Weekly Fix #20 ('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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Crazy fuckin’ week boys and girls, drops from all around the hip-hop-sphere. Legends, old and new, mainstream and underground, represent in supreme fashion this week, from the King of Lean himself Future Hendrixx all the way to Conway the King of Machines. There was a lot to go through this week, so this one will be a long read; strap in and get ready to listen to some fire shit.
BUT before we do that, let’s talk about some stuff! First off, I’ve had a lot of newcomers recently reading my shit here, and I’d like to plug my socials for those who’d like to follow me. We have both the official Tha Soup Dude’s Kitchen Facebook Page, as well as my own personal and unofficial group Drake’s Hidden Children. For you tweeters we have Tha Soup Dude (@tha_soup_dude) for y’all to follow; I probably post here the most for those looking for the best outlet. Finally I have my Instagram, thasoupdude (@thasoupdude), where I update my story with new posts and put out a weekly sum-up of my posts for that week. Follow any of these for updates on what I do here. Salute.
Next week I have a couple things I’m looking forward to: first is this collaborative project between Lord Juco and Vago. I loved Vago’s las project he did with Toronto’s Asun Eastwood, and the feature list for this new HHSS has me hyped. We also have a new Kota the Friend LP coming; loved BQE with Badmon and Bas, excited for this. I also gotta throw out there that I’m looking forward to Wunna, Gunna’s new LP he has coming up: yes, the lead single Wunna is not on this list because I didn’t really fuck with it. BUT, I didn’t like the lead single from Drip or Drown 2 either, and that turned out to be one of my favorite projects from last year. Come see what’s coming down the pipe, both for next week and beyond, over on my Upcoming Heat page, a calendar of upcoming projects that I update often.
Big ups, prayers up, mega thanks, and my sincerest gratitude to all of you who read my shit here. Hope y’all find some new shit to listen to around here, and learn a little too. PEACE.
Here’s a link to the Week #20 Playlist (’20) for y’all
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Big Ghost LTD & Conway the Machine – No One Mourns The Wicked
Ghost and Con are two of the most prolific workhorses in this genre, and they’re continuing their winning streak with a collaborative effort much in the spirit of their original project Griselda Ghost (albeit without the Machine’s brother Westside Gunn). Conway is two parts disgusting, two parts witty, pairing perfectly with Big Ghost’s rumbling junkyard of a production style. It’s easy to compare this to Lulu, the project he released with Alchemist not even two months ago, with Conway coming with a similar if not more boisterous style; if Lulu was a more nuanced project, then No One Mourns the Wicked is a sadistic victory lap around the game. Big Ghost really takes us back to some of his previous projects on this one: obviously Griselda Ghost to maintain the vibes, but I also hear a lot of CRIMEAPPLE’s Aguardiente in here, maybe a little bit of 38 Spesh’s A Bullet For Every Heathen. It’s cartoonishly villainous at times, and whenever it strips back to let things breath it will still slap you with a obnoxious sample like on Shark Guts, almost relishing in beating you with harsh sounds. Another great project for both geniuses involved, and anyone who values their hip-hop dirty needs to give this a listen.
