Twelve'len and Denzel Curry Ponder Real Love on "Lady Draco"

It's been a decade since Twelve'len and Denzel Curry emerged from Carol City at the cusp of Miami's renaissance period in rap. The former primarily contributed as an R&B counterpart for songs that needed a melodic touch. As bass distortion, cloud rap, and flexin' and finessin' formed the mold of Florida's influence on SoundCloud, Twelve'len took his own route.

Opting for sweet melodies and pairing them with sleek, aromatic production has carved out a unique spot for him in the underground. Emotive recollections of romance and moments of soul-searching are placed at the forefront of his 2021 album, Sugar Hill Express. His guest spots on Denzel Curry's TA1300 and Imperial paint the picture of the duo's innate chemistry that's called upon for Twelve'len's latest release, "Lady Draco."

Atop muted drums and pitched-down guitar strings, Twelve'len slides in with vocoded delivery reminiscent of Purple Swag-era A$AP Rocky, entranced by a love interest who keeps a gun in her Chanel bag. Pretty quickly, their situationship brings him hell, and over trap percussion, he raps about extortion and being stuck with a baby on the way.

A beat switch at the midway point introduces a slower, heavier drum pattern with an eerie synth lead and striking keys as Twelve'len's echoing hook prompts Curry to spit his verse. Reflective and pensive as he tends to be, Curry finds a smooth pocket in the beat and muses over the meaning of love and the root of social conflict. It's a solid feature for a solid song that runs just over two minutes, potentially ahead of a new full-length project from Twelve'len.