Hip-Hop Legends Little Brother Are Back Like They Never Left
Earlier this year, when we asked Phonte and Big Pooh of Little Brother about new music, Pooh told us, “Right now, our focus is on getting that documentary finished. Once we get through that process, then we can turn our attention elsewhere.” It’s unclear what stage their highly anticipated doc is in, but new music is here nonetheless with “Wish Me Well” and “Glory Glory.” The two songs, released Tuesday, seek to satiate fans hungry for new bars from the beloved North Carolina duo.
On “Wish Me Well,” the guys go back and forth over producer Deonis Pumah Cook’s smooth instrumental, sounding as sharp as ever while affirming their independence and giving life lessons like Pooh’s “What you need in life? Is it money or respect? / When you got power, then you know you’re getting both” bars.
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Phonte starts off the track recalling someone misspelling their names on a plaque, apparently reflecting that even as cult heroes, there are still people slighting them. The two go back and forth about 4-8 bars apiece, with Pooh affirming that they’re “foot soldiеrs who don’t march to the beat” and Phonte getting off slick wordplay, rhyming “Made my first record on an OK Computer / ‘Cause I saw where the radio was headed.” The pair also dropped a Will Stroud-directed video for “Wish Me Well” which features them on a roof enjoying a day that looks as sunny as the song sounds.
“Glory Glory” offers a similar vibe, with the two trading bars over a minimalist beat buoyed by an, um, glorious, vocal sample hooked up by Conductor Williams. Big Pooh rhymes, “Nigga, don’t ever bring my name up / Unlеss you talking ’bout the best still,” and Phonte follows up by letting us know, “Glory glory, my name has been verified / The young boys and the vets, they all testified.” With these two songs, the two aren’t just reaffirming that they’ve planted their flag as rap legends, they’re embodying it with the vaunted lyricism (and expert ear for beats) that made them such.
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