Spotify/Apple Music/Bandcamp
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Future – High Off Life
I thought The WIZRD was one of Future’s best projects; the beats on that things were crazy, and Future seemed more cutthroat and hungry. While I think that High Off Life is a step back in quality, I think most of the problems that face this record come from the length. Replace many of these solo tracks with some of the ones with features that’s included in the “deluxe tracklist” and you instantly make this better. There are highlights, like the clean and wispy Ridin Strikers (which has a fire beat-switch too), or the mantric Don’t Get Comfortable, and all of the featured guests bring their own flair to the tracks they’re on (YoungBoy NBA on Trillionaire is a surprising highlight), but all of these gems sit amongst a decent amount of filler. If you have been invested in Hendrixx for a while like I have, this will scratch that toxic masculinity itch you have. Listen if you like any sort of modern trap music.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Eto – The Beauty of It
Eto has been around for a solid minute, but almost all of his material for damn near three years now has been collaborative: Hells Roof with DJ Muggs, RocAmeriKKKA with Flee Lord, Omerta with V Don, etc. This newest album is one of his rarer projects in that it’s billed as entirely solo, and that gives Eto a lot of leeway to be able to tell more personal and topical stories. He’s talking about his experiences, both on the ground and as a dealer, and the values that govern how people interact in the streets. His wordplay is subdued, slightly tongue-in-cheek at times, but his voice will ground you in darkness and grittiness. He also utilizes a lot of skits and smaller ideas on here, feeling much more like a project where he has some specific things to say, which makes things cohesive and “album like” rather than a one-off collaboration. The beats are varying shades of darkness, bringing in some great names like Alchemist and Statik Selektah, but there also a ton of great spots from relatively unknown beatmakers, all of whom use the opportunity to show off their skills nicely. Overall, I think this project is a great place to start with Eto and his massive discography, bringing together everything good about him, and even a little bit more, into one product. Listen if you like dark and raw hip-hop, husky emcees, great guest features, and ushering in a New Crack Era.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Polo G – THE GOAT
I loved Polo’s last project, Die a Legend, but I think my biggest problem with it was the amount of filler tracks. I wanted stronger hooks, better song ideas, and more guests, and for the most part I got what I wanted on his sophomore album here. It’s about the same length as his debut, but he uses his time more effectively by bringing in some stylistically different producers like Murda Beatz and DJ Mustard, guests like Lil Baby and NLE Choppa, and better writing jobs like on Losin My Mind and Wishing for a Hero. The melodies are catchy and show thought and effort; his voice is as expressive and emotional as ever. I even like that he takes a few tracks to really show off his rapping abilities on Go Stupid and Wishing for a Hero; he’s always been competent, but those two tracks show this kid has some serious flow. The GOAT may be a premature title for someone two albums into the game, but don’t be put off from a kid who is going to make huge waves going forward. If you like cats like Lil Durk, YoungBoy NBA, and other Chicago emcees like Calboy and G Herbo, then this will be for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Hus Kingpin – Gunpowder
The amazing thing about Hus Kingpin is the connections that this man has in the industry. He’s been involved with artists all over the globe, and always manages to dig up the best talent to represent him on his projects (which are usually jam-packed with features and production spots, Gunpowder being no exception). The beats are weird, boom-bap, left-field, gritty, or a mixture of any of those things, leading to a shotgun of sounds that all just sort of work. Hus as a rapper is pretty laid back, pacing himself flow-wise but still lacing his words with gems that can be both hilariously vulgar and deep. Since a huge portion of the album are features, I got to give a shoutout to those guys: Ty Farris and Lord Juco kill it together, SmooVth kills it like he does every time when he links up with Wavo, and Snotty/Aye Wun/Bub Rock are some artists I haven’t dug into deeply but you damn well be sure they’re on my radar now. Another great compilation project from Hus, good for anyone who’d like to hear what underground hip-hop sounds like right now. Listen if you want some new dusty dirty shit.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music/Hus Kingpin’s Website
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Sheff G – One and Only
I’ve been all over this newer wave of Drill music taking over Brooklyn after I heard Pop Smoke (RIP to the young man) on Travis Scott’s JACKBOYS. Guys like Sleepy Hallow and Fiveo Foreign are really scratching an itch for a truly new sound in hip-hop; it’s been taking root in the U.K. for a while now, but while Londoners are taking a slightly more melodic and pop-centric approach, Brooklyn is going harder, like a new Chicago with it’s ferocity. Sheff G is a pretty good middle ground between the violence and gang-affiliation of Pop Smoke’s music and a very saturated Trap sound, a minimal version the likes of Gunna are won’t to use. This new mixtape is understated, warm hearted, but still has some bite to the beats and features included. If you’re looking for a great segue into this genre, and you have a love of trap and Atlanta pop-rap like I do, then I think you’ll love this project.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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-------SINGLES-------
Lloyd Banks (Feat. Vado) – Painted Houses (Freestyle)
So I’ve been sleeping on this legend: he’s put out a couple freestyles over the past few weeks, the first over Jadakiss’ Huntin Season and another over Fabolous’ Cold Summer, both better than the original track by a long shot. But it’s this third and most recent one, Painted Houses (Freestyle), that has blown me away in every aspect. For one, it’s the same beat that the Griselda boys spat absolute FIRE over a while ago on the radio, a cold-ass Beat Butcha instrumental that I’m sure came from the Wwcd sessions. Two, Lloyd Banks and Vado rip this beat into shreds with two insane verses. Lloyd is showing how nimble and dexterous he is at his age, with lyrical flourishes and wordplay that seems like instead of rusting with age, the man is simply leveling up. Vado is so rabid on this beat, with bar after bar of hard-as-nails raps, that he gives Lloyd a run for his money at who ate the track more. If you want straight lyrics and icey beats, this is a must-listen. I’ve linked the other two freestyles down below as well, which are good in their own right, but they don’t hold a candle to this latest one.
