This week was about a pair of self-effacing, relatively reclusive lyricists — and Soulja Boy. Boogie’s Everything’s For Sale album dropped today, an album that has been long anticipated among the Compton rhymer’s growing fanbase, especially after his “Silent Ride” single, Everything’s For Sale short film, and yesterday’s revelation that Eminem would be on the album. Boogie’s artistic kin J. Cole also dropped “Middle Child,” a conversation-starting single fresh on the heels of his Revenge Of The Dreamers III sessions. Elsewhere, Soulja Boy decided to follow through on his run of infamy with a pair of tracks. Check out all these and more below.
J Cole, “Middle Child”
Just a week and change after finishing the star-studded recording sessions for his Revenge Of The Dreamers III sessions, J. Cole dropped off a single entitled “Middle Child” produced by T-Minus. Cole picks up where he left off on his KOD album with a melodic flow, over rapid-fire 808 production. He shouts out Drake, recalls a conversation with the controversial Kodak Black, and lets his appreciation for his rap elders be known. It’s currently unclear whether “Middle Child” is for Revenge Of The Dreamers III or his The Falloff project that he promised last year.
Boogie, Everything’s For Sale
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Once Boogie signed with Shady records, the anticipation for his debut solo project reached a fever pitch. After releasing “Silent Ride” and an Everything’s For Sale short film in recent weeks, his Everything’s For Sale studio debut album is finally here. Boogie announced the project weeks ago with creative artwork that depicted him as broke, but after this heartfelt project — and connections to Eminem — the talented Compton artist is valiantly on the road to all the rewards worthy of being reaped.
Soulja Boy Feat. ASAP Ferg & Asian Doll, “In My Pocket,” “Cut Dat Check”
Soulja Boy has had the internet on fire this month debating his “comeback” and impact on the rap game, and this week he capitalized on his renewed buzz with a pair of singles. “Cut Dat Check” is a straight to the point ode to the almighty dollar, while “In My Pocket” is a collaboration with a pair of buzzing young artists in ASAP Ferg and Asian Doll. Hopefully, he doesn’t take credit for their rap existence when their name is brought up to him.
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2 Chainz, “Stay Woke”
2 Chainz starts his 2019 off right with “Stay Woke,” a freestyle over the cult favorite “Swag Surfin” beat with bars about flash and — a somewhat refreshing topic for him — fatherhood with lines like, “my kids think I’m awesome / I’m a seed that just blossomed.” If we’re lucky, his long-awaited Rap Or Go To The League project blooms sometime within the first half of the year.
DaBaby Feat. Blocboy JB, “Mini Van”
Charlotte rapper DaBaby (not to be confused with Atlanta’s Lil Baby) just signed to Interscope this week, and he’s celebrating that new partnership with Blocboy JB on “Mini Van,” a surging track that’s as intense as you’d expect from the two artists. The comical video follows the hijinks of a man who loses. It’s the exact kind of creativity you’d expect from a guy with the guts to pull up to SXSW 2017 in a diaper.
Desiigner Feat. Dave East, “RIICH”
Brooklyn and Harlem connect on “RIICH,” where the two MCs commandeer a soundscape of mysterious synths and 808s to salute the rich lifestyle.
Stalley Feat. Pregnant Boy, “I Don’t See”
Cleveland artist Stalley released “I Don’t See,” a lush track featuring he and the creatively named Pregnant Boy (formerly known as Go Dreamer). Stalley drops motivational bars over the Black Champagne production, which was a preview for his forthcoming Human EP which will be out next week.
Ro Ransom, “Wraith” Remix
This week Harlem artist Ro Ransom dropped off a remix to one of the standout songs from his 2018 Possessed project. He got with producer Y2K to give the song a haunting, piano-driven remix that Ro gushed to XXL sounded like “evil love,” and “how I felt when I first fell in love with JLo at first sight.”
Anik Khan, “YRI Freestyle”
Queens’ Anik Khan recently released a “YRI Freestyle,” a triumphant track where the proud Bengali-American MC puts on for “young rich immigrants” and calls out “these Brown boys tryna’ study all of my movements.”
