I know you are probably getting flashbacks of your mom saying “because I said so” from the title. But, currently, it is because Namibia’s underground rapper, Cosi Hooligan, said so on his collaborative track titled “Said So” with Davey Dagger and Tazeuskhamun. “Said So” can be found on the mixtape titled “Out the Trap: Stories Continues” by Cosi Hooligan. This laid-back, self-motivating song fosters the idea that music transcends borders. As soon as the beat dropped, I was instantly reminded of the song “Bands a Make Her Dance” by Juicy J featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. The tone of the beat is chill yet serious which immediately makes listeners interested in what the rapper is about to say Additionally, he places ad-libs reiterating “get it” at the beginning which further entices the listener.
The common theme of the song is getting money due to his hunger because he “says so” which seems to be a common theme surrounding rap songs. While he is reiterating this throughout the chorus, there is a contrasting deep voice rapping the same lyrics at a lower volume. This is particularly interesting to listen to because it adds variation to the chorus. As previously mentioned, it is normal for rappers to talk about money in addition to the streets they grew up on along with the hardships. Cosi Hooligan does not fail to incorporate his upbringing as he adds a layer of exclusivity to the streets with the lyric “you don’t understand because you don’t speak the code.” This alludes to the fact that a certain group of people can truly relate to his music. However, relatability does not only make good music as I found myself bopping my head while not sharing the same upbringing as him.
I would not describe Cosi Hooligan as a lyricist as lyrics like “nobody does it better than me, I’m a pro” and “I don’t do trends I follow my own protocols” were average or below average amongst others. The latter was the best of the two, but none of the lyrics truly amazed me. On the other hand, there was a line that stood out but still did not make me want to classify him as a lyricist. “Dropping heat like we came from the sun” was the lyric that stood out to me because it was different and it actually made me think about the process of something dropping from the sun.
Furthermore, I really enjoyed the beat of this track especially when about fifty seconds into the song, there is a rift in the beat. It prompted me to be more intrigued by the song while Cosi Hooligan successfully rode the beat as well. In the end, I appreciated that he let the beat shine on its own for a few moments then wrapped the song up with the catchy chorus. This allowed listeners to hear his nice beat one last time while reinforcing his ideas of getting money and because he “said so.”
Check out more of Cosi Hooligan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Apple Music, SoundClound and Spotify.