The Jukebox considers “Afro Bashment”…
[Video]
[4.29]
Crystal Leww: The initial kick to this song is a pleasant surprise, but it quickly wears out its welcome as the verses quickly tire themselves out. There are places where this feels like the UK’s version of Future’s mumbling sung rap, and like Future, it’s good for about thirty seconds in the club until the DJ transitions to another song.
[3]
Nortey Dowuona: Average Auto-Tuned singing, bland, empty rapping, flat synth bass, skinny, flat drum programming again. SMH. (Plus, there are pauses in there that kill the song dead.)
[2]
Ramzi Awn: With a couple of tweaks and another set of ears on the vocal production, Lotto Boyzz could have taken “No Don” to the next level. The boys display a refreshing knack for the off-kilter, nestling harmonies between old-school rhymes, and the track’s levity is hard to argue with.
[6]
Iain Mew: A lot of good boxes ticked — a pair of verses each succeeding in their own distinct personality, a dizzying chorus beat drop, and an inventive new corporate extension for the Madison/Addison Lee rhyme.
[7]
Jonathan Bradley: Lotto Boyzz return Drake’s recent interest in British styles; the melodic “No Don” is reminiscent of the Canadian in his less dour and more ingratiating moments. The supple Afrobeat rhythms also charm. Less memorable is the rapped verse, carved from icy grime consonants and leaving little impact.
[6]
Ryo Miyauchi: The playboy half of Lotto Boyzz crams too much in order to establish character, his bars running on enough for this vacant music to feel stuffy. The crooner half comes in for the save somewhat by setting some solid ground with sweet melodies and a Not3s reference.
[5]
Anjy Ou: “돈 (don) is the Korean word for “money”, and the dude is wearing a Korean flag shirt — that’s kind of clever. Calling your musical style “Afro Bashment” when bashment already has African roots… less clever. It is somewhat appropriate — the link between bashment and the continent is as obvious as the link between this song and the music black artists were making in the UK and West Africa between 2003 and 2009. But honestly this is just me grasping at straws to find something to say about this song other than “tired, boring, next please.”
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