The Singles Jukebox

But would we invite this family for dinner?

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[6.00]

Thomas Inskeep: From the first listen to Puff’s MMM mixtape — a top ten of 2015 and better than expectations suggested — this was the highlight, leaning more on the side of ’80s funk than ’90s hip-hop, with a bass line to die for (and Puff knows about epic basslines). Ty’s slickly-manipulated vocals are perfect for this groove, which damned near could’ve come off a 1983 Midnight Star album; Gizzle fills the role of Ma$e (tell me I’m wrong, I dare you); and Puff knows (or at least thinks he knows) how to make the ladies swoon. 
[9]

Micha Cavaseno: Puffy knows, man. Satan hasn’t been the king of pop-rap-auteurism (SORRY YEEZY) for this long. So he gets Ty Dolla $ign and says “No, I don’t need you to craft a ratchet-type record for the clubs… I need you to be my Carl Thomas.” Meanwhile he has some kid named Gizzle sounding like Black Rob if Black Rob had to be as much of a soft-hands as every rapper is expected to be these days. Meanwhile, Puffy gets to play hedonistic maniac goof in a way Kanye doesn’t let himself do without being stern and sour apples every other second. It’s the rare-refined pleasure of this weird boogie groove getting a sloppy celebration from people who have the confidence to construct a banger that has no place in the self-aggrandized nature of rap in 2015.
[7]

Brad Shoup: I’m happy as anyone for Sean’s mid-career renaissance, but I have to draw a line at funk bass over an atomic puppy of a beat. Also what man in his forties says something like “I brought drugs to the party”? A narc, that’s who. Ty channels Kells while saying things Robert would never say; everything here sounds like shit recording artists thought would have sounded cool the night before.
[5]

Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: Puffy’s name may come first in the credits, but it’s Ty Dolla $ign who owns this 80’s-indebted, nocturnal funk track. Cody ChesnuTT’s clattering “Boyhood in America” beat is beautifully enhanced by TM88’s spacey Disco production (and that bassline is enormous!), and while Gizzle and Puffy sound a bit disoriented at times in their verses, Ty’s amazing soulful breakdown in the end makes up for those inconsistencies. 
[7]

Alfred Soto: For Puff to mimic fellow non-rapper Drake makes sense. To sweeten the deal, he non-raps and non-sings over slap bass and harmonica like it’s 1984. Ty is alright.
[5]

Cassy Gress: I have known Puff Daddy as “the guy who did that song I HATED” ever since I was 18, and in a fit of pique deleted “Bad Boys For Life” from my “everything I ever heard on the radio” mp3 collection, because I was so annoyed at the way the guitar riff drags a bit behind the drums.  Drove me nuts; I wanted to buy him a metronome.  So, here I am, now 32, thinking, “It’s silly that I’ve held a grudge against Puff Daddy for so long over a song I had to look up on Wikipedia to even remember what it was. I should give this an honest chance.”  NOW THE SINGER IS DRAGGING BEHIND THE BEAT. I give up.
[3]

Anthony Easton: Quiet, repeats, doesn’t become hypnotic, yet isn’t quite dull. It’s a curious attempt at making less from more. 
[6]