City Girls are cultural tastemakers, although music critics have yet to praise the rap duo. But don’t think for a second that the Miami natives are waiting for anyone else’s recognition to continue forging their own path in the male-dominated music industry.
As REVOLT previously reported, the girls have just unveiled their new album. RAW. The 18-song project comes two years after their last effort in 2020. City on lockand five years after their studio debut, Girl code. The latter made a grand start to mainstream success with the anthem “Act Up.” At its peak, the song topped the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart in 2019. The track also received multiple nominations from JT and Yung Miami and made them a trending topic as fans and critics discussed the dawn of a new era of Ratchet Girl rap.
“People try to laugh and joke about ‘Act Up,’ but ‘Act Up’ was a cultural shift and it deserved a lot more than what it got,” JT said. Elle in a new interview. “People are trying songs that are 15 years old. “Act Up” samples were recorded over the course of a year. “I don’t care where it came from, how it came about, ‘Act Up’ was a song that deserved a lot more than what it got,” she added. The hit record was prominently sampled in Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer” featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign.
The triple platinum hit also became a hot topic when Lil Yachty revealed that he wrote a significant portion of the record. The “Another Late Night” rapper’s performances reinforced the doubt-filled stories of City Girls skeptics. But the ladies don’t pay attention to the hatred.
“When you think about it, probably the best songs that win Grammys are written by other people, so it doesn’t even make sense,” JT said in response to the criticism. “I feel like us city girls never got the respect we deserved, and that’s okay. I’m not crying about it; I do not care. But that’s when you put your all into yourself and measure your success.”