Rio da Yung OG x JusJay R x Velly Beretta x RMC Mike – Kitchen (2020) ALLBLACK ft. Daboii, Cash Kidd – Pizza Rolls (2020) Lil Yachty x YN Jay – Blind Em (2020) YN Jay x Louie Ray – Reflection (2020) YN Jay – Coochie Land (2020)
Rio da Yung OG x JusJay R x Velly Beretta x RMC Mike – Kitchen
I think it’s about time I finally cop some of this Autoworld gear.
This might be a new top song of the year contender for me, off the strength of Rio’s hook and off of the third guy’s verse. Before this video I wasn’t even sure if the third guy was JusJayR or Velly Beretta but I’m feeling this verse and at this point I’m feeling it so much it might be my new frontfunner for verse of the year. It’s hard to really stand out when you’re on a song with Rio because usually his verses gobble up all the oxygen in the room but this guy (found out after that he’s Velly) pulls it off.
“Super solid, ain’t never been on no frail shit. My niggas know if I get caught I ain’t gon tell shit. Dolce Gabanna on my body bitch I smell rich, unemployment got me looking like I sell bricks
Or looking like I’m on my freelance. Boy you dumb as fuck if you ain’t get none of those free bands. I ain’t get my stimulus they sent it to my BM. As long as I keep paying forthe court I’m a free man. Lay a nigga down just so he can see how we land. Going superhuman on this bitch I’m on my He Man”
I love the hand motion at ‘unemployment got me looking like I sell bricks’ and the flex at ‘Going superhuman on this bitch’. Kudos to Velly for breaking the typical mold of rapping about trapping or scamming to talk about unemployment checks, stimulus checks, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, freelancing. I’m picturing Velly posted up at a Starbucks somewhere outside Flint with his laptop open Zooming with an editor making changes to an article he’s working on or going on Upwork and assigning tasks to a bunch of graphic designers in the Philippines. For some reason the going Superhuman on this bitch I’m on my He Man part gets me super hyped up.
And it’s not just the verse itself but also just the casual swagger and the smooth flow that it’s delivered with.
ALLBLACK ft. Daboii, Cash Kidd – Pizza Rolls
Cash Kidd and ALLBLACK joining forces (Ray Garraty pointed out to me that this isn’t the first time) and they’re both sort of the supremely talented wildcards/jokers in the deck of their respective Bay area/Detroit scenes. When I first read the title I thought it said ‘DaBaby’ instead of ‘DaBoii’ which would have made for an even wilder combination. ALLBLACK and Cash Kidd just stomp all over this crunchy production. It would probably be too much to ask but would be interesting to get a joint mixtape from these two.
Could any other rapper besides ALLBLACK pull off the line “Always been a piece of shit, used to piss in the tub?” (Used to drink a 4 Loko and then ride through the Dubs) Especially as the opening line for a song? Lol.
“I’m finna cut my hair and change my name to DMX… paranoid as fuck I’m in the window like I’m Malcom X… in the Gucci store got white hos breaking their necks” ALLBLACK definitley has some DMX in his game and I would not be opposed to seeing him embrace that angle further.
This hook goes super hard; it may be the first time I’ve heard Scottsdale mentioned in a rap song, and the eating addicts back to back part is fire. I was wondering where the ‘pizza rolls’ in the title would come from and here we are.
CLEATS ON, JOGGERS ON, GLOCKY ON, SCOTTSDALE UP TO PORTLAND I GOT IT SOLD, FOUR TOURS IN ONE YEAR, I’M NEVER HOME, EATING ADDICTS BACK TO BACK LIKE THEY PIZZA ROLLS
Cash Kidd just swoops in at the end like a bat out of hell. I love the ‘Cameras on the front and back who you creeping on?” and “The opps soft I don’t know how their bitches feel safe with them” lines
Lil Yachty x YN Jay – Blind Em
Looks like Lil Yachty really took Hotbox Social’s advice to heart about “taking advantage of Flint’s cheap housing market to stay in town for a while” because here he is AGAIN with artist of the year candidate YN Jay. Seriously he must be feeling right at home in “Vehicle City” since they did Flintana there over a month ago, I love to imagine he’s been there the entire time in a cheap rental house. Somebody get this man an Autoworld hoodie!
I was never super into Yachty (although I did love Minnesota when it came out tbh) but he seems at home with these Flint guys like Hotbox says and he’s been going hard on these Flint/Detroit beats so I’m warming to him. And I’ve got nothing but respect for the fact that he was doing ads for Sprite/Nautica etc. and he’s equally comfortable posting up in Flint so I feel like he’s really there for the love of the game.
Does anybody in the game have a better flow than YN Jay right now? And has anyone glowed up more in 2020? I feel like it’s YN Jay’s world and we’re all getting accustomed to living in it. My one gripe – they need to get Rio into one of these Yachty/Flint collabs!
“Oh they said the opps in the party? I’ma still come”
Still the best flow in the game in 2020. I be talking to myself like is that really you? And may I just add, YN Jay and Louie Ray are looking pretty fly in all this Lakers gear, especially now that the Lakers added that black trim to it.
YN Jay – Coochie Land
More magic from YN Jay and Enrgy. I’m going to have to write more about this YN Jay Coochie Land album later on. One thing I have to say is he is taking this Coochie Man persona very, very seriously. It took me a couple of listens and it seems like it shouldn’t work but this wierd Enrgy evil carnival sounding beat with YN Jay yawning about being in Coochie Land on it really grew on me.
The “Ape family did it first opened up the gate, I closed my eyes said a prayer niggas stole my plate, nigga died drowned in the water tryna hold my weight” line was fire.
