Weekly Fix #19 ('20)
Welcome to the Weekly Fix, where I go over everything that I’ve listened to that has come out within the past week. I’ll give a little blurb about the project/single with my feelings on it thrown in there, throw some descriptors and other artists names to give you an idea what the project/single is like, and link to all applicable streaming services/online stores where you can find the music. Click here to see a list of previous Fixes.
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Last week was underground week, this week is mainstream week; life tends to work like that I suppose. Lots of mainstream hip-hop and R&B this week, with some huge names like Young Thug, NAV, and Lil Durk coming together to make one of the best weeks for trap music so far. And you know throw some E-40 in there to spice things up a bit.
In what’s probably going to be a usual plug, go and check out my Upcoming Heat page to keep up with all of the shit coming out in the near future. Some long-term things to keep your eyes out for are a duo of duos, Armand Hammer and Run the Jewels, both dropping the first week of June, as well as a tape between Apollo Brown and Che Noir dropping mid-June.
Looking to the immediate future, next week, we have a LOT of great things to look forward to. If you didn’t get enough trap music this week, the next will blow your socks off: the young Polo G is dropping his project The Goat ,standing alongside the arguable king of ATL trap Future Hendrixx himself who is finally dropping his High Off Life tape. Both tapes have killer singles, so I’m looking forward to that shit. On the other end of the spectrum, we have some huge projects from two of the grimy games biggest names: Eto is planning to change the game with his hugely ambitious The Beauty of It, the tracklist to this thing alone enough to inspire hope for one of the years’ best. And, in case you though he was done with this year after dropping the masterful Carpe Noctem, Big Ghost LTD is coming back to revisit one of his very first collaborators, Grisela’s own Conway the Machine, for this joint project No One Mourns The Wicked. This is going to be a huge week, keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Here’s a link to the Week #19 Playlist (’20) for y’all
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NAV – Good Intentions
Markedly better than his last few albums (I thought Bad Habits had some highlights, but the one before that was mostly bad), with some great track concepts rounding out a very impressive feature list. Everything about the album is clean, from NAV’s voice to the production, and you have to admit that he is operating in a lane that few people are operating in stylistically. People like 24hrs can come close (and in my opinion are better), but NAV is the only one able to pull in guests like this, which based on the strength on these alone I recommend this album. You get Future in an insanely fiery performance, the late Pop Smoke over a trap beat, Don Toliver with a great hook, and Gunna and Thug get two features apiece on here, all of which are fire. Nav even has a few moments on here where he comes through with decent songwriting, and he even changes his voice to a lower register a couple times. It doesn’t hold a candle to Perfect Timing, but this album sits at a comfortable second place in NAV’s discography.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Chris Brown & Young Thug – Slime & B
I will admit that Thug and Breezy don’t have the best chemistry in the world, but each of the two artists do their parts and pull their weight on this project. There’s a lot more Chris Brown on the album that Thugger, which is made even more evident by the last two tracks not having Young Thug on them at all, which isn’t necessarily a problem, but more collaboration would have been appreciated. The best moments are whenever the two cross over into each other’s territory, like Chris getting trappy on She Bumped Her Head, or Thug hitting a crazy catchy melody on City Girls. For a one-off mixtape for Brown’s birthday, this could have been a lot worse, and there are some genuine highlights on here that deserve praise. Gunna was the MVP on this album feature-wise, killing two verses effortlessly. If you like any modern melodic trap (Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih), especially Thug’s BEAUTIFUL THUGGER GIRLS tape, this album will be right up your alley.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Lil Tjay – State of Emergency
One of the many Kings of New York it seems, Tjay has dropped a short collection of tracks to capitalize on his quick ascent in the game. There are some tracks that people have been looking forward to for a while now on here, like Zoo York with both Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke, good bits of fanservice and a great opportunity to get some more Pop Smoke verses. More than anything, it shows Tjay as versed in both modern ATL vibes trap music and this new wave of NY-Drill music that is taking over, and is an effective statement on why he should be the king of New York. I mean, he has every prominent Drill rapper out there on this record and is poising himself to be a big part in its future. Short and effective, I look forward to the kids new full length.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Lil Durk – Just Cause Y’all Waited 2
This could have been so much better with more features and less filler, but there are some great cuts on here that deserve love. Lil Durk doesn’t seem to have progressed as much as dug into his style over the past 3 or so years, but it’s a style that, while giving us a large volume of samey tracks, occasionally hits on something with a lot of heart and character, not unlike someone like NBA YoungBoy or Quando Rondo (but obviously Durk has been around for much longer than those two). This album in particular seems like material to hold us over until he actually releases the now mythic No Auto LP with Metro Boomin, which sounds like a more promising idea given Durk’s heavy use of autotune is starting to sound tired. Start with the tracks with features (3 Headed Goat is a banger), but sift through the other tracks if you’re invested in this melodic street tale trap wave we have going right now.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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V Don – No Blade Of Grass
I’m not sure where this project is coming from; it’ being distributed from this Series Soundz outlet, and I don’t see V Don promomting it on Twitter (he’s still pushing Black Mass which came out a month or so ago, another good record) so it may not even be out yet but I’ll go ahead and talk about what I’ve heard. While it isn’t as ambitious as Black Mass, I think this album is great pairing to the last one in that, while the last brought in the big names to really show off V Don’s influence and skills, No Blade Of Grass brings smaller and lesser known artists as a tape meant to put people on to rappers that should be on their radar. Ave, Jai Black, & Marz Lovejoy round out a cast of rappers on the up and up, sitting shoulder to shoulder with some greats like Estee Nack and Elcamino. There are also some very interesting movie samples on this, which I’m not sure are from the original movie also titled No Blade Of Grass, that fit the eeriness and depraved nature of his beats.
