Senadheera 1

Ransith Senadheera

Professor Granillo

English 101 / 47379

12 January 2019

Travis Scott - Maria I’m Drunk (feat. Justin Bieber & Young Thug)

In the hit song Maria I’m Drunk on rapper Travis Scott’s breakthrough album, titled

Rodeo, we get to hear two star-studded features as well as experience the dark, hazy life of

intoxicated artists. At first glance, the title may seem as if it is referring to a woman, but in

reality, it is referring to weed, as many times artists will mask the drug with an alias in order to

keep it lowkey. He chose Maria to convey the meaning of weed, as Maria is Spanish for Mary. In

popular culture, Marijuana is sometimes called Mary Jane. Scott refers to “Maria” in the first few

opening lines, stating how he feels lost without it and is looking for the money to buy some. He

then ends his verse with the phrase “Might dive in the marina” (Scott). This could mean many

things, but I infer that it is about drowning in liquor and certain drugs such as codeine or lean.

Many great rappers coat the true meaning of their song in metaphors, and this song utilizes a lot

of that.

The two features found inside this song coming from Justin Bieber and Young Thug,

putting this song over the edge making it an instant classic. Young Thug comes in the song

midway through and provides a complementing addition to Scott’s bass-filled voice. Both of the

artists use heavy autotune, but Young Thug’s voice in the song is fairly high pitched, semi-raspy,

and includes the use of unique adlibs, which is a complete difference from Scott’s voice. During

this part of the song, Thug begins to speak about his love for women and alcohol. Soon enough,
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Justin Beiber’s verse kicks in creating a totally unique song. Bieber’s pop background and the

hip hop instrumentals seamlessly merged together surprising many dedicated fans. He too also

speaks about his love for women and alcohol but brings in some refreshing vocals into the song.

To me, the song, as well as the vibe, perfectly encapsulates the mindset of young

drug-fueled individuals. When I listen to this song, I always imagine myself high off a certain

drug or drunk off alcohol walking around on a late rainy night in Los Angeles with the only light

coming from run-down street signs lined with dainty neon lights. This song is perfect for a

late-night skate sesh with friends when you are in the mood to get hype but simultaneously

wanting to chill. The whole song seems to refers to the newly found life of these successful

artists, which I think is what makes this song so interesting to the listener. Sometimes what they

are saying is so foreign to normal people, that it intrigues the audience and makes them want to

listen further. I think this appeal works for almost the whole rap category because it introduces

people to a life they are unfamiliar with.

Some people may say they do not like the song because it revolves around drugs and

alcohol, but there is also a certain beauty in the production behind the song. Even if you don’t

agree with the meaning of the song, you can appreciate the high-quality production of the song

and feeling you get from listening to this song. The mind-numbing beat, as well as the tactful

adlibs placed around the song, allow your body to calm down and loosen up. If you have the

right mindset and do not go right to hate, then I think this song could be really enjoyable to

anyone who wants to listen to it no matter age, gender or race.

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Work Cited

Travis Scott. “Maria I’m Drunk”. ​Rodeo,​ Epic Records, 2015. ​Spotify,​

https://open.spotify.com/track/6Yqmv7XJLCrQEauMbPGZSw?si=-XLAwMjISma6TUZ

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