Was not expecting an ALLBLACK/Cash Kidd collaboration but on second thought perhaps I should not have been that surprised to see them joining forces, they’re both sort of the supremely talented wildcards/jokers in the deck of their respective Bay area/Detroit scenes. When I first read the title I thought it said ‘DaBaby’ instead of ‘DaBoii’ which would have made for an even wilder combination. ALLBLACK and Cash Kidd just stomp all over this crunchy production. It would probably be too much to ask but would be interesting to get a joint mixtape from these two.
Could any other rapper besides ALLBLACK pull off the line “Always been a piece of shit, used to piss in the tub?” (Used to drink a 4 Loko and then ride through the Dubs) Especially as the opening line for a song? Lol.
“I’m finna cut my hair and change my name to DMX… paranoid as fuck I’m in the window like I’m Malcom X… in the Gucci store got white hos breaking their necks” ALLBLACK definitley has some DMX in his game and I would not be opposed to seeing him embrace that angle further.
This hook goes super hard; it may be the first time I’ve heard Scottsdale mentioned in a rap song, and the eating addicts back to back part is fire. I was wondering where the ‘pizza rolls’ in the title would come from and here we are.
CLEATS ON, JOGGERS ON, GLOCKY ON, SCOTTSDALE UP TO PORTLAND I GOT IT SOLD, FOUR TOURS IN ONE YEAR, I’M NEVER HOME, EATING ADDICTS BACK TO BACK LIKE THEY PIZZA ROLLS
Cash Kidd just swoops in at the end like a bat out of hell. I love the ‘Cameras on the front and back who you creeping on?” and “The opps soft I don’t know how their bitches feel safe with them” lines
Just wanted to belatedly throw this up real quick because I’ve got about 10 new songs by Rio, RMC Mike, ShittyBoyz, Big Fenc, etc. that I want to get to posting…
Also be sure to check out Ray Garraty’s Rio da Yung OG compilation with 79 assorted songs, loosies and features from him; it’s a library of a legend.
ShittyBoyz x Rio Da Yung OG x RMC Mike – Jackie Moon
Allow me to paint a picture of perfect serendipity here… you’ve been bumping Rio da Yung OG and RMC Mike all month… You see the holy trinity of Crimedawgbylaw, The Martorialist, Ray Garraty, all rocking with a new artist/group (in this case Shittyboyz)… you dip your toes in the water with ‘Spirit Bomb’ and ‘Simba’ and grow increasingly into what you’re hearing… and then… you see that Rio and Mike linked up with said new artist to collaborate together on a new joint.
(Side note, when you see a formidable triumvirate like Martorialist, Crimedawgbylaw, and Ray Garraty all talking about an artist, you almost feel like it would be foolish not to give them a listen. It would take a greater fool than I.)
It’s sometimes hard to live up to the expectations when you see a song combining two artists you’re feeling and all too often the collaboration falls flat but not the case at all here – this Jackie Moon song is hard as fuck. The beat is nice and sinister and serves as a great backdrop for these guys to trade bars over.
BabyTron acquits himself nicely here, keeping up with one of the best lyrical rappers in the game in Rio and not being outclassed at all. This kid has punchline after punchline in every song I’ve heard so far. I really liked the “That’s a jurassic kill, that means I turned him to a fossil. I’m in church banging this I’m like fuck some gospel” line and the “I’m in both conferences, went to Florida with my Rockets, feel like Jackie Moon I’m in Flint scoring like the Tropics” line. It’s hard to make something about the goofy Will Ferrell character from the forgettable (to put it kindly) Semi Pro movie sound cool but these guys basically just pulled off the impossible. Stan Will also represents himself well; “We on a different wave, Feds tried to hit me with the book we on a different page.” (I love the Avenged Sevenfold tshirt!)
Rio comes out swinging as always; “Flint niggas but we fucking with the ShittyBoyz, 4 Hellcats back to back we the kitty boys, you say you’re dropping who when you see who? You a silly boy. Fuck it I’ma scam a rich bitch I’m a city boy.” I’m not entirely clear on Mike’s ‘I don’t go to sleep when it rain I make rain sleep’ line but I don’t even care because it sounds badass and is exactly something wildly over the top that I’ve come to expect from Mike.
Rio and Mike look like they could be the ShittyBoyz’ muscle. What kid from their high school is going to fuck with them when they see RMC Mike posted up with them?
This run that Detroit/Flint rap is on right now is crazy; every time you think you’ve heard it all and think you might start to get bored someone completely new comes out of the woodwork and gets you excited about it all over again.
Rio da Yung OG & RMC Mike – Let it Breethe
I wrote last week about Rio Da Yung OG’s over the top, imaginative take on street rap, and what Ray Garraty described as his inventive and playful approach to familiar themes like drugs and street violence. ‘Let it Breethe’ with his frequent cohort RMC Mike is another great example. He and Mike are like the devils on each shoulders, bringing out the worst in each other (and by worst I mean best) and pushing each other to come up with even wilder and more aggressive lines. When working together, these guys take on an almost Joker-esque love of depravity and chaos.
RMC Mike: “Big bro just cooked a brick but we gonna wrap it later, cuz just bought a new Benz that’s voice activated, bought a zip of uncut soft and sold half to the mayor…Told my mom I sold my first brick she said congratulations, plug pulled up with some Ac in a glass container, took a trip to Texas with big cuz he tried to whack a Ranger”
I love how evil the Ranger line sounds it gets me every time. From what I’m hearing here and in other songs by these guys, Big cuz is a problem. You can’t take this guy anywhere he’s a total wildcard.
