Lupe Fiasco - 100 Chicagos: This could be my favorite drop of the week. One of the greatest rappers of all time went in on stripped-down beat and delivers top tier bars (oxymoron), shouts out his friend Virgil, while repping West Side Chi and weaving in famous Chicagoans (like Farakhan) neighborhoods (Oak Park) and places (the MCA). He said he was gonna give us a project. God Willing it drops this year.

NLE Choppa - Shotta Flow 6: NLE Choppa dropped a new project this week called “Me vs Me”. It features his signature sound, hard street bars over even harder beats. Shotta Flow 6 is the finale of a series of tracks that springboarded his career. On this one the beat knocks and he talks about everything from busting guns to busting nuts on booty cheeks. Check out these other standouts from “Me vs. Me”:
Final Warning
Stompin
Ima Dogg
Mmm Hmm
Still Hood
Youngest To Do It

Denzel Curry - Walkin: Zelltron has dropped two phenomenal albums over the past few years and may be gearing up for another. He blessed us with this track this week. Over a beat with a melodic vocal sample in the background and a boom-bap foundation that transitions into a Texas-influenced hi-hat heavy beat. He talks about life’s Rocky Road, systemic oppression, earning cheddar then  spreading it to his team, and blowing trees to forget the pain. Raw & Real.

Benny the Butcher ft. J. Cole - Johnny P’s Caddy: I spoke too soon, this is prolly my favorite track of the week. I remember when the track finally went off, I felt like I was high on heroin (what I imagine it to be at least). Dopamine flowing to my headtop. Soul-sampled boom-bap beat by Alchemist and the best of the best lyrics. You listen to this and think “this is Hip-Hop” at its purest at its most elemental state. Hip-Hop started off talking about the struggle (there always was that party tracks too) but we definitely get a lot more celebratory, boasting bragging (mainly because we need an escape, life’s a bitch we be working all day, most days and we wanna get away from that shit, through music, tv, drink & drugs, sex, whatever.) But this right here? This that really real shit. Benny talks about his come up, having to pass up deals when he was down because the timing wasn’t right and the bread wasn’t enough. The streets turned him to an animal and now he’s shining for the world to see. J. Cole talks his shit, he demands his respect. He starts talking about his arrival on earth, and how he had to survive his circumstances to become one of the God MC’s. He calls out these cap ass rappers and proclaims that he’s the best rapper alive. One day Cole be like “I ain’t the best but I’m up there” now he like “Fuck that! It’s me!” Give this track the Grammy nom it deserves now. It’s set to appear on Benny’s “Tana Talk 4” which should drop soon.

Pink Sweat$ ft. Blxst- For Me: Lil Luther aka Pink Sweat$ dropped an album just in time for Valentine’s Day entitled “Pink Moon”. One of the highlights is this collab with Blxst over a silky smooth beat to declare “What’s for me is for me”. A declaration of acceptance, what’s meant to be will be and what’s for you, you’ll get. Simple yet profound message and overall great track and project as a whole.

Wiz Khalifa, Project Pat & Juicy J - Backseat: TGOD! I been drinking a lot of Bombay Sapphire Gin recently which reminds me of Wiz & Juicy who made the great track “Bombay & Lemonade”. On “Backseat” they link with Memphis Legend (and Juicy’s brother) Project Pat and cook up a banger about chillin in the backseat with a bad ting. Project Pat’s verse stands out not just for how he rides the beat but because he gets off his signature “uh” bars (ifykyk).

Babyface Ray ft. G Herbo - Blood Sweat & Tears: Detroit rising star Babyface Ray released a new album this week, “FACE”. It features fellow D-Town spitters Icewear Vezzo and 42 Dugg (pronounce it right or Big Sean will stab you) and even European Rapper Yung Lean. A fan fave is this collab with G Herbo. Face gets real about how his success didn’t come overnight, he had to go through hell to get to where he is. He took risks, stacked chips, now he lit. Swervo admits to going broke but then bouncing back. How he been getting it back in blood before the song. He was down, but now he up and encourages us all to keep grinding. Also from “FACE”:
My Thoughts 3/Pop’s Prayer
Tunnel Vision
Overtime (ft. Yung Lean)
Me, My Wife & Kids
Let Me Down (ft. 42 Dugg)
Needed Some Love
Motown Music

Gucci Mane ft. Lil Durk - Rumors: When I saw the artists on this track I knew this was gonna be one of them ones. And with Tay Keith on the beat, this was a can’t miss combination. The part of the song everybody talking about is Gucci saying his house is haunted by the guy he shot and killed during an attempted robbery. This same gentleman was mentioned in a Verzuz (ifykyk 2).

