Week #42 ('20) Singles
Welcome to my Singles post, where I go over all of the loose songs released over the past week so. These are songs that are not currently attached to projects, and may either be promotional singles for an upcoming project or songs dropped at the random whim of the artist. I’ll show you the single, where to find it out in the wild, and a little blurb about it for my thoughts/further context. Click here to see previous Singles posts.
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Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu (Feat. Liv.e) – Mind Right
So, off top, this Jay Versace beat is totally bonkers. I am so excited to see the impact that this dude has on the game, because he is so refreshingly direct with his sampling: no bullshit, sunny, happy production on this track, simply beautiful. Behind the layers of haze, Fly Anakin and Siifu are kings of the space that their occupying here, reveling in shade that that the instrumental provides. I love how hard Anakin goes, contrasted by how reserved Siifu is as an artist: the blend of these two together is a perfect match, and I can’t wait to see what their FlySiifu’s project coming up next month has in store.
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Ameer Van – Keep Your Distance
Pretty much a hardcore BROCKHAMPTON track with Ameer on solo. The beat is a distorted, ethereal-voice-sample-backed banger, with passages of noise and quieter keyboard sections. For being so short, the beat develops particularly well, and the repetitive nature is easily digestible for even the most casual listener. The same things apply to the lyrics, which are chanted and repetitive, but you can get into the vibe and the HYPE so easily; it sort of reminds me of like some original Lil Pump. I am extremely excited for whatever project Ameer has this year.
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Kanye West – Nah Nah Nah
Y’all need to stop tripping, I mean for real: this is NOT trash what is wrong with y’all. This beat is groovy as a motherfucker: the beat bangs, the synth-guitar licks are piercing, and the space that the drums provide for rapping are so not what I would have expected for a Kanye beat. The hook has a swagger and nonchalant attitude that is classic Kanye, but with an amazing Yeezus-like twist with some autotuned singing (it kind of sound like Travis). The Anakin high-ground line is fucking gold too, I was laughing about that shit for a minute. This is a great Kanye track, stacking up well with Wash Us in the Blood. He’s gotta drop this album.
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Pop Smoke (Feat. Lil Wayne) – Iced Out Audemars (Remix)
I love how so many tracks on Pop Smoke’s last album are being remixed with more features; you can disagree with me on this, but for the most part it seems like it doesn’t seem malicious, being artists that Pop Smoke would have fucked with in life. I loved the original track (I added DAFI WOO back into the track with some editing software because I needed it here), the beat is a Drill banger for sure, but Wayne makes it something special. The autotune is on-point from Tunechi here, the flows are crazy, and the lyrics are hard. Another track on this record made even better; Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is climbing ever higher in my year-end lists.
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Ill Bill (Feat. Conway the Machine & Pharaohe Monch) – Be Afraid!
Beat is dark as fuck, the verses are dark as fuck, and the hook is solid for this kind of chamberish hardcore hip-hop. Bill does his thing, loving how grimy and ghoulish he can get over a beat like this one, but the real draw to this track are the features, which is no disrespect to Bill himself as he flexes his veteran status in the game by being able to pull in these two legends. Conway rips this apart, as is to be expected from one of the most focused rappers in the genre today, but Monch shows that he is still as sharp and genius as he as always been with some quality bars. If you’re looking for that dusty and disgusting hip-hop, this is you’re go-to this week. Album soon come.
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Statik Selektah (Feat. Nas, Joey Bada$$, & Gary Clark Jr.) – Keep It Moving
The smooth nature of Statik’s beats have always worked perfectly for Joey Bada$$, who has collaborated with the New York producer many times throughout his career. But the number of collabs between Statik and Nas is much smaller, which makes the two getting together on a song like this one all the more special. The chemistry between everyone on the track (even Gary Clark Jr.) is a source of good feelings on this track, with the nostalgia beat and quality bars from the emcees making this feel like some really heartfelt hip-hop shit. Statik is looking like he has an album soon, so count me excited.
