LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve always been intrigued by Duckwrth. His name pops up often enough—on blogs, playlists, and, most notably, on the Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack with “Start a Riot”—but I’ll admit I had him pegged wrong. I assumed he was another trap-leaning rapper in a sea of them, a holdover from the SoundCloud surge that flooded the industry in the late 2010s. But “LA Traffic”? That stopped me in my tracks. It’s not just a vibe—it’s a full cinematic experience.
Released as the latest visual installment off his new album All American F⭐️ckBoy, “LA Traffic” is part three of a desert-set visual saga directed by Griffin Olis. Where previous chapters (“Escapist” and “Toxic Romantic”) introduced us to Duckwrth’s inner battle with his darker self, Vice, “LA Traffic” finds Vice stranded on a desert road, caught between regret and revelation. It’s a moment of stillness in the narrative—a breath before the fall or a pivot toward clarity. According to Duckwrth, it represents “the moment in the album’s narrative where the cycle of miscommunication, frustration, and assumptions I can’t seem to break come to a head” (Mom + Pop Music, 2025).
But this song isn’t about plot alone. Sonically, “LA Traffic” feels like genre boundaries just got bulldozed by a beat-up coupe on the 105. Is it alternative hip-hop? Rap-adjacent soul? Indie trap punk? Whatever it is, it hits. The hypnotic, undulating bassline rolls under layered vocal chants, giving the chorus a trance-like repetition that you can’t help but chant along with: “LA traffic… LA traffic…” And just when you think you’ve settled into a groove, Duckwrth flips it—melodically and emotionally—spiraling into a full-blown pop-punk outro filled with raw heartbreak and shouted accusations: “Who the fuck is that?”
Lyrically, “LA Traffic” feels both specific and symbolic. It’s about being late for love—literally and metaphorically. From dodging cops on the 105 to landing in jail for trying too hard, Duckwrth paints a cinematic journey that ends in betrayal. The spoken-word intro—soft, almost pleading—gives way to regret-drenched verses and ends in utter emotional collapse. That tonal shift mirrors the feeling of realizing you were trying to do something right but still ended up on the wrong side of the door.
It’s the kind of song that not only makes you replay it immediately but also makes you curious about the bigger picture. All American F⭐️ckBoy, his third studio LP, is described as his most introspective work to date, tackling everything from ego to infidelity, childhood trauma to personal triumph… And if “LA Traffic” is any indication… I think it warrant my giving the entire album a spin.
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