Musical Digest: Jerome, Brad Varsity's "Red Eyes"

Today's musical digest goes out to all the trap kings and queens reeving up for the coveted 4/20/2020...it's going to be a blazed day.

Since the beginning of the first spark, stoners alike united in their mutual adoration for good vibes, good tunes and better sex.

Brad Perl, known better as Brad Varsity, scores with every verse. His alias was inspired by his haters in high school, varsity jocks, who at the time thought they were better than him. Music was his escape from all the bullies. Prior to his metamorphosis, he was writing lyrics until he got to a point where he reached varsity level in verse, spit, and rhyme. Save to say he's keeping those "have-nots" in their lane.

Brad is an artist from my neck of the woods, Chicago, and his latest collaborative hit with Jerome "Red Eyes" is the perfect banger to smoke, vibe, fuck to or...if you're a freak... all of the above.

Spark up your swisher and let's dive into this digest.

"Gotta wake up and make this bread

They talk shit, that shit is dead

Friday night, my eyes stay red

Loyal bad chick lay in my bed

Aye Aye

Y'all don't know what's in my head

Big big moves that’s all I make...

Don’t wanna be good, but great instead...

Aye, Aye

Sipping on the strongest shit…

Gotta do it while I’m young, I’m drinking all of it…

I don’t think that there’s another who goes hard as this…

My shawty gon’ ride, I’m like the Joker, she like Harley Quinn…

The hook captivates and lures its listeners to tune in, grasping a sense of what they're about to dive into. Personally, I'm notorious for a clever verse with a movie reference. In this introduction, the lyrics tell us that these aren't just rappers trying to make it in the big leagues, but also hustlers with a strong head on their shoulders with a bad bitch by their side, referencing the infamous duo from Joker i.e. their proverbial Harley Quinn...and they're coming for all of it.

So how does this relate to stoners? Stoners have been prescribed this stigma that they're lazy, not productive, lacking ambition but this verse proves otherwise. It reinforces the stance that while I like to party and push my own limits, there's a vision behind all of that smoke.

So much sauce dog I stay dripping, I don’t see no competition...

One day ima cop a yacht, just to party, ain’t no fishing...

I got dough like Homer Simpson, on my own I made a living...

I like loyalty and trust, and unconditional commitment...

Trying to level up my verses, make sure all my words have purpose...

I get paid to rage on stage, my haters standing by so nervous...

Ima keep on flexing hard for every time they called me worthless...

I ain’t blow up overnight, no flower starts above the surface...

Materials don’t mean shit, but ima cop Versace curtains...

Shoutout my girl, I love my queen, cause she will ride for me for certain...

I remember being down, down at the bottom, I was hurting...

All I did was keep evolving, I can’t be the same old person...

(...)

This verse resonates so well with those of us who have ever been hurt by someone's else judgements and it's inspiring to see that now that he's on stage, his haters stand by in the crowd fidgeting. Bullies are nothing more than walking insecurities and those of us who have ever felt inferior, embarrassed or less than because of what someone else was saying can attest to that that bullies never prosper. Unlike this verse, the lyrics state that maintaining values: staying loyal, trustworthy and committed can level you up. Whatever our values, they stem from our core. They shape our worldview. They can, even shape our destined path.

Each time you hear those words of how worthless you once were in the eyes of others makes you want to work that much harder to achieve the success that haters will never even get to touch. Here's the thing...we all are entitled to our own opinion. That's what makes the world go 'round, but hate in the form of dislikes, disses and uncalled for commentary generates content creators, YouTubers and singer/songwriters revenue. It's an imperfect system in a much more imperfect world...but we're laughing straight to the bank.

That said, having a platform with a following, albeit local or worldwide, is a lot of responsibility.

So if there's anything to take away from this, remember that with the platform that you're given, make sure your words have meaning and that they resonate with the rest...because, baby, Vars Got Bars and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Stoner spotlight: Just like growing the perfect hybrid, success takes time.

Lastly, we're going to digest one of my favorite lyrics sung by Brad Varsity himself.

Smoking on fuego right

Good gas yo tengo

Rolling up mango, strong as thanos

My eyes like the devil ain’t no halo

My bitch bad, yours is just okay bro

Margot Robbie type and she gon buss it if I like when I like uh

My cup, fix it with some liquor my thoughts getting sicker

No joke when I say I turned this Harley to a stripper uh

Zipper undone, with her body dipped in glitter,

and we smoking on this grilla, high life just like I’m Miller huh

Millions, chilling in my BoA when it’s said and done imma be okay, waving like a Milly Rock

Aye, walk in the bank the way that Diddy bop

Didn’t mean to bad news bear you like i’m Billy Bob

Aye, sorry if I'm bad now, I don’t wanna be saved

Plus my bitch bad wow, she been feeling the same

I love this verse because Brad's voice is crispy, raspy, and it is the perfect end to the song, summing up the real meaning behind "Red Eyes" unraveling its preliminary roots. This is where it takes me down memory lane a little bit...to the first time I was introduced to weed. It was precisely on my 19th birthday. My then boyfriend asked me what I wanted to do because it was my night and my night only.

"Let's smoke some weed."

And like the perfect genie out the bottle that he was he granted my wish crafting a beautiful bowl out of an orange.

"My eyes like the devil, ain't no halo" really takes me back to that memory where I felt like committing a little sin and achieved that perfect stoner glow of red eyes.

Brad explained to me that when he came up with "we smoking on this grilla, high life just like I’m Miller huh" he wanted to reference the combination of feeling slightly stoned while sipping on some Miller lite, achieving the perfect combination between being inebriated and wavy. Seeing as how Mac Miller is one of Brad's musical influences, I could have sworn that Mac's spirit was pulsating right through him.

After all, we're just some motherfuckin' kids.

This track is the perfect hit for a night out on the town, a nice top-down cruise, a smoke sesh or a quick smash. We all need one from time to time.

Tune in to Brad Varsity x Jerome below.