“Late at Night” by Roddy Ricch
We’ve pointed out in the past that popular rappers, as the industry currently stands, can’t just drop a simple love song. Or put differently, they can’t just come out and be like ‘I love you’. There are other factors which must also be present in the track, as is also evident in Roddy Ricch’s “Late at Night”.
For instance, somehow the lyrics have to allude to the rapper being a gangsta, a playa or what have you. And although in this case they don’t specifically point to such an idea, that’s the general feeling one gets from the song, that the vocalist is some ‘hood dude. And while we’re on such a subtopic, it has also become quite common for guys to be addressing romantic interests in rap songs who are dating or fraternizing with other males simultaneously. But in this case, Roddy is telling the addressee that it’s only himself that he wants her to concentrate on.
Then secondly in terms of the traditional rap-romance formula, there are the explicit references to sex. There really isn’t much need to get into such wording as found in this song. But as usual, the rapper is presenting himself as someone who is exceptional in bed.
Then finally there is the materialistic aspect. That is to say that since the addressee is a romantic interest that Ricch really-really likes, he’s going to go out of his way to treat her to Gucci, Fendi and what have you, while simultaneously dropping other allusions to wealth throughout. Basically the bottom line in that particular regard isn’t so much that he loves the girl as it is his ability to spread one out that he fancies.
Addressee is Special to Roddy
And indeed, what all of these assertions lead back to is such an idea, that this lady holds a special place in Roddy’s heart. And accordingly as the title illustrates, it is she that he wants to be with “late at night” as well as, as illustrated in the chorus, “in the morning”.
Conclusively what he is saying is that since he’s committed to her – or as some may say in the ‘hoods he’s willing to “ride with” her – then he’s expecting a comparable level of commitment in return.
Music Video
The music video to this track generated a bit of technological buzz in that it features a product called Beats Studio Buds, by the ever-popular Apple, that has yet to be released. And to note, said clip was directed by a filmographer known as Director X.
Release Date
Being released by Atlantic Records and another label called Bird Vision Entertainment on 4 June 2021, this is actually the first solo joint Roddy Ricch has put out this year.
Perhaps he is still reeling from the massive success of his hit single “The Box“, which just came out in 2020. It proved to be one of the best-selling songs of that year, going septuple-platinum in the United States as well as coming in at third place on the Billboard Hot 100 2020 year-end chart. And prior to that Roddy had a couple of other notable hits, such as 2018’s “Die Young”. And to note, “Late at Night” is actually the first non-collaborative, non-live track he’s put out since “The Box”.
Roddy Ricch is from Compton, a city which is part of the overall Los Angeles metropolitan area. And Compton is in fact a locality which throughout the decades is responsible for bringing us some of the greatest rappers ever known such as Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Coolio and many others.
More Facts about “Late at Night”
Roddy teased the release of this track on 2 June 2021, a couple of days prior to it coming out.
Roddy wrote this song alongside its producers, Mustard and Gylttryp, both of whom are regular collaborators of his. DJ Mustard is also from Los Angeles, and Gylttryp is apparently someone whom he put on to the game.
According to Genius at the time of the release of this track, it is actually to be featured on an upcoming project entitled “Love Is Barely Real Anymore”, which will be the name of Roddy Ricch’s second album.
