Whoa way too late this month since your humble host here didn’t even realize June was already just about over but better late than never, check out our top 10 songs for June 2017 with the added bonus that my tardiness and lack of awareness of time means we had more time to add in a late entrant or two at the very top.

MT ft. Lil Chicken, YBN Kenny, Mari Boyz – All Stars 

For the second month in a row (last time was Creek Boys with ‘With My Team’), a previously (to me) unheard of group of youngsters comes out of the woodwork late in the month to take the #1 spot. I have to give a hearty thank you and shout out to the guy at Rap Music Hysteria here, who has emerged as one of my favorite blogs both for the new music he introduces me too but also perhaps even more importantly for writing some of the funniest blog posts I’ve ever read in my life.  His recent post serving as a guide to Milwaukee rap a la a Lonely Planet for trap music was what introduced me to ‘All Stars’ and then the rest of the stuff I checked out by Lil Chicken and his cohorts.  He makes a great point about the fly athletic gear bringing him back to earlier times, I was thinking the same thing, I could watch the video again and again just for the wide array of gear ranging from NBA warm ups to the requisite Milwaukee Brewers jerseys. I’m all for seeing Lil Uzi Vert walk around with a Goyard bag or traipsing around town in some Fendis or Margeilas but there’s something very refreshing about seeing the guys rocking Cavs and Raptors gear in the video that seems like it brings us back to a simpler time, like when you used to be able to get away with walking around in an oversized white t and still be acceptably stylish. Anyway on to the song itself, a lot of highlights here from the dope chorus to the agile dance moves. I’m not going to lie I’m also a sucker for the clips they splice in here and there of Lebron and other NBA titans posterizing hapless defenders. All the verses are pretty solid and have their own charisma but I’d have to go with YBN Kenny at the most charismatic and entertaining, I like his voice and love his line where he rattles off ‘Last name YBN first name Kenny, don’t want no hugs from you hoes mane I ain’t friendly’ and “Aye baby come and ride with an all star, he ain’t make the cut, cause he don’t ball hard’.

Something about this song surfacing just as NBA free agency begins just seems so right; with all these juicy rumors of all stars like Carmelo, Wade etc. joining forces with Lebron on the Cavs to try to take a shot at the Warriors.

I’m an All Star baby I don’t ride the bench!

Thanks again to Rap Music HysteriaRap Music Hysteria!

Lil Chicken – Big Chicken P 

I’m not sure what it is that I like about this quick sub 1:30 by Lil Chicken from the aforementioned ‘All Stars’ video so much but for whatever reason I’ve found myself listening to it over and over again over the past week. There’s just something nice and menacing about the stark beat and his voice/the lyrics. I have a feeling it somehow takes me back subconsciously to some old mixtape/freestyle songs from the late 2000s/early 2010s where guys would just make threats over really bleak/simple beats so a nice trip down memory lane yet again. I wish it was a little longer but I guess its brevity leaves you wanting more.

Young Thug – Do U Love Me 

If it weren’t for Lil Chicken, YBN Kenny and these aforementioned Milwaukeeans Young Thug probably would have taken top spot with ‘Do U Love Me’ from his wild ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’ album that I’m still trying to get a grip on. I wrote a previous post about ‘Do U Love Me’ here. It makes the list based on its absolutely ridiculous chorus that I couldn’t stop singing to myself for a month. Thug does bring up the important life lesson that no matter how many lustful admirers you have, what’s really important is that you love yourself. London on the Track makes such a crisp summery beat for this one too. As I said in my post on it, I think the subject matter and language precludes this one from radio play BUT in a just world it would be the perfect ‘summer song of 2017’.

2 Chainz ft. Travi$ Scott – 4 AM 

For whatever reason I never really got into 2 Chainz during the height of his powers but I decided to give his recent ‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music’ a chance and actually ended up enjoying quite a few of the songs on it. The song itself has been out for a while but since the album came out in June and I’ve been listening to it in June it’s on the list. “If it wasn’t for the struggle then I wouldn’t be me”  opines Chainz, and they are wise words from a wise man indeed. Also got to love Chainz juxtaposing ‘Netflix and chill’ against how he used to ‘trap and watch bootlegs’, I can definitely picture a young Chainz sitting there in a traphouse with no cable watching a bootleg DVD of Killa Season or something. Different times. The beat is nasty too. The skit at the end is so dumb and ridiculous that I actually grew to like it – yes 2 Chainz thanks for the helpful clarification that you aren’t pregnant but that you are indeed out here getting this money.

2 Chainz ft. Drake – Big Amount 

I’m surprised that there is not one but two 2 Chainz songs on this list but I have to give credit where credit is due. The beat here makes me feel like I’m somewhere deep in the Andean mountains in Peru looking for a direct to the source drug connect. I love Chainz’ opening and the flow/voice he uses when he fires off ‘I got a big amount I took a different route I am the pick of the litter/I went to juvie they gave me community I had to pick up some litter’ to deftly illustrate his rags to riches story. I also love the ‘everywhere I go I keep the rod with me cause niggas out here acting too fishy’. I can’t afford Yeezys yet but I’m def feeling what Chainz is saying about wearing them to dinner. Drake’s verse wasn’t bad, nothing crazy, but I do think he probably should have said ‘pause’ after the part about Michael Jackson talking to him in his dreams.

Cam’ron – Lala 

Alright this song is definitely not from this month or even last month in fact it’s from 3-4 years ago but after meeting Cam’ron at a Zumiez (he was wearing some sick Cleveland Cavaliers shorts btw – the throwback blue and orange colors with the old logo) I was on a big Cam’ron kick checking out songs of his I’ve never heard before. Check out the full post on Lala here. “Talking cocaine we aint’ even in the ballpark, tell the white boys sniff it up like an Aardvark!”

Rae Sremmurd – Black Beatles (Madsonik remix)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t put this hard rock/metal remix of ‘Black Beatles’ by the brother Sremm on this list (which ended up sneakily being part of a promotion campaign for a video game) because I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t headbanging to it multiple times like an old Iron Maiden fan. See my full post on it here. “$1500 on my feet I’m tryna kill these haters!”

Adamn Killa – Turtle Feet / Separate

It seems like a year ago now but at the beginning of the month Adamn Killa’s excellent Roseland Baby came out and Turtle Feet was the highlight of it, among quite a few contenders. ‘Separate’ was also excellent and had a ridiculous beat. Check out our full post on Turtle Feet here.

Ball Greezy ft. Lil Dred – Nice & Slow

Had to include another song that Rap Music Hysteria introduced me to here; this breezy summer jam from Miami’s oddly named ‘Ball Greezy’. This is one of the nicest beats I’ve heard in a while it’s so airy and summery. In a just world ‘Nice & Slow’ would be another choice for song of the summer

Polo Hayes – Gucci Shoes 

Had to wrap things up for June with a shout out to Polo Hayes, who finally recently dropped the official video for one of our previous song of the month selections that we’ve featured heavily here ‘Gucci Shoes’ the song is a banger and the video is a lot of fun and is only going to get bigger, check it out.

Alright everyone thanks for reading, it’s been a tough month for your host with a few financial body blows and other unexpected setbakcs but I’m bouncing back, thanks for reading and we’ll be back with plenty of more posts and a top 10 for July, have a nice 4th of July weekend and hopefully you get to enjoy some down time!