Hip-hop is moving as fast as ever. Luckily, we’re doing the work to compile the best singles of the past week and highlight them in one space for you. This week, former “King Of The Teens” Lil Yachty celebrated his 21st birthday with Birthday Mix 3, a fun project with some of his favorites in the industry, including Gunna, Chief Keef, and fellow red-haired upstart Trippie Redd.
Early this morning, Chance The Rapper followed up his recent quartet of singles with an appearance on “Reboot,” a track from Chicago artists Kami and Smoko Ono’s upcoming project that dually stirs anticipation for whatever full-length project Chano is working on.
Smoko Ono and Kami Feat. Chance The Rapper & Joey Purp, “Reboot”
Late last night, Chicago artists Smoko Ono and Kami dropped “Reboot,” a hypnotic trap burner featuring Chance The Rapper and Joey Purp. The four artists keep it a Chi-town thing, trading fun verses over an atmospheric soundscape and thumping 808s. Though Chance promoted the track on Thursday afternoon as if it was his single, it’s actually the lead track from Kami and Smoko Ono’s upcoming Very Slight project. This collaboration is anything but slight, however.
Lil Yachty, Birthday Mix 3
https://soundcloud.com/770rd/birthday-mix-3
Lil Yachty decided to give us all a gift on his 21st birthday, dropping Birthday Mix 3. The project is so short that he put the mix on Soundcloud as one track that you can run straight through. It’s fitting that he dropped the project on Soundcloud, as that’s where songs like “One Night” first won their acclaim. Yachty is an established act now and flexed his status with features from fellow young guns like Chief Keef, Gunna, and NBA Young Boy.
T-Pain Feat. Gucci Mane, “Might Be”
Just a week after dropping a project full of unreleased jams, T-Pain decided to link up with fellow Southern hip-hop icon Gucci Mane on “Might Be,” a possible reference to the iconic “b*tch I might be” quote jokingly attributed to Gucci in a 2013 meme. Luckily, Gucci is light years away from that phase of his life. Now he can brag about how he “showed you the drip then I gave you the mop,” as he rhymed over the atmospheric, 808-laced jam.
Wiz Khalifa, “Where Iz Da Bud”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDKsZ4y9ILo
In the song title that took too long department, weed connoisseur Wiz Khalifa recently released a track lookin’ for the weed. “Smokin’ and drinkin’ I live my life like The Weeknd,” he rhymes with a slick flow, except he’s trading out white for green. After starting off the track with a Bone Thugs N Harmony “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” tribute, the song’s chanting chorus radiates a Three Six Mafia vibe. Wiz is a student of the legends, and he’s on track to become one in his own right.
Logic, “The Return”
Days after an MTV VMA performance that protested the abhorrent separations of parents and children by ICE, Maryland rapper Logic sounds just as fired up on “The Return,” an ominous record that hints at a new project coming soon. He sounds fully locked in on “The Return,” rhyming furiously over sharp drums. He’s all for putting together heartwarming performances, but don’t think they affect his approach to rhyming: “ain’t no contest in all this wack sh*t it just ain’t no test/step and get laid to rest boy,” he warns.
Wale & Mahalia, “IWIMME”
Wale has been on his grind all 2018. The new Warner Bros. signee recently released a remix to Mahalia’s “I Wish I Missed My Ex.” Over a smooth soundscape, Wale jumps into a bit of a nostalgic, early ‘90s flow while weaving a tale of a fracturing relationship and “Hollywood women addicted to attention.”
Mozzy, “Not Impressive”
Mozzy is at his best on “Not Impressive,” a track that displays his heartfelt, gritty brand of pain rap over energetic production. Mozzy matched the song with a video that showcases his vast crew, showing us who he does it for. The prolific artist hasn’t released a full solo project this year, but that will change with the release of his cleverly-titled Gangland Landlord album on October 5.
Kash Doll, “Ice Me Out”
Kash Doll is one of the new female artists you need to get familiar with. At the top of the crop of new Doll artists, the 26-year-old Detroit artist is steadily building a buzz with braggadocious songs like “Ice Me Out,” her latest. “I need money so I hustle,” Kash Doll rhymes over a minimalist production fit for club speakers. If she continues dropping quality music, she’ll eventually be able to ice herself out.
Lil Baby, “I Need Mine”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQiquum63k8
Lil Baby is apparently okay after a shooting at his recent St. Louis tour stop and is back on the road to Minnesota. Why? Cause “I Need Mine,” as he proclaimed on his latest banger. The ATLien went from telling The Breakfast Club that he didn’t fully have his heart in rap to quietly becoming one of the hardest working artists out, consistently dropping new material and hitting the road on a 26-city Harder Than Ever tour.
Fredo Santana Feat. Lil Reese, “Not Like U”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBYgF1pqqds
It’s already been seven months since Fredo Santana’s untimely death after a fatal seizure, but luckily for his fans, he has a little bit of unreleased music in the stash. This week his team dropped “Not Like U,” a menacing collaboration with his comrade Lil Reese. The pair take turns with gritty rhymes, taking the listener back to 2012 when the two artists and the rest of their Chief Keef-led Chicago movement were taking rap by storm. Fredo and many others from that era are no longer alive or free, but their impact is forever.
