Week #46 ('21) 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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Smino (Feat. NOS) – I Deserve
This dude has been all over 2021 so far, with tons of album placements and singles keeping his fanbase fed while he’s gearing up for this new album. MLK Dr was one from earlier this year that I specifically remember while some of those other ones have come and go, but I can’t deny that this new song is irresistibly smooth. I love the bassline, piano embellishments, and the rolling drums on this one; the instrumental and background material really takes center stage on this one in my mind, with Smino falling in line and blending well with the beat. Anyone who fucks with guys like Flying Lotus, Isaiah Rashad, and Saba will be right at home here. Project-wise, Smino hasn’t struck me over the head yet, but I think that since 2018 his profile in the game has increased substantially, so the potential for this new project is pretty high. We’ll see how it pans out in 2022.
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Trae tha Truth (Feat. Quavo) – Knots
We’ve got some H-Town royalty in our Singles post this week, with Trae tha Truth bringing the heat in the form of this absolute banger. Trae, like many out in Houston, shows much love to Atlanta, so bringing in Quavo to spit in that trademark Migos (and, by extension, ATL) way is not only appropriate, but it feels like a perfect match. I’m not 100% familiar with Trae’s massive discography, but for me it’s rare to hear him go so hard on a track with the flow; usually he’s slow and lumbering, the deep baritone doing a lot of the lifting, but Knots has him hitting a pocket that’s nimble and pushy. Quavo is doing his thing on here, nothing more, nothing less, but that’s all I need from him to be satisfied. Maybe Trae has a new project coming along, but seeing as he’s already dropped a couple mixtapes this year we’re probably waiting till 2022.
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Bearcap & $tupid Young – Jug & finesse
I’ve never heard of this Bearcap guy before, and to be honest, after listening to this single here, I still kind of don’t know much about him. This is 100% $tupid Young’s track, who does all the hook-work and a solid verse, but it was generous of him to put Bearface on the co-credit anyways. Good slaps, great synths, and an amazingly catchy chorus from Young make this a single that’s been difficult to get out of my head for the past few days. I wish I knew more about Bearcap and the things he has coming down the line, but with the $tupid Young cosign I’ll be sure to keep my eyes out. If you like L.A. gangsta music with heavily melodic elements, this the track for you this week.
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Fivio Foreign – Squeeze (Freestyle)
A little freestyle Fivio dropped in a line of songs this year that you can only find on YouTube. I mean I know these kinds of things aren’t strictly “freestyles”, rather being fully made tracks that they don’t want to bother pushing harder than they have to, but the fact that a lot of these throwaways are so fucking good shows me how Fivio really has that golden touch when it comes to these Drill beats. Fivio is *so* close to blowing up for real, but he’s made sure to do all of the groundwork necessary before really taking it to that next level. The high-profile features he’s managed to land over the past year, the clear upgrade in his pen game, and the hunger and drive that has only gotten more potent as he gains popularity all drive him to the top. Squeeze (Freestyle) is aggressive, true to his roots, and covers all of his bases artistically. Get on YouTube and listen to this shit, and get ready for a Fivio Foreign 2022. God, I need a project from this dude sooner rather than later.
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Merlyn Wood & CONNIE – S.Y.K.
What a wild track; from the abrasive klaxon-blurts of the beat from CONNIE on down to the confused yelps from Merlyn, S.Y.K. is a banger for those who actually want to fight people in the moshpit. In the context of Merlyn’s larger association, BROCKHAMPTON, I saw Merlyn as a valuable piece of hype amongst all of the arguably better pens, and never figured that, out of everyone in that group, he would be one to strike out on his own like this. However, now that I’m hearing how Merlyn will approach solo efforts I don’t think he could have found a better partner. CONNIE’s beat here is just as tortured and manic as Merlyn’s lyrics and flows, a perfect mixture of industrial and metallic electronic music and a lively and unhinged emcee. Listen to this shit if you want to some gym-fuel. I sincerely hope that we can get a Merlyn Wood project that maintains this quality and understanding of what he can be in hip-hop, and I hope we get that project sooner rather than later.
