Team Demo feat. Pretty Bulli – Make It Threw The Summer

Team Demo and Pretty Bulli take a laid-back approach to summer romance on “Make It Threw The Summer,” the latest preview from Team Demo’s upcoming album The Meanest. Released July 20, the track pairs the veteran Virginia production crew with Buffalo emcee Pretty Bulli, an artist who has worked with Team Demo before and has built a reputation around hard-edged lyricism and storytelling. Here, though, Bulli loosens things up. “Make It Threw The Summer” is essentially about a friendship turning physical and the uncertainty over whether the relationship will survive beyond the season. The title becomes the question hanging over the record. They are enjoying what they have now, while Bulli is already wondering whether this is a summer situation or something worth carrying into winter.

The production fits that idea with chill, soulful vibes that never ask Bulli to force the issue. She spends the first verse setting the scene through small details, stopping at the block, grabbing Pop-Tarts, Dutchess and Sprite, then hanging out over drinks, smoke and a Mayweather fight. What started as “homie shit” has developed into attraction, but she is deliberately keeping the pace slow. That restraint gives the song some personality. This is not a straightforward love song or hookup record. Bulli sounds like someone enjoying the moment while remaining aware of how quickly feelings complicate casual relationships.

By the second verse, those complications are harder to ignore. The relationship has moved well beyond friendship, yet Bulli still seems undecided about where she wants it to go. That push and pull is what gives an otherwise easygoing summer record its story. Yogi of Cru adds to the atmosphere on the hook, an appearance that also extends his history with Team Demo. He previously appeared on their 2023 album It’s a Demo, and his association with the production crew stretches across several releases. Pretty Bulli is also a natural fit for their sound. Her past work has frequently placed her over soulful, traditional Hip Hop production, including her 2024 Then & Now album with Kidd Called Quest.

“Make It Threw The Summer” also fits the unusual concept behind The Meanest. Team Demo says the forthcoming project collects records that were shelved, left off earlier albums or believed lost, essentially pulling overlooked material from different periods of the crew’s history. That idea lines up with something Team Demo has discussed publicly before. The group says it has more than three decades of unreleased recordings it wants to finally get into the world. If “Make It Threw The Summer” is representative of what has been sitting in those archives, The Meanest should be an interesting trip through the vault. This one does not need much more than its relaxed groove, Bulli’s storytelling and Yogi’s hook. It feels built for a warm evening when nobody is in much of a hurry.