Last year, the astounding, Brooklyn-born rap duo “Girl Codee” won the Talk of The Town Best Female Artist award. Since then, they’ve had quite a busy year. When they weren’t doing interviews on On The Radar with Gabe P, or performing at Hot 97’s Summer Jam, they were in the studio cooking up what we could only hope was going to be one hell of a debut Project. The only clue we were given as to what the album would sound like was the single, “Chaa Chaa Chaa (ft. HoodCelebrityy),” It’s a solid track with a catchy hook, a brief run as a trending sound on TikTok, and a sample-sized-yet-impressive display of the bars that MC’s ShaaBiggaa and Hiii Siddity are more than capable of getting off. Now that July 28th has come and passed, Girl Codee’s debut EP is in the hands of the public. Consisting of 7 songs and clocking in at 15 minutes and 43 seconds, was “ShaaBiggaa & Hiii Siddity” worth the wait?
Track 1 - “Intro (ft. Sway)”
This track was a fun way to start off but was also by far the least substantial track of the project. The sole performer on this track is Sway Calloway, as in Sway In The Morning’s well-respected host, and the subject mentioned in Kanye’s infamous “you ain’t got the answer’s, Sway!” quote. The track is only 24 seconds, but Sway uses it fittingly to praise the duo as the “new era,” and greet us before being welcomed into their world for the following 15 minutes. It’s a hip-hop album cliché as old as time itself, but I really felt like it helped lend to the conceptual energy of the album, even though it is not explicitly a concept album. (Let the record show that I do love concept albums, though!)
Track 2 - “Codee World”
Opening with a transition so seamless I didn’t realize I was listening to a different song until I opened my phone to check the time, this track is our first true introduction to Girl Codee on the project. The two begin by trading interpolated bars before spinning into compact bursts of rhymes, which serve a mere dose of what they’re capable of while also embracing their nature as a duo. It’s an entertaining track and makes me wish that it was combined with the intro as one single track.
Track 3 - “Chaa Chaa Chaa (ft. HoodCelebrityy)”
As previously mentioned, this track was still enjoyable within the context of the album. I don’t usually listen to a previously released single when going through an album on my first listen, but Girl Codee’s Spotify bio mentioned that the project would show off their “sonic versatility,” and this was a great example of it. With an instrumental that is completely different from the track before it, I can understand why it was chosen as the lead single. The track boasts a catchy hook sung by HoodCelebrityy, with punchy bars from the duo over a beat with small hints of the industrial sound that might almost make you think it was Drill-influenced.
Track 4 - “One Time”
By far my favorite track on the project, the title’s got multiple meanings within. The essence of “One Time” could be anything, from something you do on the occasion to celebrate or have fun, to having one chance to hit your mark with either of the Girls before you’re considered a dub. Keeping with the theme of versatility, the beat couldn’t be any further from their boom bap roots, taking a note from the 808-heavy trap production of the South. Needless to say, this track got blasted on my sound bar to feel the track beneath the floor and was well worth the noise complaint I got from my neighbors. This is the song I would play at the house party when I’m given the aux, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Track 5 - “Inside”
I did not expect this song to be what it was, but it was a nice change of pace while serving as another display of the talent and range these two Girls harbor. It is fully a self-love anthem, with a hook that coolly croons about the dichotomy of one’s exterior compared to their interior. The “blurred lines between love and hate” mentioned in the chorus can resonate with listeners from all backgrounds, making the considerably-slower track an effective switch-up. It’s also great to see a pair of upcoming MCs preach the importance of loving yourself, while also dishing up relatable, real-life examples. As ShaaBiggaa says while closing out the track, “Never let what somebody says about you change your outlook on yourself,” and I could not support this message even more than they already have!
Track 6 - “Regular Shit”
With backing vocal echoes that give the track a “Floor Seats 2” A$AP Ferg vibe, the Girls connected on this one for a quick yet hard-hitting track. It’s got raucous energy about it that I can’t help but love, while the duo talks about how they are far from regular. It’s only one minute and 22 seconds, so there isn’t really much to say about this one. With that being said, it is a memorable track for sure, and one I wished was much longer.
Track 7 - “The Beginning (ft. Sway)”
Closing out their debut EP with an electric instrumental that continues the album-wide theme of versatility, the Girls give off one of their best performances on the album. With verses that express their existing and upcoming dominance, we’re given another look at the range they hold. Matching each other’s flows, the chemistry between ShaaBiggaa and Hiii Siddity couldn’t be more apparent. Their trade-offs are seamless, with barely a second to breathe before one hops back on. They’ve been a duo for a little bit now, but as the title suggests, they’re just getting started. Sway comes back as well, helping complete the conceptual stroll we took through the minds of Girl Codee, who Sway once again heralds as the “New Era.”
Although it’s only their Debut EP, I truly believe that ShaaBiggaa and Hiii Siddity achieved their goal of crafting a diverse range of tracks that appropriately showcase their various talents. Sonic versatility was absolutely the name of the game, as they slid on every track, and had me wishing for more after the 15 minutes passed. The two feel like a breath of fresh air in a hip-hop scene that has felt Drill-saturated for the better part of a year. Where they were previously seen as female boom-bap rappers, I hope this project proves to any of their doubters that they are simply so much more. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend you give it a listen.