Calitreeboy's “On Me” Captures the Essence of West Coast Status With A Southern Flavor

[Jules West]

Surrounded by luxurious California perfection—smooth low rider cruising in spacious, weed-enhanced Cali air, loose bills on the floor, wads of cash in hand, big bags of the good herb, and spicy video hoes—CTB (Calitreeboy) flaunts textbook West Coast status in his new single and music video, “On Me.”

Filmmaker Angelo Deprater‘s cinematography blends the sleekness of the Cali vibe together with subtle bouncing elements—the convertible’s green furry dice, sharp rhythmic video cuts, and even tree branches—visually mirroring producer Imakefirebeats’ drum and bass grooves. The video dances with the percussive hits and smacks, the 808’s leaps and slides, and the Chronic-era reminiscent low synth stabs.

CTB’s presence, both vocally and visually, takes center stage. Cellphone in hand, smiling at the good life, serious at the work ahead for the better life, he’s the hard work-focused entrepreneur that makes time for a good time, available to talk if money’s involved, and enjoying every moment of it. Musically, his melodically-enveloping vocal delivery rides the beat with confident and effortless calm.

Lyrically, “On Me” takes swings at the core of personal responsibility: that your life is what you make of it. An interweaving of creative wordplay, sometimes simple and to-the-point (“hit the club and my energy is felt, touch a bitch and her pussy starts to melt”), other times comedic (“hit my line all I understand is money, I’m mean to my bitch like Al Bundy”), but the essence of CTB’s message that penetrates the peaks and valleys of entrepreneurial emotion in the hook:

“Everything’s on me.”
“If I get to the top, it’s on me.”
“If I don’t do nothing… on me.”
“Man I’m buying out the bar, it’s on me.”

Starting with accepting full responsibility for one’s actions and success “Everything’s on me, if I get to the top it’s on me,” the hook dips into the opposite introspection that internally burns anyone wasting their time—”If I don’t do nothing… on me”—and from that wake-up call, immediately kicking into optimistic wordplay suggesting that CTB has the means to “buy out the bar,” that he’s doing well, sharing his success with his friends.

If CTB is aiming for the top, then he’s definitely gaining respect and fans on his way up from this single and music video. Such top-end, integrative production demands attention.

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