The Bay Area rapper Symba is a capable storyteller, but he is best known for his bars. "Can I rap for y'all?" he asks after performing "Can't Win For Nothing." "'Cause that wasn't really me rapping; that was me guiding y'all through a bad day. Let me spit some lyrics." Fair enough. He did tear through a L.A. Leakers freestyle, during a visit to Power 106 in 2020, turning many heads and even earning Dr. Dre's hard-won approval.
But in his Tiny Desk concert, he demonstrates a keen ability to supplement his charged, freestyler's energy, balancing high-octane wordplay with crisp scene-setting. Donning a Reese Cooper varsity jacket, a white tee, ripped jeans and assorted jewelry, and backed by a band sporting black, Symba brought an even greater intimacy to his songs of determination.
Symba
