for the love of music
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Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to stay up on the hottest new music:
Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to stay up on all the hottest new music:
Vince Staples has a unique ability to inject the listener with energy from the moment he touches the mic. 2015’s Summertime ‘06 was his coming out party with standouts like “Norf Norf”. That being said “Jump off the roof” is the kind of energetic darkness that represents Vince. It’s darker message and undertones over a beat that smacks you in the face is the perfect combination. He’s so charismatic on this song he almost makes you want to join him. -Miles Hagan
Though Snoop Dogg’s 2015 record BUSH was far from critically acclaimed at the time of its release, the Pharrell-produced record was actually home to some of both Snoop and Pharrell’s biggest sleeper hits. “I’m Ya Dogg” features none other than Rick Ross and Kendrick Lamar - who I personally believe delivered his career-defining performance - over Pharrell’s signature taught and bouncy production with a dash of ambiance thrown in for good measure. Though it may be a while until the culture starts to appreciate “I’m Ya Dogg” for the banger that it is, you can catch me yelling “Head in the Maybach boomin’ / thank God for leg room!” every time it comes on shuffle. -Carter Fife
Although to simply say that AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP is Rocky’s best project to date is a freezing cold take, I like to spice things up by attribute the album’s potency to the energy Rocky opens the project with on the tape’s intro, “Holy Ghost.” The song opens with long dramatic guitar bends that instantly cue listeners that what they’re about to hear is no rap song, but rather a sermon of epic proportion featuring pastor Flako at the peak of his powers. Rocky raps two of the best verses of his career cementing this as one of his best songs and one of the most criminally underrated tracks of 2015. -Spencer Lobdell
There will never be enough R.I.P.s to fill the void Mac Miller left in the music community. GO:OD AM was Mac Miller seemingly coming out of a very dark place in his life. With an Ab-Soul feature that almost steals the show and a hook that makes anyone wanna sing, “Two Matches” is a standout from this project. Mac reminisces on the dreams he had as a kid and the realities that came along with realizing those dreams. -Miles Hagan
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By Luke Modugno
With 2010’s coming to a close last month, we leave behind a legendary 10 years of hip-hop. The genre grew leaps and bounds, becoming arguably the biggest category of music in the world. As we embark on the new journey of the next decade, 2020 seems to be shaping up as one of the best years in the recent history of hip-hop. Here are the albums we’re looking forward to, speculating about, dreaming of, and practically begging for.
For the first time since 2014, Drake had a relatively slow year, neglecting to release a new album in 2019. But Drizzy fans weren’t completely deprived. Day-one fans were treated to Care Package, a compilation of the 6 God’s greatest hits not on streaming platforms, and a two song EP titled The Best In The World Pack, celebrating the Toronto Raptors’ NBA championship. Last year, Drake appeared to hint at an album slated for 2020 a few times. The first time was last April, when Drake revealed to his crowd in London that he aimed to return to England with new music in 2020. Additionally, in December, Drake made a surprise appearance at DaBaby’s show in Toronto, telling his hometown that 2020 was a target year for new music, “I’m going to go back to the crib and try to finish this album up so we can turn up in 2020,” Drake told the crowd before he exited the stage. On top of that, Drake and Future have been heavily teasing a follow up to their legendary joint project What a Time to be Alive. Last month, the duo released a new track titled “Life is Good,” with the pair emulating the success and chemistry they’ve formed over the years. And considering Drake was booed off stage at Camp Flog Gnaw 2019, we have to believe the Toronto native has something to say this year. It’s an exciting year to be a Drake fan, I’m expecting both a solo project and another collaboration album with Future in 2020.
The head-honcho of Dreamville had a remarkable year in 2019, continuing his legendary run of features and exceeding expectations with the Dreamville compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III. Back in November of last year, Cole previewed a trailer for his upcoming project titled The Fall Off at Day N Vegas. The video, styled like a political campaign ad, shows Cole as the savior of America, during “these turbulent times,” and schedules the album to drop sometime in 2020. Considering the final track on Cole’s 2018 effort KOD was titled “1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’),” the album is being speculated as a direct follow-up. The teaser for The Fall Off doesn’t feature the serious introspection featured on KOD, so Cole may be looking to go in a completely different direction for this project.
