Legacy Track of the Week: Drake - Diplomatic Immunity
“Shit is complex like short ***** round tall ladies. I gotta watch who I'm talkin to like it's all-ages, I've seen buddin careers turn to sit around and talk about other careers, judgin their peers, knowledge from ****** who did not contribute to none of this here, cover my ears, my security government tier” smh we’ll never know who wrote it but this is all 🔥🔥🔥 from start to finish complete with the Akademiks/Joe Budden shots that I co-sign entirely.
Drake - God’s Plan
“Bad things, it's a lot of bad things, that they wishin and wishin and wishin and wishin, they wishin on me…” One of Drake’s latest releases and to some this one may come off as uninspired, yet thanks to the production provided by 40, Boi-1da, Yung Exclusive, & Cardo this one is still a decent enough vibe, even though there’s no reason for it to have gone “Platinum” in less than nine days.
SiR - War
“So until I have your love, there's no surrender, no retreat, I'm never givin' up until I sweep you off your feet, I need your love (your love, your love, your love)” Perhaps the standout record of SiR’s debut album November, is this album cut produced by South Jersey native MNDSGN in which TDE’s best-kept secret is willing to fight for a woman’s love, a sentiment that’s often metaphoric yet in this case might as well be literal. Nonetheless, the simplicity of this melody really works and the harmonies towards the end are the highlight of the album, SiR is definitely a talented singer soon to be a household name before long.
SiR ft Schoolboy Q - Something Foreign
“I'm moving through this movie like my life's duty is to live unruly you, shoulda never introduced me to the beauty in the darker side of heaven’s view” Poetry at its finest from SiR, the Inglewood, California native who just released his debut album on TDE entitled November, a follow-up to an impressive mixtape series that came out last year. On this record it’s all about the lyrics and instrumental, the latter of which is ironically provided by a British Heavy Metal band known as Saxon, considering that it’s simply an infectious piano loop that makes the record so perfect.
SiR - D’evils
“Maybe I'm not flyin but I'm floatin, if we're not headed to the top, where we goin? Two miles-an-hour, can you picture me rollin? cause life is so much better when you live in slow motion” A smoking anthem that’s more symbolic than anything, this is once again all about the vibe that’s provided by the melody and instrumental, the latter of which is produced by D.K. The Punisher and to incredible results. Otherwise, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that “one spliff a day'll keep the evil away” and therefore the message makes this record all the more complete.
SiR ft Etta Bond - Never Home
“I found another life in London... it's true…” That first line is the gospel and I really need to travel more, where honestly we don’t take enough time to think about life’s opportunities elsewhere, even in terms of relationships as much as anything else. Meanwhile like all great works of art, this record takes you to a place that could only be seen with an imagination, and that’s one reason to play this record when in need of an escape from our ordinary reality.
SiR - Dreaming of Me
“(Get ready for the sunrise, I'ma make it right), but I can't wake you when you're dreaming of me” Produced by Harmony Samuels who very creatively samples Dr. Dre’s Xxplosive, this is a nice ballad of sorts that definitely adds to SiR’s debut project overall.
SiR - Summer In November
“You're summer in November, darlin, you're somethin to remember, darlin, oh I love the look in your eyes, as the temperature rises and rises and rises and rises” The outro record produced by the decorated and highly respected Andre Harris (whose namesake based on his credentials should honestly have some more commercial appeal) is the perfect closure to a very cohesive project, and with that being said SiR has quietly become a rising star that at this rate will likely win a Grammy by 2019 (thanks mostly to his affiliations with TDE, see SZA’s Ctrl album for confirmation.)
Jay Rock ft Kendrick Lamar, Future, & James Blake - King’s Dead
"Red light, green light, red light, green light" Proceed only for Kendrick’s verse and that’s all… otherwise stay away from the Future verse by any means necessary.
Cozz ft Curren$y - Badu
“I smoke and pray at the same time, hoping god don't mind, the fact that I'm high, I'm sure he know I'm speaking through my clearest mind” 🔥🔥🔥 More Dreamville and I enjoy this collaboration, in fact I could see Curren$y working with the whole roster and doin it well. Bas, J.I.D., EarthGang, etc… Curren$y would compliment all those potential records and I’m putting that good energy out into the world.
Snoop Dogg ft B.Slade - Words Are Few
“When my words are few…” The Dogfather himself takes em to church in this Gospel record, yet this is all about the featured artist and producer B. Slade who hails from San Diego and has been providing that work for many years now, having been active in Gospel music for almost two decades to widespread critical acclaim.
Justin Timberlake - Supplies
“Cause I got supplie-ie-ies” …. I'm just glad he didn’t perform this at the SuperBowl…
Nas ft Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda, & Aloe Blacc - Wrote My Way Out
“I picked up the pen like Hamilton, street analyst, now I write words that try to channel 'em, no political power, just lyrical power, sittin on a crate on a corner, sippin for hours” Released off the Hamilton mixtape last year and now officially made a single, this is all about the Nas verse and the Aloe Blacc hook and you can keep the rest.