D.R.A.M. – “Broccoli” (Feat. Lil Yachty) Video
One of the most joyously weird songs on hip-hop radio this summer is “Broccoli,” a collaboration between D.R.A.M. (the soulful Virginian sing-rapper of “Cha Cha” fame, here billed as Big Baby D.R.A.M.) and Lil Yachty (the youthful Atlanta AutoTune weirdo who heads up the rap internet’s latest cult of personality). Both guys appeared on Chance The Rapper’s latest mixtape, but their work together on “Broccoli” comes way closer to channeling Chance’s usual exuberance than their individual contributions to Coloring Book ever did. This one’s a bouncy piano loop topped off with an irresistible flute melody like something out of The Legend Of Zelda. (Yachty is a guy who sampled Mario 64, and D.R.A.M.’s “Cha Cha” was famously built around music from Super Mario World, so.)
I would not have pegged D.R.A.M. and Yachty as effective teammates due to their wildly different approaches; D.R.A.M. is a Caribbean-inflected party-starter with a deep, soulful voice, whereas Yachty sounds like Future traveled back in time to age 12 and became one with his computer. But it turns out their skill sets are insanely complementary. “Broccoli” is a ridiculous masterpiece, an impeccable composition with an aesthetic so absurd that it makes perfect sense. I hope these guys will record a whole EP together. In the meantime they’ve shared a video for “Broccoli directed by Nathan R. Smith & Hidji Films, which you can and should watch below.