Good vibes in a wide variety.
Welcome to the first weekly edition of Songs of the Week, where I choose 5 songs that I found myself loving over the week day and write about them. Today’s list features Kanye West & JAY-Z, Playboi Carti and Feng. Hopefully you press play and find yourself enjoying these songs as much as I did. Let’s get into it.
The smoothest voice in Detroit right now. Over a sample of Sade’s “Is It a Crime?”, Lelo skates his way through ideas of staying true to himself. If you didn’t know him before, you surely do now, because he leaves it all on the track with no regrets. His laid back attitude gives room for him to talk his shit.
Feng – “Soul 2 soul”
If you haven’t noticed, the late 2000s/early 2010s are back in full swing in the UK right now. Many of its rising talent are using the aesthetics from this time period as visual compliments to their music. On “Soul 2 soul”, Feng dives into topics of spiritual warfare, alerting those to be weary of fleshly desires over a glitchy, electro-pop inspired instrumental.
JAY-Z & Kanye West – “Made in America (feat. Frank Ocean)”
This may be an odd inclusion considering everything Kanye has said these past couple of weeks. That being said, don’t let his ignorance make you forget that he used to be capable of being profound on the mic. On this blissful Frank Ocean assisted track, he reflects on his rise from the overlooked producer-rapper who hustled his way to hip-hop royalty. Jay follows suit, pledging allegiance to staying true to people that made him and keeping the stories of the hustlers in his area alive.
Playboi Carti – “FOMDJ”
Featured on the deluxe edition for his recent album MUSIC, “FOMDJ” finds Carti raveling in the success of his career. Over blaring synths arranged by F1LTHY, Lukrative and Lucian, Carti takes it all in on percocets, ecstasy, and xanax. He’s got the money, the grace to never miss a meal and of course a woman at his hip who’s on-go-mode.
PlaqueBoyMax, Lancey Foux & 5STAR – “bizarre”
On this “In the Booth” cut, Lancey Foux rips into a booming 808 driven beat. For almost 90 seconds, he flexes fancy drinks, his unique sense of style and addresses haters in between. Best part about this track was watching him make it in 30 minutes. If he can pull this off within limited time constraints, imagine what’s capable of in a regular studio session.