2004 (song)
| "2004" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by YG featuring Buddy and the Gang | ||||
| Released | March 28, 2025 | |||
| Genre | Conscious hip-hop | |||
| Length | 4:02 | |||
| Label | 4Hunnid | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| YG singles chronology | ||||
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| Buddy singles chronology | ||||
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| The Gang singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "2004" on YouTube | ||||
"2004" is a song by American rapper YG, released on March 28, 2025 through 4Hunnid Records. It features American rapper Buddy and American hip hop group The Gang. Produced by Swish, Smoke and Cyrus "NOIS" Taghipour, the song deals with YG's experience of being sexually assaulted by a woman as a teenager.
Background and composition
[edit]In the song, YG raps over a jazzy, West Coast-tinged beat as he explores his trauma from enduring sexual abuse at the age of 14. He recounts that he was raped by a 30-year-old woman, who had picked him up from school and took him to her house to have sex with him;[1][2] YG also went to school with the woman's niece and was dating her then. Initially, he viewed the experience favorably; when he told his friends about it, they likewise found it exciting, as they were not mature enough to understand the nature of the situation. He continued a sexual relationship with the woman and did not realize he was a victim of statutory rape until he grew older.[3][4][5][6] YG reflects on how the abuse affected his mindset, causing him to become withdrawn and find it difficult to trust women.[4][5][7]
During an interview with ABC News, YG stated that he kept the experience to himself for a long time; his family was unaware of it until he released the song. YG added that most of the men he played the song for revealed that they had also been sexually abused, and he opened up about the abuse to encourage others to do the same.[6]
Critical reception
[edit]Kyle Denis of Billboard lauded the song for "expertly weaving through the double consciousness" of surviving within a culture that can celebrate the early sexual development of boys as proof of manhood.[1] Gabriel Bras Nevares of HotNewHipHop praised the song's balance between the "downplayed machismo" surrounding its subject and the "confusion and pain" it caused, noting that its "slinky, minimal, but still cheeky" instrumental reinforces this contrast. He stated that the song conveys a "loss of innocence", making it one of YG's "most compelling musical statements as of late".[8]
Music video
[edit]The music video was released on the same day as the song. Directed by YG and Hidji World, it shows YG relating his experience of sexual assault to his therapist (played by Tasha Smith), alongside flashback scenes reenacting the events. Buddy appears in the video singing the hook.[2][5][7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Denis, Kyle; Claxton, Christopher; Saponara, Michael; Diaz, Angel (March 31, 2025). "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: YG, Mahalia, Amerie, Coco Jones, Ivory Scott & More". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Griffin, Marc (March 28, 2025). "YG Details Childhood Sexual Assault In New Song "2004"". Vibe. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- ↑ Price, Joe (March 28, 2025). "YG Opens Up About Childhood Sexual Abuse in New Song "2004"". Complex. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Horvath, Zachary (March 28, 2025). "YG Gives Sexual Assault Victims A Voice On Buddy & The Gang-Assisted "2004"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Williams, Aaron (March 28, 2025). "YG's Confessional '2004' Video With Buddy Gets Therapeutic — And Very Dark". Uproxx. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 "Rapper YG reveals past sexual abuse in new single". ABC News. May 14, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Oatman, Alexis (March 30, 2025). "YG Opens Up About Sexual Abuse In New Track, '2004'". Hot 97. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- ↑ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (March 28, 2025). "YG Recalls Being Sexually Assaulted When He Was A Teen On New Song "2004"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 12, 2026.