Weekly Fix #18

*Finally* a great week for Hip-Hop. A good mix of underground and different areas of the mainstream spectrum to fill us up this week. It was a tough choice to decide what to do the Write-Up for this week; YK Osiris impressed the hell of out me with his newest project, but Elcamino comes in with a fantastically smooth LP. Decisions, decisions…

Besides from that, I want to link Episode 5 of the TSDK Podcast (and apologize again for the wait; Episode 6 will come sooner rather than later!) and thank all of you for listening! Also, I want to point out the Write-Ups I did last week for Danny Brown’s uknowhatimsain¿, and for Gangrene’s Gutter Water. They exist so that someone can find their favorite album they’ve never heard, so go read, and listen; maybe Danny or Uncle Al made your favorite album and you don’t even know it yet!

Here’s a link to the Week #18 Playlists for y’all

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YK Osiris – The Golden Child
This kid is turning into one of the most quality unknowns XXL has picked in a long time. I had no idea who this kid was before the list, and now he’s here with this album that demonstrates why he deserves to be heard. Excellent vocal quality with this dude, which gets raspy as he strains to hit those higher notes. Great beats, great features (even from fucking *Russ*), nice length. Listen to this dude if you like Trap/R&B singers.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Eto & Flee Lord – Rocamerikka
I expected more. The single with Spesh was fantastic, but the closest we get to that quality is the closer, while the rest is just kind of… ok. I found that the beats are too formulaic and clean, but it’s the mixing quality on a few tracks that let down the most. However, Eto and Flee have chemistry, and them being together is not a negative as they actually play on each other well. I hope for more in the future from the two together, but with dirtier instrumentals.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music/Bandcamp

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Oh Jay & Elcamino – Where’s My Pyrex
A standout collaboration between the Griselda member and the Dutch producer. I had never heard of Oh Jay before this tape, but fuck if he isn’t exactly what Elcamino needs. As the smoothest member of Griselda, Elcamino’s delivery is perfectly suited for Oh Jay’s silky smooth, suave, and lounge-y style of producing, with minimal drums and what seems like a lot of live instrumentation. MY only complaint is that the album is way too short (and that the second track is literally the same verse repeated to pad out the track; you ain’t Ol’ Dirty, you can’t do that)

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music/Bandcamp

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Wale – Wow… That’s Crazy
This is bland as hell, and corny to boot, but there are standout tracks. All of the features deliver, and there’s even hidden features from Meek Mill and Rick Ross. Wale is well past his hey-day, and he knows it given this album is more geared towards contemporary R&B than Hip-Hop, what with all of the features from singers. But yeah any solo tracks just doesn’t do it for me; Wale just doesn’t have the wordplay or the interesting lyrics that someone like J. Cole has.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Casanova – Behind These Scars
It’s fine. I mean it feels super dated, like a lot of these New Yorkers who are slowing accepting this trap-wave (like Dave East and all them), but it has moments. I like Casanova’s voice, it has a gruff quality to it. I also like how a lot of his tracks contain some very personal lyrics. But overall the album kind of runs together.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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-------SINGLES-------

City Girls – JT First Day Out
For a first day out track, it’s disappointing. I was hoping for more of an “out for blood” feel to it, but it more of just clearing the air. JT isn’t the best emcee either, and while her lyrics can be entertaining for a while, her flow and cadence is very amateur. She works better in the context of the duo anyways, so I’m awaiting the first official City Girls track with both JT and Miami.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Moneybagg Yo & Megan Thee Stallion – All Dat
It’s pretty good, as the two have hella chemistry. The beat is a banger, Moneybagg is in his element here, and Megan kills her parts. As far as strip club bangers go, this one is a hit.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Blueface (Feat. Jeremih) – Close Up
Why is this not a Jeremih track featuring Blueface? He has one verse on the song while Jeremih does literally everything else, and, if I’m being honest, Blueface ruins his own fucking track with that trash verse. The tracklist for his new project looks dope though.

Here’s the Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music link to listen to Close Up:

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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T.I. – Sabotage
Loving the beat and flow on this track. I’ve been so impressed with T.I.’s output in the last few years; it’s way better than most of his contemporaries that came out around the same time he did. The lyrics in particular are on some Jay-Z inspirational shit, and it’s so good to hear that he’s using his wisdom to teach rather than showing off his wealth.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Roddy Ricch – Big Stepper
Loooooving this track, with it’s guitar beat and Roddy’s lower vocal register. Usual he blares in that higher pitched autotune, but it’s a stripped back and personal on Big Stepper. Definitely more of an Atlanta influence than LA, but if it’s this good I really don’t care if he strays from his roots.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Yungeen Ace (Feat. Blac Youngsta) – Bad Bitch
Great remix to a song I’ve never heard. The beat is catchy, and Yungeen has a surprisingly good voice. But my favorite part of the track is Blac Youngsta (watch me ever type *that* sentence again), who has never been a particularly good rapper, but the flow he hits on his verse is captivating to me, weaving in and out of the pocket seamlessly.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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French Montana (Feat. Juicy J, Logic, & A$AP Rocky) – Twisted
I have almost nothing to say about this track other than this is one of the worst Logic verses that have ever been released. His lyrics, flow, dumbass jokes, everything is just so godawful that I haven’t been able to get over it since I listened to it. The fact that this is the same dude from Under Pressure and The Incredible True Story is just shameful. The beat sounds 20 years old too. But damn I could write another page about how terrible that Logic verse was. This dude literally said “1-800 then kill the pussy, WHO CAN RELATE?” like… referencing the song he did about the fucking suicide hotline. Are you kidding me? Logic in the past year has done everything in his power to destroy his artistic career, and this is like the cherry of shit on the steaming pile. If I end up doing a worst verses of the year post, you bet your ass Logic on Twisted is Top 2, easy.

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Homeboy Sandman (Feat. Quelle Chris & Your Old Droog) – Lookout
A flawless threesome here, with the whimsical Sandman, the… honestly I don’t know how to describe Quelle Chris, and the old-school Droog coming together to pack a one-two-three punch of lyrical onslaught. The beat is totally whacked the fuck out, but it works so well. Droog has some of the best one liners on here (“One feature had me ineligible for Medicaid” ,“I’m above you like the dots on umlauts”). Excited for this new Homeboy album coming.

Spotify/YouTube

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