serioussoundz.com
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Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
There are some great cuts on here for fans of super minimal and seductive R&B, especially the tracks where she brings in guests to push her a bit harder. Tory Lanez, Masego, and Jhené Aiko all bring the heat to give the album a little bit more life than Kehlani usually brings; it’s not that I don’t like her or anything, but her unforced delivery mixed with drowsy production can lead to some snoozers, but I’d say the majority of the album is quality. If you like Jhené, or a less provocative Summer Walker or SZA, then this album will be right up your alley, but I recognize that it may be a little *too* hands off for some of you out there.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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E-40 – The Curb Commentator Channel 1
40 is as goofy as ever on this album with one-liner after one-liner cracking me up, but anyone who’s followed this guy for a while knows he’s going to come with the hilarious (but strangely hard) bars. It’s the beats that really keep me coming back to this micro-project, with every beat slapping the every-loving shit out of your system. The sub-bass on these cuts are fat as hell, some a lot darker and evil than he usually goes over. Features are all quality too, great names like Wiz Khalifa and K CAMP. It’s really short, but it seems like it’s going to be connected with a larger series of projects so I’ll allow it. If you like Bay Area (but a much more modern take on it, like ALLBLACK or SOBxRBE would do), then this project is for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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JPEGMAFIA & Denzel Curry – BALD! REMIX
I actually only listened to the original BALD! once, not because I didn’t like it, but because I was really waiting for some project it was going to be attached to so I could wear it out *then* instead of before. But a Denzel remix forces my hand, and damn is this shit fire as hell. The original was awesome, what with the synthy cloud beat and it’s low-fi glitchy qualities, and the great JPEGMAFIA performance that straddled a line between his harder and melodic sides of himself, but Denzel runs away with this track and then some. I will admit, maybe he’s given too much time on here, given that Peggy is only on the first 45 seconds or so, but Zel comes with such a relentless flow and introspection that I’m fine with the remix focusing on him more. This slaps, has great lyrics, it’s short; what else can you want? Another banger from JPEGMAFIA, who I hope comes with another AOTY contender this year.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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TM88, Southside, & Moneybagg Yo (Feat. Young Thug & Future) – Blue Jean Bandit
This track has one of the craziest Young Thug performances I have ever heard. He is literally screeching, yelling, cawing, and shrieking like a fucking crazy person on both his verse and adlibs. He’s been manic before, but this track ratchets it up to like 15/10, and, while Thugger has dozens of quality features out there, this one is reaching up there into my favorites. Despite the track being billed as a Moneybagg track, this is *clearly* a Thug track repurposed for whatever TM88 and Southside have coming down the pipe, which doesn’t detract from the track in any way but it still strikes one as odd. Moneybagg and Hendrix do their thing on the track as well, but honestly Thug does such a great job and takes up so much of the track I’d forgive you for forgetting them. Amazing high-energy trap banger, worth every listen.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Gorillaz (Feat. Skepta & Tony Allen) – How Far?
