Well before the release of that mixtape, Sicko Mobb began performing an unreleased track in concert called “Robin Jeans.” Even in low quality, blown out recordings you could tell the track was nothing but promise. Lil’ Ceno bobs and weaves through his lines, flowing directly from verse to chorus with ease as a booming 808 Mafia beat splits the difference between East Atlanta and West Chicago. Songwriting wise, “Robin Jeans” finds Sicko Mobb on some “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” style Beatles tip. Everything is a hook. By the time you get to Lil’ Trav playfully batting his verse back and forth you’re all but guaranteed to have some random piece of the song lodged in your consciousness. You might even be prepared to drop $600 on some sparkly-ass Robin’s Jeans just to get it out of your head.
So why isn’t this on the radio? Despite an eager live reception, by the time “Robin Jeans” was released as a studio version last May, it was unceremoniously dropped as track two of quickie mixtape, Mulah, with no video or independent single push to speak of. It’s hard to fault Sicko Mobb for this fate, with record labels everywhere tightening belts it’s hard to imagine Sony/ATV stepping out on a limb and cutting a check for an unproven entity — but it doesn’t make the missed opportunity less painful.
“Robin Jeans” was clearly designed for national impact. It’s cut from the same cloth that made Future’s “Fuck Up Some Commas” and Rich Homie Quan’s “Flex (OohOoh Ooh)” radio and club staples, it just isn’t being turned out by a city currently known for such eager bangers. If either of the aforementioned Atlanta artists were to jump on a remix of “Robin Jeans” there would be nothing stopping it. For now, it’s just another killer song by a group that seems to only make killer songs for people that are in the know. Sicko Mobb’s songwriting abilities have only gotten sharper, they’re simply in the process now of rebuilding from their post-viral fallout. As long as they can keep putting out instantly appealing tracks like “Robin Jeans,” there’s no reason to fret about Sicko Mobb radio spins, they’ll catch up eventually.