102. Single Review of God Damn! by Fjueme

Originally Published on March 19th, 2025

About the Artist

In 2024, there was the world. But in 2025, the world is still here but now it has Fjueme in it. 

The hip hop industry has changed a lot since I first started listening to rap in the early 90’s. The genre was dynamic, but only vaguely. As we progressed into the late 90’s and early 2000’s, rap began to diversify more and more, as artists experimented with club/dance music, organic music, and even rock and metal. Then in the 2010’s the physicality of it began to change as rappers began pushing the envelope with tempos and bars that were becoming almost indecipherable they were performed so quickly. Today, hip hop is an empire of diversity, with a broad representation of incredibly talented musicians who have pioneered the genre to unimaginable places. 

One thing is for certain though: it doesn’t work without intensity.

“This dude just gave me goosebumps,” Fjueme opens his Spotify bio by acknowledging this to be one of his favorite quotes he heard about his music. This would suggest that he has elemented, at minimum, the proper level of intensity required to shake the scene up. 

As mentioned before, there wasn’t Fjueme music to listen to in 2024. However, that would change almost immediately as we all rang in the new year. On January 4th, the Denver, CO native would release his debut, Rue the Day, a hype single that delves into inter turmoil. With slowly ringing cymbals introducing the song, it almost has an element of a coven being called to order. From the moment Fjueme hits the mic to the end of the song, he is dialed in. The cadence, the volume, and the layering of the vocals, all converging with the purpose of intensifying the music.

In February, Fjueme released two singles on February 4th; Steak Sauce and Hell Hazor. As I listen, I often tend to compare. In the song, Steak Sauce, he references Tech N9ne and I had been thinking that he had a older Tech N9ne feel to his flow. I immediately thought about his single, The Beast, almost a gothic sounding call to arms. Hell Razor also has an element of darkness to its sound. Lyrically, he continues to bring the intensity as he explores elements of violence; anatomically breaking down the process of inducing pain, as if to warn any potential evil-doers that he has a sinister way of enacting justice. 

Before he dropped his last two songs though, a week after his debut, he would release his most impressive single to date. 

About the Song

God Damn! is a single released by Fjueme on January 13th, 2025. At a little more than three minutes, it features an intense beat that could play in a variety of different scenes and lyrics performed by the artist. God Damn! was released by Black Snow Records.

About the Music

God Damn! opens with a very simple piano and bass until the full beat comes in, along with the chorus by Fjueme. Almost sung, the cadence of the chorus is performed at a higher tone than the verse. The verse transitions to a lower tone, almost to the point that it sounds like two people.

Melodically, the production of the beat/mix is very hyped but there is an undertone of this dark, gothic element to the music. It sounds the score in a horror movie, a scary video game, or maybe it would be what I heard while navigating a haunted house or maze. 

This eerie element of the production with the intense cadence of the vocal performance add a very cerebral element to this song. It sets an emotional tone that amplifies the interpretation of the lyrics, driving home a resounding effort to convey its meaning.

About the Lyrics

Lyrically, God Damn! seems to echo the dark undertones of the melody, while communicating an urgency to put the message out there. 

References to the big bad wolf, dealing with the devil, the grim reaper, and sleepy hollow, all portraying this horrific element to the the atmosphere of the song. However, this all ties to the lyricist’s conviction to get their message out. 

For instance, the Big Bad Wolf is here to blow our house down with his message. The deal with the devil is made to get the narrator’s message out.

The second verse, he flips the narrative to identify society’s monsters; nay sayers, industries who would tear down the collective community. The narrator encourages the drive to rise above and rise against this elitist culture that tear us down.

I really think the message of the lyrics are quite profound. I love how the subject matter is delivered in a topical way but they initially hide a deeper, more controversial meaning that is honestly, quite inspiring.

Final Thoughts

Reading Fjueme’s bio, I get the impression this artist is passionate about making music. There’s an added element to his drive to pursue producing music, as like so many, he took time away from music to raise children and prioritize his family. Yet, his call to create never completely went away and now, here he is, a couple of decades later, with a catalog of music and a lifetime’s worth of music to write about. 

Fjueme is willing to push the boundaries of hip hop with blending production styles and techniques,  and his willingness to weave musical concepts and relate them to the lyrical context of his music. Whether his listeners are dancing in the club or crying in the dark, there is going to be a relatable element within each and every song. 

Yes, 2024 was a world that existed without Fjueme. This year, he wants you to know: that’s about to change.