The Singles Jukebox

Songs not to get stuck in traffic to…

[Video][Twitter]
[6.00]David Turner: Part of me is sad that such a perfect Bay Area song got fucking polluted with the white-washing of language that somehow conflated this song with “twerking”. But fuck it, “Selfie” was revived despite the fact it wasn’t never dead. So, I cannot complain too much that “Gas Pedal” was one of the early benefactors of Vine and became a crossover radio hit last year, but I’m still bitter.
[9]

Anthony Easton: The bubbling sounds throughout this sound swampy, and new — it does not sound like an extraction of other sounds, or an extending of what has already been said. Sage’s voice has a laconic quality, but this isn’t matched by a formalist blankness. The line about asses falling off is just funny. IAMSU! does not add anything. Minus the usual points for the casual misogyny.
[5]

Crystal Leww: “Gas Pedal” is the latest iteration of the Bay Area’s hyphy movement. Its recent ascension to the Billboard charts despite its March release date makes a case for why the recent Billboard changes have been a severe detriment to the rap charts. A continued regional fragmentation of hip hop means that rap radio is important for pushing upcoming sounds and artists like Sage, and yet the charts make it seem like there’s nothing left to discover with Eminem’s continued dominance. “Gas Pedal” is worth the discovery; it is an absolutely sinister turn for hyphy. The traditional markers are still here with a low, gritty bass and synth hits, but it is quiet and low despite being about girls shaking their asses quickly. The whole song is downright haunting, a soundtrack for voyeuristic men at clubs, and yet, it’s also oddly sexy and a little bit silly (“wiggle like you’re tryna make yo’ ass fall off”). With E-40 continuing to release large volumes of high quality music and Sage coming out with absolute bangers, let’s hope that there’s someway for the national stage to notice what’s going on in the Bay.
[7]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: I’m quite shocked that Iamsu still hasn’t become a star off any of his own records, but continues to be set dressing for singles built for Vine links and twerk routines and little more. Sage is a mini star, but not a great one – his commands to the butt are just listless, and butt commands should never be listless.
[5]

Brad Shoup: The differences between Sage and Su are one, Sage’s punchlines land, and two, he knows this to the point of nearly breaking. But the track’s so antiseptic, I don’t mind the cracks.
[6]

Patrick St. Michel: “Speed up – gas pedal.” I see the 2010 renaissance has begun.
[4]

Andy Hutchins: It’s “I don’t give a fork” vs. “And her boyfriend a bitch, call him Tyler Perry” for Best Line That Makes Me Laugh And Makes Me Embarrassed To Laugh At It. This is dancing peoples’ rap, not thinking peoples’ rap, and it’s fine for what it is, but Sage might wanna try deviating from Su’s formula, given how this feels like a day/night, light/dark flip of (the superior) “Red Nose.”
[5]

Katherine St Asaph: See, this is what happens when you get decent beats and are interesting.
[7]