Tsumyoki and Arpit Bala’s Collective Charm May Still Not Be Enough For ‘WHAT CAN I SAY?’

Nathan Joseph Mendes, or as your criminally online Twitter friend knows him as Tsumyoki, came out the gate with all guns blazing with his 2023 album A Message From The Moon. In an article penned prior to the LP’s release, the 23-year-old rapper went so far as to call this project his “most emotional release yet,” with a cohesive sound marked by a dynamism across genres, oscillating between Afro-pop, soft pop, and, of course, trap. He has now dropped the track “WHAT CAN I SAY?” a low-stakes bop in collaboration with Indian meme culture’s most notorious rapper, Arpit Bala.

The song is Tsumyoki’s first single off his upcoming EP titled HOUSEPHULL and is accompanied by a video shot almost entirely in what seems to be a high school classroom. The Gully Gang rapper, separate from this release, has gained a significant amount of brownie points for his undeniable charisma, charming on-screen presence, and the fact that he is very comfortable acting like a goober in his music videos. Naturally, it would make complete sense to collaborate with Arpit Bala then, surely? Bala—who gained immediate, cult-like fame through his livestreams and Instagram comedy, has been upfront in holding his own ground as a rapper, too. Being one-half of the duo Foosie Gang, the Faridabad native has been walking the thin line between “comedy rap” and actually being able to spit some bars.

With all these factors working in their favor, one would think this collaboration would be an instant home run, right? This is where we divulge. Despite the visuals leaking with boyish charisma from both artists, the track can very easily be separated into two distinct segments. The first is where Tsumyoki offers line after line elucidating his “claim on the rap game” with lyrics that are, and it pains me to say this, incredibly vacuous. The second half, marked by a beat change and—get this—a Chaar Diwaari cameo, showcases a way more interesting production element. Tsumyoki’s tone also immediately shifts and unfortunately, that half is as short as it is.

“I do a play on a bitch/ Watch how I sway on a bitch/ I keep your crowd in control/ Got hitters on me like stadium pitch/ Jack of all trades what can’t man do?/ Make the ground shake like Kathmandu”

Tsumyoki’s charm does not translate onto this record, instead, we’re left with a one-trick pony without a discernible trick, a competent rapper who offers attention-worthy flows but fails to write impressively. The Connor Price-inspired beat is a glimpse into the artist’s production capabilities but fails to stick as anything memorable. There have been numerous instances in the rapper’s past discography where he has shown his lyrical capabilities, however, this track does not seem to be one of those instances.

Arpit Bala offers a marginally more nuanced verse on the same subject matter of *checks notes*. “I am the best at what I do” and has moments where he is self-aware regarding his place in the industry. It would have been interesting to see if there are any other further collaborations on the upcoming HOUSEPHULL EP where Arpit Bala gets a chance to flesh these concepts out. In a particularly cutthroat and personal-jab justifying moment in time, it may seem slightly frivolous to drop a fun, dance-able flex song in the same vein as “WHAT CAN I SAY?”. Some might argue that the brief shelf-life can work in their favor as a quick chart-topper for Gen Z listeners. However, it does not take away from the fact that these two are incredibly talented rappers. Perhaps they are, or rather should be, allowed a second to be entirely frivolous.