Intense vocals, solemn piano trickles, and a squiggly synth line comprise the ominous build-up throughout “Hooligan”, a darkly infectious effort from rapper Stann Smith. Focusing on “the disruptive mindset of someone who doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs”, the fully conscious approach works well lyrically and melodically here, especially in the hook “tell the world that I’m straight / tell the world that I’m great”, where vocals growls of sorts surround title phrase repetition. The piano-laden melodic interlude at 02:30 is a fully effective transition that helps caps things off, helping make this is a tidily memorable effort.
Brooklyn’s Stann Smith has been building his following with massive visuals; the video for his track “Hakeem” has exceeded 6 million views, while “C.R.E.A.M” has coasted past 1 million views. Pushing the brand of EKOET – a subculture that refrains from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs – Stann has shared the stage with artists like Dom Kennedy, Joey Bada$$, MGK, Ab Soul, CJ Fly, and Chris Webby.
