#lil uzi is an icon i love him.

[karinatheg]

Why Young Thug's RICO case is not about ending gang activity but something more profound.

Earlier this year, rappers Young Thug and his record label were arrested for their involvement in gang-related activity in Atlanta, GA. Many of their fans were upset about it because once someone gets charged with RICO crimes, it is over for them. That means that they will be in prison for many, many years. As a fan of the rapper, I was devastated when I heard he was looking at 50 to 70 years in prison. Young Thug has greatly impacted the rap community, from being one of the first "mumble" rappers to creating his iconic record label, Young Stoner Life (YSL). He paved the way for many rappers who would come out of the 2016 rap wave. Musicians like Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, and Lil Yachty all followed a similar style of music. Like many record labels, Young Thug helped out aspiring rappers with their careers, mentoring them and providing them with their careers. Although Young Thug has never been mainstream, he often collaborates with big-name rappers such as Drake and Travis Scott. Young Thug isn't only a musical genius. He is also a fashion icon because he breaks fashion boundaries in a very masculine industry.

The court is using song lyrics, fashion, and social media posts as evidence to convict him. To think that something such as an apparel piece can be used as evidence to indict someone for a serious crime, such as a RICO charge, is insane to me. When rappers write lyrics, they often rap about a time when their life was rough to cater to their audience who may be going through similar things. Not that racketeering and corrupt organizations are everyday things among rap fans. Rappers who were raised in a violent environment will often use their experiences to write their lyrics and paint a story. Fans will relate to bits and pieces of the lyrics and make that connection with the rapper. There have been other instances where rappers' lyrics have gotten them convicted of crimes such as murder to connections to gangs. The rapper YNW Melly was convicted of murdering someone, and his lyrics were used as evidence against him. When black rappers are arrested for a crime, their lyrics are used against them in court to look guilty. Young Thug touches base on how black artists will have their lyrics used against them in an interview with Hot 97’s Summer Jam. He says in the interview, “You know, this isn’t about just me or YSL. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and I see now that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom."

Black artists should have to change the way they want to express themselves creatively. Rap isn't a genre of music where they can be uplifting and positive 24/7 because many rap artists come from poor backgrounds with trauma that is unfortunately related to street violence. They should be able to write about their experiences and thoughts freely without having them used against them if they are arrested for crimes. I am not saying that Young Thug, YNW Melly, or other artists who have gone to jail for crimes are innocent, but we have to separate the art from the artists regarding serious crimes. Every state is different with laws and how they handle situations, but using black art to put black artists in jail is not something that should happen. Solid evidence should put criminals away, not their creations, that millions of people love.

[cottagecore]

@marxferatu LUSH IS GOOD

@swarmsofbees  i like death of a strawberry! ill check more of them out too

@churchgarden SUMMER SALT MADE ME NUT

@sayhiandstayhigh you already know i listen to them smh

[fr-msfrh]

Hey guys!

Looking back, ¾ of 2020 is been done. Here is a summary of my go-to tracks/albums so far. Listed works extends beyond the ones released in 2020.

As I was revisiting all my playlists, I have broken down the tracks into different categories. Other summary will be on separate posts.

Links: Khh [x] Krnb [x]

This posts is for major drops; mind-blowing, impactful, deeply enjoyable as a whole.

Links are clickable for easy reference :)

Iconic drops:

<x> Deepflow Founder Limited Edition <x> Loopy No Fear Deluxe edition <x> Esens Marigold Mixtape + Inst <x> YOX Captain America <x> Hilite Legacy <x> Xitsuh Spill <x> Ourealgoat 가족애를 품은 시인처럼 <x> Pop Smoke Shoot for The Star Aim for The Moon Deluxe ver <x> Juice Wrld Legends Never Die <x> Nipsey Hussle Victory Lap

Deepflow Founder to me is an extension of YangHwa. It gives me the same feels like Paloalto’s Chief Life, The Quiett’s 1 Life 2 Live. Beats are classic VMC style. Plus point, there is an instrumental disc for this album.

Loopy No Fear is epic. Although the beatmakers/ producers are not the same through out the album, the flow from one track to another is insanely well-made. You wouldn’t be able to tell that the tracks do not come from the same maker. You can say that Loopy does selects his beats pretty damn well; almost as if they were curated just for him. 

E Sens Marigold Mixtape should have been a album instead of just a mixtape. Combination of the classic beats & his rap flow is immaculate. There are also instrumentals for these??! ILY <3

Year of the OX Captain America addresses BLM & other current pressing issues faced by the poc. Using their platform to spread awareness to whoever is willing to listen to the struggles.

Hilite Records Legacy is a mix of lil bit of old skool & whole lotta new skool. With Evo & G2 back for 1 track each, It makes me reminisce the good old days when they were a solid part of Hilite. The youngins do add their own splash of colors in the album. Jo Wonwu from HSR did really good for all his verses, considering he been on the dl in the khh scene. Owell mood rap is a nice surprise for me.

Xitsuh Spill is hella wild. First of all, I couldn’t even tell it was him in the album cover?? Major glow-up it seems I guess. The track with Famous Dex kinda giving me a Lil Uzi Vert vibe, Kill this love track got me in ma feels with his rap-sing voice. Scale go up from 100 to 1000 through this album. 

Ourealgoat Like a Poet with Family Love is soooo underrated. Rap style is fresh, non-generic at all. Cater to rather niche audience. Produced, composed, arranged, mixed, mastered by himself?!?! The album artwork too is self-made. Bruhh, tell me who can do it better? The realest GOAT to me.

Pop Smoke Shoot for The Star Aim for The Moon deluxe album is soo good. The featurings are bomb; King Combs, Karol G, Jamie Foxx, Queen Najia. I can say fosho that if the clubs are open here in my country, tracks from this album & remixes will be blasting loud.

Juice Wrld Legends Never Die is such a mooooood. I can listen to it while I’m getting ready, in the commute, 2am in my room staring at the ceiling. Anytime! I love it sm <3 You can tell which khh artists are heavily influenced by this album too, same as for Pop Smoke’s album.

Nipsey Hussle Victory Lap is west coast vibe till the end. King shit, Legendary, Iconic.

[tyler777-freshfits]

Off-White

The brand Off-White, originally called Pyrex was made by Virgil Abloh back in the year 2012 where multiple brands tried to overtake each other. Virgil came from the designer/luxury brand Fendi where him and Kanye West met while interning. They then became close, with Kanye and Virgil working together during fashion shows and designing pieces of clothes for Kanye’s Yeezy line as well as Virgil’s Pyrex. He was studying to become a producer for artist like rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, but due to the success of the Pyrex Vision brand, he had a new vision instead of music. He found success with his Pyrex flannel, that was from cheap Ralph Lauren outlet flannels with just the Pyrex name printed on the back and front. Virgil bought these flannels for cheap at the outlets and just cut the tag out and printed his brand Pyrex on it, which to most designers before was a bad thing due to nobody ever seeing this happen. Well as the years continued Virgil inspired other brands like A$AP Bari’s Vlone, and Neek Lurk’s Anti Social Social Club to use Gildan and other plan blank brands, with just their name on it. This also saves money and time for the brand owners, instead of just producing the shirt themselves, they just have to print the name on the shirt. Of course though, theses people all got backlash from the fashion community, calling each of them unoriginal and not creative for doing this, but still people continued to support the brand even after the negativity. The main reason people continued to support the brand, is because celebrities, like Virgil’s friend Kanye West wore the brand these people made. This kept Off-White popularity or hype, high because of the influencers wearing the brand. Virgil has also had a lot of brands asking to collaborate, such as Louis Vuitton, Nike, Murakami, Rimowa, and much more, which also gave the brand more popularity and hype. The most well-known collaboration and most selling was the Nike x Off-White Ten Collection, which Virgil remade the most iconic Nikes into a more designer shoe. This was one of the best collection, because this also gave Louis Vuitton the idea to hire Virgil for their upcoming collections. Sadly although, since Virgil signed to Louis Vuitton, he is supposed to end the Nike and Off-White collection, with rumors of the last shoes and clothing lines with Nike and Off-White ending in late January. The Off-White brand has even overcame the Yeezy line and shoes with people wanting Off-White more than the Yeezy and Adidas line or collection. Virgil has also made some of the best moments in fashion, with Virgil previewing his Louis Vuitton collection at the Paris Fashion show and had a moment with Kanye West where they reunited after a few years and looked back on their time with the Fendi internship. Virgil also retook a picture of him and other designers like Kanye West and Just Don, which people compared to their earlier picture of them back in 2009. People said he had made the biggest streetwear and High-end brand of the year in 2017 where he also produce the music video for Lil Uzi Vert’s Xo Tour Lif3 which gave Virgil more followers and increased his brands sales. 

