That Mexican OT Is Texas’ Funniest Technician
Dorian Green
Peter A. Berry is a former XXL staffer who’s been a writer-editor for close to 10 years. An aspiring tortured genius, he’s a lifelong rap fan and lover of all things dope, and if there’s a way to write about something, he’s typically game. Tap in with him for Say What’s Real, a monthly hip-hop column about all the most notable releases from the underground, the mainstream, and somewhere in between.
It’s almost impossible to choose the funniest line from That Mexican OT’s Texas Technician. Over the course of 41 minutes, the 25-year-old serves up inventively flagrant obscenities that would make Sexyy Red proud. On “Glocks And Hammers,” he turns your girlfriend’s skin infection into a flex that’s as inconceivable as it is nasty. Elsewhere, he treats chicken tenders and cunnilingus like a delicious Popeyes delicacy. He’s rapping his ass off, but for bursts at a time, the songs play out like self-contained exhibitions for absurdist humor — quips that point toward the elastic imagination permeating one of most distinct stylists Texas has to offer.
By now, the world knows OT for his combo of colorfully juvenile jokes and lethal decterity; he can oscillate between rap jester and gunslinging wordsmith with ease. Actually, he usually doesn’t separate the two; his off-kilter quips are perfectly at home next to his sneering menace. While he’s got the eccentric imagery of a Bfb Da Packman or a Lone Star Ghostface Killah, he distills it with a verbal athleticism and codeine-drenched, Texas cool that lives up to the name of his latest project. With a mix of tongue-twisting flows, flamboyant wordplay and soundscapes designed for late-night cruising, the project is a reminder of why OT’s popularity has surged in the last year.
That Mexican OT is in the middle of a major level up, an ascension that reached warp speed with the release of “Johnny Dang,” a propulsive, Paul Wall and DRODi-assisted banger that’s earned nearly 100 million Spotify streams since being released last July. Nothing here quite matches the power of that single, but tracks like the DaBaby-assisted “Point Em Out” are electric in their own right. For this one, OT laces pummeling percussion and a sinister piano loop with tightly wound rhymes that drip menace and wry wit. It’s a cartoonish gangster fantasyland rendered with economical precision: “Leave him flat just like a torta, swim with killers like an orca/ It don’t matter where it is, it don’t matter where I’m at/ Because to me, no me importa.” Punctuated with a solid DaBaby verse and a growling hook that’s simple and repeatable, it’s the soundtrack for a high-speed chase with the law. The accompanying video is both a nod to Pulp Fiction and OT’s zany brain.
The jokes are generally pretty random. Whether it’s some peculiar phrasing or an asymmetrical punchline, he’s got a knack for generating laughs. Consider “Function,” on which he seasons a domestic argument with a head-scratching nonsequitur: “The fuck you mean, yo mama didn’t teach you how to cook?/ Ya mama didn’t teach you how to suck dick, but you could suck dick.” It’s a nonsense rebuttal, but be honest: you never thought about it that way (and you never should!).
As a leader of Texas’ New School, it’s only right OT tests himself against established area OGs. He does that here, and he always holds his own. Coasting above a classic Juicy J sample, he trades bars with Slim Thug for “Riding On A Bull,” a Memphis-indebted anthem designed for parking lot pimpin’. His flow is agile, but he doesn’t get in the way of the beat, and Slim Thugger and DRODi embed the track with added layers of charisma. He reunites with Paul Wall for “Chicken Strips & Ass,” a track that, despite dexterous verses from its performers, doesn’t have the structure or symbolism to be anthemic. OT redeems himself with the Z-Ro-assisted “Crooked Officer.” Here, the two spitters are fleet and fun, spilling out braggadocious rhymes while zig-zagging through solemn keys. They arrive at a multi-layered hook and bridge that embodies core street rap ethos in a way that’s playful and emblematic.
Really, OT does a little bit of everything on Texas Technician. He stands his ground with Moneybagg Yo, raps in Spanish, varies his beats and his song structures. As he has in the past, he even shows off some smooth singing abilities as he touches upon his Tejano roots. There are tons of quotable bars here, and he distributes them through dynamic cadences that keep everything fresh. OT is a technician in the truest sense, and his humor only enhances the effect; it prevents him from falling into trite street rap tropes while making him all the more unpredictable. Texas is riddled with candy-painted characters, and rap has a lot of jokesters, but few if any match the gags with OT’s wit and syntactic grace. His latest reaffirms his multidimensional persona, gift for all-around songwriting, and idiosyncratic humor.
In other words, That Mexican OT is hilarious — but his skills are no joke.
