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Music

Jay IDK Rallies His Squad on "Blame My Friends (The Gang)"

The track follows the DMV rapper's 'The Empty Bank' project.

Intimate friendship is one of the most under-appreciated elements of a rapper's magnetic pull on audiences. It's what reels young listeners in, making them wish they were down with their favorite artist's cliques. On social platforms, it's common to see people claiming allegiance to rap crews they identify with. Over the past few years, people have used acronyms like GBE for Chief Keef's Glory Boyz, FBG for Future's Freebandz Gang, and OVO for Drake's October's Very Own label in their social handles to show their support and admiration for their favorite rapper's friend groups.

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When artists don't have a clever name for their friends, they simply shout out "the gang." You'd be hard pressed to find a trap-leaning track right now that doesn't pay tribute to "gang gang," influencing non-rappers to refer to their closest homies in the same fashion. Today, we're premiering DMV rapper Jay IDK's own tribute to his friends "Blame My Friends (The Gang)," which got its world premiere on our Noisey Beats 1 show over the weekend.

The song details Jay rallying his friends to go at competition for the next phase of his career. In September, he released his sophomore project The Empty Bank which received the most acclaim of his young career. On "Blame My Friends (The Gang)" he showcases his gift for cadence, switching between sharp bars and spirited harmonizing. Listen to the track below.

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