Track Review: ‘Daddy’ by Lafawndah

Artist Lafawndah is a mystic in her own right, and “Daddy” is proof of that.

The song is the latest single from her new album Ancestor Boy. It’s difficult to place what’s more captivating in this song: her delicate voice that dances on the rhythm, her thought provoking lyrics that entrance you with each repetition of “Daddy didn’t tell you?” or the instrumental melody surrounding her vocals.

The sounds in this song bring it to life in a very vibrant, and unique way. Lafawndah adds life to this track by using natural sounds heard on a campout — crickets chirping, insects and birds in the background.

Lafawnduh’s New York influence can be felt instantly. The first verse starts out with, “I took your lips so I can kiss you/upside down/upside down,” ending in, “Fear it’s the soul, it’s a flavor. You don’t know what’s left inside.”  Seemingly innocent, these lyrics carry heavy possibilities and realities about life. This style extends to the chorus, “Daddy didn’t tell you? He didn’t know. Mama didn’t tell you by it’s time to go. Now is the time. Now is the time for you to know.” These caption-worthy versus give it the New York feeling, leaving it up to the listener to figure out the haunting messages. 

Lafawndah’s “Daddy” is the  type of song you might hear in the background of a movie scene where the protagonist has just taken a drug that sends them on a psychedelic journey.  In short, “Daddy” is entrancing, and psychedelic. 

Born Yasmin Dubois in Tehran but raised in Paris, her Egyptian-Iranian style can not be dismissed nor can it be missed. Each part of her personal history —the French, Egyptian, and Iranian are rich in culture. Seemingly impossible to create a blend of the three, yet Lafawndah’s managed a version of this. 

It makes sense that if Lafawndah were to accomplish a blend of those cultures, that she would be inspired to create it in New York. Normally, New York hip hop is seen as aggressive but Lafawndah has taken that aggressiveness and transformed it into a melodic journey. She’s not whispering, but her voice is soft, and delicate. Sometimes barely beating the drumming or natural sounds.

“Daddy” is the epitome of what a melting pot of sound would be like. New York has such a rich history for discovering a variety of music, it’s beautiful to hear how Lafawndah’s diverse background amounted to this hypnotizing track.