RIP PnB Rock, another young rapper lost to pointless violence. Every other week we lose talented artists for unbelievably stupid reasons. PnB Rock found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time at the famous Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles with his girlfriend. He is survived by his two daughters.
I’m not going to pull a DJ Fatkademiks and start posting old interviews and awful takes, desperately clawing for clout and money off of PnB’s death. Or like his boyfriend 6ix9ine who is so irrelevant these days that he’ll comment on any rapper who passes away with some snarky bullshit. In between sucking off Stevewilldoit so he’ll put him on his youtube channel. I mean seriously, look at this shit.
I know being disrespectful is cool these days but there are 2 girls who no longer have a father. Stop clout chasing for 10 minutes you talentless ghouls.
Rather than focusing on the negative, speculating on why he was killed or trying to put blame on his girlfriend for sharing their location or turning it into a dissertation on the culture, let’s celebrate his music and his legacy.
Remembering PnB Rock’s Best Music
PnB Rock was instantly recognizable for his positive, chaotic, infectious energy. An auto-crooner who fused R&B with a Philly machine gun cadence, he stood out from the moody, drugged-out Soundcloud landscape with bouncier beats and a versatile voice that switched from falsetto singing to rapping in the blink of an eye. It’s impossible to sit still while listening to a PnB Rock song.
He put his playful, goofy, hilarious spin on trap music and showed that you could trap while having fun. Always punctuating lines with his iconic YAH YAH OH YAH, PnB’s voice and style was impossible to resist. He was a feature killer like T-Pain and Ty Dolla $ign who elevated the work of his peers.
Here are the songs that will, in my opinion, define his legacy.
Horses- PnB Rock, Kodak Black & A Boogie
The Fate of the Furious soundtrack was filled with absolute garbage. Almost all of these songs are throwaways with 2017’s biggest rappers doing the bare minimum for a quick check. Horses would have been one of those songs if it weren’t for PnB Rock sliding on the chorus and his verse.
Why he chose to do it on this forgettable ass album we’ll never know, but I’m glad he did. The chorus is endlessly replayable and the melodic SKRRT SKRRT ad-libs in the background will always make new listeners laugh. While his lyrics are generic on the verse his melodies are top-tier. This is one of many examples of PnB taking something generic and turning it into something magical with his voice. His performance stands out even more next to A Boogie and Kodak phoning it in.
The perfect party song, just loop the PnB part.
Everyday We Lit – YFN Lucci ft. PnB Rock
I’ve never been a huge fan of YFN Lucci, he kind of blended in to his peers without ever standing out. But the chemistry between him and PnB on this song is incredible. PnB’s melody on the bridge “I came up from nothing n**** you can’t tell me shit” is so smooth and satisfying. This song showcases how PnB can turn the most generic trap beat with a few chords into something magical.
She Ready – Lil Yachty ft. PnB Rock
In a bad mood? This song will fix it. Another example of PnB being one of the GOAT collaborators. Yachty and PnB go together like PB&J on this track, both crooning back in forth in their distinct falsetto flows. This song should have been overwhelming with all the vocal tracks layered on top of each other but it all blends seamlessly and sounds like a trap choir.
Like PnB at his best, it’s distinct, goofy, fun, and never gets old.
Unforgettable (Freestyle)
This song was already a SMASH (despite French Montana) before PnB hopped on the beat. No disrespect to Swae Lee, he made the chorus iconic, but this beat and melody were built for PnB Rock. PnB shows off his vocal range and skills with some truly impressive runs and inflections all over the track.
The removal of French Montana and PnB’s performance makes this much better than the original IMHO. The age of the remix is dying or dead already, but PnB proved on this track that it needs to come back.
Selfish
This song made PnB Rock into a star and showcased what he was capable of. A new age R&B love song that was perfect for the time, it balances a heartfelt tone with trap swag and proves that PnB’s voice is legit without auto-tune. While I enjoy the partying PnB much more, this is a legitimate banger and has stood the test of time. It sounds just as relevant and fresh as it did in 2015.