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MadeinTYO (Feat. Chance the Rapper & Smino) – BET Uncut
TYO’s career has lasted much longer than I think many people gave him credit for, and it’s for tracks exactly like the one we have here that I think has made his staying power so large. The man is not a lyricist, he’s here to bring you the vibes, and teaming up with K Swisha again is key to making this sound work. Swisha’s production is clean, low-key, and fills up so much of your ear without being very confrontational, and it’s a perfect canvas for TYO (and Smino for his part) to just sort of broadly paint his trap-isms. Chance is the one that tries to make the track more of a lyrics-centric affair, and it has it’s funny and witty moments. Give this a shot if you like dudes like Playboi Carti.
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Rejjie Snow (Feat. Snoh Aalegra & Cam O’bi) – Mirrors
Rejjie and Cam O’bi are a match made in heaven, complementary styles that I wouldn’t have come up with myself but I find myself slapping myself on the forehead with “why didn’t I think of this before?” energy. The cute and down-to-earth soul/hip-hop that Cam comes with on the vocals (and maybe on the beat? It at least sound like some of his work) matches perfectly with Rejjie’s understated delivery and sunny/lovey nostalgia in his bars. It’s a very sweet sound, one that seems to have fallen out of popularity slightly since people like Chance the Rapper and Noname have taken a backseat in hip-hop, and I welcome it’s happy vibes as a great alternative to music about dealing drugs and murdering people. Dear Annie as a great album, and I can only hope Rejjie can hit that same high-point with his upcoming project.
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GNAR (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert) – Diamond Choker
This is a huge cosign for Lil GNAR, having spent a lot of his career with a dedicated fanbase, but not really much in terms of mainstream traction. He’s been in a similar space for me as artists like Lil Skies and iann dior (who both have gotten bigger from similar cosigns), and this might be GNAR’s moment to hit the same highs as those artists have. As far as the actual song goes, it’s pretty good; standard fare slightly melodic trap music, with the exception that Uzi is one of the best voices in that sound today, elevating the track into something that feels much more important. 2020 has been a great year for Uzi, and I’m glad he’s sharing many of his blessings with artists that deserve more shine.
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Aesop Rock – Pizza Alley
I’m not quite sure what to make of this new Aesop project: with the first single I thought we were going back to a more laidback nature ala Malibu Ken, but this single (which starts out that way) gives us one of the most grimy instrumentals I’ve heard Aesop on so far. To be fair, I’ve never gone back before The Impossible Kid to really compare, but since I’ve been listening to him, this is the most challenging and harrowing material I’ve heard from him. It all comes down to one thing: that motherfucking beat-switch. Man that second beat knocks, with these grungy guitars and deadly drums. I don’t think I need to tell you about the lyrics, because the man has come correct on pretty much every track I’ve heard from him. He’s got an album, Spirit World Field Guide, coming here in the near future, and the two singles I’ve heard have me excited (and the music videos are telling an interesting story too, check em out).
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Yella Beezy (Feat. 42 Dugg) – Solid
Beezy and Dugg make a great pair, with both of them having this shrill rap voices that sound dirty and street-level. In particular I think these guys take a lot of pointers from Boosie Badazz, so if you fuck with him this track should be your thing. It’s southern hip-hop, particularly trap music, to the core, with the repetition in the chorus and slow slapper of a beat being quintessential trap. Hook is catchy for sure, and I think Dugg’s feature is perfect. If you like rap music, give this a shot.
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Joey Fatts (Feat. G Perico) – None Of That
For some reason this wasn’t on Spotify yet, but I had to try an get this record out to you guys. It’s west-coast, of course, but I’m loving how lowkey and spacious the instrumental is, and it gives the emcees a lot of room to give off genuine emotion. I’m not talking about singing, but it’s more of a conversational rap piece, with Joey and Perico reflecting on their solid gangsta natures and their struggles. It’s fantastic, and these two together are a perfect pairing. I haven’t heard anything from Joey Fatts from a hot minute, so if there’s a project coming out of this I’m ready and waiting.
