Best Hip-Hop Guest Verses of 2021 So Far

Nothing but bars on these solid guest verses this year. Continue reading…

Former XXL Freshmen Chika And Rico Nasty Congratulate The Women Of The 2021 Class

For the last decade, the hip-hop magazine XXL dropped their Freshman list — their picks of the 11 names that were on the rise in the genre. This year’s list is a little different, as it includes the most women ever for a new class. Four female rappers — Flo Milli, Coi Leray, Lakeyah, and Rubi Rose — can be found on the 2021 iteration. Upon hearing the news, former XXL Freshman ladies Chika and Rico Nasty hopped on social media to show the newbies some love.

“Big Congrats to @_FloMilli @RubixxRose for making the @XXL list!!!” Rico wrote in a tweet. “Well deserved.” Flo Milli replied, “Thank you Rico, love you !” Chika gave a shoutout to Flo Milli as she’s a fellow Alabama rapper. “Congratulations @_FloMilli!” she wrote before adding, “Alabama royalty.”

As for the rest of the 2021 XXL Freshman class, Uproxx favorites like Blxst, DDG, and Pooh Shiesty can be found on the list. Other highlights include 42 Dugg, Toosii, Iann Dior, and Morray also appeared.

On a more recent note, Chika is just months removed from her Once Upon A Time EP while Rico Nasty found herself alongside Juicy J and Jasiah on a pair of tracks.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group

GoldLink Pines For A Distant Lover On ‘Raindrops’ Featuring Flo Milli

Fresh off her appearance on XXL’s 2021 Freshman Class, Flo Milli turns around to lend a lyrical assist to GoldLink, providing a catchy hook on his new song “Raindrops.” Over a Bossa Nova-influenced guitar loop with a distorted sample of Tamia’s “Officially Missing You,” GoldLink expresses his wistful appreciation for an inaccessible paramour who gets plenty of attention and spends too much time away. Meanwhile, Flo Milli’s chorus swings from braggadocious to aspiring as she boasts “If I post my nudes, I / Have the world like, ‘Ooo ahh.’”

“Raindrops” is the latest single from GoldLink’s upcoming album Haram, the follow-up to his 2019 project Diaspora. Although the album was critically hailed, GoldLink believed that he was snubbed for the 2020 Grammy Awards, and the album peaked at No. 77 on the Billboard 200. A controversial Instagram post referring to Mac Miller caused a minor backlash against him, so with Haram, he appears to be refocusing on the forward-facing, genre-hopping music that first endeared him to a broad range of fans.

Lead single “White Walls” displayed more bombastic, mosh pit-inspiring energy, while with “Raindrops,” it’s clear that GoldLink’s attachment to smoother, R&B-influenced sounds remains intact.

Listen to “Raindrops” above.

Haram is due 6/18. Pre-save it here.