2019 was a genuinely scary year for A$AP Rocky. After being arrested and accused of assault, at the time, it was unclear if Rocky would be coming home anytime soon. The situation caught the attention of President Donald Trump, as he stepped in and influenced Rocky’s release and return home. 2020 has been a positive contrast to last year for Rocky, as he seems in a good place. The New York native announced late last year that his album All Smiles is on the way. All Smiles will be Rocky’s first solo album since his 2018 LP Testing. As the title suggests, Testing was certainly an experimental venture, which split fans and critics alike on the quality of the project. Rocky released two new singles in 2018 and 2019, “Sundress” and “Babushka Boi,” it is unclear if either will make the album. It will be intriguing to see if Rocky continues his sonic tinkering, or if he reverts back to his old sound established in his earlier albums. Expect new music sometime in the first half of 2020.
Besides a group project with East Coast collective Beast Coast, Joey has been relatively quiet since the release of his second studio album ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Following the release of his classic debut mixtape 1999, rap fans have hung on Joey’s every word. Joey has shown a lot of maturity and development as an MC since then, developing his sound and subject matters to become a fairly undisputed top five rapper in the game at the moment. Last month, Joey confirmed new music is on the way, “JUST GETTIN’ A FEW MORE DUCKS LINED UP FO I START BUCKING THESE N****Z. WORLD NEED NEW BADA$$ & ITZ COMING#LP3.” During the Beast Coast tour in 2019, the Brooklyn rapper released a series of vlogs and on the first episode, Joey tells A$AP Rocky, “New album, almost done bro.” He further hinted at a new project in an Instagram post, “Might be a few album snippets in there,” referring to the vlog series. Expect new tunes from Joey very soon.
Kendrick Lamar
We last heard the crowned king of West Coast hip-hop in 2018, when he curated and produced tracks for the Black Panther movie soundtrack. Since then, it’s been radio static on Kendrick’s end, with no singles, few features and no concrete plans for a new album. The good news: Kdot performed his last DAMN. show at Day N Vegas in November of last year, and with Kendrick headlining 12 festivals across Europe starting in June(Lollapalooza Stockholm, NOS Alive, etc.), there’s a good chance new music is on the way. Multiple reports have speculated that the album may have a heavy rock influence, something we saw glimpses of on DAMN. Former Billboard editorial director Bill Werde added fuel to the fire last month when he tweeted, “Did anyone not named Beyonce release better, more meaningful back-to-back albums last decade than Kendrick Lamar? Are you interested to know that I hear from several friends that recording on the new album may finally be done? And that he’s pulling in more rock sounds this time?” With 1,041 days passing since the release of DAMN.,this has been the longest running wait for a Kendrick album since the time between good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly, making it seem like a lock that Kendrick drops in 2020.
Cole’s label partner at Dreamville has been making some noise the past two years. After impressing listeners with lightning quick raps and witty punchlines with his debut album The Never Story and turning heads in 2018 with his sophomore album DiCaprio 2, JID has as much potential as any rapper in the game. JID has tweeted multiple times over the past few months hinting at a new album this year, however in an interview with Revolt, the 28-year-old spoke on his recent writers block, “My grandmother just passed,” J.I.D told REVOLT TV. “I haven’t been able to write a verse since. Everything has been blank, which is weird.” Legendary producer NO I.D. is reportedly a large part of the album. Considering it's been 2 years since a solo project from JID, I see it likely we will get an album from him later in the year.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated artists in 2020, Uzi has kept fans waiting for almost two years for his upcoming project titled Eternal Atake. From threatening to quit music to making a diss track against his own label Generation Now, Lil Uzi had a very trying year in 2019. However, Uzi has been positive on Twitter as of late. After releasing a single from the album, “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” Uzi has been teasing Eternal Atake heavily, suggesting it’s 16 songs, saying it “slaps way harder” than Luv is Rage and hinting at Tyler, The Creator’s production involvement on the album. In addition, Uzi has constantly compared 2020 to his break out year of 2016, saying it will be “2016 part 2.” During that year, Uzi was a XXL freshman, gave one of the most iconic freestyle cyphers, and dropped two albums in Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World and The Perfect LUV Tape. Considering the delays on the album, the expectations for Eternal Atake are sky high. If we learned anything from last year, we know Uzi is a terribly unpredictable artist, so nothing is really concrete until the album arrives on streaming services.