Rio: “My Mexican got caught in West End and got his ass deported, I caught a body out a Trail Blazer and took my ass to Portland”
This beat is just so cold and so clean and serves as the perfect blank canvas for these two to paint their wild pictures over. Mike and Rio are like a pair of supervillains ready to sack Gotham.
ALLBLACK & Offset Jim ft. Capolow – Fees
Ah, reliable old ALLBLACK, clocking in as the only non-Detroit rapper to make it into my rotation this month. And in fact not even only non-Detroit, just the only rapper outside of this seemingly colossal orbit of Rio da Yung OG. If it wasn’t for him and also for ShittyBoyz this would have certainly been my top song of the month and when I go back for my year end list this will certainly be on it.
The homie of impeccable taste Onmin Ernstig showed me this one and I’m feeling it. The hook from Capolow is so sick. I want to hear more from this guy, he almost sounds like a reggae singer here. Maybe one of my favorite hooks of the year. According to Onmin Ernstig this is produced by P-Lo of Same Squad fame, and he’s producing a whole ALLBLACK/Offset Jim collaboration EP, which I can definitely get behind.
Dare I ask if P-Lo one of ALLBLACK’s “Cambodian niggas that’s blacker than Barack Obama?” Just look at ALLBLACK and P-Lo strutting down the street together with the bikers @ 1:53. I’m not at all surprised that ALLBLACK is down with the BMXers I can see him moving comfortably in that crowd.
P.S. take notes on the sage advice from ALLBLACK at the beginning of the video.
Oba Rowland x ShittyBoyz – Stranger Things
I remember this dude Oba Rowland rapping ‘I’ve got diamonds in my Cardis, my girl looks like a Barbie’ from his song ‘Lifestyle’ from five or six years ago kind of before this current tidal wave of newer Detroit guys currently taking over. ShittyBoyz are doing some serious networking (is it just me or does Oba look like he could be their security?) and they’re linking up with him here to rap over some dope freestyle type production.
I actually didn’t even know what freestyle was or that it was a whole genre (I used to hear the word freestyle and think of like Reed Dollaz) but that Crimedawgbylaw post gives a really good description of it and how it’s seeping into the current Detroit sound. Also check out his mix of freestyle classics. I would have never went out of my way to listen to any of this stuff without his recommendation and now I’m loving it. This beat is sick, I think it’s at least loosely sampled from that Amber ‘This is Your Night’ song that goes ‘Da da da da, dit dot delay, dit da delay’? But I could be totally off on that because I have a terrible ear for that. Even if this isn’t a freestyle song per se I feel like it kind of fits into the same landscape production-wise. I would love to hear Rio da Yung OG and RMC Mike glide over a beat like this I feel like they would absolutely kill this.
I love Oba Rowland throwing up his hands at 0:53 during Stan Will’s voice like ‘Hey, I didnt’ say it’. Also on that part lmao @ the sheer unnecessariness of ‘Like a fat Japanese nigga you know I keep the chop.”
BabyTron is just so shameless and brazen with the scam talk! “Scammed the coach that’s really when the sports stopped.”
ShittyBoyz BabyTron – Spirit Bomb
This was the one, from Crimedawgbylaw, that really got me into ShittyBoyz and BabyTron. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical at first just based on the name and the picture of BabyTron in the picture for the video (no offense to big Tron but I was just like who is this guy? Lol). But I’m grateful I trusted the Crimedawg’s taste and gave it a listen because I was blown away. Just punchline after punchline over the unbelievable Shana-sampling beat. Maybe one of my favorite beats of the year. It’s just so dreamy and ethereal and he floats over it. “Tryna scrap? I let the chop do the spirit bomb. All I fear is God and my drip? That shit Fear of God.” So many other sick lines in this; “Jumped in the deep end I ain’t scared of pihrannas”, “Got this shit on lock threw the spare key in the garbage”.
I love BabyTron’s disrespectful attitude that he displays in song after song whether it’s about being rude to the waiter at Ruth Chris or smacking the chef for fucking up his lamb chops or “take those shoes off your feet and throw them far as fuck” here.
Rio Da Yung OG – Duhh
Ever since Ray Garraty’s post about him a couple of weeks ago I’ve been bumping a ton of Rio Da Young OG. He goes to the same tried-and-true well of streets- and drug game- type subject matter and imagery as other rappers but he just puts such an over the top and almost fanciful spin on them with his boasts and brags that he makes it all his own. (i.e. “On my way to my other crib I just hit a deer, pistol in my hand while I’m rapping, shoot the engineer” from Crystal Clear or “I’m backwards, I’ll take the pint bottle and pour a Sprite in it, just stabbed a nigga in the club and broke my knife in him” here, or “My granny’ll still pop a nigga and she 89, I guess it’s in my jeans, you’ve got a 10 in your safe, that shit in my jeans” on Headache. Or how about “Just got a whole Hellcat wrapped in carbon fiber, niggas better chill before the carbon fire, killed 4 niggas in the whip and set the car on fire” with Peezy (!!!) on ‘Fire’.) I agree 100% with Ray when talks about how Rio’s ‘playfulness’ while sticking with the facts sets him apart and his comparison to Rio being like if MIKE started doing street rap based on his free-flowing, formless stream of consciousness song structure. He hits the nail on the head with his observation that “I think the last time somebody was playing with raw materials of the drug-selling business with such inventiveness was Gucci Mane in the mid-2010s.” This comparison is really apt; I think of even earlier Gucci Mane not just talking about how bright his diamonds are or reaching for an obvious, easy metaphor but talking about how they’re white like Santa Clause’s beard, or instead of just bragging about how much money he has, talking about how ‘white folks think he’s playing for the Falcons.’
“I woke up Friday morning mad, like ‘who I’m shooting?’”