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Polo G – Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)
Alright, someone explain this shit to me: how is the Jackson estate not suing the dogshit out of this? I was under the impression that MJ samples were pretty much off limits in all of hip-hop, so the fact that Polo was able to get anything at all, let alone an EXACT COPY of the Smooth Criminal bassline, AND gets to name his track Smooth Criminal is just mind-boggling to me. Either this dude dropped the biggest bag in the history of hip-hop to get permission to do this or he has some inside people over at the Jackson estate. Anyway, how is the song? Good. Pump up the BPM’s on the original song, have Polo bark his aggressive double-time’s at you, and you already have an excellent Capalot song, but add in the classic nature of the sample and you’ll be hard-pressed to forget this song any time soon. The kid has an album coming out here soon, well, rather he has a deluxe version of an album that double’s the length on some Lil Uzi shit. Keep your eyes out for that new project. You’ve been hit by a Soup Criminal……………………... I am so sorry.
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KRS-One – Knock Em Out
A blast from the past if there ever was one, KRS-One is back with a triple-haymaker of a song that beats the life out of you with lyrical passion. There are so many refreshing things about this track that I want to point out to you, the first and most obvious being the intense delivery on this one; you can damn near hear the voice breaking and spit flying in that booth. Next, for the real OGs out there, KRS-One gives us the classic set-up of *three* lengthy verses; you couldn’t have a song worth it’s merit in hip-hop in the 80’s that wasn’t pushing five minutes, and Knock Em Out follows the blueprint to a T. Next is the almost totally lack of cursing: I’m not saying cursing is bad, I’m saying being able to string together three verses worth of material with only a single “shit” in there is pretty impressive. Finally, the Slick Rick sample is gold. That is all. KRS is still dropping regularly over thirty years into his career, a devotion that should earn a listen from you on this newest single.
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Yella Beezy – I Guess
The best rapper out of Dallas today, Yella Beezy has a presence on a track that few rappers can match. His voice is so sharp and electrifying on the cut, his accent being something that you’ve truly never heard before out there in the wild. His real strength lies in his ability to sell a hook; I’ve heard many Beezy singles over the past few years, and I think I can remember the hook of every single one of them, a testament to his skill in finding those earworms. If you like that southern drawl of a lot of those Atlanta rappers, think like a T.I. or a Gucci, with a more modern spin on the beats, then Yella Beezy will be right up your alley. I feel like it’s been a minute since I’ve seen a Beezy project, and this new single has got me waiting with baited breath.
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Famous Dex – Dehydrated
I never thought I would have another Dexter song that I’d like again; I’m not out here saying the man fell off or anything, but I’ve seen a lot of pictures and videos of this dude in the past few years and god DAHM he looks rough man (shit, even in the music video for this single here I’m concerned about this guy). It seems like that druginess has seeped into the pores of his music more than most, because the complete sloshed rapping is something that sounds less like an aesthetic and more like someone totally smashed in the booth. But the “lazy river” kind of flow Dex has complements this amazing beat so fuckin’ well: this instrumental sounds like some sort of Runescape theme on acid, with these tinny and sharp synth notes (all backed by some solid whomps for good measure) mixing with Famous Dex’s performance to make something truly depraved. Something about all of these elements hit me hard, and I think if you give this a listen you can see the fun in it. Also, Dexter, please get some help man.
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Coi Leray (Feat. DaBaby) – TWINNEM (Remix)
This song is irresistibly cute, from the lonely church pianos to the “TWINNEM” hooks that dot the track. Coi may not be the best singer, but that actually makes the track a bit more endearing to me, giving the track a “something to prove” kind of attitude to it. As much as I like the bones of this track, I’m wondering how well DaBaby fits into it given his style is almost polar opposite to the vibes of the song. Don’t get me wrong, DaBaby kills it regardless of how you look at it, but it feels like two different ideas put together a bit haphazardly. There needs to be more of this Lil Yachty-esque music out there, happy and fun songs with great melodies. Coi is young, having very little material out so far, but I think she can carve out a good lane for herself with tracks like these.
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J.I. the Prince of N.Y. – Taken For Granted
There’s something to be said for these heavily melodic rappers coming out of NYC as of the past few years, but they didn’t really come out of nowhere. I mean there’s definitely some precedence here with guys Trey Songz (who isn’t from NYC for the record) and Fetty Wap (*see “Trey Songz”*), but artists like A Boogie Wit da Hoodie really kicked the door open for kids like J.I. to explore around and see where they get to. The child-like voice, melodramatic stories, and sad and reflective beat are all exactly what I expected from the Prince of N.Y., a healthy dose of melodic trap music that plays on those relationship feelings with a bit more of a street edge to it. Give this a shot if you like those late night drive vibes.
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