Incredibly, Playboi Carti has had more songs leaked than songs in the entirety of his discography (125 leaked, 34 released). Despite this, Carti’s supposedly upcoming album Whole Lotta Red is still one of the most coveted potential drops of 2020. In October of last year, Carti posted on Instagram, captioning the post “red incoming.” Since the announcement, heaps of leaks have surfaced, including songs, potential tracklists, album artwork and some possible features. Even Drake posted about the album on Instagram, captioning the post “Nobody: Me: Somebody play Whole Lotta Red.” Considering it's been nearly two years since Die Lit, Carti will most likely feel the pressure to drop this year. Whether he will or not, is still a mystery.
The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for Ye. From his constant donning of the MAGA hat and his head scratching slavery comments in 2018, to a steady batch of delays on his now released album JESUS IS KING, Kanye was back to being one the most hated figures in pop culture. Although JESUS IS KING got very mixed reviews, Kanye is supposedly planning a JESUS IS KING sequel. Last November, Ye tweeted a picture of him and Dr. Dre in the studio with the caption, “Ye and Dre Jesus is King Part II coming soon.” Before you get too excited, let's pump the brakes on the hype train for Jesus is King Part II. Kanye and Dre are infamously known for torturing their fans with delays, postponements and scrapping albums all together. Dr. Dre’s highly anticipated solo album Detox has been delayed for nearly two decades. Kanye has a slew of unreleased projects that were scrapped and later leaked, including Yandhi, So Help Me God, TurboGrafx16, Donda’s Boy and more. Don’t expect this album anytime soon.
It’s been 1,265 painful days since the release of Isaiah Rashad’s last solo LP The Sun’s Tirade. With two terrific projects under his belt, TDE’s most reserved member has potential to be a household name in hip-hop. In June of last year, Isaiah took to an Instagram livestream where he announced the title of his upcoming album to be The House is Burning. He also claimed the album will be “as tight as Aquemini.” Since then, there has been no update on a release date of any kind. With Zay constantly previewing new music on his Instagram (Including songs with JID and Zacari), an album is presumably coming this year. TDE tends to spread out the release dates of their albums, and with Reason, ScHoolboy Q and possibly Kendrick Lamar dropping this year, we could possibly expect The House is Burning in the second half of 2020. But due to how tight-lipped TDE is about their upcoming projects, we can’t be sure new Zay music is coming this year.
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Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:
A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.
Ransom, a song by Lil Tecca on Spotify
Chicago rapper Lil Tecca is gaining momentum fast. With a video directed by Cole Bennett, “Ransom” might be the worlds introduction the young buzzing artist. The infectious cut, which is just over two minutes, hosts the young emcee letting the world know he’s next and flexing what he already has. The song is extremely fun and is undoubtably a summer 2019 anthem.
“I know I’m boutta blow-oh-whoa, I ain’t dumb
They try to take my flow, I take they ass for ransom”
SPEEDBOAT, a song by Denzel Curry on Spotify
Denzel Curry is one of the most talented artists rapping right now and he seems to only be getting better. The Florida emcee is following up his excellent 2018 album TA13OO this Friday (May 31st) with the release of his new album ZUU. “SPEEDBOAT” is the second single to be released from the album and has only added to the excitement already surrounding this new project. The hard-hitting hook will be stuck in your head after one listen and Denzel snaps with two wicked verses.