Painted Houses (Freestyle)/Cold Summer (Freestyle)/Huntin Season (Freestyle)
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Joyner Lucas & Will Smith – Will (Remix)
I just recently got around to listening to Joyner’s ADHD, and while it was a little cringy I thought Will was one of the best tracks on there with the extended Will Smith references. It only makes sense that on a remix to a song about himself, Will Smith would decide to grace us with a verse… about himself. I was wary going into it, fully expecting to chuck this in the recycle bin, remembering the verse Will gave for Logic’s last Sinatra tape, but I’m here to say that Will Smith rose to the occasion and actually blew this appearance out of the water. The man raps for well over two minutes, getting into the details of his life as a famous actor, people who influenced his come-up, and his love for his wife and children, all while relating it to the potential that he sees in Joyner’s career just starting out. It is not only well-written substance wise, but Will is actually flowing like a motherfucker on here, hitting this crisp trap beat with a level of skill that I have never seen from the man. Who knew the Fresh Prince could pull off slick triplets like this? Yeah, listen if you want to hear something totally unexpected today.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Migos – Racks 2 Skinny
THE MIGOS ARE BACK BABY! … naw I’m just fucking with you, but this new track is a great step in the right direction. No dumbass hook like Give No Fxks had, and each of the three honestly try harder to impress on here more than I’ve heard from them in a long ass time, ESPECIALLY Quavo. Takeoff never lost it; he still kills it with a steady machine-gun flow. Offset on the back-end shows that aggression and unrelenting nature of his flow that he used to show off constantly back in the YRN tape days. But it’s Quavo who has made the biggest return to form on the cut, with that youthful energy infused back into his flow, quick and reckless, making him sound more like a “huncho” than he has in literally years. Add all of this up in front of a banging romp of a trap instrumental and you get a single that gives me hope that the Migos still have a career ahead of them; all they have to do is flex that talent and try a little.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Reason (Feat. ScHoolboy Q) – Pop Shit
Damn, I usually knock motherfuckers for bothering an artist about releasing an album, but goddamn Reason has dropped half of the album already in singles. Pop Shit is another in a long line of tracks teasing up to his new album, and it’s just as fire as the previous tracks he’s dropped. Reason used his magic to get Soulo to drop a few new verses, and now he’s using his power on ScHoolboy Q, who checks in on the cut with a great verse that sounds like Q really wanted to be here. Expressive, menacing, great variety in his flows; pretty much everything I would have expected from a great Q verse, doubly delicious because it’s given to such raw TDE talent. Reason is showing me more and more his well-roundedness, being able to kill a hook, drop memorable verses, and making all of his tracks have this essential sort of quality to them; the man just doesn’t seem to be able to drop “filler” material. I’ve been looking forward to his next album with bated breath, and I’m hoping I won’t have to wait too much longer. If you feel like you’d like very cavernous and twisted hip-hop, with layered vocals and a devilish delivery, then this is for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Nomad Carlos – Agenda
I got this sent in an email a few days ago, and having never heard of Nomad Carlos before (but intrigued by his Caribbean roots) I decided to give this track a listen. Carlos is a very nonchalant emcee, effortlessly exuding this coolness and suaveness in his raps, the subject matter of which revolves mostly stunting on the batty boys/emo thugs and highlighting how much better he is than you. Despite his slightly monotone and understated delivery, there is a confidence in his voice, partly coming from his accent being Kingston, Jamaica born, but also from a sense of wisdom and forethought in his rhymes. It’s Masta Killa-like sometimes, just a man sort of spitting game at you and you’re like “damn this guy knows his shit”. If you like slower, Wu-Tang-ish hip-hop, with a great bassline (guy named Flu produced, killed it), then this will be for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Che Noir & Apollo Brown (Feat. Black Thought) – Hustle Don’t Give
