Rising Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke has taken the nation by storm with her runaway hit “Don’t Play With It.” To give the song one last gust of wind, Lola has tapped Latto and Yung Miami of City Girls to bless “Don’t Play With It” with an official remix.

The beauty of “Don’t Play With It” lies in Lola’s ability to balance the inherent aggression and humour of the song. Her verses showcase her affinity for Foxy Brown – punchy, assertive bars that proclaim dominance in virtually every lane possible — while her ad-libs play into the subtly silly nature of the hook. Latto and Yung Miami each stick to one side of that equation for their respective verses, resulting in a remix that stays true to the original while providing ample space for the new additions to flex their own styles.

Latto sounds at home over the gritty production as she delivers bars like “You fuck like a hundred niggas, ain't got one hit / Whole lot of motherfuckers speakin' on me that ain't done shit.” While she’s proven that she can pull off the pop-rap costume (“Big Energy”), Latto is undeniably at her best when she’s just rapping and popping her shit. From scoffing at DMing men first to brushing off payola accusations, her verses play into the confrontational nature of “Don’t Play With It” while adding a dash of her own Atlanta flair. On the other hand, Yung Miami plays into the more playful elements of the song with references to social media that feel authentic to her personality. She raps lines like “He in my DM say I'm pretty, bitch, I know,” and “Uh-uh, get somebody else to do it” with a sly wink; she’s in on the joke, she’s not just referencing these memes to appear current or trendy. It’s her final two lines, however, that capture the cavalier essence of Yung Miami the rapper and persona: “Caresha single and saddity, he okay with it / No shade with it, no shade with it.”

Neither new verse feels explosive enough to truly reignite mass interest in the song, and the trio’s chemistry feels a bit weak throughout the track which dampens the bombastic energy of the original. Nonetheless, “Don’t Play With It (Remix),” at the very least, functions as a solid showcase of each lady’s skill.

Vote for Lola Brooke, Yung Miami and Latto at the 2023 Bulletin Awards.

SCORE: 68