As the visual for DaBaby’s new single “Masterpiece” opens, you get a zoomed-in fish-eye-style shot of his team and close friends celebrating some sort of win. The resounding phrase by his main Billion Dollar Baby signee Stunna 4 Vegas that cuts through the video is, “It don’t get no bigger than us!” This momentous exclamation catapults the energy of the song overall as well as the following imagery displaying DaBaby as he basks in his own glory.
The beat for the single by D.A. Got That Dope feels like a sort of controlled chaos. Resounding 808s with an electric ringing synth sound propels DaBaby into full flex mode. DaBaby has a lot to brag about, but he specifically takes this moment to show off his new relationship to the world. He and fellow artist DaniLeigh have been public for a minute now, but with this single, not only does he visually show the two of them riding around together, but he lyrically boasts about his happiness. He spits, “My lil’ bitch is a masterpiece / I don’t even gotta be funny when I’m tellin’ no jokes / She still gon’ laugh at me.” Of course, DaBaby follows this semi-wholesome admission with a line about receiving fellatio but slight innocent love infused with fiery lust is probably accurate.
The previously mentioned controlled chaos of the beat seems to match the energy with which DaBaby needs to express his current existence. He is running around getting money during a pandemic, starting to fall in love, and also grieving a very recent loss of his brother. Balancing all of those things at once has got to be overwhelming, but DaBaby is smiling and rapping his ass off through it. It’s impossible not to take notice of how he slyly slips in his under-the-surface sadness in the middle of a spirited second verse. DaBaby raps, “Prolly gonna need to do some therapy / Had the moments, I always feel lonely / Just walked in the meetin’, and I got it on me / They don’t know that I got it on me.” Amid celebration and sheer exuberance, DaBaby’s feelings of sadness, grief, and paranoia stick out like a sore thumb.
This fleeting moment makes the expression of the song overall that much more interesting. The nuance with which DaBaby delivers his art humanizes him wholeheartedly while also allowing him to be the captivating character captured through a fish-eye view. This new single is one of the most exciting pieces of music DaBaby has dropped in a while.
