song

Though forever respected as a key member of the early-millennium Roc-a-Fella movement, Philadelphia emcee Freeway seldom gets the appreciation he deserves. On that note, there are many who would declare his 2003 debut album Philadelphia Freeway to be an undisputed classic, a highlight chapter from one of hip-hop’s most iconic dynasties. Seeing as the album has officially turned eighteen today, it feels appropriate to share a standout cut, one that finds the late, great King Of Hooks rising to the occasion.

The Bink-produced “All My Life” features some inspired rhyming from Freeway, whose unique flow and delivery are examined with clinical precision. Boasting rhyme schemes that seldom fall under the standard convention, Free is easily one of the most patient emcees there is, delaying his rhymes for as long as possible before resolution. Throw in a slick chorus from Nate Dogg, who was in the midst of an incredible feature run, and “All My Life” withstands the test of time as an essential piece of the Roc-a-Fella puzzle. 

Happy anniversary to Freeway’s Philadelphia Freeway. Would you say this project is worthy of classic status? 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Yeaaah, it’s the worlds most dangerous
Clique, the Roc, we get neck in Los Angeles
Chicks scandalous, it’s just a part of the plans
I smash, photograph it, send ’em home to they man

Big Sean is up for a Grammy for “Best Rap Performance” following the critical acclaim and commercial success of his fifth studio album Detroit 2, but the previous decade proved to be a trying time period for the GOOD Music artist. After the lukewarm reception of his long-awaited debut album Finally Famous as well as the widely considered flop of Hall Of Fame, Dark Sky Paradise was the successful comeback record that Sean needed to solidify his position amongst his contemporaries. 

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and it featured hits like “Blessings,” “Play No Games,” and “I Don’t F*** With You.” However, fans of Dark Sky Paradise know that the real gems from Big Sean’s third full-length are the album cuts. Songs like “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers),” “One Man Can Change The World,” and “All Your Fault” really displayed Sean’s growth, and the latter song gave fans one of the greatest back-and-forths of recent memory. 

Six years later, “All Your Fault” is still a GOOD Music extravaganza. Sean and Kanye West both get their own verses over a dynamic soul-sampling beat, and even Travis Scott makes uncredited adlib appearances throughout the song. What really propels “All Your Fault” to the next level is the song’s third verse, which features a legendary back-and-forth flow between Sean and the GOOD Music founder. 

In the spirit of the six-year anniversary of Dark Sky Paradise, what’s your favorite song from the double-platinum record?

Quotable Lyrics

N***** want the comma-comma-combination
Long as I’m around, it’s gon’ be dot-dot-dot, a lot of waitin’
Got my pinky on her brain while I’m gettin’ brain
Plottin’ world domination, people ask me how to make it
I’m just like “man, if you want the crown, bitch, you gotta take it”

Anybody who remembers the rise and dominant run of G-Unit will likely hold respect for Young Buck, even if that respect doesn’t always translate to streaming numbers. And while the Cashville emcee has fallen on hard times in the industry, having been essentially blackballed and publically shamed by former group members, Buck has remained relentless in his output, following up his recent Vaccine tape with yet another new drop in “Ash Tray.” 

A team-up effort with Drumma Boy, who whips up a smooth instrumental for the occasion, Buck opts to provide an update his contentious relationship with 50 Cent. Addressing his former G-Unit partner by name, Buck keeps things relatively businesslike as he reflects on where things went wrong. “The question is, why try to sign me and sabotage me?” asks Buck. “Break me and Travelodge me, see me and try to dodge me.” As the emotional verse continues, he brings up the time he stabbed a man in Dr. Dre’s defense. “Thought you were my brotha, n***a, told you to guide me,” he laments. “Put this knife inside a stomach n***a told you to hide me / Ay Dre, you don’t owe me nothing n***a I do this proudly!”

Closing things out with a reference to Lloyd Banks, wishing that the Punchline King would slide in with a closing verse, “Ash Tray” feels like a climactic chapter of the G-Unit saga. Though it’s unlikely we’ll ever see true peace between the once-mighty crew, perhaps Buck’s words will resonate this time — however likely that may be.

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Thought you were my brotha, n***a, told you to guide me,
Put this knife inside a stomach n***a told you to hide me
Ay Dre, you don’t owe me nothing n***a I do this proudly!

Post Malone recently announced that he would be performing at the upcoming Pokémon 25 celebration, putting on a show to ring in the quarter-century mark for the storied animation franchise. That wasn’t all he had planned with Pikachu and Co. though because, on Thursday, the world-renowned pop-rap artist released a cover of “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish, which originally also came out twenty-five years ago, to recall simpler times.

Post’s cover of “Only Wanna Be With You” is officially on all major streaming platforms, as well as video-sharing service YouTube. It’s the first new music we’ve heard from the artist this year, hopefully marking a change of activity for the rest of the year.

His new cover of the track will be performed as part of his virtual concert experience for Pokémon 25 on Saturday, February 27. Post isn’t the only superstar that’s gotten involved with the campaign as pop star Katy Perry will also be part of the anniversary celebration.

What do you think of Post’s cover of the song? Happy Pokémon 25!

Quotable Lyrics:

Put on a little Dylan sittin’ on a fence
I say that line is great, you asked me what it meant by
Said I shot a man named Gray, took his wife to Italy
Shе inherited a million bucks and when shе died, it came to me

For those who say R&B is on the decline, Bobby V returns with an offering that says otherwise. The singer launched his career in the 1990s as apart of the group Mista, and soon, he became a solo act with three No. 1 albums under his belt. As a veteran in the industry, Bobby V is making it known that he’s not slowing down anytime soon, and recently, he shared his smooth slow jam, Reply.