The brand has also stopped printing on Gildan and other blank shirts, where now they make their own clothes and designs. Personally I like Off-White because of it’s back-story with Virgil’s come up and I suggest people support the brand because if also supports equality and non-violence organizations, which has messages like Princess on men’s shirts or Feminist with the iconic quotations on handbags or skirts. The brand’s iconic quotations show unique messages and support groups, especially with the Nike collection with Air on the side of most of the shoes or on most of the shirts the words teenager or feminist on the shirt. I would highly recommend this brand to people that love streetwear and high-end designer clothes.

[calebdevelleksu]

Yo, Pass the Aux! Tiering the Most Influential  R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the 2010′s

What’s poppin everyone? For those of you who are new to this genre of music, that was a very well placed Jack Harlow reference (Jack Harlow is a rapper whose hit song “What’s Poppin” quickly reached legendary status)  Okay, okay, enough about Jack Harlow. We’re going to talk about a lot of heavy hitters in this blog post. Before I do that, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the fact that I have found a fun topic to write about. I can honestly say that I am enjoying myself now that I have found a platform to write and think freely. This blog will now be a safe space for anyone who loves music and is just as passionate about it as I am. Please, feel free to respond to any of my posts. I love the feedback, and I want to hear other people’s opinions. Alright, I am done with the introductory stuff. Let’s get into it. Imagine you and I are in a car with a luxury set of bass-boosted speakers. You pass me the auxiliary cord (which is a gesture that I hold very near and dear to my heart) and you tell me to play tracks from some of the most iconic and popular musicians of the past decade. Obviously, and I apologize in advance, I am going to play Drake first. I mentioned how much of a fanboy I am of him in my first post, so I am eliminating my very blatant bias early. He is definitely grade-A, and I can’t stress enough about how much his presence in this industry has been felt by music listeners everywhere. He has remained dominant over these years, and I believe it is his unique ability to rap and sing that has made him stand out over these years. Our second artist, who I am placing in the same tier as Drake, is none other than Drake’s very own mentor. He goes by many names, but for the sake of any rap rookies reading this post, I will call him by his stage name: Lil Wayne. Honestly, I wouldn’t believe a person if they were to tell me they have never heard of either of these two very distinguished gentleman. Wayne’s legacy speaks for itself. The reason I believe everyone knows this guy, is due to the very simple fact that “Weezy” has the second most features on other people’s songs (2nd to Snoop Dog, a name you are also probably familiar with). It is outstanding the work Lil Wayne has accomplished over the years, and any honest rap fan would tell you that he has easily earned a top-tier position for this era. Those two dudes have always been my favorites, since they were the very reason I got into rap. Some names that I must also give top-tier to, are Kayne West, Eminem, Jcole, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Nicki Minaj. Instead of giving you my reasoning for those guys, I am going to list some honorable mentions before I bring this post to a close. As far as influence goes, I have to recognize guys & gals like A$AP Rocky, Migos, Chief Keef, Travis Scott, Lil’ Uzi Vert, XXXtentacion, JuiceWRLD,  Post Malone,  Cardi B, and Playboi Carti. I have solid reasoning to defend each of my honorable mentions, as all of them have been able to produce billboard worthy songs, and generate loyal fanbases during this time. I am going to place Mac Miller in his own category, because he is special to me. I am sure others would agree. JuiceWRLD and XXXtentacion can be labeled as “sad rappers”, since their music was filled with pain and sorrow. Both are still very talented. I love them both. Their deaths caused many to grieve, and they will be missed. Playboi Carti has caused controversy within the rap community, since his music is one of the reasons the phrase “Mumple rapping” was coined. I left out so many others, but all of these guys are responsible for shifting the sound in one way or another. I did leave out a lot of my personal favorites, but those can wait for another time. 

[ashleyexpert]

21st Century: HipHop Legends Who Have Changed The Game

Music, for me, is therapeutic. For the good and bad days, I need it to keep me entertained and focused. For as long as I can remember, I have been a hip-hop fan. This is from the age of Bad Boys entertainment, DMX, Dr. Dre to when Lizzo and Cardi B are the new sensations. How much this industry has evolved is an understatement. People have come, seen, and concurred. The likes of Jay Z and Diddy have used music as the foundation for many other things. I am talking about business ventures, fashion, and other high-end investments. Others like Lil Uzi Vert were caught up, and he had to quit rap just to feel "normal." It's an industry that demands consistency, focus, and drive. Many of these rappers grew up in the projects. They all understand the struggle and what it means to get through life's hurdles. It was a way out for many people. Hip-hop is in itself a community and culture that has changed music as we know it.

It is interesting to see the new acts join the industry. Their authenticity is such a breath of fresh air. The music industry was not meant to be dominated by designated people. This is why K-pop's influence has been phenomenal throughout the globe. Many of the new artists have incorporated it into their unique style and performances. Watching Hip-hop Evolution on Netflix was eye-opening. It's a lifestyle that many of these rappers have embraced. With incoming new talent, hip hop has been a phenomenal powerhouse. As a lifestyle, it is responsible for some of the unique fashion trends, art, and slang. Hip-hop has been in existence since 1970. Well, it's a good time as any to acknowledge all the legends that made a difference.

Some of the renowned legends in the hip-hop game

1.      Dj Kool Herc

You know we had to start with this legendary man. Known as the father of hip-hop, all that we know originated from Dj Kool Herc. With his back to school jam, hip hop music was born in the Bronx, New York. We cannot probably celebrate hip hop without mentioning the founder of what we see now. His love for hip hop sound influenced more DJs to take this genre to great heights.

2.      Dr. Dre

He is still as popular as he was during the golden era. The Beats by Dr. Dre headphones revolutionized what music on the go meant. Also, they became some of the most iconic fashion statements in the world. He was a technology enthusiast with a great business mind that gave him an edge among his peers. But that aside, his influence is unforgettable. He is considered the world’s most respected voice on everything music and hip-hop.

3.      Snoop Dogg

I like Snoop. He comes out as really calm and collected. But for the longest time, he was a force to reckon with in the hip hop space. His debut album, the Doggy style was known as the most anticipated album in hip hop history. The 1996 release Tha Doggfather saw him introduce the rap and funk style in a singular sound. These two sounds had not been experimented on to determine success. The divergent styles have since become popular in this music genre.

4.      2Pac

The legendary 2Pac sparks so much controversy. But that aside, he was one of the greatest rappers of all time. He was an individual whose brilliance influenced a generation. Some of his famous quotes are about standing up for what you believe in. He was a revolutionary leader who rubbed many government officials the wrong way. In this period, gangster rap was quite popular. With his music and presentation, he motivated other rappers to be diverse in their approach to creativity. This was possible by incorporating their vulnerable side without affecting their credibility.

5.      Jay Z

If we could describe Jay Z, words that could be used are; witty, powerful, talented, and quick. Jay Z and Nas are known as some of the most powerful emcees in the hip hop world. Being a smart individual has seen him scale the heights of success. He moved from selling drugs to interacting with some of the world's powerful men and women. His creativity and business mind has seen him build an empire. He was named the first black billionaire rapper by Forbes. With skill and prowess, he pushed hip hop to even higher levels.

