Legacy Track of the Week: Drake - Duppy Freestyle
“So if you rebuke me for working with someone else on a couple of Vs, what do you really think of the ***** that's making your beats? I've done things for him I thought that he never would need, ‘Father had to stretch his hands’ out and get it from me” Straight 🔥🔥🔥 from Aubrey whom after his Meek Mill combat might have thought that he was untouchable, yet sure enough Pusha T countered with a barrage of right hooks and uppercuts (some below the belt), that may have ended this battle for good though not before Drake took the first round - a clear 10/9 victory that showcased his ‘midas touch’ once again. With that said it continues to be an interesting dynamic that Drake AND Kanye BOTH use ghostwriters to carry their brand, and while it may seem like Drake’s deflecting that is a question that Pusha T needs to answer - a question that I don’t recall being asked at The Breakfast Club despite the numerous opportunities that the tone of the interview presented. Either way Drake and his team did not play around on this record at all, complete with the Jay Z Kingdom Come Intro flow rebuttal that lowkey is one of the best singular moments in Hip Hop this year.
Pusha T ft Rick Ross - Hard Piano
“I won't let you ruin my dreams or Harvey Weinstein the kid, good morning Matt Lauer, can I live?” 🔥🔥🔥 production from none other than the aforementioned Kanye West (although isn’t it fair to question where the beats come from as well?), and Pusha comes out the gates scorching hot with a verse as potent as the pharmaceuticals he raps about, followed by a satisfactory Ross verse that makes this one of the best highlights off Daytona.
Pusha T ft Kanye West - What Would Meek Do
“Everything Ye say cause a new debate, ‘you see, he been out of touch, he cannot relate, his hallway too long bitch too bad, got a surrogate his kid get two dads’” MAGA Kanye is wildin on this record but altogether it is a better than decent verse, complete with a Seal reference that shows Kanye (or his team) still has some genius beneath all the absurdity. Even still one might wonder what on earth this record has to do with Meek Mill, and honestly the thought of investigating is too exhausting to even entertain.
Pusha T - Infrared
“Believe in myself and the Coles and Kendricks, let the sock puppets play in their roles and gimmicks, shit remember Will Smith won the first Grammy? and they ain't even recognize Hov until ‘Annie’” More truth and raw lyricism from Pusha yet again I have to ask who’s more of a gimmick than Kanye at this point? Regardless this instrumental from Kanye (if it came from Kanye) is nothing short of immaculate and Pusha takes no bars off from start to finish, complete with some more darts towards Wayne & Birdman with: "Salute Ross 'cause the message was pure, he see what I see when you see Wayne on tour, flash without the fire, another multi-platinum rapper trapped and can't retire, ****** get exposed I see the cracks and I'm the liar? Shit, I’ve been exposed I took the crack and built the wire, now who do you admire?” SMH 🔥🔥🔥 this record lived up to the hype on a project that overall was… let’s just say the Internet is going to Internet every time without fail. Therefore off the Drake content alone this was sure to do it’s numbers, and overall Daytona is still a solid 7-track project even if it’s not the undeniable classic that Twitter would hope it to be.
A$AP Rocky ft Moby - A$AP Forever
“We kiss to Frank Ocean and Blonde, convincing my bitch to go blonde, was born in the dark, I kill you, you open my blinds, on Yams and that's word to my moms” This promo single off A$AP Rocky’s third studio album is certainly a visual experience, directed by Dexter Navy who definitely delivered with an approach you’ve likely never seen before, or at least not to this extent. In terms of the song itself, it’s not a banger or an anthem but it seems to play itself in that arena, where even the title is somewhat reminiscent of the classic Wu-Tang Forever album, perhaps suggesting that the A$AP Mob as a crew (who are appropriately present throughout the video) are the closest thing we have to that nostalgic feeling. Speaking of nostalgia however, that is indeed the real Moby from the 90’s on the outro and sampled throughout the track, though you shouldn’t press play if you’re expecting any more than a shameless feature that was completely unnecessary. Otherwise check out the album version (remix) featuring TI & Kid Cudi here.
A$AP Rocky ft Skepta - Praise The Lord (Da Shine)
“I came, I saw, I came, I saw, I praise, the Lord, then break, the law, I take, what's mine, then take, some more, it rains, it pours, it rains, it pours” I first heard of the UK artist Skepta from Drake’s More Life album, yet I’m not sure I knew he was also a producer until this particular record, which is a highlighted by an incredible flute arrangement that appears to be sampled from a PC game titled Rome: Total War. Regardless this instrumental right here is pure 🔥🔥🔥 and frequent collaborator Rocky flexes on it as he should. It should also be noted that this record was apparently made in London while all parties involved were tripping on LSD, and honestly, from an artistic standpoint I’m somewhat inspired.
A$AP Rocky ft Juicy J - Gunz & Butter
“Grandma was a Catholic, and Mama was a Christian, My pop returned to Muslim when he spent some time in prison, No Jehovah Witnesses where I'm from, kinda different, they don't leave no witnesses so folks just mind they business” One of the few highlights off TESTING, that otherwise as an album leaves a lot to be desired.