“A nigga wanna ride this wave he need a huge boat. Heart cold, it’s 98 degrees I got on two coats, one day I was finna break down and cry, I was too broke.”
“I’m a grimey nigga, in a rental by myself I don’t ride with niggas. I’m really one of a kind, I ain’t lying nigga, Peezy came to Flint dug up some dirt and found a diamond in it.”
Rio da Yung OG – Legendary
Probably Rio’s most popular song to date, and not a bad choice. Another fine effort by Rio as always, and a perfect beat for it. Rio showcases how he’s really taking these themes and bars to a whole different level on ‘Legendary’ – “My Glock like a bad ass little kid, I put a switch on it” or “Stomped on his head off the yellow xans that’s what I call bar hopping.” I also like how instead of like other rappers just talking about that they’ll shoot you etc. he adds his own flair into it by adding a twist of paranoia and distrustfulness into the equation; “Paranoid; I shitbagged a nigga and fucked his stomach up, oh his car was right next to mine? I thought he was running up.” Interestingly, Rio also admonishes his peers that are rocking too much ice and too much designer clothing, making themselves sitting ducks for the powers that be.
As a side note, that Thrasher hoodie and Detroit Pistons hat is kind of a dope combo.
Rio da Yung OG – Ghetto Boy
Rio continues to artfully hone his craft and further stakes his claim as one of the nicest in the game on his new release ‘2 Faced’, for example on ‘Ghetto Boy’. Free Peezy!
“I’m a Ghetto Boy baby, free Big P,
I’m quick to chase a nigga down I’ve got big feet,
The SK will turn a nigga’s engine block to swiss cheese,
these ain’t no Puma runners baby these some Big B’s”
Rio throws haymaker after haymaker on every verse. I need Rio and Cash Click Boog to link up and make a song (or a whole tape) where they just trade bar after bar of pure griminess back and forth.
Bandgang Lonnie Bands x ShittyBoyz – Simba
I knew that this ShittyBoyz run was here to stay when I saw The Martorialist was rocking with Simba. I’ve always loved that ‘YAAAA SA-VENYAAA!!!’ thing at the beginning of Lion King; it’s just fun to yell and it’s about damn time someone sampled it. Everyone is linking up with ShittyBoyz right now. Lmao @ Lonnie Bands talking about stealing an old lady’s whole pension and his voice when he says ‘Told that bitch I work for State farm my name Jake.”
Rio da Yung OG – Clear
One more highlight from Rio here and then we’ll call it a day because I’ve got to go to work. I love the lo-fi production here as well as Rio’s inventiveness with lines like ‘On my way to my other crib I just hit a deer.’ Has anyone else noticed that Rio seems like a total threat to engineers and producers?
Yet another joint from ALLBLACK and his Play Runners cohorts that’s got me like…
The homie of impeccable taste Onmin Ernstig showed me this one and I’m feeling it. The hook from Capolow is so sick. I want to hear more from this guy, he almost sounds like a reggae singer here. Maybe one of my favorite hooks of the year. According to Onmin Ernstig this is produced by P-Lo of Same Squad fame, and he’s producing a whole ALLBLACK/Offset Jim collaboration EP, which I can definitely get behind.
Dare I ask if P-Lo one of ALLBLACK’s “Cambodian niggas that’s blacker than Barack Obama?” Just look at ALLBLACK and P-Lo strutting down the street together with the bikers @ 1:53. I’m not at all surprised that ALLBLACK is down with the BMXers I can see him moving comfortably in that crowd.
P.S. take notes on the sage advice from ALLBLACK at the beginning of the video.
Wow I have been lazy this month, posting my top songs for July almost halfway through August, and only posting 8 songs instead of 10 but they all slap. I guess better late than never!
ALLBLACK ft. Kosisko – 304
HOW IS THIS NOT THE NUMBER ONE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW
ALLBACK is the best. He’s like Oakland’s Dos Equis guy; the most interesting man in rap.
I don’t know who Kossisko is but since ALLBLACK is rocking with him I’m obligated to blindly be down with him, and he glided on the hook here. (I’ve since been informed by my knowledgeable and discerning readers, Kossisko is the rapper formerly known as the 100s.) This beat is wild too but I don’t know who produced it. ALLBLACK looking burly out here with the windbreaker and the taped up wrists. I’m loving the theme and format of the video which made 304 even more fun and took things back to a simpler time. ALLBLACK knows how to make function music; I have a feeling my man the Martorialist is going to love this one if he hasn’t seen it already. We’ve been blessed with a nice feast of fun songs/videos lately and 304 is definitely worthy of that company if not at the top of it.
ALLBLACK is coming out firing with verse of the year material, “Can’t trust hoes, barely can trust my partners. In a Sprinter with 3 Glocks and a mint green chopper. My Cambodian niggas blacker than Barrack Obama. My migo niggas knock the meat out up your enchilada… Y’all know me I just walked down here for carne asada, sour cream extra cheese and a large horchata… Same nigga from the group home drinking UV vodka.” Like my homie Icebergsweater said, this opening verse was easily one of his favorites of the year, and I couldn’t agree more.
I love the ‘Pull up whenever wherever like Kerr from the Bulls, stole my granddad’s revolver and took it to school’ line because when you hear it you either think of ALLBLACK or an angry, goth-y suburban teenager. (See ALLBLACK’s verse on Road Run, he seems to be well aware of this dichotomy.) “Had an all black AP that held 32, I’ve been turned up since AIM this fame ain’t new.”
I’ve been rocking with ALLBLACK since Florida Gator last summer, and I’m glad to see he’s gotten bigger and bigger since then, and hopefully this song/video propels him into an even higher stratosphere.