Ace Hood - Glory: Ace Hood has been putting out great tracks since leaving the major label machine. This one is another one in that long line. He opts for a speedy delivery to match the beat. It’s triumphant and he gives thanks for surviving his setbacks. I also like how he be promoting fitness in his raps (I just don’t be hearing rappers talking bout goin to the gym, yet it’s important we keep our bodies as good as they can be cuz these shits be breaking down…) 

Ella Mai - DFMU: After her chart-topping freshman run, British songstress Ella Mai is back with a new track for ya headtop. Soulful R&B (what’d you expect? EDM?) She telling her main ting Don’t Fuck Me Up. She warning mans, she will go full Lorena Bobbitt if he on some fuck shit. She uses a cadence similar to Donnell Jones’ “Where I Wanna Be” on one part and it’s marvelous! (That’s something Brits would say) Dope track. Excited to hear her sophomore effort.

Quavo - Shooters Inside My Crib: Quavo still got his fastball. The beat is tough and the QC rapper describes chasing his dreams, being patient and how he made his dreams come true even with Shooters Inside His Crib (who probably didn't have the same dreams). His patience paid off and now his ice is a glacier.

PnB Rock ft. Yung Fazo - I’m Chosen: After dropping an EP last month the versalite Philly artist dropped an album called “Soundcloud Daze” featuring some talented lesser known artists. This track fits with the album's theme which is filled with a Soundcloud-type beats and has that rough draft sound. (It's fully mixed but when you listen you’ll know what I mean). PnB has a fortress around his heart and doesn’t believe bitties when they say they love him. He has the switch on the dresser but doesn’t use it. He knows he’s one of the chosen ones.

Guapdad4000 ft. Valentino Khan - Fearless: 2 weeks, 2 GD4000 releases. This one’s much different than the last. It’s an EDM track, perfect for the gym. Guapdad talks that rich nigga talk but also about taking risks and working hard for the win. His opps already lost because he’s undefeated and Fearless.

KYLE - Love’s Theme Song: The artist formerly known as Super Duper Kyle and who got some new pearly whites dropped an album this week called “It’s Not So Bad”. Filled with love tracks, this one stood out as it’s one of the tracks that highlights the more positive aspects of love (he talks a lot about heartbreak and being hurt). It’s bouncy, radio ready, and crisp as a shot of Mango Ciroc on a warm summer evening. Check it out!

Saba ft. G Herbo - Survivor’s Guilt: Pivot Gang’s and Chicago’s own Saba dropped this track that has a beat that sounds a bit like G Herbo’s “Chi-raq” (and features Herbo himself) but also has a down south/Memphis feel on the chorus. Saba lost some homies recently and admits to not being able to bring everybody with him on this journey and thus he experiences Survivor’s Guilt.

Isaac Zale ft. Kota The Friend & SwuM: I C U: I first heard Isaac Zale last week with “Somebody Dies” and when I saw he had a project dropping “Father of the Zodiac” I had to give it a spin. I like what I heard. This standout features another artist who just dropped a project recently, Kota The Friend (who is probably a great friend) and has an Island vibe with strings driving the beat. It’s a love bop and he asks shawty to see him for who he is and he reciprocates. Kota wants all of her love (not that half-hearted shit). He peeped her but didn’t get a chance to holla. He was thinking about her everyday and bumped into her randomly, it must be fate. And manifestation. SwuM doesn’t want to settle and knows he has to be better. Also he will avoid Seattle and asks his shawty not to gas him.

Sada Baby - Sada Wada: Detroit’s finest. One great Sada moment I had in the past year was hearing him on a podcast with Dave Chappelle and Yasiin Bey (Mos Def). Of all the rappers I’d think would guest on their pod, he’d be amongst the last I’d expect, but his appearances were highly entertaining (I recommend checking out). This track slaps, and Scuba switched it up and uses a melodic flow and it works. He stands out for his unique raspy voice that he uses to deliver the streetest of street bars. He still sticks to his normal subject matter (fucking bitties, the iciest ice, and shooting niggas) but the delivery is a dope change of pace.

Tee Grizzley - Afterlife: Going back to the D one more time (pause, unpause). The “First Day Out” rapper who beat his robbery case then skyrocketed to raps upper crust is back at it with “Afterlife”. The beat is a TG special, carried by keys and thumpy drums and Grizz talking that talk. Actually he mentions that him and his crew don’t talk about what they did (probably to evade authorities).  If he said it then that’s what it is. If he tell them to spin they spin. Don’t cross his crew or he’ll get you sent to the Afterlife. Also free Mar Mar, he innocent. (That’s his lil bro, he had got out but then he had went back in… Hopefully he get out again soon)

Other Tracks/Projects to Drop This Week

Master P - Look At All These Haters

NIGO ft. A$AP Rocky - Arya

OG Parker & PartyNextDoor - No Fuss

EST Gee - Who Hotter Than Gee

The Cool Kids - It’s Yours Pt. 2

Rylo Rodriguez - Set Me Free

BlocBoy JB & Tay Keith - Bacc 2 Da Blocc (Album)

Doe Boy - OH REALLY (Album)
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Amber Mark - Three Dimensions Deep (Album)