Plug Walk

The term 'plug' in street slang refers to a high-level drug supplier or a major connection for illicit goods. The 'plug walk,' therefore, is a metaphorical expression for the confident, swaggering way such a person would move, embodying their power, success, and the nonchalant attitude that comes with being a major player. The song is a celebration of Rich The Kid's rise in the music industry, using the narrative of a drug kingpin as an allegory for his own success. He details a life of luxury, filled with designer clothes ('Gucci on my shoes'), expensive cars ('space coupe'), and immense wealth, contrasting it with a past of 'trapping early in the morning'. The lyrics are a braggadocious anthem about making it against the odds and now being the source, or 'the plug,' in his field. The space and alien references ('E.T.', 'space coupe') further emphasize how his lifestyle is otherworldly and far removed from the ordinary.

The narrative of the song centers on the artist's transformation from a life of hustling and 'trapping' to achieving immense wealth and status. The central theme is the celebration of this success, symbolized by the term 'plug walk,' which represents the confident swagger of a high-level dealer or 'plug.' The artist recounts his past struggles, waking up to the dangers of his lifestyle ('woke up in the house, hear that rat-ta-tat'), and contrasts it with his current reality. This new life is filled with luxury items and signifiers of success. He boasts about expensive designer brands like Gucci, luxury cars he refers to as 'space coupes,' and large sums of money ('50k you could come and book a nigga').

The lyrics create a distinct persona of someone who has not just made money, but has ascended to a new level of influence and power. He is the 'plug,' the source, the person others now have to go through. This is reinforced by lines where he describes his phone ringing with business inquiries, so much so that he can afford to be nonchalant ('call me on my phone, I don't say shit'). There's a recurring motif of extraterrestrial and space-related imagery, such as 'space coupe like E.T.' and 'it's the plug tryna call me.' This serves as a metaphor for how alien and out-of-this-world his new lifestyle feels compared to his old one. He feels untouchable, operating on a different plane from everyone else. The phrase 'I don't even understand how the f*ck my plug talk' is a boast about the scale of his operations; the deals are so significant and the connections so powerful that the language and methods are foreign and incomprehensible to an outsider. He is no longer just a participant in the game; he has mastered it to the point of becoming a key figure, the one who dictates the terms. The song is a declaration of victory, a confident strut through a world he has conquered, where every step is a 'plug walk'.

"Plug Walk" was released on February 9, 2018, as the second single from Rich The Kid's debut studio album, The World Is Yours. The track was produced by the Canadian producer TheLabCook, with co-production credits to Taz Taylor and JRHitmaker. TheLabCook revealed that he created the beat's distinctive 'spacey vibe' using a sound called 'vinyl bell tone' from the Omnisphere plugin and then manipulating it with the Gross Beat effect to create the intro and give it a unique rhythm. Interestingly, TheLabCook initially didn't see the massive potential in the beat he had created. He admitted in an interview, 'When I made it I had no idea it would be gold in a month, or almost platinum. I didn't see the potential in it. When I heard him record I was like, 'What? Really, that's that beat?' I didn't even like that beat that much.' This highlights how an artist's performance and vision can transform a producer's work. The song premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show and quickly became a major hit.

The rhyme scheme in "Plug Walk" is relatively simple and direct, which is common in trap music to emphasize the rhythm and flow over complex lyrical structures. Rich The Kid primarily uses couplets (AABB) and single-syllable end rhymes, making the lyrics catchy and easy to follow. For instance, in the chorus, 'talk' rhymes with 'walk', and 'me' rhymes with 'ET'. This straightforward approach ensures the focus remains on the swagger of the delivery and the hypnotic quality of the beat. The rhythm is defined by a mid-tempo trap beat with syncopated hi-hats creating a skittering, energetic pulse. Rich The Kid's lyrical rhythm often plays against the beat's rhythm, creating a dynamic interplay. His flow is bouncy and syncopated, often starting and stopping in unexpected places, which gives the track its characteristic 'walk' or swagger. The repetition of the titular phrase 'Plug walk' creates a rhythmic motif that is both the lyrical and percussive hook of the song.

"Plug Walk" is a quintessential example of 2010s trap music, characterized by its rhythmic complexity and vocal style. Musically, the song is built on a hypnotic, spacey synth melody created by producer TheLabCook, layered over a foundation of hard-hitting 808 bass, crisp claps, and rapid-fire hi-hats, typical of the trap genre. The producer used effects like Gross Beat to create a half-speed, swooping intro and reversed melodies, adding to the track's psychedelic and atmospheric feel. Rich The Kid's vocal delivery is a key stylistic element. He employs a confident, often staccato flow that bounces on the beat, punctuated by his signature ad-libs ('Hey!', 'What!', 'Plug!'). This call-and-response pattern between his main lyrics and ad-libs adds another rhythmic layer and enhances the song's energetic and braggadocious tone. His use of simple, repetitive, and catchy melodic phrases, especially in the chorus, makes the song incredibly memorable and perfect for a party atmosphere.

"Plug Walk" was a massive commercial success for Rich The Kid, becoming his highest-charting single as a lead artist at the time, peaking at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, cementing its status as a major hit of 2018. Its iconic, sci-fi-themed music video, which pays homage to the TV show Breaking Bad and features internet personality Lil Mayo as an alien, went viral, accumulating over 344 million views on YouTube as of April 2024. The song and its accompanying dance move became a pop culture phenomenon, spreading through social media and even leading to Rich The Kid performing it impromptu inside a USC lecture hall. The track's success was boosted by several popular remixes, including an official version featuring Gucci Mane, YG, and 2 Chainz. "Plug Walk" solidified Rich The Kid's place in the mainstream and became one of the defining trap anthems of its year.

The central metaphor of the song is the 'plug walk' itself. It's not just a literal walk but a symbol of achieving a certain status of power, wealth, and untouchability. It's the confident gait of someone who is the source ('the plug').

Another significant layer of symbolism comes from the recurring space and alien imagery. Rich the Kid raps, 'Space coupe like E.T., it's the plug tryna call me.' This metaphor serves multiple purposes:

• It equates his luxury vehicles to futuristic spaceships, emphasizing their expense and exotic nature.
• It portrays his connections ('the plug') as being almost otherworldly or 'alien,' suggesting a level of influence that is beyond normal comprehension.
• This theme was visually realized in the music video, which features an actual alien.

The most prominent recurring motif is the phrase 'plug walk' itself. Repeated insistently throughout the chorus, it functions as the song's central theme and hook, drilling the concept of confident, supplier-level swagger into the listener's head. Its repetition makes the song an anthem for this specific brand of success. Another recurring phrase is an interpolation of his 2015 track, 'Plug,' with the line 'till I ran into the plug'. This self-reference serves as a recurring motif in his broader discography, linking his past work to his current success and reinforcing his established persona. Thematically, motifs of space and alien encounters ('E.T.', 'space coupe') are woven throughout the lyrics and the music video, symbolizing a lifestyle that is out of this world. Lastly, the ad-lib 'Plug!' is used frequently, acting as an exclamation mark that reinforces the central theme every time it appears.