Based on his song titles, Protect seems like he would kick your ass at video games. There was “Fall Guys” from his breakout 2024 mixtape Ball Hog For Life, “Sly Cooper” on last year’s 500 Days of Summer, and now “Pwned,” where the Buffalo rapper manages to make leetspeak almost cool.
The new song recalls vintage Trippie Redd and Pi’erre Bourne collaborations, but where Trippie’s earsplitting vocals aim to pierce, Protect’s marble-mouthed flows wash over listeners like waves at the beach. The way his vocals melt into the mix reminds me a little of My Bloody Valentine, and the net effect is immersive and oddly moving.
“Pwned” feels like an especially good showcase for Protect’s savvy ear for beats and melodies. He might still throw off punchline flow clunkers like, “I set the trap, Home Alone,” but he’ll also turn a memorable phrase like, “I don’t wanna talk, I’m deafened,” on the hook, insistently keening the syllables so as to sear them into your brain.
The funniest idea here is the notion that sharing drank with twin makes Protect “feel like Al Capone,” but my favorite couplet has to be, “She want my coat / ‘cause she cold / She look good / might fold.” You can practically imagine his internal monologue: I genuinely went Supreme Northface on the coat and I’m wearing a t-shirt that says “I paused my game to be here” … But she’s so fine.
Check out the filmed in Paris music video above.