Mellow vibes with a hint of in your face “rage”.
Welcome back to another edition of “Songs of the Week”. While the week felt exhausting at points due to the stresses of school and other external factors, it’s the music that will always carry me through. Let’s get into it.
slayr – “Poster Child (power 3)”
This young Philadephia native is a force to be reckoned with. On “Poster Child”, slayr has nothing to fear. He raps fluidly, showing off different flows on a self-produced beat that sounds like it belongs in a video game. His melodic range is also very striking to the ear, constantly switching up his vocal cadence which gives the track great energy. He’s going to be a big dog within the hip-hop world within a few month’s time, so be ready, this is only the beginning.
Isaiah Rashad – “Deep Blue (feat. Young Nudy)”
A mellow cut from the deluxe version of the TDE rapper’s 2021 album, The House is Burning. The song is a relaxed interpolation of the New Orleans bounce classic, “Get It Ready, Ready” by DJ Jubilee. Isaiah’s verse also features shouts to legends of the region such as Master P, Soulja Slim and Juvenile. I want to take a moment to highlight the Young Nudy feature on here. I believe Nudy is a chameleon within hip-hop, as not only his voice is distinct and unique, but his ability to blend in and fit the mold on features is undeniable. He’s got an undeniably hard but laid-back flow along with a knack for rhyming about street shit. He acknowleges that he might “talk about choppas a lot”, but I don’t want him to ever stop.
MIKE & Tony Seltzer – Dolemite (feat. Lunchbox)
https://instagram.com/p/DHogYFjRk0Z
Tri-State legend MIKE reunites with Brooklyn producer Tony Seltzer to collab ahead of their new release Pinball 2, the follow up to their psychic yet groovy album Pinball. “Dolemite” features Lunchbox, the Harlem native known for his screwy auto-tuned vocals and unhinged flows. This song feels like MIKE’s take on the “New Jazz” sound that was pioneered by Lunchbox back in 2023. It’s also worth noting this song was produced with the help of the young ivvys, who’s part of the sstepteam collective. The distinct and kick and snare in 1/3rd time signature along with the intricate hi-hat rolls are such a pleasure to listen to, as well as MIKE who lays down a tight verse.
UnoTheActivist – “It’s Pink”
Veteran Atlanta rapper UnoTheActivist finds himself floating on the spaced out, cloud beat produced by Dream Awake. “It’s Pink” showcases Uno’s one of a kind melodic flow that he pioneered back in the early SoundCloud days of the mid to late 2010s. He triplets his way through his verse while squealing “it’s pink” in the back. Uno’s music feels psychedelic and dreamlike, it’s perfect for zoning out, daydreaming or getting high.
Duwap Kaine – “Epic Fail”
A classic track from Duwap Kaine’s legendary run from 2018 to 2020. The ethereal Lean Sama production on this track along with Duwap’s punched in melodic verses are incredible. If you’re wondering what it feels like to be high on euphoria (substances really), look no further. He relishes in his drug usage, hedonistic lifestyle, and the success of his hustling, likening himself to Chief Keef and Lil Uzi Vert. I feel like this song (and many others from this run such as “Geeked Out My Body” and “Da Feeling”) are influenced by this sound (ex: 1oneam).