A collaboration that is half “I never expected this to happen” and half “this makes perfect sense”… if that makes any sense. Tony Allen and Damon Albarn is a match made in heaven: Allen, in his own supremely weird way, fits into the Gorillaz niche, coming with a haunting spoken word performance that any other artist would not have utilized in the way Damon does. Tony Allen stands in stark contrast to Skepta’s hook/verse, which is much more happy-go-lucky and wonky, reminding me of like a Neptunes type vibe. I’ve thought the Gorillaz’ whole Song Machine thing they have going on is an odd idea, but this is the best track that has come out of it by far, as I feel like their best material is with very strong guest characters.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – Stuck with U
With a tried and true chord progression and lackadaisical energy, these two pop icons created a predictable, but very easy, listen. I give the two props for being able to make a song about quarantine, without actually being a song *about* quarantine, you know? Like it’s a great track to listen to while cooped up, but it’s not like these other songs (especially in hip-hop) being so on the nose with the “Quarantine Freestyles” and the “Quarantine Mixtapes”. It’s just a song about being around the people you love, and for that I appreciate it. As for their performances, Ariana and Justin both kill it; I prefer Bieber’s voice over Grande’s, but I can’t deny that Ariana dominates the track and makes it as silky as it is. Positive vibes, good performances, and a smooth and soulful instrumental come together for a great piece of pop. If you like singing, then this is a no brainer for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Mak Sauce (Feat. Lil Yachty & NLE Choppa) – Good Morning
This would be my first time listening to Mak Sauce, and I can say I was not disappointed. Kind of a manic, with a Young Dolph sounding accent, throw in some Blac Youngsta, a dash of Pressa, lots of Young Thug. There’s a good hook on here with a disjointed and goofy flow, and his verse has a ton of character; he’s like a trap goblin with his vocal inflections. The beat is a standard southern minimal banger, with a little bit of a cute and comedic spring to it, like a Blueface or a Lil Pump. NLE Choppa does his thing on the back third of the track, and I respect it, but I have to give major props to Lil Yachty on this cut, who kills his feature here with crazy energy and a matching weirdness that reminds me of some of his work immediately after his Lil Boat mixtape. Pretty much shows that doing that lowkey mumble-gangster shit he’s doing now is just not his lane; he really shines here by taking it back to an older sound.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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6ix9ine – GOOBA
Alright, so Tekashi is back, and the internet is going completely ape-shit over it. I am not endorsing a single thing this man has said in the past or in that dumbass Instagram-Live he put out; this is entirely about the music. And the music is passable at least. I’ve always at least liked his music up to this point, but I recognize that this track is a first day out kind of stunting, with little in the way of listenable music and more in the way of spectacle and circus. I can get behind the knocking beat, and there is a cool moment of flow and finesse at the midpoint of the track, but the rest of this plays too close to predictable, from the hook on down. What is especially egregious is that final stretch where he’s literally just laughing and saying “U BIG MAD”; he’s coming across petty (which he is), childish (which he also is), and cringy (you know the drill). We’ll see where he’s taking this album I guess.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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R.M.R. (Feat. Future & Lil Baby) – DEALER
Never heard of R.M.R before, but he has a great voice and a solid flow for someone that doesn’t seem like a “rapper”. He has this Jacquees vibe to him, with his youthful crooning giving an impression of a fresh amateur in the game. The song is great as it is, with a warbly hook that sticks in your head and a verse that plays off of a whiny delivery, but bringing in Future and Lil Baby puts this track in line to be a hit, in my opinion. The features fit the track like a glove, with Lil Baby in particular being a standout with him using an older flow of his to slay the beat, but Future holds his own with his own brand of emotion. The beat is a ill loop of some sort of mandolin or guitar with an Asian twist on there that’s perfect for me, as well as all of you guys who like slightly off-kilter trap beats. It doesn’t bang as much as smoulder.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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A.CHAL (Feat. Gunna) – Hollywood Love
This dude (who I’ve also never heard of; go figure) has like a Flipp Dinero/Guapdad 4000 quality to him, with a scratchiness and amateurish singing style that lends to his aura of a young artist. I love the intoxicating and woozy beat, and while A.CHAL goes over it smoothly enough, it’s Gunna that gets most of the credit for continuing his killstreak on features. He taps into the melody and vibe perfectly, and gives a length contribution; it honestly seems like Gunna is one of the best bang-for-your-buck feature artists out there, as he almost always gives 100% (especially to people who aren’t nearly as popular as himself). All of that being said, I’m not sure how effective a statement this is for A.CHAL, as I’m coming away from this not really knowing much about him , unlike some of the singles from other artists I didn’t know of from this week. Still, fans of passionate trap/cloud hip-hop will be right at home here.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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