Antonio Brown’s New Freestyle Has the Memes Pouring In

Free agent NFL receiver Antonio Brown recently turned heads with the release of his first music video, “Whole Lotta Money.” The reactions weren’t overwhelmingly positive to this first song from his new album, but that hasn’t prevented Brown from releasing new music.

The 31-year-old released a new song on Soundcloud Friday morning, which was called “60 Minutes.” This freestyle touched on a variety of topics, including his recent workout with the New Orleans Saints and his place in the record books. Brown even alleged that the NFL kept him off the football field so he wouldn’t be able to catch Jerry Rice and take the top spot on the all-time receiving list.

Considering that Brown used this new song to talk about his NFL career and the changes in his employment status, it was expected that there would be a large number of responses on social media. This was proven to be true as dozens of users listed their opinions of the song with memes or simple written messages.

The overwhelming majority of individuals on social media did not particularly enjoy this new release, and they were not shy about sharing that opinion. Although a few did chuckle at Brown calling out the Saints and head coach Sean Payton.

Computer Disposal

While the majority of users likely heard “60 Minutes” on their mobile device, there were potentially some that sat down in front of a desktop computer and turned up the volume. They wanted to get the full “Antonio Brown experience,” complete with a Logitech subwoofer. 

If these users didn’t particularly enjoy Brown’s new song, how did they respond? Did they simply get up from the desktop and walk away, or did they take more extreme measures? Apparently, some individuals on Twitter wanted to take after Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation. 

Just Laughing

Some users on Twitter responded to Brown’s song by letting him know that they thought it was pretty entertaining. Others enjoyed the “fire” beat that served as the backdrop to his NFL-centric lyrics. However, there was another group that didn’t exactly know how to respond. 

While it would have been easy to simply tell Brown that his music was unappreciated on Twitter, these words were not readily available for some users. Instead, they simply listened to the song while laughing. 

Don’t Quit

When someone tries out a new hobby and struggles to succeed, they are often met with some advice from friends, family members, and bystanders. “Don’t quit your day job.” This is a common phrase that has been heard in comedy clubs and concert halls around the country.

In Brown’s case, he doesn’t have a day job. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders until being released upon repeated pleas to “set him free.” He immediately signed with the New England Patriots but only lasted one week before being released. 

Just Repeat

When Brown released “Whole Lotta Money,” users on social media immediately took notice of him repeating the same phrase for a considerable amount of time. “60 Minutes” was no different as many quickly grew tired of Brown saying “hey.” Some were even concerned that this entire song would simply consist of that one word.

As many pointed out, they didn’t need Brown saying “hey” over and over. Adding other lyrics early and often would have slightly changed their opinion of this new release. One user estimated that the receiver said “hey” more than 10,000 times during the three-minute song. 

 

What Device?

When someone releases a new song, video, or piece of art on social media, it’s often met with criticism in the form of text. Users on social media will refer to the project as trash while calling for the person to stop. Brown certainly saw many of these responses, but there were others that decided to get more inventive. 

As one individual showed, it’s easy to call something trash, but it’s far more unique to actually depict that opinion with a photo on social media. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Participation Trophy

As comedian Christian Finnegan once explained while discussing his childhood, some competitions feature prizes for first, second, or third place while awarding a participation ribbon to the other entrants. Those that took home the latter may not have won, but at least they tried. Their participation was critical. 

In Brown’s situation, however, there were users that didn’t even want to award his effort. They felt that he should have simply stopped before hitting upload on his Soundcloud account. 

 

Four Quarters

With a title of “60 Minutes,” there were some immediate questions about Brown’s topic. Why would he bring up time periods while discussing the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton, and the NFL? One possibility is that each game consists of four quarters of 15 minutes apiece. This adds up to 60 minutes of on-field action. Although most games play out over more than three hours.

In the opinion of some users, Brown was simply acknowledging the fact that he only suited up for one game of action this season. He was a member of the New England Patriots in week 2, catching four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. He was released days later and hasn’t been active since.