There are so many legends I have yet to include in the list. This, however, doesn't mean they didn't make any significant contributions to the industry. There is so much we can say about hip-hop. Like essay writing, hip hop equips you with transferable skills that can be useful in the future. It's been fifty years of Hip Hop, and with each new generation, they create their path and sound. I cannot wait to see how it evolves over the years.

[urban-l0vers]

AUC's Best Dressed NO. 3

We’ve reached the middle of the new semester which means a new edition of AUC’s Best Dressed! As you all know the Atlanta University Center is saturated with fashion enthusiasts, creatives, and overall people with great sense of style. I was able to catch up with more faces of the AUC with unique style and get more info on what inspires them.

Deonte Holton

"I get dressed for myself, and I stay in my zone. Less is more.""  -- Deonte Holton

Meet Deonte Holton, a 21 year old from Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently attending Clark Atlanta University as a senior studying Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Public Relations. He would describe his personal style as “high fashion dad looks” due to his comfortable lifestyle and love for high fashion. It is a combination of staying in his zone, but with pieces you wouldn’t see on anyone else. His favorite stores consist of Jeffrey being that it is unique and carries unique items. Deonte’s fashion icon is Greg Ntore, a stylist for SSENSE. His style is very settle, and he loves the fact that he doesn’t have to do much to get dressed. You don’t have to be extra.

Deonte currently works at Jeffrey Atlanta located in Phipps Plaza where he gets to express his creativity through people; helping people with different outfits for different events. Knowing people trust his opinion or even asks him for fashion advice lets him know he’s doing something right. From this outcome, Deonte has a blog coming soon that focuses on telling his story — Giving his audience a description on life trying to make a name for himself in this industry as well as an outlook on his day to day life as a gay black man so be on the look out for that! @de0nte

Dei’Ray Ceaser

Dei’Ray Ceaser better known as Ray is 19 from New Orleans, Louisiana. Ray is currently a sophomore at Morehouse College majoring in Computer Science with a focus in 3D Animations. As of last semester, Ray has been modeling with the AUC Agency where he has met many people who inspire him and push him to be himself. Before the agency, he was influenced by tumblr pre 2016. Since then he’s been wearing and styling unorthodox fits to represent his moods. Music has been a big influence since Ray was young, growing up to jazz and artists like Hot Boys, Asap Mob, pro era etc. Now Ray listens to a lot of emo rap and artists like Carti, Uzi, and Xavier Wulf which brings out his rockstar moods and fits. His favorite store is the thrift store because everything is cheap and it has many unorthodox pieces to compliment his style. His favorite brands are Y-3, Acne, Gosha, and 424. and his favorite designer is Raf Simons or Alessandro Michele. @rayfrmearth

Unique Akinloye

Unique Akinloye is 19 from Trumbull, Connecticut. She is a sophomore at Spelman as a Dual Degree Chemistry and Chemical Engineering major. Unique grew up surrounded by the beauty/fashion industry because of her mom’s occupation as a hairstylist. She attended a lot of beauty events growing up such as IBS New York, NYFW, and Bronner Bros hair show. Akinloye would describe her style as a mix of chic, streetwear, simple, and cozy. She mainly shops online at Heroine, Zara, Depop, Urban Outfitters, and she also thrifts. Her fashion icon is Rihanna and her style inspiration stems from New York because she always sees something cool whenever she’s there.

Unique is apart of an organization called Empowering Through Beauty Foundation — The organization focuses on providing beauty services to women and young girls in underserved communities. Unique has also interned at Estée Lauder over the summer doing research in the product development lab. With her major, she plans on going deeper into the beauty industry. @unique.sade

Tanasia Walker

Meet Tanasia Walker a 21 year old student at Clark Atlanta University from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tanasia is a senior at Clark where she studies Mass Media Arts. Tanasia would consider herself a minimalist. She doesn’t care for the current trend of fast flashy fashion, but rather enjoys simple high quality pieces. Tanasia’s love for simplicity grew tremendously after her trip to Paris last Spring. There she was able to see firsthand how French people people dress which opened her eyes to a whole new world of fashion. Every designer piece you wear doesn’t have to show that it is designer. She appreciates designers who put their efforts into their quality rather than the monograms. Her favorite store right now is Zara. Her favorite designer is Simon Porte Jacquemus because she appreciates his simple yet quality pieces. Tanasia says, “Anyone who knows me knows I love Rihanna.” Rih was the first to show her what a true trendsetter was. She wears whatever she wants and still manages to look amazing.

Aside from fashion Tanasia uses writing as an outlet to express herself. Vogue Magazine introduced her to fashion writing and the world of magazines. She is currently working on curating her own website that will allow her to showcase her writings and personal style. @tanasianajae

Kyla Angello

"Do not put yourself in a box, there's too many looks out here to kill."  -- Kyla Angello

Kyla Angello, 19, is a sophomore Psychology major attending Spelman College from Lawtrell, Louisiana. When it comes to Kyla’s style there is no blueprint. There is never one particular look that she goes for because she loves to explore outside of the boundaries of fashion. She is very intrigued by individuality so depending on the day, her looks range from bold, statement wear to simple statements to chill streetwear. Kyla’s absolute favorite stores are Zara and Akira. Both stores are filled with statement pieces that cater to your individual sense of style. If she had to choose one current fashion icon it would be Blair Eadie. Her style inspiration comes from within. She does not necessarily look to to other people for style inspiration, however, if there is a concept that she sees potential in she will seize the opportunity to make it her own.

Outside of the Spelman community, Kyla allows everyday life experiences and hardships to fuel her creativity. She truly believes in beauty behind the madness. Most importantly, she believes in presenting her passions in a way that will be both appealing as well as inspiring to the community. For this reason, she created HerWay. HerWay is a fashion and lifestyle blog specifically centered around individuality. @kylabrionne

Delaney James-Grant

Meet Delaney James-Grant a sophomore, 19, attending Clark Atlanta University majoring in Fashion Design from Brooklyn, New York. She describes her style as very tomboyish and relaxed. She loves to dress comfortable. She loves baseball hats so almost all of her outfits have to include one. Delaney loves to shop at thrift stores, Urban Outfitters, and Zara. Her fashion icons are Dej Loaf and Lil Uzi. Her biggest style inspirations are her friends. They all have unique dressing styles so it’s easy to feed off one another. Delaney has been designing clothes for a while and she usually finds inspo from the clothing she has, Just going out and shopping allows her to express her creativity because she sketches ideas from clothes that she wants or already owns. @delaneyjayy Hope you all enjoyed the third edition of AUC’s Best Dressed. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Who should we feature for the next edition?

[mrwilliamcharley]

Dropout To Speaker, Lil Pump Set To Give Harvard Commencement

After releasing his two-year in the making highly-anticipated new album, Harverd Dropout, it was announced that Warner Bros recording artist Lil Pump will be giving this year’s commencement speech at the prestigious Harvard University.

Confirmed by the WHRB Harvard Radio, the 18-year-old “ESSKEETIT” hitmaker was handpicked by Harvard and will be labeled, “youngest commencement speaker in history”. Following an iconic list of speakers including Oprah, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Many easily recognized this as a promo stunt for both the university and star whom just released an album of the similar title.

Proclaiming his lost the album in 2017, Lil Pump’s latest effort is a 16-track full-length featuring hit singles, “I Love It”, “Racks on Racks”, and “Butterfly Doors”. For Dropout, Pump enlists the support of Hip-Hop’s biggest acts including, YG, 2 Chainz, Quavo, Offset, SmokePurpp, Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye West, and more. Stream the new album on Spotify below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Upon announcement, fans instantly began asking what the Florida sensation will say during his speech along with how did they pick him if he didn’t graduate from Harvard.

“You don’t gotta graduate from Harvard to do this speech,” said Pump in a statement. “I dropped out, so they called me like they called the guy that made Windows and PCs and shit before I was born. You just need a cap and gown, which I got. When I found out, I was happy to give everyone a lesson. I’m all about the youth. Yes, they are the future. This is a preview of my speech, one word: ESSKEETIT!!!!!!”