“Put a red beam to your head like Arby’s
Either go to school, go to jail or the army
Keep a close eye on the things tryna harm me
Warn me if anybody try to swarm me”
Keshia Had A Baby (feat. Rose Gold), a song by YG, Rose Gold on Spotify
LA rapper YG dropped his new album 4REAL 4REAL this past week and it is full of vivid stories and west coast bangers. “Keisha Had A Baby” is the seventh track on the album and features vocals from Rose Gold. The cut is slower than most of YG’s music and is built around beautiful piano chords setting the tone for the slow jam. YG has always been a great storyteller and “Keisha Had A Baby” is another perfect example as we’re introduced to Keisha and her relationship with two different men.
“Young Keshia, so fly, so diva
So wise, so eager, so hot, high fever”
Ghetto Symphony, a song by A$AP Rocky, Gunplay, A$AP Ferg on Spotify
“Ghetto Symphony” is a clear standout off of A$AP Rocky’s excellent debut album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP. Rocky is aided by Gunplay and A$AP Ferg on the iconic cut and kills his first verse. Rocky’s fashion raps shine throughout this entire album and are very tastefully scattered throughout his verse on “Ghetto Symphony”. Ferg brings up the rear and sounds absolutely insane on the third verse which fits the mood of the song and ties it up nicely.
“Yeah, my mouth is full of gold and I’m a city boy
And my outfit was in Vogue, I’m a pretty boy
Bounce, boy, Flacko tell ‘em holla at a nigga, G
Riding on my enemies, this my ghetto symphony”
Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:
Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:
A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.
Racks In The Middle (feat. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy), a song by Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Ricch, Hit-Boy on Spotify
2018 was without a doubt the best year of Nipsey Hustle’s career. He finally managed to break into the mainstream with the Grammy nominated Victory Lap and his first release of 2019 picks up right where he left off. There’s so much to like in “Racks In The Middle” from Nipsey’s witty wordplay and catchy LA dialect to Hit-Boy’s polished instrumental. While we love the contributions from these two talented artists, it’s Roddy Rich’s hook that steals the show. His lyrics are authentic and impactful and his syncopated deliver is absolutely addicting. We can only hope there are more Roddy Nipsey collabs in the near future.
“Limo tint the V-12, double check the details
Gotta cross my T’s and dot my I’s or I can’t sleep well
Millions off of retail
Once again, I prevail
Knew that shit was over from the day I dropped my presale”
SOMETHING REAL (feat. GoldLink & Wale), a song by ADÉ, GoldLink, Wale on Spotify
DMV rapper ADÉ (previously known as Phil Ade) dropped his first release under his new name this past Thursday. Always Something is a six song EP featuring Lil Baby, Rich the Kid, GoldLink, and Wale. “Something Real” is groovy, entertaining, and definitely the best track on the tape. The song features GoldLink and Wale who both fit the pulsing instrumental perfectly. The three MCs all seem to complement each other perfectly and the way this song flows from verse to verse is flawless. I would highly recommend listening to this whole project, but if you don’t have 18 minutes to spare, make sure to at least check out this wavy cut.
“Every bitch I got they got a bag
Bet your bitches make it hard to brag
Pardon partner that’s the part they pat your pockets
Don’t you pop off like you popping tags”
Thug In Me (feat. Godholly), a song by Berner, Mozzy, Godholly on Spotify
Somewhere in this vast universe Tupac is smiling down on Mozzy and Berner as they take LA back 20 years to G-Funk and gangsta rap. “Thug In Me” is the hottest single off their new album Slimy Individualz (review here) and is inspiring old heads everywhere to roll up and go for a ride. Berner and Mozzy both body verses on this joint and Mozzy’s layered vocals on the hook is more than reminiscent of Pac’s confrontational choruses. “Thug In Me” is gangsta rap with modern production and it works so damn well.
