destroying the city he is in, under the guise of people enjoying his music. At the video’s close, we learn that Hopsin’s mission is far from over as he is given his next set of instructions so that he can save the world and find his son. This visual/audio experiment is a refreshing show of storytelling, similar to Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint Movie and Michael Jackson’s Thriller, while maintaining a reasonable song length. Hopsin masterfully balances a three-ish minute song with three minutes or so of movie-like cinematics.
Even though I, personally, wouldn’t throw this onto my own playlists, I feel like that wasn’t the point of this project. Hopsin is breaking the boundaries of how the audience thinks of a “song,” and should be recognized for going out of the norms for what is expected by taking the time to paint such a vivid picture with his medium. I am excited to see how this saga unfolds, and I definitely think that you should check it out.