Duke Deuce – Yeh
This is my new favorite/most fun song since Waka, and I’d say up there with Waka if not surpassing it for best choreographed group dance moves as you’ll see around the 0:59 mark or so. Seriously this sideways strut/spin thing they’ve got going on is fucking fire. (I’d say don’t try this at home but helpfully, Duke has a really comprehensive, easy-to-follow tutorial video on it that walks you through it step by step.)
Memphis’ Duke Deuce is kind of reminding me of a 70th Street Carlos but more of an evil twin/more sinister 70th Street Carlos. On ‘Yeh’, Duke pulls off the difficult task of making a song that’s hard as fuck that’s ALSO simultaneously fun and something you’d want to throw on at a party.
I’m absolutely loving the blunt and relatable self-assessment and flow on “Smoking weed at the school getting in trouble with the law, hard-headed ass nigga mama said your ass off, hard-headed ass nigga down their knocking heads off, Daddy found out I was GD damn near knocked my chest off.”
I’d also like to take a moment to salute the eclectic collection of sportswear in this video ranging from the New England Patriots to the more obscure Xavier Musketeers and even the fictional Los Angeles Knights from Like Mike, not to mention even a D Generation X t-shirt.
I know what y’all are thinking, this guy has barely posted in like a month and comes back posting a J. Cole song instead of Rich the Factor or CML, did someone kidnap the real Pink C and assume his identity? Rest assured it’s me, because I don’t have that lucrative of an identity to steal.
I’ve never gotten into Cole but I’ll be damned if this ‘Under the Sun’ off of Revenge of the Dreamers 3 isn’t a verifiable banger. Maybe I’m just getting older and softer or maybe this summer weather just has me in a good mood but I’m feeling this. This beat is sounding downright exquisite, all 3 rappers are on point; even Kendrick’s hook is dope. And while Cole and one of his Dreamville footsoliders with Da Baby sounds like a strange mix they come together seamlessly like tres heat-producing North Carolina amigos here. (According to Reddit/Wikipedia etc. the sample is ‘The Argo Singers- How I Love to Call His Name’ and the producers are Christo, Pluss, and Nice Rec).
Upon first listen, without knowing any better I assumed that the either the Cole verse or the Lute verse was Da Baby, and that Da Baby’s verse was one of the first two; what with Cole and Lute rapping about having a couple of guns and their cousin airing out a party for fun, and Da Baby rapping about being in college and smashing college bitches. (I’ve got to check out some more of Lute’s stuff this is the first time I’ve ever heard him).
There are a couple of other nice songs on this album too but I’m still trying to remember which is which with all the features etc. and how they kind of blend together. My one complaint is that this album keeps giving me anxiety when I listen to it on my phone especially during work hours because with the way the songs cut off abruptly/before you expect it I keep thinking that I’m getting a phone call.
I’ve got to give Cole credit he really brought together a pretty impressive list of artists for these Dreamville sessions, with everyone from Rick Ross to Terrace Martin (was Terrace Martin really on this?? Or maybe he’s on one of the songs that hasn’t been released yet). I think if I could choose any 5 artists that weren’t there/weren’t invited to throw into the mix at the recording sessions, off the top of my head, regardless of how realistic it would be, I’d go Peezy, CML/Lavish D, Rich the Factor, let’s get ALLBLACK in there too (of course), and the last spot is a tie between Duke Deuce, 03 Greedo and Kodak.
ALLBLACK – Little Miami
I want to go boating with ALLBLACK.
This guy is on a completely different level right now; he’s unstoppable.
DaBaby – Suge
I’m hella late on DaBaby but between Suge and his verse on the J Cole song I’m coming at you with an unprecedented TWO appearances by DaBaby on this month’s list. I remember Martorialist talking about him when Texas Ranger came out and checking it out and not really seeing what all the buzz was about. It wasn’t until hearing people driving around in my area blasting Suge that he started to grow on me and now I can’t stop playing it. It hadn’t dawned on me just how big DaBaby had gotten until I heard multiple people blasting it in their cars on the same weekend and then checking it out on YouTube and seeing it was in the 100s of millions of views. I’m always favorable to Suge Knight references/homages so DaBaby is preaching to the choir here. I finally checked out DaBaby’s whole album and there were quite a few good songs on it; I have to say he was a lot more lyrical than I expected and he has a good sense of humor; definitely one of the most interesting out of the newer/younger dudes in this style.
Maxo Kream ft. A$AP Ferg – Murda Blocc
Maxo’s ode to his Murda Blocc is my favorite song off of his’Brandon Banks’ album after a couple of listens through. I don’t know how he made ‘I’m on Murda Blocc from the sun up to the sun down’ sound so catchy but damn it this one stays in your head. “And if you’re looking for me I be with the Forum Park Crips!”
Maxo Kream – Brandon Banks
Another highlight from Brandon Banks. Maxo going with the Lil Baby/Gunna acoustic guitar-beat angle and doing it very well. I like this video for it with just the audio and no video instead of the other one with the cheap CGI animation!
CML Lavish D – Real As Us
King Lav serving up more red meat to his base. This man delivers pretty much every time.
I don’t know how CML always does it but he always comes up with these simple lines that sound so fire when he says them; “.308s make a nigga Harlem shake, all this pressure I’m applying it’ll make a nigga break.”
HOW IS THIS NOT THE NUMBER ONE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW
ALLBACK is the best. He’s like Oakland’s Dos Equis guy; the most interesting man in rap.
