G.O.O.D. Music Presents: Pusha T - "Numbers on The Boards" (Kanye & Don Cannon)

Released just a few mere hours after "Open Letter" [below] and Tweeted along with a Kanye-fied message, "Our family HOV brought that real Hip-Hop shit this morning, so me and Pusha T wanna keep that feeling going." G.O.O.D. Music approved, Kanye/Don Cannon co-produced, and DONDA-commissioned artwork... "Numbers on The Boards" pulls a Jay-Z vocal sample from "Intro/A Million & One Questions/Rhyme No More" (1997). I'm pretty white and I still caught the whole "Ballers, I put numbers on the boards" basketball reference utilized on the track's hook. "Numbers on The Boards" is Pusha T's first major release since his critically-acclaimed Wrath of Caine mixtape @ the top of the year; It might re-appear on My Name Is My Name, his long-rumored solo debut, which should be out sometime this upcoming May.


Not unlike "Open Letter," from a sonic perspective, "Numbers on The Boards" really shouldn't work as a modern Hip-Hop beat. But on the other hand, it works incredibly well in that goofy 90's Hip-Hop Biz Markie/Digital Underground kinda way. Here's a few choice bars, transcribed thanks to Rap Genius: "Hard to get a handle on this double-edged sword / whether rappin' or I'm rappin' to a whore / Might reach back and relapse to wrappin' up this raw / Givenchy fittin' like it's gym clothes." Thematically, My Name Is My Name is supposedly inspired by Keanu Reeves & Al Pacino's film, Devil's Advocate (1997) and Marlo Stanfield's infamous catchphrase from The Wire Season 5. It's 13 tracks will likely feature production work and guest verses from the likes of Pharrell, Hudson Mohawke, The-Dream, Future, Rick Ross, Clipse member/brother No Malice, Just Blaze, Hit-Boy, and of course, Mr. West.