Apollo Brown will always come through on the beats; he has a formula that works and he sticks to it, I respect that. Very structured beat, looped soul samples and fat drums let you know this is an Apollo beat in the DNA. Pretty much any good emcee will shine over one of his beats, and Che Noir is one of the best we have on the come up here in the underground. Che always seems to delivers the uplifting struggle bars, something that works well with Brown’s beats that also convey a struggle of soul. Shit I haven’t even talked about Black Thought on this bitch, who does the only thing the man is capable of doing: spitting fire. Che Noir and Black Thought on the same track is such a “moment”, you know? Like Noir is destined for greatness after this one for real. This track is a lead single from their upcoming project, and the pairing seems as perfect as Planet Asia and Guilty Simpson ever did. If you like very soulful, old-school, and reflective hip-hop, this will be for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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slowthai & Kenny Beats – MAGIC
I give slowthai credit for being an incredibly unique individual; his very rough and animalistic delivery works on a sort of British Lil B/Young Thug level, but I’d be lying if I said I’m out here banging Nothing Wrong With Britain. I like weird emcees as much as the next guy, but slowthai might be a little *too* much for me. But I still love this track! It’s a banger for sure, Kenny Beats won’t let anyone down on that front, and there’s some funny lines on here inbetween what sounds like a hobgoblin rapping to me in yells and shrieks (“lost boy like Rufio” is like a A-tier reference). I like how this is more processed and irreverent than what was one slowthai’s last album; I can take him a lot more seriously as an artist whenever he’s spitting random bullshit if that makes any sense. Yeah, if you like industrial and abrasive hip-hop, maybe like what Vince Staples has going on recently or maybe even a JPEGMAFIA, this this will scratch that itch for you.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Smokepurpp (Feat. Lil Pump) – Off My Chest
It’s a solid banger, with the same sort of evilly distorted trap beat that Purpp and Pump have been rapping over for years now; it’s a system that works, so I’m not complaining at all. The refrain is catchy (I mean if you’re going to repeat the same shit over and over it damn well better be catchy), and it’ll stick in your brain for a while. Probably the best Pump feature in a minute, something that I’ve been hoping and praying to happen for a long-ass minute. I love both these guys so much for their weird and ultra-stupid brand of trap music they bring to the table; I think it’s healthy to have some music that is purely just to have fun to, like a modern day Waka Flaka Flame. Listen if you like Gucci Gang.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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slowthai – ENEMY
I’m including two singles from slowthai this week: the first was the Kenny Beats assisted MAGIC, with the other cut, ENEMY, trading in the assist from Kenny for a more animated and off-the-wall performance by slowthai himself. While I like the beat more on MAGIC, this track is still great, with the clean and futurist nature of MAGIC replaced by distorted and fuzzy bass hits and more of a Southern snare scheme going on. I also think slowthai flows better on this track (though he was funnier and had more one-liners on MAGIC), sounding more like he’s trying to hit the beats like a real rapper. I’ll probably give whatever project slowthai has coming a try; these newer singles sound unique enough to whet my appetite. Like MAGIC, if you like the left-field irreverent side of hip-hop, then listen to this.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Tory Lanez – Temperature Rising
This beat is intoxicating as fuck. I love how thick the background synth bass is, and the guitars mixed with that angelic vocal loop is just some really good work on the production (and engineering for that matter) side of things. Tory Lanez is great on the track, really reaching into his more strained register while singing on the track, a rare thing to hear nowadays. Buuuut, why is the track only 2 minutes long? And why does it abruptly start as well as suddenly end. It kind of feels unfinished, but there is a rock solid hook here that is showing a lot of potential for an A1 R&B banger. If you like Tre Songz or Chris Brown, don’t skip this, and join me in hoping this gets a little more treatment on whatever project Tory has coming.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Lil Keed – Wavy
Four minutes is a bit long for a solo Lil Keed track, and although it overstays its welcome, I think it’s a cute and effective track. Lil Keed never lacks in charisma, bringing his slimy personality to this track in slurred verses and hugely Thugger-inspired vocal inflections and adlibs. I especially love the hook, which is this refrain of “wavy” sung through adlibs way in the background and in this weird cookie monster voice; it’s just hilarious to hear in real time. The beat keeps the same pace and timing for the whole four minutes, and while it’s a solid keyboard melody it can definitely get a bit grating; it reminds me of something Lil Yachty would have jumped on back in the day. This track needed a feature badly, but I’ll definitely be coming back to it.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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