“Can’t compete with the team / that’s UglyFace on the scene.” With that, the rap crew hailing from Tracy, California, delivers a mission statement with their song, “Pillow Talk,” and it can’t be ignored. For those who haven’t been clued in on what UglyFace has been doing, the crew — Aaron Temple, Andre Moseley, Aric Jones, and Kevin Farpella – provides a handy introduction with the track premiering here on HollywoodLife. A blend of modern production – dreamy, sparse instrumentals and a surging baseline – and hip-hop’s timeless attitude, “Pillow Talk” continues the case for the Bay Area being the new center of the rap world.
Actually, this song was built all over the United States. “I had a verse that I wrote to a beat about an afternoon out with my lady at Astoria Seafood in Queens,” Ugly Face’s Aaron Temple tells HollywoodLife. “Later that year, I came to California for a session with Kevin where we gave ourselves 15 minutes to make a song, we had the beat in about 10 minutes with no time to write, and I thought the verse would fit.”
Aaron explains that the final product wasn’t what the group initially had in mind. “We had originally chopped Coolio’s “Gangstas Paradise” over the drums you hear now,” he says, “but because of sample clearance, we ended up trying out five different samples, and I chose the one you hear on it.” Had things gone differently, “Pillow Talk” would be a completely different song than what you’re listening to right now. As for Aric Jones’s verse, Aaron said that his bandmate recorded it during their trip to Chicago. Chicago. Queens. The Bay Area. UglyFace is for the people all across the U.S.A.
“Pillow Talk” marks UglyFace’s third single of 2022 and continues the vibe established by “The Coast” and “Oxtails.” The band’s output this year seems perfect for driving around with no destination in mind or what you’d want to throw on for a low-key afternoon party with a handful of your closest friends.
Friendship is at the heart of the UglyFace origin story. The four members grew up in the same orbit of each other in Tracy, the Bay Area town nearly equilateral between Oakland and Sacramento. Fate brought the four of them together over a shared love of hip-hop, and those bonds remained strong with three of the four – Aaron, Andrew, and Aric – going out into the world, honing their crafts in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Kevin stayed home in Tracy, acting as the spiritual anchor that connected the crew. After years of trading beats, verses, and ideas, the four formed like Voltron in summer 2020, giving life to UglyFace.
Expect to have their debut EP (which collects “Pillow Talk” and the previously released tracks) on repeat when it drops later this year.