I don’t know who Kossisko is but since ALLBLACK is rocking with him I’m obligated to blindly be down with him, and he glided on the hook here. This beat is wild too but I don’t know who produced it. ALLBLACK looking burly out here with the windbreaker and the taped up wrists. I’m loving the theme and format of the video which made 304 even more fun and took things back to a simpler time. ALLBLACK knows how to make function music; I have a feeling my man the Martorialist is going to love this one if he hasn’t seen it already. We’ve been blessed with a nice feast of fun songs/videos lately and 304 is definitely worthy of that company if not at the top of it.
ALLBLACK is coming out firing with verse of the year material, “Can’t trust hoes, barely can trust my partners. In a Sprinter with 3 Glocks and a mint green chopper. My Cambodian niggas blacker than Barrack Obama. My migo niggas knock the meat out up your enchilada… Y’all know me I just walked down here for carne asada, sour cream extra cheese and a large horchata… Same nigga from the group home drinking UV vodka.”
I love the ‘Pull up whenever wherever like Kerr from the Bulls, stole my granddad’s revolver and took it to school’ line because when you hear it you either think of ALLBLACK or an angry, goth-y suburban teenager. (See ALLBLACK’s verse on Road Run, he seems to be well aware of this dichotomy.) “Had an all black AP that held 32, I’ve been turned up since AIM this fame ain’t new.”
I’ve been rocking with ALLBLACK since Florida Gator last summer, and I’m glad to see he’s gotten bigger and bigger since then, and hopefully this song/video propels him into an even higher stratosphere.
This one got not just one post on here but two this month, one for the song itself and one when they teased the sample so it’s only right that Juvenile tops the charts for February. Lmao @ Juve sounding like an old suburban dad talking about how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure in his verse here but it’s actually kind of a wierdly dope line and the chorus sounds beastly. Juve can always make a hit no matter what year it is.
I’m welcoming this Cash Money resurgence, it’s a shame BG is still locked up and couldn’t jump onto this with a verse. As The Martorialist mentioned to me, this is a re-use of the beat from Dope Fiend Beat by Too $hort, I knew as soon as I Youtube’d it and heard the prolonged ‘Biiiiiiiiitch!’
It seems that Birdman’s entire art collection is other famous paintings (or figures) wearing red bandanas, because of course it would be. Also, what’s the deal with this woman at the end of the video that Birdman is trying to put onto art-world game, some type of collector or curator? I wonder what type of art-world knowledge Birdman is lacing her with. Or he may just be trying to hustle her into buying one of his paintings at an inflated price or selling him one of hers that she wants for a lower price BELEEE DAT PLAYBOY.
Chippass, E-40, ALLBLACK – Me
It’s only right that ALLBLACK and E-40 would finally link up; two off-kilter flowing Bay Area P’s from overlapping but different eras with their own eccentric senses of humor. Even better that these kindred spirits are spitting over this monstrous Bay beat from Sho Nuff. This beat is nasty I can’t wait to put this on full blast in the whip. Add in a verse from the always-reliable Chippass and you’ve got a perfect Tres Amigos track. ALLBLACK is one of the best out right now. You’ve got to love the fact that he’s one of the hottest names in the game but he’s still grateful on every song still humbly thanking everyone for fucking with him. For every E-40 line nowadays that makes you say, “come on E-40” he has a simple but dope line like “If I go broke I’m selling the car that I’m driving” or “If you jump ship there ain’t no getting back on my boat.” ALLBLACK’s whole verse is filthy as you’d come to expect at this point.
38 Spesh ft. Eto – Flour City
I know we might be killing the previous vibe jumping from sunny, bouncy Bay Area beats and beat jacks to grimey, wintertime east-coast Timbs and keeping a gun in your Carhartt jacket here but in the words of Pimp C it just be like that sometimes. We’re renaissance men over here. Rochester NY’s 38 Spesh and Eto team up to kill this one. I didn’t realize the city of Rochester had so much rap talent. 38 Spesh did a great project with Kool G Rap and one with Benny, and has a couple of his own solo tapes out over the last few months that I still need to check out in full (I love that he’s wearing a hoodie with one of the graphics from that album/his own album). Meanwhile Eto recently released a short project with V-Don which was pretty good and just released his album ‘Hell’s Roof’ yesterday, I started listening to it last night and am excited to really give it a full listen today because it sounded sick so far.
I wasn’t feeling the beat here much at first and was just listening to it for the flames from Eto and .38 but now that I’ve bumped this about 100 times the beat has really grown on me and it’s perfect for this type of song. I may be wrong but I believe 38 Spesh actually produced it himself. Eto really brings it on this one I keep rewinding this beginning again and again ‘Squeeze fire, two strikes out, three priors, you grew when you went from the toasters to deep friers, can’t keep niggas afloat, I need divers, can’t keep grips in my coat, no revivers.”
I’m ready to circle the wagons on this appropriately snowy weekend here in the Northeast and give Hell’s Roof a serious listen.
Flame Blazin x Shotgun Quannie – Regardless
TOO… MUCH… HEAT… from Newport News, Virginia’s Flame Blazin’. I’m kind of cheating here because I only heard this song yesterday so it’s probably more for top 10 songs for March but I can’t stop playing it and couldn’t keep it off this list. Flame and Shotgun Quannie trading verses back and forth is so dope, ‘We’ve got too many guns, we gon go to jail, chill bro we got money for bail, we got too many bodies we gon go to hell. Fuck a judge he can get it as well.’
Bloody Jay ft. Lil Boosie – Thug My Way / Bloody Jay – Seen it All / Bloody Jay – Foot on they Neck
Was meaning to do a full post about the new Bloody Jay project but time got the best of me and it’s already March before I realized it so figured I might as well put these into my February top 10 instead. The tape, Real Forever, which a newly-free post-prison Bloody Jay recently released, is really good. I always felt like Bloody Jay was a sort of unsung predecessor to these singing Atlanta rappers that never got the credit he deserved, maybe the powers that be felt that he just wasn’t as marketable as someone like a Lil Baby, but go back and check out his Black Portland mixtape with Young Thug if you haven’t, or my favorite Bloody Jay song, ‘Get it in Blood‘ and maybe you can kind of see where I’m coming from.
