Chocolate Droppa walked into the office with a laser focus and a clear mission. He didn’t ask for much during soundcheck, just a preview of beats from The Band of Brothas and a shot of espresso. He was about to do something that had never been done at Tiny Desk before — freestyle an entire set “off the dome.”
It’s been over nine years since Droppa dropped his debut mixtape, which featured heavy hitters like Migos, Big Sean, Nick Jonas, and more. “Every time I see people,” the rapper shares during his set, “the first thing they say is ‘Droppa where you been? When you gonna give us more?’ ” Well, the answer is now. Those who aren’t hip may recognize the emcee as his alter-ego, Kevin Hart, who’s become a household name in comedy and acting. But this unscripted set proves that Chocolate Droppa’s rap game is equally entertaining. There’s really no need to compare him to any other performer you’ve seen, because as Droppa puts it himself, he’s “not them.”
SET LIST
- “ATL RAP”
- “West Coast”
- “Love Song”
- “Don’t F*** with Dem”
MUSICIANS
- Chocolate Droppa: vocals
- Slim Wav: keys
- Sharod Virtuoso: guitar
- EJ MoBetta: bass
- Jordan Hemby: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Alanté Serene, Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Kara Frame
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant
- Audio Engineers: Neil Tevault, Andie Huether
- Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
- Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