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Lil Keed (Feat. O.T. Genasis) – Show Me What You Got
Keed just dropped a whole-ass mixtape here a few months ago with like 20 tracks, and here he is already dropping more singles: maybe we’re looking at a deluxe version? It was a good project, but it was too long, so dropping singles already seems a bit premature… BUT, this track is still fantastic. The beat has some real slap to it, loving the fuzzy guitar notes on here, and the cool melodies on the hook really draw you in. Keed is doing what he always does, nothing to report there other than if you like him you’ll like this. O.T. Genasis is still, in my opinion, criminally underrated, and he’s merely continuing to show off what makes him such an entertaining figure on this track. We’ll see if Trapped on Cleveland 3 ends up getting the deluxe treatment.
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OMB Peezy (Feat. King Von & Jackboy) – Big Homie
The beat almost has you thinking this is about to come with a bluegrass sadboy country banger, but whenever the drums come in, and you see how the emcees ride the beat, is actually super cool and attractive as a hip-hop instrumental. I love how technical Peezy and Von get to maneuver around the weird beat. King Von is the only one from the Chi on this track, but the sound and style out of it sound like something I could see Lil Durk or Polo G get on easily. Jackboy, who I was unfamiliar with before this single, has a great voice of his own too, one I’ll be looking out for in the future.
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38 Spesh & Street Justice (Feat. Eto) – Don’t Believe Em
These two have an album coming out very soon, and so far they are two for two on singles. I like the beat on this one way more than the last one, loving the drums that have this live-recorded quality to them, as well as the sick keyboard and guitar notes. It’s a very debonair and smooth instrumental, that Street Justice is able to attack in supreme fashion. He comes through with a solid hook and solid bars; what else could you want? Eto has another great guest spot, showing yet again why he’s one of the most in-demand features in underground hip-hop right now. Color me excited for this new project.
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Rich The Kid & YoungBoy NBA – Bankroll
I’ll be honest, I was both underwhelmed and confused by this track whenever I first heard it: like, who was waiting for this collaboration? But then this beat got me, which is a cloudy and crispy bop, with these watery synths that drone on throughout the track being a whole vibe. Once I really listened, I can see the chemistry between the two, with both of them actually coming through with some solid flows and melodies between them, and the back and forth is great to see. Still, this is the lead single from an entire album between the two, which I will reserve judgement on, but at least this single is a good indication that effort will be put into it.
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TM88 & Rich The Kid (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz, & Southside) – Breakin’ U Off
The second Rich The Kid single, which looks like it’s coming from some sort of TM88/808 Mafia project, has a lot more feature-like energy that NBA and Rich’s single, feeling more like a fire beat being laced with big names. Nothing wrong with the simplicity, although I wish the appearances were a bit longer, and Ty was doing more than saying 5 words on the hook. 2 Chainz (who has been unusually absent from features throughout most of 2020) was a very welcome sight, who’s hilarious bars have been missed, and Ty Dolla does do well on that hook despite the brevity. Rich The Kid is… good… but the man has a habit of coming through with a bar or two that is just so cringy… you’ll know which one I’m talking about.
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Ty Dolla $ign (Feat. Jhene Aiko & DJ Mustard) – By Yourself
$ign has a album coming out in the very near future called Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which is meant to poke fun and utilize this prevailing idea that Ty’s best work is done whenever he’s a featured artist. He’s overcoming this but inviting literally everyone to work on contribute to this album (go look at the tracklist when you get a chance, like holy shit), so having the lead single be this one with Jhene (who I love don’t get me wrong) is a good sign to me that he’s saving the best content for the record. This track is short and sweet, has a serviceable core melody (despite being a bit repetitive), and Jhene’s appearance is fire as hell. If you’re looking for some easily digestible R&B with a bit of sauce on it, this if for you.
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