Back to ‘Real Forever’ i.e. the current Bloody Jay, and there are a lot of bangers on this one. These are my 3 favorites. I love Boosie’s line on ‘Thug My Way’ where he says ‘Me and Tupac the only pictures in my studio’. The intro, Seen it All, went hard and the Bigga Rankin intro in the beginning had me surprisingly hyped for it, like I was listening to some mid-2000s mixtape. I also loved the ‘Red zoooonnne’ ad lib on it. “You know how I’m comin, ABG We bangin’ like we straight outta Compton.” I was unexpectedly into the ‘You gon think it’s raining bullets from the sky, dog’ on Foot on they Neck, because it sounds like it should be kind of dumb, but it sounds dope when Bloody Jay says it. Side note I was NOT expecting to hear a reference to Goldberg from WCW in a rap song in 2019 but it happened on Foot on they Neck.
Offset Jim – No Pressure
Saw this one on Ray Garraty a couple weeks back. I remember seeing this guy in those Thizzler end of the year cypher videos too. This beat is so crunchy and ALLBLACK’s homie acquits himself nicely here. “Knock a nigga’s lights out like I’m Tyson, ten niggas ten straps we ain’t fighting.” I love the look on his face and the dismissive wave of the hand when he informs you that ‘we ain’t fighting’. I’m always down for an ALLBLACK cameo in a video and here he’s styling in that black Chris Webber jersey. Would it be too bold of a claim to say Offset Jim > Offset from Migos at this point in time?
The Click – Scandalous/E-40 ft. Bo Rock – Things’ll Never Change
Was listening to a whole bunch of old mid-90’s E-40 this month, maybe spurred by hearing the aforementioned ‘Me’. Scandalous has been an old, long-time favorite of mine ever since stumbling across an incredible remix of it by DJ Screw years ago, whereas Things’ll Never Change is brand new to me. I never knew 40 had his own version of Tupac’s ‘Changes’ using the same sample that came out around the same time! It’s a touching, heartfelt and heavy song by E-40 and I’d venture to say a bit more pessimistic than Tupac’s version, touching on problems both personal like him being beaten as a child by his parents and struggling to find a job as a young man, to the societal like domestic violence and suicide. It also slows down the beat a bit compared to how Pac used it. Sometimes it’s nice to just take a step back and appreciate the geniuses!
Bizzy Bone – Carbon Monoxide
These overly long-ass video intros are a trend I’d like to see die down, and this one SPECIFICALLY was super annoying. This one specifically was really annoying. BUT that being said, the song itself was actually a lot doper than I expected; Bizzy Bone has definitley still got it in 2019 and really brought some heat on this one. His various flows he breaks out are all on point and he has a lot of good lines here, the beat was nasty too. My favorite part is him saying that the Migos get a lot of streams but streams barely pay anything, which is basically him gloating that he rapped in an earlier time, it’s obviously not Migos fault that the music industry collapsed and you can’t make millions selling CDs anymore, so it’s kind of an unfair taunt but that’s what makes it so evil, which is what Bizzy is going for. The video was actually kind of cool too with all the old clips once you get past the intro.
DJ Screw – Comin Out (Diana Ross)
The treatment that Screw gives this is truly something to behold.
Nipsey Hussle ft. Roddy Ricch, Hit-Boy
Nipsey’s Victory Lap from last February was one of last year’s best albums so it was nice to get a new joint from him this month. Nice chorus from Roddy Ricch here too.
Saw this one on Ray Garraty a couple weeks back. I remember seeing this guy in those Thizzler end of the year cypher videos too. This beat is so crunchy and ALLBLACK’s homie acquits himself nicely here. “Knock a nigga’s lights out like I’m Tyson, ten niggas ten straps we ain’t fighting.” I love the look on his face and the dismissive wave of the hand when he informs you that ‘we ain’t fighting’. I’m always down for an ALLBLACK cameo in a video and here he’s styling in that black Chris Webber jersey. Would it be too bold of a claim to say Offset Jim > Offset from Migos at this point in time?
It’s only right that ALLBLACK and E-40 would finally link up; two off-kilter flowing Bay Area P’s from overlapping but different eras with their own eccentric senses of humor. Even better that these kindred spirits are spitting over this monstrous Bay beat from Sho Nuff. This beat is nasty I can’t wait to put this on full blast in the whip. Add in a verse from the always-reliable Chippass and you’ve got a perfect Tres Amigos track. ALLBLACK is one of the best out right now. You’ve got to love the fact that he’s one of the hottest names in the game but he’s still grateful on every song still humbly thanking everyone for fucking with him. For every E-40 line nowadays that makes you say, “come on E-40” he has a simple but dope line like “If I go broke I’m selling the car that I’m driving” or “If you jump ship there ain’t no getting back on my boat.” ALLBLACK’s whole verse is filthy as you’d come to expect at this point.
