Artist
Jeremih feat. YG
Why we feature this artist A familiar phrase in a much more private room Don't Tell 'Em gives Jeremih a sparse, low-lit setting with plenty of space for his voice to move. The 2014 recording with YG turns a direct refrain into something murmured, repeated and …
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- United States
- Sound
- R&B, hip-hop
Start with the music
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The artist, in context
The story of Jeremih feat. YG
Why we feature this artist
A familiar phrase in a much more private room
Don't Tell 'Em gives Jeremih a sparse, low-lit setting with plenty of space for his voice to move. The 2014 recording with YG turns a direct refrain into something murmured, repeated and increasingly hard to forget. Its production feels restrained, but the performance keeps small changes of tone and rhythm moving across that limited surface.
The refrain carries a memory
The hook nods to Rhythm Is a Dancer, and the original writing credits include Thea Austin alongside the contemporary writers. That familiar musical language is heard in a very different setting here. Jeremih's delivery is closer and more conversational, with the melody shaped around a much more private kind of invitation.
Mick Schultz and DJ Mustard share the production credit. The drums and bass leave large gaps, giving the singer's softer phrases a clear place in the arrangement. The track can feel spacious and physically firm at the same time because its few main elements remain so distinct.
YG changes the grain of the record
The guest verse brings a more pointed rap presence into the song. YG's delivery has harder edges than Jeremih's melodic phrasing, making the return to the sung material feel like a change of light. The contrast is useful without requiring the production to abandon its central rhythm.
The single precedes its later place on Late Nights: The Album. In either setting, its strongest quality is economy: a recognisable refrain, a voice that can make repetition sound intimate and a guest whose tone briefly unsettles the smooth surface. The backing leaves enough space for every small inflection to matter.
Essential releases
Don’t Tell ’Em
The original YG collaboration places Jeremih’s close vocal over the sparse production of Mick Schultz and DJ Mustard, before its later Late Nights album appearance.