LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� You鈥檇 be hard pressed to find a rap duo doing it like City Girls. They鈥檝e been bringing life-affirming, pretty-girl scam rap to the masses since they were featured on 鈥檚 鈥淚n My Feelings鈥� and launched into superstardom with their 2018 debut 鈥淕irl Code鈥� and its hit single 鈥淎ct Up.鈥�
A lot has changed since then. Three years ago, the Miami-based duo of JT and released their sophomore album, 鈥淐ity on Lock鈥� shortly after it was leaked. They鈥檝e worked to make sure things move as smoothly as possible with their third full-length album, 鈥淩AW." It鈥檚 City Girls, as fun as ever 鈥� with marked growth.
鈥�'RAW' is just being authentic and being ourselves," says JT, who did most of the speaking in their interview with The Associated Press.
Of course, that doesn't mean the album 鈥� true to their spirited party records and moments of real vulnerability 鈥� came easy. Across the last three years, the duo hasn't felt immune to the pressures that accompany fame and influence creativity.
鈥淚 feel like, when creating music, it relates so much to your life, and as your life change, your music change. So, it's a lot of pressure from different sides, like people saying, 'Oh, you don鈥檛 sound like your old self. Or people just basically saying, 鈥業 want to hear growth in the music,'鈥� she continues. 鈥淚t's a line of division as an artist, when you're creating.鈥�
Of course, there's a lot to celebrate here, from the NSFW club banger 鈥淧i帽ata鈥� and 鈥淭onight,鈥� which samples Lil Kim, to the JT freestyle 鈥淣o Bars,鈥� her first solo single since 2019's 鈥淛T First Day Out," which led to the launch of a No Bars Reform initiative, created to provide resources to other formerly incarcerated women and help them rehabilitate into society.
There's also an all-star list of collaborations on 鈥淩AW,鈥� from the dizzying trap of 鈥淪tatic鈥� featuring Lil Durk to the Dr. Luke pop record 鈥淔lashy," with . 鈥淜im Petras is beautiful. I love her songs. I love her music,鈥� says JT. 鈥�(When) she sent the demo back in, she sounded amazing.鈥�
Then there's their track with future . 鈥淥riginally Chris Brown was supposed to get on 鈥楪ood Love,鈥� but I don鈥檛 know what happened with that,鈥� says Yung Miami. 鈥淪o, I personally reached out to Usher, I sent the record, he sent it back, and that鈥檚 how 鈥楪ood Love鈥� came about.鈥�
And a collaboration with fellow Floridian Muni Long on the sexy R&B tune 鈥淓motions." "I just hear her voice on it," JT says. 鈥淪he writes great music so we felt like she would be perfect for that song.鈥�
That track follows the sing-along rap record, 鈥淪how Me the Money," emphasizing the no-skip, smooth transitions of 鈥淩AW," what JT refers to as 鈥渢urn down, turn up, turn down, turn up" sequencing.
The math is working. When asked about their place in hip-hop 鈥� on , no less 鈥� JT is acutely aware of City Girls' position. 鈥淓very time I think about, like, us being rappers, I always feel blessed. Like, damn, we are really rappers. We are really a part of hip-hop,鈥� she says, expressing particular gratitude for being 鈥渢he only female rap group right now. "And I think we were the first female rappers to go platinum since , and to chart over than Salt-N-Pepa... It's a great feeling. I feel like we doing our thing and we will continue.鈥�
As for their listeners: 鈥淚 want them to feel good, you know, liberated,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want our album to kind of be an escape from this world because it is always so serious and it's always so stressful.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
