"Ghetto Angels" is a song by American rapper

NoCap Kobe Vidal Crawford Jr. (born August 20, 1998), known professionally as NoCap, is an American rapper and singer. He signed with YoungBoy Never Broke Again's namesake record label, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2019. His debut studio album, ...

. Considered his breakout hit, it was officially released on May 17, 2019, as the lead single from his mixtape ''The Backend Child'' (2019), after its music video premiered on March 24, 2019. The song was produced by Juse Dayne.

Background

In an interview with

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, NoCap provided some background information about the song:

I was in LA, and I had already made like 2, 3 songs. But it was the last song for the night. So everybody asleep, really. But I heard the beat, I think, my manager Ada brought me a beat. I'm like, "Yeah that's the one right there." So I just went out feelin' at the time, crazy part about that, I said "long live Lo" in the beginning of the song when I did the video. But when I made the song he wasn’t even dead yet. I went live after I made the song, he coming up under there like this hard, this hard. He passed away before the even song dropped, video dropped. He was already gone. But he heard the song though, it was one of his favorites. Next thing I know he dead. So I really just dedicated the song to him. Even though like I made it before he died. but I still shot a little scene at his candlelight vigil and stuff like that.

NoCap stated he came up with the title as soon as he finished the song.

Composition

The song contains a piano-driven instrumental, over which NoCap performs in a style combining singing and rapping voices. Lyrically, he reflecting on losing friends and family in the streets, depicting them as watching over him. He also references his reliance on drugs to cope with his pain.

Critical reception

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'' included the song in their list "The Best Rap Songs of 2019".

Music video

The music video begins with NoCap and his crew singing an a cappella version of the song, "like a gun-wielding hood choir".

Remix

An official remix of the song was released on September 30, 2019. It features American rapper

Lil Durk Durk Derrick Banks (born October 19, 1992), known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a pioneering artist in the Chicago-based hip-hop subgenre drill music, he is often considered the subgenre's most commercially suc ...

and American R&B group Jagged Edge. The former references the many killings in the streets of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, including that of his cousin.

Certifications

References

{{reflist 2019 singles 2019 songs NoCap songs Atlantic Records singles Songs about death