Harvard’s 368th Commencement ceremony will take place on May 30th 2019. In support of his new album release, Lil Pump unveiled the Lil Wayne-featured visual for the track “Be Like Me”. The third video release off the album via Warner Bros.

WATCH LIL PUMP & LIL WAYNE NEW VIDEO, “BE LIKE ME”

STAY IN THE KNOW, FOLLOW RUN THE TRAP’S ‘RUN THE BLOCK’ PLAYLIST

'Dropout To Speaker, Lil Pump Set To Give Harvard Commencement

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[americasweek-blog]

Shoota - Playboi Carti Featuring Lil Uzi Vert | Playboi Carti decided to come through today and surprise fans with the release of his long awaited debut album Die Lit.

Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert are two cornerstones of what has pejoratively been called “mumble rap,” but in reality, they are basically on opposite ends of the SoundCloud spectrum: Carti is impulse-driven, often in an appealing “no fucks given” way, and Uzi is adrenalized and tune-powered, highly choreographed and remarkably polished. In all of their team-ups, including “woke up like this*,” Uzi takes the lead and Carti fills the requisite space. The clash of their conflicting oddball styles makes for some unconventional hip-hop. Their latest collaboration, “Shoota,” from Carti’s surprise album, Die Lit, is no different, but the gap between them is shrinking. This is the closest they’ve ever come to being on the same page. Even so, “Shoota” is still a pleasantly weird little track that defies traditional song-making logic. Another interesting change on Die Lit is the considerably high-volume amount of guest features. Lil’ Uzi Vert makes a return on the continuously swelling skyrocket “Shoota,” but he’s the only returning voice. This time, Carti is joined by an eclectic mix of collaborators, including Pi’erre, who picks up the mic for two tracks. For the most part, these collaborations don’t exactly mirror the slightness and simplicity of Carti’s rap style, and the contrast can either dilute the vibe or create an interesting dynamic. Looking to highlight one of the early standouts, other than “Love Hurts” with Travis, here goes the song with Lil Uzi Vert called “Shoota,” which fans should appreciate. Over production from Maaly Raw, Uzi & Carti deliver another catchy & melodic street cut that finds Uzi handling the first & second verses, while Carti takes care of the chorus & 3rd verse. Listen as the two rap about having shooters by their side & boast about their icy jewelry in this melodic follow up to "Bankroll." Thoughts? In the case of the Atlanta-reared 21-year-old hypebeast icon Playboi Carti, it is tempting to talk about his style as an exercise in destructing language—more than just about any other current hip-hop luminary off Soundcloud or on. But perhaps it’s most accurate to say that Carti’s music represents a radical and consummate collaborative vision, shared between him, his star-studded circle of sympathetic collaborators, and his strangely unimpeachable team of chosen producers. With two albums in 13 months, Playboi Carti has transformed himself from the Jay Electronica of mumble rap to the JAY-Z of mumble rap. His second full-length, Die Lit, is a 19-track exercise in infectious repetitions and blown-out bass. And yet, buried in the warped sounds of the mostly Pi’erre Bourne-produced album sits “Shoota,” a gorgeous, gleaming collaboration with fellow punk-minded convention-breaker Lil Uzi Vert. Amidst the sumptuous haze of the rest of the project, “Shoota” sounds like a moment of clarity. Yeah Now, now is my time Now is my time Tha-tha-tha-th-th-that be Maaly Raw Everybody rock with me because I'm up now Took your girl and I'ma score, like I made the touch-down Swervin' and the Lambo doors go up, not on the bus now Used to want a G-Shock, now I'm walking with a bust down Pull up and I'm flooding with an iced out watch Whip it look like butter baby, pecan drop Pecan drop, put that four in some drop Stack my knots, count a lot, saw a lot Got them rocks, diamond rocks, whip the pot Suicide, 1600, that's the block Hit your girl that's check free She ain't used to text me Now she wanna caress me She keep tryna neck me I got' tell my bestie, someone call my bestie Think I found my bestie, link up make the check bleed You know that I'm smoking dope, I'll be high til' next week Know I had to let her go, 'cause she can't arrest me Woke up with my toolie, what it do? Meet me in the alley with the troops I got red shooters, I got blue Let that thing down then point at you Bentley or that Rari, hoe, let's choose We gon' the rob the bank, bring the loot We gon' take the boy back to school Money on the floor just like some shoes Money on the floor just like some shoes I'ma fuck your thot, she just a swoop (huh) I'ma fuck your thot, she just a swoop, (huh, yeah) And I love my goons, (yeah) and I love my tool (yeah) And I love my loot (yeah) Fuck with me and you gon' lose Don't talk to me just talk to my lil' dude Don't talk to me just talk to my lil' dude Woke up with my toolie, what it do? Meet me in the ally with the troops I got red shooters, I got blue Let that thing down then point at you Bentley or a Rari, ho, let's choose We gon' the rob the bank, bring the loot We gon' take the boy back to school Money on the floor just like some shoes Playboi Carti Tweets by playboicarti Read the full article

[wavelengthintl]

Top Tracks Of 2017

10. Rico Nasty - Glo Bottles

The story of DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) rapper Rico Nasty is pretty remarkable. She released her first mixtape when she was 16 and still in high school. At some point during her senior year she became pregnant, however the baby’s father, who she describes as her best friend, died before he even knew he was going to have a child. She sunk into a depression, barely graduated, and was a single mom at the age of 18. After her child was 10 months old she started rapping again, and grinded from obscurity to the soundtrack of the Fate Of The Furious, the soundtrack of HBO’s Insecure, and this year’s top 40 rap albums list on Rolling Stone Magazine. This was all done without the support of a major label. When she talks about things like now having a “new whip every day” you genuinely feel happy for her as a person.

9. Pabllo Vittar - K.O.

Pabllo Vittar is an openly gay Brazilian drag queen who is now officially the most followed drag queen on Instagram, surpassing even RuPaul. She was bullied in school as a teen for her feminine voice and demeanour, then began doing drag at the age of 18. In 2014 she was discovered via YouTube and made her first television appearance. Her fame began to skyrocket the following year after releasing “Open Bar,” a Portuguese version of Major Lazer’s “Lean-On.” This year Major Lazer compounded her notoriety even further by featuring her in their original production “Sua Cara.” She was also featured on Charlie XCX's Pop 2 album, had the most-in-demand song of Brazil’s carnival, signed an official deal with Coca Cola Brazil, and cracked 100 million plays on both of her single releases. Her heavy usage of LBGTQ-affirming imagery and her vocal criticism of some of the countries conservative figures have made her a rallying point for Brazil's LBGTQ population, as well as those disillusioned with the encroaching conservative political establishment.

8. Lil Pump - Flex Like Ouu

Seventeen-year-old Florida Rapper Lil Pump is a lot like a Marvel movie. If you go into a Marvel movie looking for something that’s a dead-ringer to the comics you’re going to be disappointed. You have to just interpret each movie as its own thing, independent from the comics. Similarly, when you approach the music of Lil Pump you have to forget about rap music. Forget about Kendrick, forget about Big L and all those other old-head icons, and just interpret this music as existing inside a vacuum. When you do that it becomes more apparent why the sound of artists like Pump and Smokepurpp have become so infectious. A lot of times when artists try to add energy to a track they do so by being obnoxious, with brostep being perhaps the most egregious example of this. These artists, on the other hand, figured out how to create incredibly hype tracks by taking the stripped-down nature of trap music and adding this highly repetitive lyrical delivery. It’s a formula that’s really simple and efficient, and also easy for other Soundcloud rappers to replicate. I see a lot of similarities between the music of Lil Pump and genres like grime and kuduro. Even though it’s built off of hip-hop it’s essentially its own thing. The reason why old-heads are angry is because this isn’t happening in East London or Angola, it’s happening on American soil. Old-heads are shook at the prospect of someone in their own backyard gaining notoriety by yelling the same three words over and over while being associated with rap. Meanwhile the rest of the world is like hey welcome to the club we had this like 15 years ago.

