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Metro Boomin’s solo album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, has arrived, and the project is packed with interesting samples. One song that’s caught many fans' ears is “10 Freaky Girls,” one of two 21 Savage collaborations on the album. The song begins and ends with a soulful sample featuring vocals, harmonica, strings and synths that may sound familiar to some fans. It’s a cut of “Are You the Woman,” by Kashif and Whitney Houston.
Kashif was a New York City-born musician best known for his pioneering work on Arista Records. He worked with artists like Al Jarreau, Kenny G, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Dionne Warwick, and more, helping to expand the sound of R&B music with his use of drum machines and synthesizers. Although he never achieved a major crossover solo hit, several of his songs became Top 20 R&B hits in the 1980s. Kashif worked with Whitney Houston early in her career, recording “Are You the Woman” together and earning a pair of production credits on her self-titled debut album and one on her sophomore album Whitney.
On the track, 21 Savage drops pop culture references to SpongeBob Squarepants, Moesha, WWE, and more:
In Bikini Bottom, I’m with Sandy (Sandy)
Moesha keep on drinkin' all the brandy (Brandy)
Keisha eat the molly like it’s candy (Yah, yah)
Bodyslam a nigga like I’m Randy (Yah, yah)
He also reflects on running into someone he had previously robbed before he was a successful rapper:
You know, I was racin' down the highway earlier today, ridin' down 20
I happened to see a nigga I robbed back in the day
You know what? He was happy to see me
Not All Heroes Wear Capes features a second 21 Savage track, titled “Don’t Come Out the House.” Both songs are the latest in a long line of collaborations between 21 and Metro Boomin; the producer handled the entirety of 21’s breakout project Savage Mode, and also worked on his 2017 album Issa Album.
Listen to both songs above and catch up on all the lyrics to Metro Boomin & 21 Savage’s “10 Freaky Girls” and Kahsif and Whitney Houston’s “Are You the Woman” on Genius now.
A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the sample as Patti LaBelle’s 1983 hit “If Only You Knew.”
