Ether x Fivio Foreign x Swipey 

Could it really be any other song for top song of the month? As my boy The Martorialist would say, this is FUNCTION MUSIC, as opposed to functional music.

From the fact that it’s loosely a Waka Flocka Flame homage in 2019 to the Mexican sombreros to the ridiculously fuego spin move that they choreographed at 0:33 I’m down with everything going on here and want more of it.  This is the hottest song I’ve heard out of NYC (or pretty much anywhere) in a minute. Only in NY could you hear a rap song with no Hispanics in it mentioning bachata, pandejo, etc.  The beat is dummy hard too.

“Oh let’s do it like I’m Waka, met her out in Opa Locka, baked potato with the lobster, that’s my baby – Goo… Gaga”.

Added bonus in the Youtube comments is a female Doordash delivery driver saying that she watched the video because these guys told her to check it out when she delivered food to them.

This always amorphous Brooklyn GD/Blood/Crip beef is serious and Game of Thrones-level complicated but I think these guys are Envy Caine’s (who I’ve posted here before) opps based on my extensive research of Youtube comments but like I said last time I don’t want to wade into all that I’ve got love for everyone I’m just here to enjoy the slaps. I’ve got to check out more of these guys’ videos.

P.S. for the record I’m definitely strongly in favor of silkies making this big comeback in 2019 I’ve been seeing them everywhere lately.

Chief Keef x Zaytoven – Ain’t Gonna Happen

I can’t believe how little fanfare this Keef/Zaytoven album got, I feel like a couple of years ago this would have broke the internet. I didn’t even know about it until like a month after it was out and I would like to think I am one of the world’s biggest Sosa fans. The project was really good overall with this being by far my favorite track and Spy Kid being another highlight. I love this crooning version of Keef that we hear from time to time especially over this great twinkly piano beat from Zaytoven. I’m glad Keef is doing whatever he wants now and really experimenting/pushing his boundaries musically and getting to enjoy himself out in California after he has lost so many people close to him. Keef has nothing to prove in my opinion and this is probably a topic/article for another day but is one of if not THE most creative/influential artist of the 2010s in my opinion.

“Come on my property I turn you to a french fry, turn my front yard to a fish fry, I see Big Glow in the big sky crazy how I turned into the big guy.”

“Face dried up, from all of the tears that I cried up, lost most of the niggas I would ride for.”

By the way I forgot all about Tadoe! I wonder what he’s up to.

Chief Keef x Zaytoven – Spy Kid

Like I said antother higlight from the Keef/Zaytoven project.

GLOTOVEN OR NO TOVEN!

San Quinn – Ain’t Nobody Thuggin 

CALIFORNIA KID LIKE…. TOM BRAZY 

San Quinn has got over 25 years in the game at this point and he’s still putting out heat. This beat is slapping like a San Fran pimp when the money ain’t right. That voice singing the hook is so dope. I love the video too with the shots of the bridge and the waterfront.

“Big wads, new cars, move around with 10 large, for a verse 10 large after this I’m finna charge”

“We ain’t sippin Hen we sippin’ Dom Perignon, move along square nigga let the mob carry on”

I lied when I previously said I hadn’t been keeping up with the Mozzy/Philthy/Messy Marv/Lav beef because now its quickly become my new favorite topic. Quinn could probably advise the Philthy/Lav camp on beefing with Messy Marv as Messy was beefing with him about a decade ago even though he’s his own cousin! This guy is a loose cannon.  Wouldn’t mind getting a remix of this with Lavish on here and maybe a couple of Frisco rappers – dare I suggest Berner anyone?

Daz Dillinger ft. Layzie Bone – Gotta Get That Money 

Between this and Bizzy Bone’s diss tracks to Migos, I’m down with this unexpected but welcome mini Bone Thugs resurgence that we’re getting in early 2019. The sample and that ethereal beat behind it in the beginning sound so dope. I wonder if we’ll actually get a whole project out of this Daz & Layzie collaboration it would be cool to get a full album from them. I love the production here and Layzie sounds smooth on the hook. There’s something just relaxing about listening to this, for lack of a better word.

“Looking at the world like it’s my oyster, closed mouths don’t get fed, little nigga turn your voice up”

Also anyone else feel like Daz sounds kind of like Rozay on his verse?

Nipsey Hussle – Real Big

RIP to Nip, seems like it was a long time ago but it was really just this month.

Lil Uzi Vert – Sanguine Paradise

I guess it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder becuase I wasn’t really feeling Uzi that much and generally subscribe to the Martorialist’s school of thought on embargoing rappers with septum rings but I’m feeling some of these new leaks that Uzi is putting out now that we haven’t heard from him in so long. I’m kind of intrigued/surprisingly anticipating Eternal Atake to hear what it sounds like when it comes out if DJ Drama ever frees Uzi to release it. Also wouldn’t it be the ultimate marketing scheme by Drama if this whole thing with him stopping Uzi from releasing new music was just a ploy to build up anticipation for the album? That would be on like Suge/Birdman mastermind level.

DJ Paul ft. Beanie Sigel – Real Money 

Admittedly I wasn’t feeling this song but I’m more posting it out of anticipation of getting a full project of Paul and Beanie collaborating in 2019 which would be awesome. We could definitley use a Beanie resurgence in 2019 we need some of that Carhartt and Dickies hustling out in the cold type rap. This would be a wild mix for an album but hopefully it comes into fruition.

Three 6 Mafia – Paul, With Da 45 / Three 6 Mafia – Ridin in da Chevy

Speaking of DJ Paul, I was bumping a bunch of old Three 6 this month. Beat at around 0:52 of ‘Paul with da 45’ is so crazy.

I love the ‘Every time you see the Chevy riding it be full of FOLKS’ at the end of Riding in Da Chevy.

It’s incredible how well this stuff holds up in today’s rap climate.

Envy Caine ft. Cooaxh Da Ghost – Woo K 

The ‘Waka’ track had me inspired to go back and delve into this whole Brooklyn drill scene and this GDs/Bloods/Crips beef and go back to one of my favorites from last year Envy Caine to see what he’s been up to.

Apparently I’m already late on ‘Woo K’ because ever the beef connoisseur, Envy has already released a ‘Woo K Pt. 2’. This goes hard as fuck. Definitley more ‘functional music’ than ‘function music’ though.

I love how Envy looks like an angry NFL coach giving a firey halftime pep talk to his team at halftime about how they’re giving up too many big plays and need to hit harder in the second half.

Envy stays with these European soccer jerseys with Juventus here and I always see him rocking Bayern Munich gear too.

Coaxh the Ghost is intense I have to check out more of his stuff.

Pop Smoke – Meet the Woo 

If we’re posting Woo K I guess it’s only right that we post Meet the Woo. This song is catching a lot of buzz in NY quickly. Pop Smoke’s voice is kind of cool and makes this sound even more aggressive.