This is the seventh EP from New York City emcee BVNGS. Riding on the strength of her debut EP Not Available more than a decade ago, she followed up with 7 Dutches & a Sweet Tea, Brown Girls & Bubble Coats, Lula and Only Crying because I’m Drunk. She later came to the attention of Flee Lord, one of the most prolific underground artists in recent memory, briefly signed to BVNGSY with Lord Mobb Music, and released her sixth EP, LaQuisha, in Spring 2021. Just 4 months later, I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Catch 1 show in Los Angeles, where Flee was the headliner, and was impressed by her performance. Sixteen months after her Mary Mack debut, she invited DJ M80 to host Twice a Day.
After the intro, first song “Herald” reminds everyone how she got her nickname over some piano and 808s, while “Missed Call” goes the boom-bap route about how if you don’t answer her call, keep her going. “Big Dipper” takes a rap-rock approach to how she’s too hot and can’t be this cold, and after “Drugs PSA,” “Nubuck” tries a cloud trap so she can catch some Ws.
“Sandman 125” is back in high gear, asking God to forgive her for being so bad, while “Subconsciously You” is a silent look back at a breakup. “Never Dawg” feels content with stray bitches who don’t deal with these things, while the funky “Doomsday” talks about feeling tired due to the state of the world. “Vanish” goes in a sample-drilling direction, with the lights being too bright, while drumless chipmunk soul closer “I Swear” ends with talk about keeping your head held high.
Mary Mack made a solid comeback for BVNGS the summer before last, but Twice a Day w/ Food transcends it, revisiting the unique chemistry of 2019’s Brown Girls & Bubble Coats that made it such an entertaining short listen. We’re still hearing the flourishes of bap, trap, and drumless production we heard on BVNGSY’s debut album 16 months ago, except there’s a hint of rap-rock and sample practice in the East Coast lyricist’s voice. Hungry a lot since then and she’s no longer a label.
Score: 8/10