7. Ski Mask The Slump God - Catch Me Outside

According to Pigeons & Planes, 21-year-old Ski Mask The Slump God is one of the most “inventive and compelling” figures to emerge from the rising school of Florida rappers, and for good reason. If anyone can reconcile the growing gap between old heads and fans of new-school rap it’s him. According to Ski Mask himself he’s lyrical, but not lyrical. In other words he has the intricately crafted wordplay that old heads value, but he delivers it with the based “I don’t really care what I’m saying” aspect of the new school. The music video itself is a testament to his ability to unite both worlds. His decision to rap over the 1999 Missy Elliott and Timbaland beat for “She’s A Bitch” earned praise from Missy Elliott herself. Ski Mask was also praised by Isaiah Rashad, who said he was upset at “how tight this nigga Slump God is.” On the other hand, the video appears on the channel of video producer Cole Bennett, one of the central hubs for the emerging new wave of rap. Two of Ski Mask’s recent tracks, “My Mind” and “Achoo!” have veered off into more experimental territory, signalling that this artists definitely harbours surprises that remain to be seen in the new year.

6. Shy Luv - Lungs

One time on a 20+ minute drive home I listened to this song on repeat the entire way, then when I pulled up to my house I sat in the car and listened to it like four times, then I went inside and listened to it again. Anytime a song provokes that reaction it's a good indication that it should probably be on some year end list.

5. Lorde - Perfect Places

Pretty much everyone who listens to music in this solar system was in unanimous agreement that Lorde’s sophomore release "Melodrama" is a masterpiece. This is evidenced by the grammy nomination for Album of the Year, numerous top 10 finishes in “best albums of 2017” lists, and Rolling Stone Magazine comparing her to Kate Bush. For a major pop release it has a tremendous level of depth and intellectualism that far surpasses Lorde’s age of 21.  A problem that some major pop artists face is switching to some trendy micro-genre then sounding unnatural, like the time Justin Bieber threatened to release a dubstep track, the first time Katy Perry did trap, or Lady Gaga going Americana to tap into the normie market. On Melodrama every track sounds like Lorde, and being able to firmly establish such a dynamic musical identity at that young of an age is also a testament to her power level. This could legitimately be the rise of the next Kate Bush.

4. Tei Shi - Keep Running

In 2015 I listed Argentinian-Canadian singer Tei-Shi’s song “Bassically” as my top song of the year. That track was one of the main reasons why pop music is still one of my most listened-to genres. It represented this whole movement that year of pop music’s indie side coming into the foreground, or of pop music with a high degree of artistic value suddenly becoming visible. At the time, I described it as pop music coming into its own. The same could be said of Tei Shi now, except this time she has an entire debut album “Crawl Space” to back it up. Her music continues to showcase the depth that pop music on the whole can have, and why it’s no longer the anathema of the underground, but an extension of it.

3. Charlotte Day Wilson - Work

Nylon Magazine called 24-year-old Canadian singer Charlotte Day Wilson “the next best thing out of Toronto.” The Star described her essence as “subdued soul, rich vocal texture and instrumental acuity.” According to Now Toronto she’s become a queer icon in the city, and she hopes to create space for women in music to flourish. I think one of my favourite memories from last year was wandering the streets of Budapest listening to this song on repeat.

2. Austra - I Love You More Than You Love Yourself

This was definitely a Facebook newsfeed discovery. Austra is a four-piece band from Toronto fronted by Katie Stelmanis. This song is from the group’s album “Future Politics,” and according to the album’s page on Domino Records it’s a “collection of urgent, but disciplined anthems for dancefloor and headphones, [and] asks each of us to remember that apocalypse is not an inevitability, but the product of human decision-making.” Although the write-up goes on to describe the album in ways that make it seem like a manifesto, I definitely heard “Utopia,” the album’s other main single, playing in Earl’s once. It will probably end up on some Netflix show at some point. This is the power of pop music, it can make critical statements but still be accessible at the same time.

1. Lil Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3

Last year, for the first time in history, hip-hop dethroned rock as the most consumed genre in the U.S., and I think it’s largely because of artists like Uzi Vert.

I held off on writing this one for a while because I wanted to actually do research to find out why emo rap in particular seems to have become the soundtrack of the contemporary urban youth. Thankfully I didn’t have to search too far, because this Pitchfork article (link below) perfectly summarizes it.

Unlike gangster rappers and some earlier trap rappers, emo rap has an aesthetic that doesn’t only speak to one demographic, but rather to the struggles that youth often face on the whole. Whereas rap music previously presented black communities as bastions of lawlessness governed by hyper masculinity and street bravado, lines like “Please Xanny make it go away” transcend racial boundaries and redefine the notion of how black men should present themselves in the performance of hip-hop.

In terms of the actual construction of the music itself, I think it’s worth noting that the spacey, atmospheric nature of Uzi Vert’s beats basically came from a subculture on Soundcloud that couldn’t find anything to relate to in their immediate environment, so they turned to the internet. This is evidenced by Uzi Vert citing Marilyn Manson as one of his biggest influences.

These beats, combined with the subject matter, combined with the anime-inspired outfits, mean that emo hip-hop right now is speaking to the largest population segment out of any genre. In 2018 old heads are going to keep being angry at music like this, but while they’re 45-years-old complaining in a basement somewhere, listening to Naughty By Nature, drinking AGD and playing Goldeneye 64, the rest of the world is experiencing rappers like Uzi Vert taking hip-hop to completely new heights.

https://pitchfork.com/…/1481-to-be-young-angsty-and-black-…/

[soundofawesomeblog]

100 songs for the ultimate 2017 playlist: this is Estelle’s picks for the best DAMN. tracks of the year.

2017 is the year when everyone is tired of all the bullshit. It is the year when you can’t just be a silent witness. It is the year when whistleblowers brought horrible people down, some of which managed to keep a shiny facade for decades all while being pieces of crap behind closed doors. It is the year (Afro-)American football athletes acted like heroes. It is the year Australia voted in favour of same-sex marriage and realized that love was the answer.

Don’t get me wrong: 2017 was horrible in an awful lot of ways. But we need to look at the positive if we want to be able to advance in 2018. Many artists felt the need to address the state of the world as it is right now and managed to make diamonds from the coal. Some were confrontational, some were loving and caring. But all of the artists behind the 100 songs on this list helped on their own scale to make our lives more bearable. 

As usual, this is my personal list of the best jams of 2017; Léa's list of 100 songs and Mathieu’s choices are also available now. If you want more music, you can revisit my lists of 2014, 2015 and 2016. This time, however, the top 50 tracks will come with a short description so you can know what to expect from them.

