This week we’re putting the limelight on recent hip-hop and rap releases that have blown us away. Featuring a song from DJ Drama‘s bangin’ mixtape Quality Street Music 2, NAS and Erykah Badu‘s collaborative track for the much-anticipated film The Wind, and more!
DJ Drama– ‘ONYX’ (Ft. Ty Dolla Sign, Trey Songz, & August Alsina)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSk_vEYGnzg
This star-studded collaboration premiered on Beats 1 a couple of weeks ago to hype up the late July release of DJ Drama‘s follow-up album to his chart-topping 2012 record, Quality Street Music. With DJ Khaled on production and these three talented rappers slaying the hook and slapper, it’s only natural that the final recording would be an infectious piece of music that makes you wish you could teleport to the club to bust a move. Fun fact: this track was actually inspired by the popular hip-hop stripping joint, Onyx Night Club. This isn’t surprising given that the lyrics literally talks about being at the club – cash in hand – ready to splurge on beautiful women. It’s the little things.
Mac Miller, Anderson Paak – ‘Dang!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86aPoWGYiZ4
When two of modern hip-hop’s greatest unite forces, one can only expect something stellar. Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak certainly made us say “dang!” upon first listen. Whilst it’s certainly a step towards a different direction when considering Miller’s darker ‘Watching Movies with the Sound On’ period, the use of a smooth funk-inspired instrumental mixed with spontaneous ear-pleasing horns should eradicate any complaints that may arise from those who hate change. The lyrics are also indicative of Miller’s evolution of an artist; he generated a following rapping about his struggle with addiction and depression, and is now touching on lighter topics that everyone can relate to. This one in particular explores the terrible feeling of yearning for someone who we loved and lost but despite the less-than-uplifting topic, the track itself gets our ‘feel-good jam’ stamp of approval.
Desiigner – ‘Timmy Turner’
If you haven’t been living under a rock or stuck on a deserted island à la Cast Away in the past couple of months, you know that Desiigner’s smash-hit debut single Panda has absolutely swept the nation by storm by becoming a radio/nightclub staple. That’s why when word hit the street that the Brooklyn-native was to drop a a new single, fans beamed in anticipation for a track with high potential to become the next big trap anthem. The apple definitely didn’t fall far from the tree when examining the similarities between Timmy Turner and Panda, especially in regards to his knack for repeating the song title so many times during the hook that it’s almost impossible to count. It’s doubtful that Timmy Turner will reach the stature of fame that Panda attained and we’re admittedly somewhat confused as to what the message of the song even is, but it’s safe to say that Desiinger crafted a solid follow-up to a ground-breaking record (probably with the help of his Fairly Oddparents).
Nas – This Bitter Land (ft. Erykah Badu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peyMoam3uJ8
We’re convinced that anything Erykah Badu graces her presence upon will turn to gold. Nas teamed up with Badu to record this song, which will be featured in the upcoming film ‘The Land’. The film was actually executive-produced by the iconic rapper and will focus on the intricacies of Cleveland’s hip-hop underground scene. Badu‘s hauntingly powerful vocals alone stir up some serious feelings, but when paired up with the melancholic strings and Nas’s powerful lyrics and smooth flow (“tell ’em to stop riding me, stop driving us into a suicidal ideology”) we’re faced with a minimalistic, pure masterpiece. While there’s no real rhythmic catharsis involved, this song proves that sometimes less really is more.
