After being released from prison in February, Bobby Shmurda opted to skip the obligatory first day out track. Six months later, he has finally returned with “No Time for Sleep (Freestyle),” his first solo release in seven years. Watch the music video below.
Featuring production by Tweek Tune, AmDesp, and Vito, “No Time for Sleep” still captures the urgency of a man recently freed from jail. Shmurda raps for six and a half minutes straight without bothering to stop for a chorus, while reminding haters he’s not that far removed from life on the streets.
“Play with us, we GS9, n****,” he raps. “Hit you twice, n****/ Hit you three times in your eyes, n****/ Brr, shootin’, shootin’, n****s blind, n****.” After the passing of Pop Smoke, there was a hope that Bobby would step in to fill the charismatic void he left behind. While “No Time for Sleep” is merely a freestyle, it’s a reminder of why Brooklyn was so hyped on him — while not a lyrical rapper, Shmurda has an innate star power that draws in fans to root for his success.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, the 27-year-old East Flatbush native explained why he took his time with making a musical comeback. “I just knew I had to get my business together,” he said. “You can’t be walking around outside and your kitchen stinks.”
In late July, Shmurda started getting momentum going with a guest verse on the mostly Spanish-language drill remix of Eladio Carrión and J Balvin’s “TATA.” According to the Times, he has been in the studio with the likes of Migos, Swae Lee, and DaBaby in preparation for his debut album. Whether or not he’ll ever reach the heights of “Hot N****” remains to be seen, but it won’t be without the support of a warm welcome home.