100. Cardi B – Bodak Yellow 99. Nilufer Yanya – Golden Cage 98. Wolf Alice – Don’t Delete The Kisses 97. Priests – Nothing Feels Natural 96. Tove Lo – Disco Tits 95. Vince Staples – Crabs In A Bucket 94. Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano 93. Future – Mask Off 92. Tops – Petals 91. Cuesta Loeb – Grass It Grows 90. Sleigh Bells – Rainmaker 89. Kesha – Praying 88. Tyler, The Creator feat. ASAP Rocky – Who Dat Boy 87. Father John Misty – Pure Comedy 86. Remo Drive – Art School 85. French Montana feat. Sae Lee – Unforgettable 84. Miguel – Told You So 83. MØ – Nights With You 82. SZA feat. Travis Scott – Love Galore 81. Methyl Ethel – Ubu 80. Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling 79. Alex Lahey – I Haven’t Been Taking Care Of Myself 78. Paramore – Hard Times 77. Jay-Z - The Story of O.J. 76. Charly Bliss – Westermarck

75. King Krule - Dum Surfer 74. The Courtneys - Minnesota 73. LCD Soundsystem – tonite 72. Jay Som – Baybee 71. Slowdive – Don’t Know Why 70. Charli XCX feat. Uffie – Babygirl 69. Lorde – Perfect Places 68. Kelly Lee Owens feat. Jenny Hval – Anxi. 67. Haim – Want You Back 66. Naomi Elizabeth – When You Got The Best You’re Like Wow 65. Japandroids – North East South West 64. Hannah Diamond - Never Again 63. Washed Out – Get Lost 62. BROCKHAMPTON – GUMMY 61. Mura Masa feat. Charli XCX – 1 Night 60. Lana Del Rey feat. The Weeknd – Lust For Life 59. Tkay Maidza & Danny L Harle - Bom Bom 58. Phoebe Bridgers – Motion Sickness 57. St. Vincent – Los Ageless 56. Charly Bliss – Percolator 55. Haim – Right Now 54. Real Estate – Darling 53. Pale Waves – There’s A Honey 52. Makthaverskan – In My Dreams 51. Julien Baker – Appointments

50. Saya - Cold Fire

Canadian newcomer Saya proves that the coolest pop happens North of the border with Cold Fire, the sonic equivalent to a dark thick and sexy cloud of smoke. And it feels just as dangerous as the title implies it.

49, Beach Fossils – Down The Line

Driven by a bouncy bass line worthy of Joy Division, Down the Line sees Beach Fossils revealing a 4am indie text message of a track, a low-key anthem to living a slacker life and trying to find someone to share it with.

48. Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean & Migos – Slide

Calvin Harris created with Slide the dancefloor number we always knew Frank Ocean had in him, with inspiration from Thinking 'Bout You's echoed handclaps and Nikes' pitched up vocal hook. More important, Ocean sounds fun in a way we rarely see in his solo work. Migos' verses only add more spice.

47. The Drums – Blood Under My Belt

One of the best songs of the summer, Blood Under My Belt is a catchy slice of effortless indie pop that should stand the test of time like The Drums' best material for decades to come.

46. Lorde – Supercut

Lorde embodies the millennial generation through one of our best guilty pleasures: supercut videos. The song feels as dizzying as the lyrics, with various moving parts stitched together better than any supercut you'll find on YouTube.

45. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.

Kendrick Lamar's attack mode is something to behold. On DNA. he raps about his blackness and attacks FOX News' divisive and clueless stances, all while riding one of the hardest beat of the year on the track's back end.

44. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar

Selena Gomez gets serious indie cred for sampling Psycho Killer's bass line, and the fact that it's pretty much all that backs her up on Bad Liar showcases her talent as a charismatic interpret for this year's best low-key pop moment.

43. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Over Everything

Two of the greatest slack-rock icons of today pair up for some serious hammock soundtrack as Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile stop time together in the chilliest of ways on Over Everything.

42. Björk - The Gate

"It’s about rediscovering love", said Björk to Dazed about her latest album, Utopia. Lead single The Gate showcases the veteran artist surrounded by reverb and deep love, pleading for the unnamed "you" to care for her until Arca's production finally takes over.

41. LCD Soundsystem - call the police

James Murphy and his friends have lost nothing of their dance-punk instincts and LCD Soundsystem builds another snowballing number with call the police, a track that becomes so manic you might as well text the cops.

40. Colour Of Spring - Love

Leeds' best-kept secret, Colour of Spring is yet to release a full album, but Love sounds like it came from a classic shoegaze band with years of experience, all while keeping the urgency of someone trying to break out into the scene.

39. Kelela - LMK

Kelela came of age on Take Me Apart, her first full-length album and LMK is the sound of an artist finding her own, unique lane. Here, Kelela mixes Smooth R&B vocals to a bass-heavy beat from the future.

38. (Sandy) Alex G - Bobby

(Sandy) Alex G's latest album was a little less lo-fi than his earlier works, but Bobby proves that he can still make charming and honest folk music when he wants. Emily Yacina's voice only adds more warmth to a track as comfortable as a blanket.

37. The War On Drugs - Holding On

Channeling the gods of classic rock and indie, The War On Drugs deliver one of the band's most immediate and blown up song of its catalogue with the urgent Holding On.

36. Mac Demarco - My Old Man

Freak folk icon Mac DeMarco realizes he is becoming like his father in the worst ways on My Old Man, but his trademark no fuss delivery renders his uh-ohs as charming as he can be.

35. Lil Uzi Vert - XO TOUR Llif3

The exact moment where grunge, SoundCloud, hip-hop and mainstream collided together, XO TOUR Llif3 is one of the most depressing but also fascinating singles to make it to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

34. Kevin Morby - City Music

Even with a limited set of lyrics, folk rock artist Kevin Morby channels his inner Marquee Moon on the ambitious City Music, a musical trip that starts with a soothing guitar riff and turns into a damn fine jam.

33. Miguel feat. Travis Scott - Sky Walker

It's no news that Miguel can do sexy, but with Sky Walker, he injects a whole dose of fun and raunchy one-liners to his music for a smooth party number.

32. Alvvays - In Undertow

On In Undertow, indie pop darlings Alvvays' comeback single, the Canadian band sounds more direct and confident than ever. With its waves of guitar wooshes and Molly Rankins’ unique voice, it’s a real heartthrob. 

31. Frank Ocean - Chanel

Frank Ocean is on a streak; after releasing the outstanding Blonde in 2016, he came back with several singles in 2017. On Chanel, he blurs the lines between rapping and crooning, carrying the sparse production all the way over the high expectations he now has to deal with.

30. Alice Glass - Without Love

God bless Alice Glass and her comeback. There was no better way to start the next chapter of her career than with such a devastating electropop single, one where she channels a mix of the darkest parts of Samus from Metroid and Grimes for unique results.

29. SZA - Drew Barrymore

Perhaps the biggest revelation of 2017, SZA exposes all of her flaws and insecurities on Drew Barrymore, an honest R&B ballad set to a gin-fuelled backbeat. Her skilful flow in the verses is only a bonus.

28. Miya Folick - Give It To Me

Miya Folick showcases a sweet voice over a sparse guitar riff until she really, really wants you to give it to her. Then, her voice launches into the stratosphere as goosebumps emerge from your entire body.

27. Slowdive - Sugar For The Pill

Sugar for the Pill is quite the ballad, but it is still the most pop Slowdive has ever been with Neil Halstead's voice front and center over the dreamy guitars.

26. Vince Staples - Big FIsh

Don't let the banging beat or an uncredited Juicy J fool you with its club-ready hook; Vince Staples is not praising partying, money and booze on Big Fish. He instead reflects on his past misfortunes and how he can try to leave it behind him.

25. Thundercat - Friend Zone

No one did groovy in 2017 the way Thundercat did. Friend Zone is the best example of this, with its dizzying synths, bouncy bass line and Thundercat's unique voice.

24. Jay Som - The Bus Song

Jay Som is a low-key girl. She makes bedroom pop and likes the bus. Yet on The Bus Song, she hints at bigger ambitions with her rich arrangements and undeniable sense of melody. 

23. Jay-Z - 4:44

One year after Beyoncé called him out for cheating on Lemonade, Jay-Z takes the blame and faces how he fucked up on 4:44. And unlike the wave of apologies that came out in the last few months, this one feels sincere. Oh, and it's got quite the beat too.

22, Waxahatchee - Never Been Wrong

Katie Crutchfield opens her fourth album as Waxahatchee with a solid rock single, ready to defeat someone who wronged her badly - and who is definitely going to regret it.

21. Screaming Females - Glass House

This post-punk number is driven by an incessant bassline and start-stops from the rest of the band while Marissa Paternoster gives an unforgettable vocal performance.

20. The xx - I Dare You

Oliver Sim and Romy's voices intertwine perfectly on I Dare You, pleading to fall in love over a Jamie xx beat that recalls the band’s early days.

19. Charly Bliss - Glitter

Real glitter is apparently as toxic to the environment than the relationship Eva Hendricks details in this track, one that matches powerpop and indie aspirations with melody, fun and one hell of a hook.

