From her graphic lyrics on songs like “Everywhere” and “Throw That Thang” to her orgy-filled music videos, Sukihana constantly pushes against puritanical standards. So it makes sense that the equally sex-positive St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red would tap her to be on a track. On their provocative single “Born by the River,” the two women put a raunchy spin on Sam Cooke’s civil rights movement anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come,” written as a call to hope after Cooke, his family, and his band were turned away from a whites-only motel. Referencing the viral Vine that put a similar twist on the 1964 single, the duo rap about capitalizing on what God gave them: “I was born by the river/I was getting them stacks/Bend it over, pop that pussy, I be making it clap.” Some might say these lyrics are disrespectful, but I’d like to imagine Sam Cooke beaming with pride at the creativity of these Black women for turning a song about segregation into an unapologetic twerk anthem.
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from Sexyy Red and more on our Spotify playlist.
