Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Although Drake has held on tight to the top spot for countless weeks this year with this Shiggy-assisted “In My Feelings,” Cardi B had another smash hit on her hands with “I Like It,” and the resurgence of Tyga came in right along with the rising temperatures outside when “Taste” caught everyone’s attention, there was another song that was unavoidable this summer. Harlem’s very own Sheck Wes uploaded “Mo Bamba” a year ago on SoundCloud, and since then, it organically spread and grew to be the unofficial yet official song of the summer.
Without heavy radio play or a Billboard ranking to back it up at first — it actually just recently entered the Hot 100 for the first time last week at No. 82 — “Mo Bamba” started gaining steam in the middle of 2018. It’s unmistakable bass and Sheck Wes’ intense, almost angry-sounding delivery make it a stand-out track that will be memorable upon its first spin anywhere, whether the listener likes the song or not. “Mo Bamba ” is named after Mohamed Bamba, the center for the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
The track is a great example of how success will come in due time. A similar stream of events happened earlier this year with Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up,” a song that exploded over a year after its initial release. Shaquille O’Neal, Drake, Odell Beckham Jr. and others posted about the “Mo Bamba” on social media, rightfully after it grabbed the attention of the streets first. At almost every party and club, the track started being played at some point in the night. It seemed as though it was in the background of every Instagram story I swiped by at some point. The song currently sits at over 34 million plays on Spotify. Drake even shouted out Sheck during his verse on Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” when he raps: “When I shoot my shot, that shit wetty like I’m Sheck.”
Now, the NY rapper rightfully is on everyone’s radar. A recent NY Times article details the trail that made this hit what it is today. Behind the boards was the producer duo Take A Daytrip (Denzel Baptiste and David Biral) and 16yrold (who actually is not 16-years-old). It was recorded in 20 minutes and recorded in one take, which just goes to show that greatness takes just instinct and perfect timing to fully bloom if it’s meant to be.