A$AP Rocky ft French Montana (and Snoop Dogg & Frank Ocean) - Brotha Man
“Flacko, I wonder how it feel to live or be like you, album number three and keep it G like Q” One of the other highlights off this album is this abstract record that includes unconventional harmonies and tones that aren’t necessarily easy on the ears, yet it is consistent with the general A$AP Mob vibes that honestly have always been an acquired taste. Sure enough over solid production from Hector Delgado & Rico Love we get some uncredited Snoop & Frank Ocean vocals, which altogether gives this record enough redeeming values to deem it worth mentioning.
Belly ft The Weeknd - What You Want
“Never went to college, she got collagen in her body, you don't need that type of knowledge when you pretty and polished” <<< The unfortunate facts of our society but nonetheless Belly has a way with describing these type of women accurately (the music business must be delightfully reckless), as he delivers with more unashamed objectification of a subculture that quite honestly objectifies itself, and thus the world goes round with art depicting life without any reason to cry foul or misogyny. With that said I love Belly’s subject matter and IDGAF-this-is-what-it-is perspectives, and along with labelmate and frequent collaborator The Weeknd this is a decent single to lead up to his upcoming ‘sophomore’ studio album The Midnight Zone, which if on par with his latest mixtape Mumble Rap will be ironically some of the best Hip Hop to be released this year.
Hit-Boy - 3rd Member of Clipse
“Not to be a social misfit, I don't trust a soul in this shit…” And that’s coming from a Grammy Award winning and Platinum selling producer, whose production credits include “****** in Paris,” “Clique,” “Cold,” “XO,” “Flawless,” and even “Christmas In Harlem” to name a few, and whose also tried his skills on the mic in years past to only modest results. For the record I couldn’t stand even the premise behind that Jay Z Interview record let alone the lack of execution, yet based on this latest project Hit-Boy’s raps seem to have mightily improved, where overall Tony Fontana would be a respectable release for any aspiring emcee let alone for an already established producer.
Hit-Boy - Race to Be King
“Was a Westbrook zero now I’m going for the triple, like my ***** Larry June I’m off the dribble” Hit-Boy is coasting over his own production and truthfully no critic could ever hear this and take any issue with the final product at all, this is solid all the way around.
Hit-Boy - Clocked In ft Rich The Kid
“I used to drip out the Rolls Royce, flexing on purpose got no choice, I can not fuck with them broke boys, pull out the foreign like ‘oh boy’” One of the newest rising stars from ATL comes through with one of the more high profile features off the project, which is somewhat surprising but also suggests that Hit-Boy definitely wants to be taken seriously as an emcee. Sure enough in that department the multi-faceted artist doesn’t disappoint and this record is a vibe and a certified heater 🔥🔥🔥.
Hit-Boy - Orange Grove (Chasing The Wind)
“I need ****** to acknowledge this, the USA has more jails than colleges, and what ain’t so common is common sense, man fuck the politicians and their politics” <<< FACTS 💎💎💎 Hit-Boy clearly has some substance in his music as well.
Snoop Dogg ft Dave East - Cripn 4 Life
“Had an advantage in the trap was good at math and shit, used to bag up to Doggystyle, you can't imagine this” Snoop & East trade 4 bar verses over MyGuyMars production and this one is exactly what it should be.
Zaytoven ft Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, & OJ Da Juiceman - What You Think
“What you think this is? Ayy, I woke up this morning counted half a M, yeah, Ooh yeah, what you think this yeah, what you think this is…” Ty Dolla laces the Zaytoven production and they shine the brightest on this single off Trap Holizay.
Zaytoven ft Plies, Trey Songz, & Trouble -
Black Privilege
“Only got one life that's for certain, tryna stay humble I'ma work 'em…” Songz comes correct on this record and Plies actually does his numbers as well 💯
Zaytoven ft ft Gucci Mane & 21 Savage - East Atlanta Day
“I just pulled up in a Lambo on East Atlanta Day” Those not familiar with Zaytoven must also not be familiar with Southern Hip Hop post-2005, as the likes of Gucci, Waka, Migos, Future, & Uzi Vert have all spit their gospel over the German born - Atlanta raised musician's production, and Zaytoven even has a Grammy Award for his production on Usher’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful Raymond vs Raymond album. His ace in this music industry however has always been Gucci, who once sold mixtapes out of the trunk together before their rise to fame (whereas Zaytoven has production credits on 11 of his 12 albums), and even over a decade later they’re still delivering their signature sound to this day.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie ft Davido - Way Too Fly
“I'm way too fly, shine in the night time, I'm a vampire but I don't bite, come outside when it's daylight” The BX will be well represented this Summer when A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie releases his project The International Artist, highlighted by this single that features Nigerian artist Davido on a record that was simply made for radio and is sure to do numbers 💲💲💲