“Players” by Coi Leray
Coi Leray isn’t necessarily someone we would define as a nepo baby, but at the very least she was professionally inspired by her dad, Benzino, who is a notable figure in hip-hop. From an industry standpoint, Coi has been active since 2018 and has thus far dropped one platinum hit, 2021’s “No More Parties“.
She also had the privilege of collaborating with Nicki Minaj, arguably the queen of rap, on the 2022 outing “Blick Blick”. And that same year we were treated to Leray’s debut LP, “Trendsetter”, which performed admirably on US Billboard charts.
That said, Leray’s overall popularity is also largely attributable to her social media presence (for instance having nearly 7,000,000 Instagram followers as of this writing).
THE TEAM BEHIND THE SONG “PLAYERS”
“Players”, which came out on 30 November 2022, marked Leray’s first single post-“Trendsetter”. Johnny Goldstein, a prominent behind-the-scenes’ man who actually hails from Israel, produced and co-wrote this song. The song’s other writers, besides for Coi, are Feli Ferraro and Worldwide Fresh.
Leray’s big break came when she signed with Republic and 1801 Records in 2019. These are the same labels that are responsible for the release of “Players”, along with UMG and Uptown.
SHOUTOUT TO GRANDMASTER FLASH & THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
Interpolated into “Players” is “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, which was released in 1982 and proved to be one of the earliest hits in the history of rap music. Also acknowledged as being interpolated is “Nasty Boy”, a track Biggie Smalls dropped in 1997.
“GIRLS IS PLAYERS, TOO”?
Well at least some girls are, i.e. the likes of Coi Leray.
A player or playa, as colloquially spelled, is a standard by which traditionally male rappers tend to judge themselves. What the ideology points to, most simply put, is having as many girlfriends as you want. And as has been firmly established throughout the years, said goal is achieved by having ample disposable income to engage in such expeditions and flossing.
But as implied in this song, the female advantage is different. They can use their physical, i.e. bodily attractiveness as an upper hand in the realm of romance. And Coi, as presented, is definitely on it like that. In other words, she’s sexy enough to exploit romantic interests – financially, sexually and socially – at will and behaves accordingly.
From a financial perspective, she also lets it be known that she’s not the type to date men who don’t have money. Also, since she has a variety to choose from, Leray exercises her freedom by dating who she likes, when she feels like it.
And this isn’t about the vocalist hatin’ on the less-fairer sex (per se). Instead, she and likeminded “b*tches” are focused on making paper. The last thing they want to do is fall in love.
DID “PLAYERS” CHART?
“Players” achieved a holistic showing on US Billboard charts, where it appeared on four different lists. Most notably in that regard, being a top-10 hit on the Rhythmic chart.
Beyond Leray’s homeland, this song was a global success in that it charted in a dozen nations, including being a number one hit in the Netherlands.
CONCLUSION
It’s safe to presume that, all things considered, Coi Leray can and maybe is living the type of lifestyle presented in this song. She has had a number of celebrity boyfriends, and the guy she’s known to be dating of late doesn’t really seem like a serious relationship. Moreover, due to her, may we say bold fashion sense, Leray has been steadily evolving into a bona fide sex symbol. So perhaps she is a female playa or at least idealizes living that lifestyle.
