Don't Call It a Comeback
The Return of RealYungPhil & Gud
After a nearly six-month absence that felt like six years, RealYungPhil has made his triumphant return to the wonderful world of underground rap. Back in June, for the first time in nearly five years, the output of the Connecticut-born, style-focused rapper grinded to a halt. Phil went from pelting us with chill drill loosies and collab tapes to doing seemingly nothing, failing to even maintain his Instagram account. Save for one Instagram post-shaped clue back in August, he disappeared without a trace.
The clue — a photograph of a typically fitted Phil on a cliff high above a scenic fjord — alerted the world that he was in Scandinavia (Åndalsnes, Norway, to be exact), which could mean only one thing: he was tapped back in with Gud, the Swedish superproducer/progenitor of the Sad Boy and Drain Gang style that has permeated every corner of the rap universe in some way or another.
Producers and rappers collaborate all the time. So what?
Back in 2023, Gud and RealYungPhil released Victory Music, one of the best albums of that year. The two operated as if they were one. Despite obvious sonic differences and inconsistencies, Phil’s cadence and husky braggadocio existed in oxymoronic harmony with Gud’s icy keys and warm melodies. If you haven’t heard it, you’re doing yourself a disservice. The shit was good, and a follow-up album has been rumored from the jump. Now that the two artists have reunited, though, they would need to tap back in a major way if they wanted to even come close to reaching the extreme heights of Victory Music.
Well, the RealYungPhil and Gud have done just that by surprise releasing the succinct double tap of “Back” backed with “Communication” on January 1st. Like its predecessor, the shit is good! Phil, with Gud serving as both his driving force and right hand man once again, was hard at work during his sabbatical from the public eye, and it seems that he has perfected his brand of aphoristic, boastful NY drill. Check it.
Why do we care?
RealYungPhil is the only dude still having fun with this drill shit, and this double single proves it with power and finesse.
”Communication” has been floating around since September of last year, but goddamn it feels good to hear it as an official release.
Phil’s raps are so simple, but they’re somehow so tough. The confidence on the two singles is through the roof, and it’s justified because Phil knows that he’s going to keep getting money while his critics and biters stay broke.
“You can imitate it but you can't duplicate it / I’m with Gud and I know y’all was waiting / They probably thought that I baited / U ain't that n****, don't quit your day shift / Still need a bag I'm like, ‘where is my payment?’” (“Communication”)
Yes, Phil always has the best beats from the best producers—Woesum, randomblackdude (aka Earl Sweatshirt), evilgiane, and Dylvinci to name a few—but these instrumentals from beat god Gud must’ve been tailor-made for Phil. It’s clear as day that he pores over every beat that comes his way, choosing exactly what suits him best.
On “Back,” this fool Phil freaks a Basement Jaxx-esque synth oscillation, talking the bored, self-assured talk that only he can.
On “Communication,” Gud dials his signature cutesy cool to the max, and Phil waxes melodic, clearly happy to be back in the Great White North as he practically prances across the beat.
Despite his ever-subdued delivery, Phil sounds full of life on this new double tap. Like Victory Music, he’s rapping like he was born to do, stunting hard and putting down the brokes with ease.
Rumor has it that RealYungPhil has a fitted for every day of the week, and the album art is keeping this rumor alive. I hope it stays alive forever. Even if the rumor is false, I guarantee that he has never even owned a black nasty, which is a beautiful thing.
Shoutout RealYungPhil and Gud and whatever shit they cooked up in Norway! If “Back” and “Communication” are all that Phil has to show for his time away, it’s still nothing but respect. The people have been waiting with bated breath, and it appears that the wait is finally over.
#surfgang