In March, Bobby V slated to release his forthcoming album The Appetizer, and to whet his fans’ appetites, he shared his latest single, “Reply.” On the track, the singer wants to link up with a lady friend but she has yet to hit him back. “I’m just so thankful and appreciative of all my family, friends, and fans. They motivate me daily and are the reason why I keep going,” says Bobby in a statement. “They are the real MVPs. I am excited for this new album and new chapter going into 2021.”

Stream “Reply” and let us know what you think

Quotable Lyrics

Please tell me you could read my mind
Before I get to textin’ you
And usually, I’m not hat type
But I really wanna come through
Girl, I got some things in mind
That I wanna do
And I can’t even relax
Until You hit me back, babe, yeah

[via]

Drill is not going anywhere anytime soon. As it emerged into mainstream consciousness throughout 2020, the sound that particularly associated with Brooklyn’s rendition of drill began to make its way across America. However, it’s still Brooklyn that’s holding the flag high these days.

Canarsie rapper Quelly Woo is one of the most exciting names bubbling in the Brooklyn drill scene. With tones of Pop Smoke’s raspiness scattered in his delivery, he slid through with his third single from his forthcoming project, Tactical Pressure. “Pain Into Passion” is a guttural banger that finds Quelly reflecting on the brightside of things and turning his losses into wins.

Check out the latest banger from Quelly Woo below and keep your eyes peeled for Tactical Pressure dropping April 2nd, 2021.

Quotable Lyrics
My demons ain’t don’t got a conscience
Slam a n***a, Onyx
Take off, Sonic
Shake it, earthquake
Said she want me in the worst way

Detroit’s Icewear Vezzo has teamed up with the buzzing voice of the city Babyface Ray for a blistering new banger titled, “Holiday.” The new record is a menacing and exhilarating track that Ray describes as “money counter music.” The two rappers talk their sh*t as they detail their expensive drug habits and the money they’ve acquired in their time in the rap game. Ray kicks things off before sliding it over to Vezzo who delivers a menacing verse.

Icewear Vezzo hasn’t wasted any time releasing new music since the year hit. The rapper kicked things off with the release of “Cheat Code” before following it up with “6Print.” 

The bubbling Detroit rapper Babyface Ray recently released his latest project, Unfuckwitable. 

Check out their new collaboration below.

Quotable Lyrics
Just put a switchy on a .40, this bitch modernized
Take a Xanny, get the tweakin’ then I popped the guys
Might fuck around and write a book and call it ‘How To Rob’
My youngin’ wild, he gotta snort a line just to calm him down

It’s been nearly two years since Caleborate slid through with his last full body of work, Hear Me Out. The rapper’s kept a strong grip on the game since with the release of several singles over the course of 2020. He delivered “Cliquot Showers” for a special COLORS performance, and unveiled collabs alongside Samaria and Tone Sinatra.

This week, the rapper dropped off his first offering of the year with “Contact” ft. KOTA The Friend. The rapper locks in on the record on a pensive note, reflecting on the mental anguish he faces from chasing his dreams and dealing with the realities of his world. Kota The Friend compliments the record with his own confessional as he looks back on the problems he had and the ones he faces currently.

Quotable Lyrics
I was 24 still sleepin’ on floors
Sneakin’ girls in, still peeking through doors
They say I’m slated to make it
That’s not on this bank statement
But I never even hear them
Real men stay patient

Young Dolph remains a voice for the streets but he’s continuously proven to be a savvy businessman. His independent approach to the game has earned him some big bucks but in recent years, he’s taken the Paper Route Empire and expanded it with a slew of new artists. Needless to say, he can spot talent when he sees it.

That being said, Dolph just entered the world of PG-friendly raps with his latest collaboration with child star That Girl Lay Lay who dropped off her new single, “Breezy” this week. It’s an upbeat bop that finds Lay Lay and Dolph connect over their mutual love for cash and fashion.

That Girl Lay Lay began to gain buzz on Instagram after releasing a freestyle BlocBoy JB’s “Shoot.” Since then, she’s inked a deal with Empire Records as well as an overall deal with Nickolodeon.

Quotable Lyrics
Grandma taught me how to pray before I go to bed
I didn’t go to college because I became a millionaire instead
I don’t got student loans but I got university bread

Producer-songwriter duo THEY. burst onto the music scene as a group in 2017 with the release of their debut album Nü Religion: HYENA, and since then, the outfit has been slowly building an excellent catalog of genre-bending music. Consisting of Drew Love and Dante Jones, THEY. went on hiatus and kept listeners waiting years for a full-length follow up to their 2017 debut before finally returning with their sophomore album The Amanda Tape.

Leading up to The Amanda Tape, the duo dropped a slew of singles, starting with last summer’s “Count Me In.” Each of the single’s cover artwork featured a cassette tape graphic that tied into their album cover and theme of their imminent sophomore album. Now, months after the fall release of The Amanda Tape, THEY. are revisiting one of the project’s standout tracks with a remix and new visuals.

Today, the duo shared a revamped version of “Count Me In,” which now features a verse from “EX” and “Wicked Games” singer-songwriter Kiana Ledé. Falling in line with their 2020 releases, this pseudo-remix also comes packaged in THEY.’s signature cassette tape artwork. “Count Me In” also arrives alongside a bold music video, which is sure to also elevate their single even more.

Are you feeling “Count Me In” a little bit more now that Kiana Ledé has joined the record?

Quotable Lyrics

You can come over
Bendin’ mе over
You can do all the tricks
Then movе it along
Maybe it’s wrong
But you know what it is