"Ginseng Strip 2002" is a song by Swedish rapper Yung Lean from his first EP, Lavender EP (2013). It was produced by Yung Gud. The song's music video went viral in 2013, leading to Lean's rise to fame and the wider popularization of cloud rap and later SoundCloud rap.[1]
In 2022, the song garnered renewed popularity through the video-sharing app TikTok, where it became the most streamed song on the platform, globally that year, as well as charting at number 47 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the first time[2][3][4]
Music and sample
In 2014, producer Yung Gud described the process of recording the song, saying, "'Ginseng Strip 2002' was just a sound check — he [Yung Lean] was just checking to see if the microphone was working." Followed by Gud stating, "the first idea is always the best one."[5] The song sees Lean drawing influence from from rapper Lil B while rapping abstract verses related to sex, drugs and sensitive content, including having oral sex with a cocaine addict that looks like Zooey Deschanel.[6][7]
Yung Lean accredited the title "Ginseng Strip 2002" to spontaneity, stating: "we wanted something with 2002, and ginseng, the tea".[8] Additionally, Arizona iced tea and early 2000s nostalgia became aesthetic hall markers for much of Yung Lean's early music.[6][9]
The song was built on a chopped sample loop titled “Loop 61” by Japanese beatmaker DÉ DÉ MOUSE, who constructed the main loop using the Heart of Asia sample library, a 1995 release by Spectrasonics, and later added backing melodies.[10] Producer Yung Gud added trap-based instrumentation and slowed down DÉ DÉ MOUSE’s sample loop. The final beat was made in around 5-10 minutes. The original loop had been released through the Los Angeles-based record label Dublab as part of their open-source project INTO INFINITY.[11] The project invited 108 producers to contribute eight-second loops with any ambiance, tonality, or texture, resulting in a collection of 279 loops released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.[10]
In 2021, Dublab discovered that Yung Lean had sampled "Loop 61" through a post on Reddit dated March 26, 2021. This was the first time that Dublab became aware of Ginseng Strip 2002's unauthorized sampling in excess of the scope permitted by the License, they quickly contacted Yung Lean's label Year0001 notifying about the sample's usage, which the label responded by saying[13]:
[...] we love dublab and we have the upmost respect and admiration for your work. . . . Would love to make something happen with YEAR0001 and dublab one day. Let’s stay on contact!
By 2022, the song went viral on TikTok and charted at number 47 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the first time.[4][2][14] Dublab accredited the song's success to their original sample loop. Year0001 stopped responding to Dublab and did not collaborate for their upcoming Membership Drive that year. Following this, Dublab sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding Yung Lean and Yung Gud's unauthorized sampling of "Loop 61", which was followed by a lawsuit soon after.[13]
Reception
The song has received mixed reception among critics and fans. Jonah Bromwich of Pitchfork wrote a negative critique of Yung Lean's performance and music video: "His verses are stilted, his movements awkward; he resembles a rap-obsessed misfit from a summer camp who freestyles poorly and doesn't worry about distinguishing between the positive and negative attention he's receiving."[15] Cecilia Morales of The Ithacan called his music video "obscure" and said Lean had gained prominence for "producing songs and videos that are so bad they're good".[16]
In 2013, "Ginseng Strip 2002" was ranked number 44 on Consequence of Sound's list "Top 50 Songs of 2013".[17]
Music video
Ginseng Strip 2002 was released on January 19, 2013, while the music video was recorded and released a few months later, originally uploaded to YouTube on March 25, 2013. The video was shot at various different locations around Stockholm, particularly Södermalm, after school by Emrik Meshesha (Dj Ferrari), a friend of Lean who mainly filmed BMX clips. In the video, Yung Lean is seen donning a bucket hat and doing Lil B's "cooking dance".[6][15]
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