Can't Be Us

Album: single release only (2022)
Charted: 27
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Songfacts®:

  • Headie One links up with Abra Cadabra and Bandokay for this drill heater. All three rhymers grew up on the Broadwater Farm housing estate in Tottenham, London and are members of the hip-hop collective OFB, short for Original Farm Boys, one of the most prominent UK drill collectives. "Can't Be Us" serves as a victory lap for the three close friends as they celebrate their affinity and diss their adversaries. In particular, they slam their rival Edmonton gangs 3×3 and N9 (Tion Wayne is part of the latter set).
  • Headie One opens with a shout-out to Louisville rapper EST Gee's 2020 cut "Shine Together."

    I'm feelin' like EST 'cah everyone shine together
    'Course, the 9 can't flick like we


    While Headie One has achieved more commercial success than his other OFB members, he's remained loyal to the collective. The "Ain't It Different" rapper has appeared on many of their songs and helped place his homies in the spotlight. Unlike the N9 gang, where there's internal beef, the OFB boys all shine together.
  • Another onetime Broadwater Farm resident, M1onthebeat, co-created the beat with Ari Beats. Drill producer M1onthebeat also supplied the instrumentation for Headie One's Drake collaboration, "Only You Freestyle" and Digga D's hit single "Woi."

    Headie One co-directed the video alongside DON Productions (Digga D's "Pump 101"). We see the three rappers link up with the other OFB guys for a huge celebration on their home patch.

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