18. Pierre Kwenders - Sexus Plexus Nexus

Polyglot, Montréal-based Pierre Kwenders offers a smooth as hell mix of world music on Sexus Plexus Nexus, a track that should bring bodies closer to each other on any dancefloor.

17. Tyler, The Creator feat. Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy - 911/Mr. Lonely

Tyler, The Creator enlists Steve Lacy and Frank Ocean for a breezy complaint about being lonely on 911, a trend he flips on the Mr. Lonely part of the song. There, he quits playing games and admits that he can't even lie, he's been lonely as fuck.

16. Mount Eerie - Real Death

Death became a common theme in music lately, and Mount Eerie's mourning of his wife on Real Death might be the most honest, direct and arresting testament of grief yet.

15. The War On Drugs - Thinking Of A Place

It's not the first trick in the book to release a comeback single that runs for eleven minutes. But The War On Drugs pulls it off with Thinking Of A Place, a song that embraces classic and indie rock in a laidback way. After all, we've got all our time.

14. Slowdive - Slomo

Slowdive's Slomo is seven minutes of pure bliss. Three decades in the scene, the British band manages to bring a track that already sits up there as one of the best shoegaze anthems.

13. Khalid - Young Dumb & Broke

"Yeah we're just young, dumb and broke, but we still got love to give" sings the newly Grammy nominated Khalid. Here, he delivers a laidback anthem for a generation that has nothing else to do but get high and live its life like there are still plenty of tomorrows.

12. St. Vincent - New York

St. Vincent is now an insane BDSM lord, but her most powerful single in 2017 was still a tender ballad called New York. Is it a love letter to the city? To David Bowie? To her ex? No answer can be as satisfying as the way she says "motherfucker" in the track.

11. Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

Julien Baker knows how to strip naked her emotions in her songs. In Turn Out the Lights' finale, she lets it all out as she realizes she needs to get out of her lowest point on her own.

10. Julie Byrne - Natural Blue

Singer-songwriter Julie Byrne looks as peaceful as ever on the cover of her latest indie folk album Not Even Happiness, and highlight ballad Natural Blue feels just as comforting.

9. Japandroids - No Known Drink Or Drug

All Japandroids songs are propelled by a crunchy riff and a big rush of passion. No Known Drink Or Drug just happens to pack an unmatched level of it all, as rock and love triumphs in a truly life-affirming anthem.

8. Alvvays - Dreams Tonite

Dreams Tonite unfolds like a flower in Spring, with Molly Rankin's voice as sweet as a late-night milkshake for a soothing and timeless twee pop number.

7. Perfume Genius - Slip Away

The single most uplifting moment in a song this year comes exactly 49 seconds into Slip Away. Perfume Genius opens the curtains wide to show his love to the world in the loudest chamber pop number.

6. Kendrick Lamar - HUMBLE.

Kendrick never really left, but HUMBLE. hits harder than any comeback. Kung Fu Kenny's first solo #1 saw him take the throne and shut down all pretenders as hip-hop biggest force.

5. Lorde - Green Light

Lorde is all grown up now and she knows how to build a memorable, if quirkily constructed, hit single. Green Light is the sound of a popstar hitting her zeitgeist, a dance song that feels vital.

4. Charli XCX - Boys

My favorite emoji lately has hearts in lieu of eyes and Boys sounds like its favorite song. Here, Charli gets lost in her pretty boys' fantasies, laying in a bed full of heart-shaped pillows, and forgets about her problems, one game coin sound at a time.

3. Lana Del Rey - Love

After years of dark and bleak songs, Lana Del Rey decided in 2017 to look out for us. For the first time, she sounds happy and bubbly: Love was the unexpected rush of hope we so desperately needed this year. "Don't worry baby..."

2. Vince Staples - Yeah Right

With boundaries-pushing production from SOPHIE and Flume, Vince Staples provides the most forward-thinking rap song of the year. Add Kendrick flexing one of his best flows in a guest verse and you've got the biggest banger you haven't heard yet on Yeah Right.

1. Sorority Noise - No Halo

Written by Cameron Boucher as he pulled off in front of his friend's house, forgetting he passed away a year ago, No Halo is emo's most essential single in this decade. An arresting number, the song reaches a whole new level on its gut-wrenching chorus.In a year when our heads spun out of control in all directions, No Halo is a reminder that life is short and that you should tell your close ones that you love them before it’s too late.

This is it for this year, one in which I found myself toying with the top 10 up until the very last minute. If you want to listen to these songs, I encourage you to check the Spotify playlist at the bottom that should contain almost all of the tracks you’ve seen here.

[newandbrave]

Webby ft. Nagel – Beams

The echoes of ‘313’ can be heard from miles away, the call travelling from the eastern suburbs to the CBD. ‘Chum’, ‘313’, the street term for the hood of the Melbourne suburb Mitcham, is the calling card for lyrical geniuses Nagel and Webby. This artistic duo, both talented in their own rights are carrying the local scene of their immediate area on their back. With the support of honoured friends and family, these two young lads are creating trap tunes that are fast growing anthems for the misunderstood and misplaced youth. Both Webby and Nagel have produced and released their own individual works, yet since combining their abilities to create new music, they have found success and recognition, even getting their first gig at Melbourne’s well-known rap hub, the Laundry Bar in Fitzroy.

Some call them rappers, some say poets. To the majority that know them personally, they are fun loving dudes who are working hard to live out a dream as influential trap artists in a country that is starting to catch wind of the fan favourite trap scene of the US. From humble beginnings spinning records and jotting lines in their bedrooms, to creating the ‘Chum’ enigma, these two are diligent in their work and are catching some serious heat by fans of the movement.

Unfortunately, I only speaking to half of the crew, but Nagel, the artist who features on Webby’s track, Beams, gave me some of his time. Although he features, the two feel like their work is equal and each other’s input is essential, ‘feature’ is just a word put on the track title. Nagel has a significant history of playing guitar in bands, and listening to all type of music from ‘Leonard Cohen’ to ‘My Chemical Romance & Slipknot’. He is a talented musician who shouldn’t be pigeon-holed based on his current musical creations, he has a plethora of musical history and perception that has helped him personally grow and define his own tune. That is a testament to him not falsifying what he preaches musically. Although he has a history that isn’t all rap and hip-hop, his current influences are ‘Retchy P and Da$h’. Elaborting on the scenes influence on him he praised a few others, saying ‘Lil Uzi is amazing and Rich Homie Quan is one of the best to do it’. Feeling his vibe, I could tell that even when he made big statements, he wasn’t speaking incoherently just too make hype, he stood by his comments such as ‘KERSER is Australia’s best rapper ima say that’. He wasn’t shy from firing shots at ‘Tupac n Biggie’ either, knowing the ‘old head’s’ wouldn’t like his words even though he believes that their music is ‘boring’. The rapper didn’t stop there, stating that the Australian scene needs a refresher from the ‘hilltop hoods’ etc and that it’s ‘trash’.

The end game for Nagel is to educate people that the ‘lifestyles’ of trap artists, ‘drug dealing’ for example, isn’t much different to a ‘shitload of suburban kids’ here in Australia. He thinks it isn’t right that they are considered ‘criminals n bad people’. Stating that this music scene gives him unprecedented ‘freedom’ that his lifestyle of ‘smoking weed’ and doing what he can to get by abides by. He wants to stand up as an icon for the people, not above them, but striving with ‘313’ to create music. He wants to break through the rhetoric that dabbling in recreational use, doing small dishonest acts to get by is a way of life for more people than you’d think, and that it’s not just ‘bad people’ who carry out these behaviours. It isn’t easy on the streets by any means.