COLD AS ICE
MIKE & Tony Seltzer — "On God" (Feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Tony Shhnow)
With an astral beat and deceptively intricate flows from MIKE and Tony Shhnow, “On God” is one of the best tracks from MIKE and Tony Seltzer’s new album, Pinball. It’s a perfect push-pull of sharp technique and the appearance of effortlessness. Everything about this one is breezy and nebulous, yet pristinely coordinated, like Kyrie Irving letting you think he’s lost control of the ball only to snap back with a viper strike crossover. The spitters start off with a sleepwalk almost behind the beat, only to catch up to themselves a half-moment later, and the instrumental is subdued with splashes of neon synths and a disembodied baseline. Throw Earl Sweatshirt on the hook, and you got one of them ones.
ScHoolboy Q — "Thank God 4 Me"
It’s hard to pick the best song on ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips, but this one is a very serious candidate. On “Thank God 4 Me,” ScHoolboy shifts between aggressiveness, introspection and celebration. It’s a multi-layered songwriting approach mirrored by the beat, which shifts from dreary flutes to frenetic horns from Project Pat’s “Chickenhead.” At their best, his bars hit like relief and euphoria at the same time: “Shit, a legend like me can’t die/ I’m alive, who lie?/ I’ve been popping this shit since nine/ Few times, more times/ If I go out right now, I’m fine/ If I die right now, I’m fine.” Thank God for Q.
4batz & Drake — "act ii: date @ 8 (Remix)"
At the rate he was leveling up, a 4batz x Drake track was all but an inevitability. It just came a little quicker than we all thought. On this one, Drake dives all the way into his artificial Casanova bag, as if letting the Texas newcomer know he’s the undisputed King of Tricking. It feels like a flash of the old Drizzy, and he sounds totally natural next to the mysterious crooner. Now that he’s the recipient of the 6ix God stimulus package, let’s see what’s next for the enigmatic crooner of the moment.
Babyface Ray — "Green Carpet"
Coasting over a misty beat, Babyface Ray lets you know that he prefers his magic carpets come in green, as piles of money are the best way to make sure all your wishes get granted. He gets emotional here, but it’s all rendered with his typically unaffected cool, which, combined with the beat, only makes the track more engrossing.
Meek Mill —"Giving Chanel" (Feat. Future)
Because of the rap community’s homophobia — and truthfully, his own frenzied response to certain allegations — you might have forgotten Meek Mill dropped a solid mini-tape last week. Titled HEATHENISM, the EP has some of Meek’s better work in recent memory, with the Future-assisted “Giving Chanel” being the highlight. In a tweet, Meek himself admitted Hendrix bested him on the track. But the wave raises all yachts.
Cash Cobain — "Fisherrr" (Feat. Bay Swag)
Ambient and frenetic, “Fisherrr” merges quiet calm with narcotized melodies and flow agility. Cash and Bay Swag lace the beat with understated cool and rhythms that will have you murmuring under your breath.
Quavo & Rich The Kid — "Real One"
In the early days, it felt like Rich The Kid was, effectively, a member of Migos. So, now that the group isn’t around, his presence is more than welcome on Quavo’s new song. For this one, Huncho and Rich play off each other with the chemistry of twin brothers who reconnect without missing a beat. Quavo himself is a compelling rapper, but he stands even taller when paired with the right partner. It’s unclear what’s next for Quavo, but here’s to more collabs with him and Rich.
Polo G — "Sorrys And Ferraris"
Polo G’s been quiet as of late, but here he pops out to remind you that he’s still a songwriting dynamo. Gracing solemn keys, he lets loose a sing-song flow and spurts of creative death threats for a track that’s reflective and stylish. The bars are still there too: “Gangster, I’m the synonym, pistol spit like Eminem/ I be with some steppers, yeah, if I don’t step, I’m sendin’ them.” Here’s to a new Polo album for 2024.
Kodak Black — "Shampoo"
Every once in a while, the ever-complicated Kodak Black waddles from behind a wall of controversy and prison cells to remind you of one immutable truth: He is one of the most talented rappers of his era. The latest example is “Shampoo,” a new single that sees Kodak simply go. The lyricism is immediate and down-home, and the flow is unorthodox but smooth — a generally applicable pair of descriptors for 26-year-old spitter.
Cardi B — "Like What"
Though her ubiquity tells you otherwise, Cardi B has not dropped a solo project in over a half a decade. You read that right. Still, she’s been able to wield her outsized persona and occasional loosies and guest verses to their fullest effect, with her latest, a reimagining of Missy Elliott’s “She’s A Bitch,” being a reminder of her ability to get bars off.
ROAST ME