“Body for body, nigga, we body shit
Blood spark on the Masi’ and that’s what got him hit”
Prod By Beautiful Lou
“Trilla” is an absolutely legendary track and its importance should never be down played. It’s a top track on the tape where Rakim Mayers became A$AP Rocky, one of the most influential artists of our generation. “Trilla” is swagged out to the max and sounds like what it must feel like to be A$AP Rocky. The lack of a hook makes the track sound less like a song and more like the best freestyle you’ve ever heard. Twelvyy and Nast pull through for memorable features and give the song the communal feel that most classic A$AP tracks have. If you don’t know this cut, listen immediately.
“My gold teeth, my french braids, getting throwed since 10th grade
Wealth is in the mind, not the pocket, if that’s the case, then I been paid”
Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:
By Miles Hagan
Yahdi has been talked about since November. Kanye has pushed back the release date multiple times for many reasons in typical Kanye fashion. All of that being said, the music world is still waiting on what is coming next from Yeezy. Last year he released a solo album (Ye) and joint project with Kid Cudi (Kids See Ghosts), both which were well received by the general public. He closed the year with some pretty average performances with some artists like Lil Pump (“I Love It”) and 6ix9ine (“MAMA KANGA”). Kanye has given us a lot of interesting features, singles, and albums over the years, and his opinions will always be questionable, but one thing is for sure; Kanye will always have the public’s interest.
Awaken My Love was a huge step in Gambino’s career. He had already established himself as a force to be reckoned with on Because the Internet, but fans were unsure of what the multitalented rapper would do next. He proceed to launch one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in recent memory, Atlanta, and show his impressive skills as an actor in many major roles in films. Aside from these two things, he began to change his music style from mainly rap to a mix of R&B and Neo Soul. He released two solid singles at the end of the summer in “Feels Like Summer” and “Summertime Magic”. This was more of the sound from Awaken My Love rather than his other huge single of 2018, “This is America,” which showcased him going back to his roots of rapping. Though Childish has not directly said he's putting out a project his fairly steady output of content hints that he's still in the studio, so fans should be look forward to whatever he has planned for 2019.
The young TDE rapper showed a ton of promise on his last record The Sun’s Tirade. This came after the scare of being dropped due to the break he took from music after his debut album Cilvia Demo. Ever since, the rapper has seemed focused and poised for another, even bigger release for his next project. Rashad has hinted at releasing new content for some time now especially on his social media. Aside from the occasional feature he hasn't put out anything to really give fans an idea of what new sounds he's working with. That being said his potential is undeniable especially with the team backing him in his label.
This is a project that has a lot of conflicting information regarding the release from the two main parties in A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator. Rocky made it seem like project was well underway and fans should be expecting a release in the near future. Tyler almost immediately dismissed these remarks via Twitter saying that the album wasn't even full flesh out year and was still in the idea stages. The only real information that the public knows is that the two friends have been working together for a while now sporadically on music. “Potato Salad” came out in July of 2018 and had fans excited for more content from the two excellent rappers.
The young TDE rapper showed a ton of promise on his last record The Sun’s Tirade. This came after the scare of being dropped due to the break he took from music after his debut album Cilvia Demo. Ever since, the rapper has seemed focused and poised for another, even bigger release for his next project. Rashad has hinted at releasing new content for some time now especially on his social media. Aside from the occasional feature he hasn't put out anything to really give fans an idea of what new sounds he's working with. That being said his potential is undeniable especially with the team backing him in his label.
Vampire Weekend has been quite for a number of years now after they took a break from making music after their 2016 Modern Vampires tour. Key member Rostam Batmanglij was rumored to be leaving the band, though it has since been confirmed he is still a partial collaborator on their upcoming record. Talk of a new album was on and off till lead singer Ezra Koenig officially announced via his instagram that the group would be releasing a new album titled Father of the Bride September 6th of 2019. Leading up to the project there will be two new songs per month till its official release. The first two singles “Harmony Hall” and “2021” have received high remarks from fans and critics alike. They feature great vocals per usual from Koenig, and feature beautiful instrumentation and captivating lyrics throughout. From all that we have seen Vampire Weekend seems just as sharp as ever and prepared to make their way back into the forefront of music.
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