Don’t just stand there; let’s get to it…
[Video]
[6.33]
Alfred Soto: “Strike a pose” is correct — a demonstration of agility.
[6]
Scott Mildenhall: Between Young T & Bugsey’s pass-the-parcelling, Toddla T’s once-more perky production and the endearing myopia of Aitch’s amusement at the thought of being considered a youngling, “Strike a Pose” is pleasingly goofy. These guys are not impressive in the sense of the pose they’re trying to strike, and that’s part of the appeal, but musically they have something.
[7]
Julian Axelrod: A sickeningly skeevy bit of frat rap so impressed with its own mediocrity that Aitch really follows up the line “I got some white chocolate, I promise you’ll like the taste of it” with an awestruck “crazy…” Not the ad-lib I would have used, but go off I guess.
[4]
Iain Mew: Young T and Bugsey trade lines with the loose cool they’re trying to evoke and inspire, but it wouldn’t be half as charming without the intermission of Aitch failing to do the same. A teenager flailing in the presence of hot grownups, his verse recasts the whole thing in a new light.
[7]
Edward Okulicz: Against my resistance to the chorus having a touch of negging about it (as if to say “you’d be so much cuter if you weren’t so uptight”), “Strike a Pose” wins the benefit of the doubt with the amusing and amiable back-and-forth between T and Bugsey. The waving, oscillating bass gives “Strike a Pose” a triumphant strut for the song’s object(s). Aitch’s bit would actually be less gross if he didn’t use the euphemisms, though.
[7]
Joshua Lu: Bugsey’s titular hook, entreating someone to “Strike me a pose,” already looks rather skeezy when just written out like that, and it’s to the song’s benefit that the line sounds even more sinister in the actual song. “Strike a Pose” is standard braggadocious rap pap, with the requisite girls, cash, and drinks, but it’s made believably dubious with that slinking instrumental, perfect for both the club and the dark alley behind it.
[7]