Desiigner, The Guy Behind That 'Panda' Song, Does Not In Fact Have Broads In Atlanta And Has Never Actually Been There

So if you’ve listened to any top hits station or hip hop radio/playlists lately, you’ve probably heard the song above (if you haven’t, just pretend you have or you’ll seem old) called “Panda” by Designer. The most memorable part of the song besides the word “panda” repeating a lot is the hook where the rapper says he’s “got broads in Atlanta” (it’s also in one of Kanye’s songs for some reason). Other than being one of few lyrics in the song you can easily pick up with your ear, it’s the most identifiable part of the song with people shouting it out at clubs or in Snapchat videos. But then I Googled him today and saw this:

He’s from Bed Stuy (some say it’s the new Bushwick in terms of gentrification but it’s better known as being a project-filled war zone) in NYC’s Brooklyn area and in fact has never been to Atlanta and is pretty much ripping off Future:

He sounds exactly like Future, in ways that can’t be accidental. The big home-run line from “Panda,” the line everyone remembers is, “I got broooads in Atlanta,” pronounced in a garbled Future-style heavy mutter. Future is from Atlanta. When he rapped the line, Desiigner had never been to Atlanta.

And this got me thinking…when I was growing up listening to hip hop, the big thing was authenticity. You were representing where you’re from and hopefully you’ve got some sort of criminal record that matches what you rap about. But today I guess that doesn’t matter? I mean sounding exactly like another rapper and mentioning his hometown that you’ve never been to in your song is about as inauthentic as it gets right? I have no problem with it because all I care about is a good beat and hook but it’s just such a far stretch from when guys would threaten to kill each other for lying about how much of a criminal they were. I guess we live in a post-Drake world.

Also I got an impromptu Ask A Black Blogger with Mo, formerly of Barstool Philly and currently of Complex, to see an expert’s thoughts:

So I guess the jury’s out until his next song. Overall I’m willing to let Desiigner be a total phony as long as he makes hits. I’m a results man first and foremost. I’m also a 31-year-old who primarily listens to trap music and pop music so I’m not sure how much you need my opinion on the matter.