Entitled “Real Life” the song is Star2’s next hit with Jacksonville, Florida’s Lil Poppa. A child of a refugee camp, Star2 and Lil Poppa bond through their experiences growing up in inner city poverty – Lil Poppa in Florida and Star2 in San Diego, California, they both sing “I live in a place where you hear sirens all the time” throughout the song.
The urban rhythmic elements of the song are presented in an overlay of classical piano and a rush of strings that bring sorrow, angst, and despair. The haunting ballad is accomplished by an A-flat major chord progression with a B-major melody across it along with rich layers from drums, bass, and a trap drum beat. The despair is highlighted by distorted 808’s and trap drums – creating the feeling of desperation and deprivation along the backdrop of violence in the refugee camp as well as the urban hood.
The video begins with Star2 rolling his desert ATV and scrambling to the top of it sharing “you will never understand the pain that I’m feeling inside, I’ve done seen a lot of shit, shit you probably don’t even want to see in real life.” The video is set in the desert with the backdrop of a plane crash, the cockpit and fuselage at opposite ends. Star2’s lyrics tell us “I grew up in the jungle” and “if it weren’t for the music, I wouldn’t be here today.” He also remembers that to help support his grandma, who brought him from the refugee camp, “gotta hustle on the block…I was just too young, I was just a kid.”
The video ends with a beautiful rush of purple and pink smoke bombs. According to Star2: “making the video with Lil Poppa was a rush. We acted as our own stunt men and had a blast racing in the desert. Lil Poppa is humble, not flashy but able to tell an emotional story about his struggle. I respect his unique flow and vocals. He’s been through the same struggles as me but in a different way. He is one of my favorite artists and underrated.”