The single Beams, is a smooth trap song that is a mirror image of the pairs morals and standing. Clever lyrics and fantastic production by Zukuu ties in a moving anthem that is easy to sit down and bop a long too with a drink in hand. The song is authentic, and the inspiration behind righting an anthem of finding a way up through the destruction of society and the government is behind the duos recent adversities. Nagel mentions he has struggled to’ scrape money together’ and Webby had recently suffered ‘hectic car accident’ over New Year’s which was serious enough for him to be placed in ICU, Nagel believing he ‘should be dead’. The two wanted to create a track that was a memoir of them and the people, using their platform as pioneers of the ‘Melbourne burbs’ to acknowledge that there are plenty of suburban boy’s girls like him struggling to make ways. This song is just the begging of prodigious music coming our way courtesy of Webby and Nagel. Watch this space because these two are fire.

Why we love it: catchy and authentic trap that is real as the streets it was created on.

Influences: Lil Uzi Vert, Famous Dex, $ha Hef

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By Mitch

[magneticmaguk]

Steve Aoki Made a Rap Album

Vin Diesel-collaborator Steve Aoki recently announced that he was putting out a rap LP featuring guest spots from some of the genre's biggest stars.

2 Chainz, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, and more make appearances on Steve Aoki Presents Kolony, which will be released next month.

Last Friday, June 16, the Dim Mak founder released the album's trap-styled lead single, "Night Call," featuring Atlanta icons Migos and Lil Yachty. Kolony will be Aoki's first studio LP since 2015's Neon Future II. He's been keeping busy since then, though: in February he released a skater-inspired clothing line, while Netflix made a documentary about him in 2016.

"When I was in the studio working on this project or a song with someone that made it to the album, they brought their own crew, and I'd turn around and be like, 'this squad is like a colony,'" Aoki said in a press release. "It was a lot of energy from people flowing from the studio, and I loved that think tank, that group collaboration, and spirit."

The album will be released on July 21, and is available for pre-order.

Kolony tracklist:

1. Steve Aoki - "Kolony Anthem (feat. ILOVEMAKONNEN & Bok Nero)" 2. Steve Aoki and Yellow Claw - "Lit (feat. Gucci Mane and T-Pain)" 3. Steve Aoki and DVBBS - "Without U (feat. 2 Chainz)" 4. Steve Aoki - "How Else (feat. ILOVEMAKONNEN and Rich The Kid)" 5. Steve Aoki - "Been Ballin (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)" 6. Steve Aoki - "Night Call (feat. Migos and Lil Yachty)" 7. Steve Aoki and Bad Royale - "4,000,000 (feat. Ma$e & Big Gigantic)" 8. Steve Aoki - "If I Told You That I Love You (feat. Wale)" 9. Steve Aoki and Bad Royale - "No Time (feat. Jimmy October)" 10. Steve Aoki and Ricky Remedy - "Thank You Very Much (feat. Sonny Digital)"

[surge42-blog]

Cartoons & Cereal

Don't let the title fool you, this is not another Kendrick related article. Today I'd like to talk about cartoons or rather animated characters so I don't cause any confusion. Okay first of all I'm a huge fan of animation, whether it's cartoons, Adult Swim cartoons, or anime I love animation. And of course rappers love animation too with "AKIRA" references in Kanye West's "Stronger" music video, or when Pharrel Williams and Lil Uzi Vert turn into anime characters in their respective videos. Just as much as rappers love cartoons and anime so do the actual creators of cartoons and anime. So I'd like to lay down a list of animated characters inspired by rappers for fans like me. •KANYE WEST ———— It only makes sense that Ye be on the list since he opened the door for geeks and nerds alike to open up about the love for cartoons and anime. Kanye has been spoofed on South Park before (Puff Daddy as well) with him singing a parody of "Heartless" (remixed into Gay Fish on the show) but if I had to pick a fictional character it would have to be Kenny West from The Cleveland Show. You couldn't miss the Ye influence here, he was old school Kanye with shutter shades and classic autotune to complete the package. Kenny is the main antagonist of Cleveland Jr. but their beef is squashed after Kenny loses a rap battle against him and thus earning West's respect and shutter shades. •SOULJA BOY ———— Ah yes, the guy who was a forerunner of viral rap music. The guy came in hot and now lingers in limbo. The rapper was the first to hand "legendary" rapper, SUPAHOTFIRE (he's not a rapper), his first ever loss thus breaking his ridiculously high winning streak of over a million to nothing. Soulja Boy minus Tell 'Em has been spoofed on The Boondocks as Seargent Gutter. His parody incarnation was the viral kid with a hit song that came packed with a trendy dance move, this angered rap veteran, Thugnificent, and led to beef between the two. The beef was similar to Ice-T's feud with Soulja Boy as seen by Gutter replying through the PC screen which is an exact reproduction of Soulja Boy's with the two friends in the background and the same colour clothes. •WU-TANG CLAN ———— The martial arts inspired supergroup itself had to have made the list at some point, if you're constantly showing off your love of the Asian culture it's only fitting that Asia show love back to you. No, they didn't inspire Afro Samurai or Samurai Champloo (as far as we know) but they did inspire one anime in particular. It's none other than Killer B of The Village Hidden In The Clouds from the Naruto franchise. The dead giveaways is that: A) Killer B speaks in raps and aspires to be the best rapper B) His name is a nod to the Clan's a.k.a which is Killer Bees and C) Don't you think B looks like a chubbier version of Redman/RZA? The ninja from the predominantly black village is nothing to take lightly as his Kenjutsu and Taijutsu combination could've killed the "almighty" Sasuke Uchiha and he is quite the smart one having been able to think ahead of time to avoid perishing at the eternal black flames of Sasuke's Amaterasu. •CHILDISH GAMBINO ———— One of my all time favourite rappers and inspirations, Childish Gambino. When he's not stealing an Asian dude's girlfriend he's attending his music or his acting. Bino has been all over our TV screens having voiced the Robot Chicken version of Samuel L. Jackson's character, Mace Windy, from the Star Wars series, Alpha Dawg on Regular Show alongside Tyler, The Creator and rap legend and veteran femcee,MC Lyte. Hell he even voiced Marshall Lee from Adventure Time....which could explain the line from his ROYALTY mixtape that goes "Flossing flossing hard, Ice King, no more Finn and Jake". He is set to create and possibly voice Deadpool in a whole new Deadpool animation. But what character has inspired? Well if you have read my previous articles it should not come as a surprise that he and Barack Obama inspired the character of Miles Morales a.k.a Ultimate Spiderman from the Marvel Franchise. If that's not enough he even voices Miles Morales on the ill-titled "Ultimate Spiderman" animated series which is a culmination of his old #Donald4Spiderman hashtag from his younger days. Logic even shouts him out on his song Black Spiderman and did I forget to mention that Bino will star in the new Spiderman: Homecoming movie? •LUDACRIS ———— The Fast And The Furious actor and rapper takes the cake on this one. This guy has been featured on Robot Chicken voicing himself on that "Don't Be Ridiculous" segment (ah memories). But this guy takes the cake for being spoofed not once, not twice, but at least three times!!!!! He has inspired the character of Alcatrazz on the "Pranksta Rap" episode of The Simpsons with 50 Cent being alongside Bart Simpson. He gets spoofed yet again on The Simpsons as Luda-Crest the rapping toothpaste mascot. But the most iconic of characters to be inspired by Ludacris is (drum roll please)..........THUGNIFICENT!!!! Otis Jenkins a.k.a Thugnificent is an unforgettable character indeed, in a show that has Air Marshall 50 Cent, Usher, and R.Kelly he managed to stand out from the rest. He is among my favorite recurring characters alongside A Pimp Named Slickback, and Tom. He wasn't a one hit wonder like the Fleece Johnson inspired Booty Warrior or the Chris Brown/Usher inspired Pretty Boy Flizzy character whose most popular song was "You Make Me Wanna Ugh",no, Thug had an array of songs like Booty Butt Cheeks, Stomp 'Em In The Nuts, Eff Grandad, and Dickriding Obama (at a time when I didn't know what dickriding was and how toxic it could be). Both Luda and Thug are from Georgia and they both at sea point rocked the puffed up afro. Luda might not have an iconic character as Thugnificent ever again.