Awkward Freestyle
| "Awkward Freestyle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Eem Triplin | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:07 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Naeem Triplin | |||
| Producer(s) | Eem Triplin | |||
| Eem Triplin singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Awkward Freestyle" on YouTube | ||||
"Awkward Freestyle" is a single by American rapper Eem Triplin, released on March 31, 2022.[1] It contains a sample of "Awkward" by Tyler, the Creator and went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok, becoming his breakout song,
Background
[edit]Eem Triplin experimented with sampling "Awkward" by Tyler, the Creator years before the release of "Awkward Freestyle".[2] The song is about a breakup,[3][4] with Triplin using a fast-paced flow over "syrupy, slow-paced samples"[3] and rapping in a melancholic, bitter tone.[2][3][4] In the following several weeks, the song achieved popularity on TikTok and garnered over two million streams on Spotify.[5] It eventually attracted the attention of Tyler, the Creator himself, who endorsed the song.[4][5]
Critical reception
[edit]The Fader wrote of the song, "It's become an underground hit through TikTok, planting Eem on Rolling Loud bills and even receiving a blessing from Tyler himself. And for good reason: On the track, Eem effortlessly threads the needle between the chilly fuzz of sample drill and the warm snaps of L.A. street rap, creating something entirely his own. The real sauce, though, is Eem's soft pitched-up and layered vocals, a cool, bedroom pop-esque mutation of X and Kodak that imbues every word with soul."[2]
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "Awkward Freestyle - Single". Apple Music. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c "FOREVER.CLASSIC: Eem Triplin's effortless cool". The Fader. May 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c Seabrook III, Robby (December 27, 2022). "The Break Presents – Eem Triplin". XXL. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c Meara, Paul (July 12, 2023). "#OnTheVerge: Eem Triplin Sounds Like Himself Which Is Like No One Else". BET. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Gardner, Alex; Moore, Jacob; Adorney, Sabine; LoPilato, Caitlin; Hill, Shamus (June 29, 2022). "Best New Artists". Complex. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ "American single certifications – Eem Triplin – Awkward Freestyle". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 10, 2025.