Written by: Oliver Heffron
Babytron is “he’s heating up!” from NBA Jam in musical form. He obliterates beats with the jubilance of a backseat freestyle each time he steps to the mic. The Bin Reaper, born James Johnson from Ypsilanti, MI, delivers insider-level sports references and pop culture punchlines at a blistering pace over uptempo, Detroit-influenced instrumentals without ever sounding like he’s rushing. His flow embodies the nonchalant mastery of the point-guards (Sleeve Nash) he cites, slowing the beats down to an irresistible groove with his confident flow. Babytron makes it look easy, charismatically controlling beats difficult to imagine paired with any other MC with hilarious yet dynamic lyricism, forging a unique lane for himself to become an irreplaceable commodity in the rising rappers of the 2020s.
Highlighting Babytron’s affinity for sports and pop-culture references may seem redundant mention since it’s such a common motif in rap. To clarify, this is not the casual “shoot it like Steph” throwaway, this is an MC with a Ph.D. in NBA history and pop-culture nostalgia, expressing an affinity for a throwback, cult-heroes like “Jesus Shuttlesworth,” “Joe Dumars,” “Bruce Leroy,” “Manute Bol,” and “Apollo Creed.” Just like his song titles, Babytron’s charismatic dedication has turned him into a cult commodity with a loyal fanbase. There’s a world of references in each song, with a surefire injection of Gen-Z humor with Spongebob sound effects, GTA references (“6 Star Wanted Level”), and beats sampling the iconic themes of Harry Potter (“Half-Blood Prince”), Star Wars (“Sith Lord”), and The Office (“The Office”), respectively.
Raised in a city with a storied history of upbeat electro dance music and legendary punch-line lyricists, Babytron synthesizes these joyous aspects of Detroit’s culture into his production and lyricism. Babytron is a hilarious and refreshing slap in the face, unapologetically expressing himself with the delivery of a slick battle-rapper and the timing of a comedian. He may be young, but Babytron’s a throwback to the head-turning punchlines and upbeat electro dance-beats of hip-hop’s earliest chapters. Babytron leans into these influences on Back to the Future, an ode the 80s music and culture with through the glitzy synths arpeggiators, nostalgic percussion hits, and dazzling lyrical displays like “Tootsie Roll.”
Photo Courtesy of Babytron.
While exuding a carefree, funloving approach to rap, Babytron’s consistent onslaught of quality projects and distinctive style manifests a serious talent turning some of the biggest heads in hip-hop and sports. With his latest mixtape, Megatron, Babytron asserts himself as a fixture in rap while staying true to his city and the style which made him. The project features more polished, mainstream ready production that still resonates with Babytron’s earlier projects like “Extra Butter,” “Mr. Do The Dash,” and “Cobra Kai.” The basketball references slice even deeper, separating the true hooper-historians from the wannabes with bars like “In High School, was too flashy like Acquille Carr” off the hilariously themed “Peachtree.” With the mainstream taking notice, the Bin Reaper’s music is just too much fun for his fans to keep to themselves anymore. It’s time for Babytron to shoot straight to the moon.