Hip-hop is moving as fast as ever. Luckily, we’re doing the work to put the best music in one place for you. This week, there were videos from Lil Wayne, City Girls and Doja Cat, Benny The Butcher, Fivio Foreign and Young MA, There were also new songs from Juice WRLD and Marshmello and the trio of D Smoke, Rapsody and PJ Morton. Here’s the best of the rest:
K Camp — “Stack N Pray” Feat. Mozzy
K Camp and Mozzy have two main objectives on “Stack N Pray.” The two take turns rhyming about the necessity of their grind over a mesmerizing synth loop. The single is from the RARE Family album, an intro to K Camp’s RARE Sound crew.
Armand Hammer – “Solarium” / “The Eucharist”
Armand Hammer’s “Charms” video, from their Shrines album, was one of the most captivating visuals of 2020 so far. This week they dropped a double feature for “Solarium/The Eucharist.” The trippy first half of the video is animated by Shane Ingersoll, while the second half is crafted by Myra Musgrave.
Boldy James & Alchemist – ‘Pots And Pans’ Feat. The Cool Kids
Boldly James and Alchemist released an extended version of their fan-favorite The Price Of Tea In China album. Earlier this week, they dropped “Pots And Pans” with The Cool KIds, where the two acts trade bars over a sparse, caustic Alchemist production.
Don Q — “I’m The One”
Highbridge’s Don Q talks greasy on “I’m The One,” double-time rhyming over an 808-based beat and lamenting, “Lots of n****s gettin’ murdered for throwin’ up gang signs they ain’t even in.”
Lil Skies — “Red & Yellow”
Lil Skies was three when the first Fast & Furious movie dropped. And now, as a grown man, he’s got a spot on the soundtrack to the upcoming Fast 9 with “Red & Yellow,” a subtle flex of “my car is red, my diamonds yellow” over a smoky soundscape.
Nyck Caution — “Famiglia” Feat. Meechy Darko
It’s a Beast Coast link up on “Famiglia,” where Meechy Darko will “kiss the girls make ‘em cry / tell more lies than a politician” and Nyck Caution laments society’s attention seeking ways but surmises, “This is no one’s fault, but everyone is responsible.”
Pressa — “Head Tap” Feat. Sheff G & Sleepy Hallow
On “Head Tap,” Toronto’s Pressa bluntly divulges that “I do business wit’ my gun” over luxurious keys, while Brooklyn drill artists Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow get equally menacing and braggadocious on the 3-minute loosie.
Apollo Brown & Che Noir — As God Intended
Apollo Brown and Che Noir’s latest effort is finally here. The album shows Buffalo lyricist Che Noir collaborating with the likes of Skyzoo, Planet Asia, Ty Farris & Blakk Soul, and Black Thought, who she impressively holds her own with on the reflective ”Hustle Don’t Give.”
Wifisfuneral — “End Of Story”
Wifisfuneral is dropping a new album this August, and he gave it an ever-relatable title: PAIN? He offered the first taste of what to expect on “End Of Story,’ a minimalist track where he croons about a relationship on shaky grounds, rhyming, “My friends say I should leave you alone / They don’t really see what you do for me.”
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire — “Black Mirror”
Brooklyn’s Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire released “Black Mirror” from his vault this week as a homage to his uncle Shango who recently passed. The soulful track is an exploration of “Black Masculinity and my relationship with my 3 Uncles,” as eXquire said in a deeply personal, since-deleted Instagram post.
Kenny Mason — “Storm”
Kenny Mason bemoans “I can’t battle with blue badges, rather get blue stacks” on “Storm,” an urgent single he released two months off the heels of his Angelic Hoodrat album. The 25-year old employs a melodic cadence to explore a range of societal ills over the course of the two-and-a-half-minute stream-of-consciousness.
Blac Papi — “Hunger For More”
Phillly-based MC Blac Papi is getting things off his chest on “Hunger For More,” the title track from his upcoming EP. He admits, he “took Ls I ain’t sweat ‘em,” and bemoans the futility of grind culture by rhyming, “Girls and kids tell me that they miss me / Tell ‘em I’m grinding workin hard sometimes I feel empty.”
Liife — “Traumatized” featuring Mozzy
The Compton-bred Liife links up with Sacramento counterpart Mozzy to detail the travails of street life. Both rappers go for broke on the haunting, West Coast beat, speaking to the lasting effects of the gang-oriented lifestyle they were exposed to growing up in tough situations.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