This was honestly a pretty weak month for music/new music for me, and that lack of enthusiasm mixed with the August heat is why this August top 10 is about two weeks late. I had been somewhat excited about Young Thug’s group album or whatever you’d call it but honestly no tracks on it really stood out to me at all, it wasn’t bad but just nothing memorable. I didn’t know a new Nef album was coming out and when I saw that I thought it would save the month for me, but I felt like aside from one or two songs the rest of it was fairly forgettable and certainly not amongst his best work or the heights we know he can hit. The E-40 album was a solid late-career effort for a legend in the game so you’ve got to respect it but didn’t really have anything notable to me either. I wasn’t even feeling the new 6ix9ine collaboration with 50 Cent which promised to be a magnum opus in multi-generational New York ignorant rap but underwhelmed so that’s how you know something is wrong. On the plus side, I did start checking out ShooterGang Kony for the first time so it wasn’t a total wash. Apparently a FMB DZ/Philthy Rich collab project also came out on the last day of August but I’ll have to save that for September since I just found out about it.
ShooterGang Kony – Numba 1 Stunna
This of course had to be number one for August 2018. The mix of the flow, great line after great line, dance moves and fly Liga MX sportswear instantly propelled ShooterGang Kony to the top spot for August.
Nef the Pharaoh – Lefty
Nef makes an appearance in the top spot with his appearance in the Numba 1 Stunna video but he’s not actually in the song. On the other hand, Lefty was one of the best tracks his somewhat hit or miss Big Chang Theory album. The chorus for this one is insanely catchy. I also like how in typical Nef fashion he curtly chastizes someone for wearing True Religion, asking them if they really didn’t get the memo that True Religion went bankrupt. So not only attacking them for being passe in a fashion sense but also taking it next level by criticizing the actual corporation’s unenviable fiscal position. So Nef.
Nef the Pharaoh ft. ALLBLACK, Cuban Doll – 86
My other favorite song from The Big Chang Theory. And it wouldn’t be a top 10 list from this summer if it didn’t have an ALLBLACK guest verse on it. It may be a bit economically reckless, but if nothing else you’ve got to respect the sheer gall of Nef’s blatant rebuke of one of his primary sources of income; “Fuck them stupid ass casinos, dumb ass clubs.” In essence, he isn’t happy with these places of commerce that serve as his sources of income because they’ll frequently throw him out for acting TOO much of a fool or for bringing weapons in.
I love the bite in Nef’s voice when he says, “Dropped a 4 in my Jones like I’m Donnell”
But by far my favorite part is when he declares, “I saw you tuck your chains in when we were in the club, you were glad I got kicked out, the life of a scrub.” I love how he’s almost becoming this omniscient narrator here and narrating the guy’s life; the life of a scrub as his voice shifts to a mix of disdain and almost pity for the said scrub.
Philthy Rich ft. Rexx Life Raj, ALLBLACK – Dope Boy
This was my top song from July and to be honest I’ve still been bumping it all August. At some point when I stop being lazy this one really needs its own post as its in contention for my favorite song of the year for 2018 so far. Between Philthy’s great opening verse, Rexx Life Raj’s incredible wardrobe and great half-singing half-rapping contribution, and of course the ALLBLACK cameo it doesn’t get much better than this in terms of 2018 rap.
Young Dolph ft. Key Glock – We Major
Saw this one on Dirty Glove Bastard’s always-excellent Spotify playlist and loved it. Dolph can always be a bit hit or miss to me to be honest but this one is a legit banger. Dolph just brings so much raw power on this one as he booms out “Mobbin’ in the Bentley smoking moon… rocks” in his unmistakable flow. Dolph also voices some support for the ancient Christian practice of tithing here, “Baby mama mad she said you live like a bachelor, sold 100 pounds and gave 10% to the pastor.” I love the random ad lib of someone just saying “church” afterwards. Dolph just comes out swinging on this one and it feels great blasting out of the car.
ShooterGang Kony – My City
This isn’t new but I saw it on Rap Music Hysteria last month and its what got me onto my current ShooterGang Kony wave so I’m including it on this list. Like the wise sage from that site said, “Kony works in the boilerplate nü-Bay style so quickly becoming indistinguishable from its Detroit counterpart, perhaps realizing the world-flattening that hysteric early-’00s rap millenarians saw in the internet’s rise, but, like, who really fucking cares? It makes me feel big and powerful when I’m driving in my fast car.” Mozzy definitley has a shrewd signing on his hands here.
ShooterGang Kony – All In
Not a new song but this was one of my favorites from my hunt for more old Kony loosies and mixtapes. The beat isn’t the Beanie Sigel type of ‘Feel it in the Air’ beat it’s more of the Phil Collins ‘Feel it in the Air’ variety and Kony floats over it.
Philthy Rich – Social Media Gangstas
Philthy Rich over a Fat Joe/Ashanti sample? Not exactly what I was expecting but alright I’ll take it. This actually ended up being a pretty fun song/pleasant surprise in the middle of Philthy’s NERNL4 mixtape which I guess is from May. “A bird on the microwave one on the stove, I used to heat the house up by turning on the stove.”
“Looking out the loft to see the white man play golf, sorry I didn’t make it to the funeral rest in peace Frost.”
Apparently one of his females is also complaining that all the steaks and lobsters he’s eating aren’t good for him, which I think may be the most universally relateable thing Philthy has ever said.
Shoreline Mafia – Foreign
In general I agree with the always-wise Martorialist’s edict that “Shoreline Mafia are just Brockhampton if they’d met in the NoJumper YouTube comments rather than on the KanyeToThe message board,” but I can’t lie they’re kind of growing on me. I don’t know if it’s just that I didn’t hear a ton else that I loved in August or that I’m starting to like them more and more but these coastal Mafiosos clock in with two songs in August’s top 10 from their Party Pack EP that came out on the last day of the month. Foreign has a nice, low-key but hard beat and they go pretty hard and ignorant on it. Nothing crazy here but a nice ignorant song that feels good in the car.
Shoreline Mafia – Boot It Up
The beat for this one off of the sameEP is just so icy and twinkly, it’s a nice book end to Foreign.
PINK CHARDONNAY 