"GBP" is a song by British rappers Central Cee and 21 Savage, released on 17 January 2025 as the third single from the former's debut studio album Can't Rush Greatness (2025). It was produced by Liohn, Gino Nano, Pontus Persson, Eight8, Harry Beech and Jonny Leslie.

Composition and lyrics

"GBP" blends elements of UK and US rap,[1] primarily UK drill and US trap.[2][3] The production consists of synths, drums[4] and a vocal sample.[5] The song opens with a snippet of dialogue by rapper Cam'ron's character from the 2002 film Paid In Full (which Central Cee references later on): "Yo, come on, Mitch, you know I gotta go / Bring your motherfuckin' ass".[6] Central Cee raps about rising to fame from his humble beginnings and the struggles of street life.[1] In addition, he discusses how his life would have been different in the United States, with respect to gun laws ("If it weren't the UK, would've had a AK-47 with a hundred rounds"),[6][7] UK streetwear ("Red carpet in my trackie and Air Max / They want a boy with a London style")[6][8]—which references when he stepped on the red carpet in a tracksuit at The Fashion Awards in 2023[5][9]—and money ("We ain't got generational wealth, got a couple of mill' for my unborn child / If I pay a man a hundred thousand pound, I can get man bun right in front of a crowd, uh")—after which 21 Savage explains that the U.S. dollar is not worth as much as the British pound ("That's GBP, the price go up if it's USD / Better watch your words, I'll get you X'd 'bout the shit you tweet (On God)")—in the chorus, as well as other crime-related topics in the first verse ("If I lived in Harlem, I would've been Mitch, them man would've been like Ace and snitched / If it was Oakland, I would've been a pimp / If it was 1930, North Carolina, I would've been Frank with the mink").[2][4][6][9][10] Central Cee details staying true to his roots in the streets,[2][8] declaring "If it weren't UK, would have had an AK, gang outside with a samurai sword".[8] In the second verse, 21 Savage references the Premier League in the opening lines[4][6][7] and shares his struggles as a rapper, including dealing with Internet feuds and women looking for a committed relationship with him. Nevertheless, he states he is willing to buy luxury items for women in his life.[6]

Critical reception

The song was well-received by music critics. Elias Andrews of HotNewHipHop commented the song "does an excellent job of fusing drill and trap in an organic way. Both rappers sound at home on the beat, and do their thing while complimenting each other's style." He added, "The two rappers swap verses after small bursts of bars. Central Cee raps the first 30 seconds of the song, then hands it off to 21 Savage. The Atlanta hitmaker spits for 15 more seconds before giving it back to Cee. Odd, but it works. Both men bring the bars. The beat is also elite, with a vocal sample being distorted to varying effects throughout. This is an improvement over Central Cee's collab with Lil Baby, 'Band4Band.'"[3] Sophie Caraan of Hypebeast wrote "21 complements Cee with his own gritty lines, aiding the track's strong storytelling aspect. The duo's musical chemistry is, frankly, undeniable, and the mix of their styles deliver what could be one of the strongest tracks off the new album."[5] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote "Central Cee and 21 Savage have extremely different rap styles, but they sound really good together as their voices bounce back and forth across this beat."[11]

Music video

An official music video premiered alongside the single. Directed by Cole Bennett and filmed in Atlanta, it largely features British culture[11] and red tones characteristic of the U.K. flag;[10] Central Cee and 21 Savage rap in front of a giant Union Jack.[6][7][8] Guns and stunt driving are shown in other scenes.[11] Central Cee waves a Brit Awards trophy on a CCTV screen and rides in the backseat of a Pontiac as he does doughnuts in a parking lot.[10] The clip also finds ninjas in hoods and ski masks duelling with swords.[8]

Charts

Chart performance for "GBP"
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 36
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 52
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] 28
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[15] 92
Germany (GfK)[16] 80
Global 200 (Billboard)[17] 43
Greece International (IFPI)[18] 6
Iceland (Tónlistinn)[19] 24
Ireland (IRMA)[20] 26
Luxembourg (Billboard)[21] 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 49
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 20
Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[24] 47
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[25] 92
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[26] 51
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 89
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 18
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 6
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[30] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 81
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[32] 21

References

  1. ^ a b Kelly, Tyler Damara (20 January 2025). "Central Cee joins forces with 21 Savage on new track, "GBP"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Singh, Surej (17 January 2025). "Central Cee and 21 Savage link up for hard-hitting new collaboration 'GBP'". NME. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b Andrews, Elias (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee And 21 Savage Skate Over Catchy New Single "GBP"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Blistein, Jon (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee and 21 Savage Pile Up the Pounds on New Song 'GBP'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Caraan, Sophie (January 16, 2025). "Central Cee Enlists 21 Savage for Cross-Atlantic Collab "GBP"". Hypebeast. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Partridge, Ken (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee Teams Up With 21 Savage For New Song "GBP"". Genius. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Renshaw, David (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee and 21 Savage join forces on the transatlantic "GBP"". The Fader. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e Williams, Aaron (January 16, 2025). "Central Cee And 21 Savage Duel With Ninjas Under The Union Jack In Their Action-Packed 'GBP' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b Murray, Robin (17 January 2025). "Central Cee, 21 Savage Link On 'GBP'". Clash. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Trapp, Malcolm (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee And 21 Savage Come Together For "GBP" Music Video". Rap-Up. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (January 17, 2025). "Central Cee – "GBP" (Feat. 21 Savage)". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  12. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Central Cee & 21 Savage – GBP" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  14. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  15. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 5. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Central Cee & 21 Savage – GBP" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  17. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  18. ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 05/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög: Streymi, spilun og sala viku 5. Birt 1. febrúar 2025 – Næst uppfært 8. febrúar 2025" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 31 January 2025". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  21. ^ "21 Savages Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  22. ^ "Central Cee & 21 Savage – GBP" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  23. ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  24. ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: January 24th, 2025 - January 30th, 2025". TurnTable. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  25. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 24.01.2025–30.01.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  26. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 5. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  27. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 5, 2025". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  28. ^ "Central Cee & 21 Savage – GBP". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  30. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  31. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  32. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
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