Another slow week; I’m sure everyone was scared to drop the same week as Post, and for good reason seeing as the dude is gonna clear 450k first week easily. The mainstream is still in a dry spell, but the underground roars along in a crazy successful year. Next week we have Conway and JPEGMAFIA dropping, so let the hype officially commence.
Here’s a link to the Week #13 Playlist for y’all
-----PROJECTS-----
Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding
Spotty, but acceptable album from Pop’s favorite face-tatted freakboi. It doesn’t have the highs of beerbongs and bentleys, and it’s lows are much lower, but it has more hits than misses. Posts performances and hooks are as good as ever, but some of the instrumental choices show reaches into others sounds and audiences that could have been done without.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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IDK – Is He Real?
Aimless for the most part, with an attempt made to make this some sort of concept about God that turns out to be hella corny. He is surprisingly apt at singing and making more melodic dancier tracks. Having the features unlisted is usually interesting, but it ended up just being frustrating not knowing who was on the tracks (besides Push of course)
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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DJ Muggs & Meyhem Lauren – Members Only
Pretty average release from the duo, like Frozen Angels from last year. I liked how it stuck to the whole “cars and motorsports” motif, thought it was in good taste. A couple basslines on here are banging. Would have liked to have seen a feature or two, but it’s only four tracks and from what I understand a sequel to Gems from the Equinox is on the way so I can wait.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Ghostface Killah – Ghostface Killahs
Produced entirely by the same dude who did Deck’s album a few weeks ago, I think it’s better than that album overall. The beats are ok, they might not have as much heart in this as some other more recent Ghostface albums but it works. Love the features, especially Sun God; it feels good to have him back and collabing with his Father. (Note: It’s still not fully out on Apple Music yet, and Ghostface’s website is only to buy at the moment. Tracks are on YouTube, but I haven’t found all of them together in a playlist)
GhostfaceMusic.com/Apple Music
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-------SINGLES-------
Hitmaka (Feat. Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, YBN Nahmir, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, & Tyga) – Thot Box
All over the place in terms of the verses, with A Boogie and Tyga easily being the weak links. But the most disappointing part about this is the beat, which is surprising given Hitmaka usually comes through with some good shit.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Danny Brown – Dirty Laundry
Very disappointed in this single from his upcoming LP, uknowwhatimsayin?. The beat (provided by Q-Tip of all people) is flat, feels cheap, and really doesn’t go anywhere. Danny, in a rare twist, is just as flat as the beat delivery-wise, not reaching the zaniness of his usual self or the shaky emotion of his lower register, but operating in a vanilla middle-ground. We’ll see where the LP goes, but I’m not 100% confident so far.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Injury Reserve (Feat. JPEGMAFIA & Code Orange) – Hpngc
Pretty much what I would have expected from a collab between the three artists. Ritchie comes with the snarly whispers, Groggs is the off-kilter distorted closer, and Peggy is in *fine* form with an explosive verse that more than makes up for his non-appearance on GTFU. The beat is on some extra-terrestrial super-computer shit too.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Pete Rock & Skyzoo (Feat. Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Westside Gunn, & Elzhi) – Eastern Conference All-Stars
What a fuckin lineup, and what fuckin results. Skyzoo much more animated than usual here, probably because he’s around some serious talent. All three of the Griselda cats murder this, it’s rare to get all three on the track and this is one of the best. Elzhi bodies this in every way, some incredible wordplay in this verse.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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Conway the Machine (Feat. Benny the Butcher & Westside Gunn) – Tito’s Back
Cold blooded as fuck, but imma come out front by saying I’m very disappointed that Gunn didn’t have a verse. Like, I get it, you are the Flygod, but come on. “I don’t even gotta rap” like yes my dude you do you are on the track. Anyway, Conway and Benny trading bars is incredible, and the “motherfucker” flow they hit is hype-inducing.
Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music
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