song

RetcH and V Don make music that makes you want to rob somebody. Case in point: “Devil On My Back.” The new single, featuring Dave East, is beautifully gully. If the East Coast had a theme song in 2021, it would sound something like this track. An eerie chime and a harsh horn pepper the background as furious percussions dominate the track. Creepy sound effects make their way in and out of the foreground of the instrumental as well, creating an atmosphere that feels electric. 

“RetcH and East spazzed on this; another grimey standout from the tape,” V Don told Complex. RetcH added, “‘Devil on My Back’ came together so smoothly. I think V had part of the song done already when we were in the ‘A’ recording. He played it for me and I had to hop on it.” He added: “This beat really set the tone for the project as a whole.”

Quotable Lyrics
Devil on my back, so I try finding God
Sold a couple packs, my nigga, time was hard
Lining up these targets just to knock ’em off
Taking trips, ain’t pack no luggage, tryna find a mall
Shopping when I land, came from chopping grams
Cops hop out them vans, think they got my mans

Tech N9ne has been around long enough to give listeners a true perspective on the ups and downs of stardom. First they love you, then they hate you, then they love you again. This roller coaster ride and the emotions that stem from it are the main themes of “Take Your Halo,” Tech’s latest single. 

Over sinister pianos and tweaked drill-type percussions Tech spits about his musical heights and the paranoia that comes from reaching that pinnacle. Who can you trust? As always, Tech’s flow is immaculate. His words twist and maneuver around the drums when needed. However, the verses are also splashed with a bit of harmonizing and singing. There’s just something about the way Tech handles a beat like this that never gets old. 

Quotable Lyrics
I’m mad, still I’m mad
How a great can be taken by slimebag
Now the N9ne ask what the mind has when it can make you murder somebody dope as dimebag
If I seen ya, I’ma bring ya whatever you want from Tecca N9na
Build the king up, cut your wings bruh
Then fall down, look how we lost Selena

Illinois rapper and singer Tink has largely stayed out of the music game this year, though not without reason. After releasing two full-length albums last year along with a handful of singles, she definitely earned a bit of a break. However, the 26-year-old artist has come back strong with “Selfish” featuring Yung Bleu — a track perfectly suited for long summer nights.  

The song presents itself much like its hit Summer R&B predecessors (think “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown and Young Thug or “No Guidance” by Drake and Chris Brown) with help from Hitmaka, who constructs a pleasantly simple and bouncy beat. This creates the perfect canvas by which Tink can glide across the track with endearing melodies that prove to be catchy. Her lyrics only serve to enhance the vibe she’s created, as “Selfish” finds Tink in the midst of a passionate relationship.

Yung Bleu also does his thing on the track, excelling at the standard Tink had set and showing off some of his best writing yet. After his feature, Tink truly shines as the track breaks down and the production slows down. The Illinois rapper breaks into an intimate and direct rap verse pleading with a distant lover. 

Tink’s “Selfish” featuring Yung Bleu is sure to find a way onto your Summer playlist one way or another- it’s too fun not to!

Check it out below as well as our R&B SEASON playlist on Spotify: 

Quotable Lyrics:
Look at me how you be looking at your phone
Look at me how you be looking at these h***
When you scroll and double-tap their posts
You look at them how you used to look at me

Pop Smoke died before he was ever able to release his debut album. While Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon was a commercial success, offering insight into the Brooklyn rapper’s pop-prowess, it was the deluxe edition that highlighted the sound that brought him to fame — drill.

This week, Pop’s second posthumous album, Faith dropped which hasn’t necessarily been well-received by fans and close collaborators. However, the best moments on the project arrive when Pop’s unique, gravelly voice is placed with exhilarating drill production that brought him to fame. On “Brush Em,” Pop and Rah Swish’s natural chemistry thrive over 808MeloBeats and Jess Jackson’s eerie production. Scrapping any song structure, the two rappers swap menacing bars detailing the streets of Brooklyn.

Swish, who released MAYOR OF THE STREETS last year, delivers a stellar performance on this record, specifically. If you haven’t checked out his project yet, make sure you put that in your queue after Faith.

Check out “Brush ‘Em” below. 

Quotable Lyrics
Window down, let the semi spit
.40 Glock with a 50 clip
Get the addy then I get ’em hit
Had to shoot a n***a for a mixy bitch

Though Florida rapper Tyla Yaweh’s most successful tracks have come with high profile features, he has now set out to prove he can hold his own with “Back Outside.” The new track comes after a busy first half of 2021 full of collaborations with Gunna, RMR, DDG, and Wiz Khalifa, though “Back Outside” marks somewhat of a new direction for the rapper.

On the new track, Yaweh exchanges his soft-spoken and melodic flow for a more aggressive and repetitive style. “Back outside, back outside” is repeated for most of the hook until Yaweh takes on the verse with a faster triplet flow. His flow does get increasingly more complex and catchy as the verse continues. The lyrical content largely focuses on Yaweh flexing his money and talking down to the haters. 

The production matches the simplicity of Yaweh’s flow on the track with an 808 pattern and drums. Overall, the track proves that Yaweh can carry his own track with or without his signature melodic flow. 

Quotable Lyrics:

Damn, lil’ mama (Goddamn)
Look the same way on the ‘Gram, lil’ mama (On the ‘Gram)
Madе a couple bands, OnlyFan, lil’ mama (Woah)
Thumbin’ through the check, I’ma hand lil’ mama (Goddamn)

Teezo Touchdown, one of the most shocking new artists featured on Tyler, the Creator’s recently released album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, is a creative force unlike any other in the current landscape of the music industry. The rising star has been treating fans with cinematic and enthralling tracks over the past year, and this Friday, he returns with his second single of 2021, a political warcry titled “Mid.”

