In a city where success and failure come and go daily, TriStar happens to drop a song on us, “To Kill a Superstar,” that feels like a sound bomb aimed at the superficial elements of the music business. Making it hard to tell where rap ends and a thriller begins, the track explores what being famous means: everything’s tinted red.
The song is not only about the problems of being famous—it also coaxes listeners into its story. The sound is built on strings that slice and under that, a constant motion like a mob coming closer. The samples and scratches faded by Thriller sound like the echoes of someone fearful of being watched by the public. However, Tri Star H.U.H steals the show, rapping about both standing tall and feeling down. He explains that celebrities in the end are crowned to be attacked, only to be lied to and sold as an unlucky victim.
Sure, it’s a song, but it’s basically a revolt. In Los Angeles’s wild underbelly, the three elicit the same mood, as alife-sized murals of legendary icons can be seen everywhere. Tri Star H.U.H’s beats are as unrelenting, surprising and sweaty as Sundown City. Using haunting piano loops mixed with trap snares, DKAY makes a track with vibes from Taxi Driver and Training Day. In the meantime, DJThriller’s mixes cut through the track sharply, just as a reminder that winning doesn’t always leave you unharmed.
