“Big stepper, underground methods / top notch h*** get the most, not the lesser,” a tight couplet replayed millions of times across streaming platforms and social media platforms alike. Hanumankind and his breakout single, “Big Dawgs,” have taken the world by storm, on the one hand carried in by heavy allusions to Southern US hip-hop, and on the other buoyed entirely by its cacophonic, boisterous sheen. But why is the song so inescapable? Here’s everything you need to know about Hanumankind & his track, “Big Dawgs.”
Project Pat’s Iconic Flow Bolsters An Explosive Performance
Discussion of the song simply needs to begin with its influences. Part of the virality of “Big Dawgs” comes from who Hanumankind echoes in those aforementioned lyrics: Project Pat. The cadence in which the Bengaluru-based MC delivers those lines should be familiar to anyone with a passing familiarity of the genre, utilized heavily in Pat’s own work and getting an extra dose of energy from its heavy application in Drake & 21 Savage’s “Knife Talk.”
Undoubtedly part of the reason that Hanumankind & “Big Dawgs” have experienced this level of success is the perceived cultural mismatch, something frequently cited when the song began making waves. Online discussions cropped up about the level of Project Pat’s influence, spreading so far and putting a stamp half a world away from his native Memphis. However, looking to the lyrics is again instructive. Hanumankind is very much a student of the genre he creates, defiantly stated towards the top of the song: “Ten toes in when we standin’ on business.” In fact, he spent much of his adolescence as a “formative years” experience, unshakeable in his delivery on this song.
Off-Kilter Production Makes For A Truly Special Single
Though Hanumankind’s performance is equal parts spirited, catchy and well-crafted, that’s only half the story. The blaring, digital production under him is arguably just as much of a driver. Producer Kalmi cited his taste for genres outside of hip-hop as part of the reason the song caught on. Primarily listening to electronic music, there’s a true synthetic menace that blares through in the production, causing some to compare the duo’s burgeoning signature sound to the off-the-wall stylings of acts like Run The Jewels. As the final piece, Hanumankind brings some serious lyrical chops to the track. “A worldwide sign that we face closed curtains / Out here yo, nothing’s ever certain / Only thing that’s promised is that promises are broken.”
Expectedly, in an interview, Hanumankind has teased that a debut album under Def Jam India is likely on the way. It’s an understandable question to throw at this sort of breakout star, but a song like “Big Dawgs” doesn’t come along very often. Before thinking about what’s next, it’s worth a moment to reflect on what’s now, and why the success of this song showcases the changing landscape of hip-hop. You can find “Big Dawgs” and all of the Hanumankind backlog wherever you get your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, the Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack brings together an eclectic mix of throwback jams.