Rather than a complex lyrical offering that explores any government-related issues, however, Teezo instead constructs a sonic world in which he is a mayoral candidate in the city of Midville. Throughout the near three-minute cut, the Beaumont, Texas-based artist urges listeners to “Get the mid off the streets,” and while he could definitely be talking about bud, the hook also works as a critique on lackluster music from his contemporaries.

The song also comes accompanied with a comical music video that dynamically brings the song to life, and it even features a nonstop scroll at the bottom of the screen which shows all of the praise and acclaim that Teezo has been receiving from journalists and fans as of late. Although “Mid” may not be a song that you immediately add to your weekly playlist, it is a shining example of how dedicated Teezo Touchdown is to his craft. After all, he even has a campaign website to go along with the single’s release.

Check out the music video for “Mid” below, and let us know your thoughts about the sensational rising artist.

Quotable Lyrics

Quality (Shh)
Over quantity (Listen)
You a wanna-be (This is the best part)
You a mini-me (This is the best part)
You a pipsqueak
You officially the mayor of Mid
This your city
And it’s filthy, we gotta clean up the streets

Russ’s consistency sees no end in sight with “Cheers”, his 11th single since the beginning of May. Though he’s been saturating his fans with a new single every Friday since “Small Talk” dropped in early May, he has yet to substitute quality for quantity– and “Cheers” is yet another example of this. The smooth and casual track finds Russ transitioning seamlessly between polished singing and breezy bars over a pleasant guitar loop. 

“I love when it comes together, I felt bad now I feel better” perfectly emulates the message of the song. Russ seems to have reached a productive and peaceful zone in his life as he raps about being proud of his accomplishments and living the life he’d always wanted to live: “Cheers to this, I ain’t gon’ lie, I waited years for this, shed tears for this, So cheers to this, yeah”. The easygoing boom-bap beat provides the perfect canvas for Russ to as he dives in and out of a flow reminiscent of early Drake.

The singing passages are also a pleasant touch, and as a whole the song sounds like a tranquil Summer day.

What do you think of Russ’s string of singles? Let us know and check out the song below.

Quotable Lyrics:

I’m nearly toasting some, I’m gonna roll it so we roll in some (come on)
So many cities where my name rings bells, everybody in my family don’t pay no bills
They don’t have to, I got that covered, tequila and a champagne glass all summer

In December of 2020, Fana Hues dropped off Hues, a ten-track project that put highlighted the singer’s talent and versatility. Now, she’s revisited one of the album’s emotional ballads, “Desert Flower,” this time bringing Mereba on board for a remix. If you missed it, Mereba recently delivered a project of her own in AZEB, featuring highlight songs like “Rider” and the closer “My Moon.” You can check that EP out right here. 

Now, the two songwriters have come together for a remix of “Desert Flower,” which largely honors the vulnerable spirit of the original. This time, however, the arrangement features the addition of violin, as played by Hella Strings. It’s Mereba’s presence that’s the biggest takeaway, however, and she showcases her vocal chops as she delivers a powerful new verse in keeping with the track’s existing themes.

Fans of Fana Hues would be wise to check this one out, as Mereba makes for a welcome addition to the already stunning track. We can only hope to see these two collaborate further down the line.

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Sun is setting quietly, I can feel it, I can see
Was it all just make-believe? 
You could grow next to me

Kevin Abstract, one of the leading voices from Brockhampton, has officially turned 25 years old, and to celebrate his birthday, the innovative artist has launched the debut clothing collection for his Video Store Apparel line and finally treated fans with new music. Titled “SLUGGER,” Kevin’s latest single arrives alongside a self-directed music video, and it serves as the first hint as to what his highly anticipated fourth studio album might sound like.

The four-minute track marks the Brockhampton founder’s first solo single since his rollout for 2019’s Arizona Baby, and it features guest appearances from rising artist $NOT and British rapper slowthai.

“SLUGGER” is a knocking new song that’s filled with homages to music legends such as Pimp C and Lauryn Hill, and in addition to impressive, gritty verses from each other artists, the track’s hook boats an impressive OutKast-esque melody. 

Scroll down below to check out Kevin Abstract’s first solo single in years. Does “SLUGGER” have you hyped for his next full-length solo album?

Quotable Lyrics

I be in my head, sometimes it’s hard to talk
I be like my dog, ’cause sometimes it’s hard to walk
Yeah, a n*gga got these thoughts, but ain’t never been soft
I been takin’ n*gga down since a n*gga was small

DJ Drama has always been one to raise the voices of the streets, especially when you consider his early days making a name for himself. Now, he’s come through to host “Chaining Day,” a new posse cut from Hardo, Deezlee, and Benny The Butcher, scored by a soulful beat from Stevi B. On a production tip, B shows patience as he lets the beat build, proving ample space for Hardo’s opening verse to really resonate.

Given those involved, “Chaining Day” is a track where lyricism is of utmost importance, and none of the contributing emcees falter in that regard. Following Hardo’s composed dose of game, Deezlee picks up where he left off, this time having the percussion to really emphasize his bars. Last comes The Butcher, whose presence inherently forces rappers to step their game up. “Wanted to play in the NFL but couldn’t make it in it,” raps Benny. “So thank God that the plug showed us favoritism.”

Check out “Chaining Day” now. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Wanted to play in the NFL but couldn’t make it in it,
So thank God that the plug showed us favoritism
I’m not impressed with you n***as, too much plagiarism
Kinda like Dame to n***as cause we keep the Blazers with us