Videos
Pharrell Williams - Cash In Cash Out (feat. 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator)
“Cash In Cash Out” is a hard-hitting, hype Hip hop track that is made for the Summer. Running for 3 minutes and 36 seconds, the track maintains the same high level of energy all throughout it. Produced by none other than industry legend Pharrell Williams, the beat, as expected, delivers nothing short of a head-banging roller coaster sugar high for the entire duration of it.
“Cash In Cash Out” is a hard-hitting, hype Hip hop track that is made for the Summer. Running for 3 minutes and 36 seconds, the track maintains the same high level of energy all throughout it. Produced by none other than industry legend Pharrell Williams, the beat, as expected, delivers nothing short of a head-banging roller coaster sugar high for the entire duration of it. With a very concise array of sounds, including the vibrating low-end, banging 808s, clanking drums, and the chopped-up vocal samples, the beat does infinite amounts of work with very little to work with. That is the beauty of this beat, it just naturally has a distinctive vibe. With features from two more industry heavyweights: 21 Savage and Tyler, The Creator, they do what they’re expected to. 21 Savage delivers a simple, yet effective chorus which really brings out the energy of the beat. “Cash in, cash out, cash in, cash out | Cash out, cash out, cash out, cash out”. His verse is delivered in a similar manner, with very few variations in the inflection of his voice. One of them that I liked was: “Put me in a third world country in the middle of the slums | I'ma turn it to a million dollar street (On God).” This works for him and the beat, and it continues to add energy to the beat and create this grounded hype feeling. Tyler’s verse, however, is much more dynamic, as expected. He uses a lot more inflections in his voice and raises the energy, boxing the beat. One of his verses that I liked was: “And if you wanna flick up, I don't want to (Ooh) | And if you say "No cap," I ain't trust you (Ooh).” There are also a plethora of minute samples and pauses in his verse which do a lot to add depth to the track. There is a duality created, as their verses are on very different wavelengths, but this makes the song that much more complete. The two bask in the fruits of their labor, rapping about their wealth and how it has affected their lives and lifestyles, as well as those of their families. According to whosampled.com, the track was originally supposed to be on one of 21 Savage’s albums, but Pharrell decided to use it himself. Also, upon hearing the beat, Tyler said that it was “the hardest shit he’d heard in his life.” Tyler sent the verse and then Pharrell immediately called him afterward and just gave him a strange look, but this was him giving him approval.
The music video is unique, highly creative, and like the song, very well produced. According to whosampled.com, it was directed by François Rousselet, and it utilizes CGI figures which resemble the style of claymation. The circular device on which all of the action occurs was inspired by the zoetrope, which is a circular machine that originates from the 19th century, and it allowed multiple images to be viewed in a short span of time, giving off the illusion of motion. The artists sent over performance shots for the 3D team to replicate. The production for this video took over a year, and it began during the pandemic. There are tons of cool little references and moments, such as when they are running with the Mickey Mouse hands, when 21 Savage turns into the Incredible Hulk, etc. There are also a range of vehicles in the video, such as the Tesla Cybertruck, the LaFerrari, and a bicycle, which Pharrell rides and does tons of cool tricks on. There are also lots of cool miniature items, such as watches, money, a money counter, and a keyboard which Pharrell plays. At one point, 21 Savage hangs upside down, and at another, he dangles someone, which is really cool. Another sick moment is when Tyler flips his microphone. There are also a ton of dancers in the video, which I thought was awesome. One of them is Tyler crossdressing, and I thought that was very interesting and forward-thinking. There is also a scene where brick walls crush behind me, and this was dope to me. The video utilizes a lot of duplication, such as when Pharrell takes off multiple pairs of the same shades, and when multiple Tylers keep on coming out of a briefcase. Finally, at the end of the video, we get a shot where their heads are revolving while they spit their verses, kind of resembling Mount Rushmore to me. At the end of the video, we get a nice aerial shot. Overall, this music video is vibrant, exciting, dynamic, innovative, and just overall an excellent addition to the track, which is already amazing as it stands alone.
