For most of us, a birthday is the one day a year when we feel entitled to be outlandish, bold, and – dare I say – extra. 50 Cent, the noted wordsmith of the early aughts, once famously declared “we gon’ party like it’s your birthday.” And for good reason – there’s a certain reverence paid to the timeless tradition of turning up to commemorate another revolution around the sun.
P.FLXWS (aka Pablo Ramirez) is the Guadalajara rapper whose latest track, “Birthday Boy,” confidently asserts that every day can feel like a birthday when you’re young and poppin’.
Produced by Phynx and featuring Cruz Cafuné of Spain’s Broke Niños Make Pesos crew, “Birthday Boy” is off of Ramirez’s upcoming EP, En Crecimiento. Slated for an April 20 release, the EP will be the latest offering from NWLA, whose roster of emerging Latin American (t)rap artists is an A&R’s dream.
Ramirez’s subdued flow floats over a spacey instrumental that would make Camp Lo proud. Prefaced by the sound of champagne flowing into a glass, “Birthday Boy” bubbles with slick wordplay and subtle boasts. Pablo raps, “con estilo de conquista, y no soy español” on the song’s hook, a line that reflects the prevailing emotions of anyone who has found themselves deep in thought about structural oppression while partying.
At once celebratory and unapologetic, “Birthday Boy” is P.FLXWS’ coup de grace to a life of asking for permission. In a world that favors the bold, Ramirez reminds us to live a little and savor the ride – and the champagne.