Hot New Joint: "Lunch Money" by Pusha T

Two things that I have yet to become used to with my new job are that: a) I actually have work to do. Like, as a reporter, my editors want results out of me. I don’t have nearly the time I used to where I would just dink around on the computer, Internetting my life away. And b) there’s a firewall in my office that prevents us from streaming a lot of music from various sources. So that usually isn’t that big of an issue for me, but on Tuesday, when Pusha T released his new single, “Lunch Money,” I was scrambling to find a way to hear it.

To an extent, “Lunch Money” is quintessential Pusha T. Boasting colorful, experimental production by Kanye West, it’s a breathless and unrelenting track, coming in at less than three minutes. Push flosses like there is no tomorrow and hits punchlines with accuracy, while Kanye makes a much of neat space sounds happen behind him with a beat that sounds like it could have been used on West’s own Yeezus.

Let’s talk about this beat though, for a second, if we can—it seems like it’s at least three separate ideas (maybe four even) mashed together. It’s like taking the beat from “Numbers on The Board” but making something that futuristic and original sounding seem commonplace in pop music. At first “Lunch Money” almost too much—the space sounds whirring around uncontrollably, the sample break that serves as a beat, per se, and then the bass heavy 808 drum machine pads that come in during what you can’t even call a chorus to the song—but maybe during the part that punctuates the end of each verse.

For a song that lasts less than three minutes, it seems like it should be simple, but once you start paying attention the incredibly complex layering and structure to Push’s lyrics, it’s anything but simple.

Missing from “Lunch Money” is the overarching darkness and feeling of menace that was very palpable on Pusha’s debut LP, last year’s stunning My Name is My Name. I hesitate to say that this is a “fun” song, but the playfulness of the way the beat is constructed makes it feel that way.

Lyrically, Pusha is practically all smiles and bravado as he cracks wise: “I’m a blu ray to your DVD,” he says. Before that, he puts nerds on blast saying that girls don’t want to fuck with anyone who owns an Apple watch. “Rolex shopping is more exciting.” The crux of the song is Pusha T convincing you that he’s “The only dopeboy that’s quotable.” And yes, that is true. He has a valid point. He’s always been self-aggrandizing; that’s part of his thing, aside from all of his Pyrex visions and luxury brand name drops.

Ethically, sometimes it’s hard for me to like rap music with lyrics like, “What I’m wearing in this blizzard, ni**a? Mink, leather, or lizard, ni**a?” It’s like, do animals really have to die for fashion? I’ll just never get over stuff like this in music, you know? Ugh. If I could figure out a way to type that “Pusha T ‘yughk’ noise” that he makes, this would be one of those times when I’d need it.

Animal rights issues aside, as mentioned before, this is quintessential Pusha T, but not essential Pusha T. It’s an exciting song, but it feels like slightly unfinished—the length and overall structure may have something to do with that. I hesitate to say that it is rushed, but it feels like Pusha is in a race against himself to get to the end of the song. “Lunch Money” also leaves you wondering what this means—does this mean a new album from King Push is immanent? And if so, is this song an accurate depiction of what we can expect musically speaking? Or is this just a one-off experiment with West behind the boards?

"Lunch Money" is now officially available in iTunes, via Def Jam/GOOD Music.