Rap Song of the Week

Our recurring new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down the hip-hop tracks you need to hear at the end of every week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Freddie Gibbs reunites with Jadakiss on “Black Illuminati.” When Freddie Gibbs and Jadakiss last collaborated on Gibbs’ star-studded Baby Face Killa mixtape nine years ago, the Gary, Indiana rapper was about to exit his ill-fated deal with Young Jeezy’s CTE label. Given all the talent he’d displayed up to that point, it’s no surprise that Gibbs went on to become one of the most successful independent artists in the game, earning enough gravitas to ink his own partnership deals with major labels. After notching a Grammy nomination for Alfredo, Gibbs is mashing the gas pedal even harder for his follow-up, which h...

Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Rick Ross kicks off his Richer Than I’ve Ever Been era with the 21 Savage-assisted “Outlawz.” Rick Ross is one of the most audacious characters in rap history, naming himself a notorious drug dealer and doubling down on his Mafia boss persona after photos of his previous stint as a correctional officer surfaced online. More than a decade after the minor controversy, the Florida rapper is living up to the title of his next album, Richer Than I’ve Ever Been, as a Wingstop franchisee and the owner of a fleet of luxury cars. First-time collaborator 21 Savage was also clowned after a bullshit ICE arrest revealed the Atlanta-based rapper was actuall...

Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down our favorite hip-hop tracks that dropped this week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Travis Scott makes his grand return with “ESCAPE PLAN.” Fans were anticipating Travis Scott’s newest single, “ESCAPE PLAN,” for several months before it officially dropped today (November 5th). After it was first previewed back in June through a Spotify ad, then during a Cactus Jack for Dior fashion show, the superstar opened his sets at Rolling Loud Miami and Rolling Loud NYC with the track. Now it’s finally here, just in time for his own Astroworld Festival this weekend. Featuring a woozy, atmospheric beat by frequent collaborators Nik D and OZ, the sound of “ESCAPE PLAN” doesn’t stray from the formula that allowed Scott ...

Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down our favorite hip-hop tracks of the week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, we highlight Maxo Kream’s WEIGHT OF THE WORLD opener “CRIPSTIAN.” The world has changed immeasurably in the two years since Maxo Kream released his standout project Brandon Banks, and the Houston rapper might be carrying more weight than anyone else. While still grieving the loss of his brother, Maxo’s grandmother was hospitalized due to COVID and he had a cousin die by suicide — not to mention a friend whose bail was set at a million dollars. Trauma is a theme explored throughout Maxo’s aptly titled new album WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, but the opening track “CRIPSTIAN” distills all his pain from the get-go. In addition to his dad and frien...

Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down our favorite rap tracks of the week. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Young Thug shares his posthumous Mac Miller collaboration “Day Before.” Young Thug just released his second official studio album Punk today (October 15th), and like most major hip-hop releases, it’s chock full of features. Drake, J. Cole, Travis Scott, Future, and A$AP Rocky all drop off guest verses, but Mac Miller’s posthumous appearance on “Day Before” stands above the rest. Thugger kicks off the track with a shoutout to Snoop Dogg before going into tales of self-defense (“I ain’t tryna give him a chance to kill me or take the stand on me”) and a relationship gone bad (“I had feelings for this girl that barely owned a residence”). Ho...

Every week, our new music feature Rap Song of the Week breaks down the essential rap and hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Conway the Machine’s debut album on Shady Records is preceded by “Piano Love.” Dating back to a November 2017 interview with Consequence, Conway the Machine has been teasing his debut album on Shady Records, and “Piano Love” is a promising sign that it’s finally on the way. Featuring ominous production by frequent collaborator The Alchemist, the track itself arrives today (October 8th) after the Buffalo MC teased it on Instagram Live earlier this year. Advertisement Related Video With Spooky Season in full effect, the sinister keys are an appropriate soundtrack for the Griselda standout to do what he does best: Deliver raw s...

Rap Song of the Week runs down the essential rap and hip-hop tracks you need to hear every week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Wale and J. Cole reunite on “Poke It Out.” Later this month, Wale is dropping a sequel to his 2012 mixtape Folarin. To promote the project, the DC rapper reached out to his fellow blog era alum J. Cole for their new collaboration “Poke It Out,” a throwback single sharing the same sample as Q-Tip’s effervescent 1999 hit “Vivrant Thing.” After a brief falling out in late 2016, the dynamic duo officially made amends on Wale’s boastful 2018 track “My Boy (Freestyle),” and the new track finds the longtime collaborators fully unburdened from any past animosity and simply have a good time. Over a bouncy beat by Cool & Dre, Wale and Cole celebrate t...

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the essential rap and hip-hop tracks you need to hear every week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Lil Wayne hops on Run the Jewels’ remix of “ooh la la.” Mixing the cutting edge sensibilities of Run the Jewels with their love for Golden Era hip-hop thanks to contributions from the legendary Greg Nice and DJ Premier, “ooh la la” instantly became a standout entry in their catalog when it was released in 2020. For the remix, El-P and Killer Mike recruited Lil Wayne, another veteran MC who has nothing to prove this deep into his career but continues to go toe-to-toe with the best rappers of any generation. Only getting better with age as he turns 39 years old this September, Wayne has been on a hot streak this year, popping up on tracks alongside r...

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the rap and hip-hop tracks you need to hear every week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Lil Nas X teams up with Megan Thee Stallion on his Montero track “Dolla Sign Slime.” After a rollout that left conservative pundits clutching their pearls, Lil Nas X finally dropped his debut album, Montero, today and revealed a complete artist comfortable in his true identity. “Dolla Sign Slime” is not one of the many soul-baring songs on the project, but a Megan Thee Stallion-assisted banger squarely aimed at everyone who predicted the 22-year-old rapper’s downfall. Here to dispel all the rumors and naysayers, Lil Nas X uses the anthemic, horn-driven production of “Dolla Sign Slime” to talk his shit. While bragging about buying all the luxury items that co...

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the essential rap and hip-hop tracks released each week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, AZ teams up with Lil Wayne and Conway the Machine on a cut from his highly-anticipated album, Doe or Die II. After more than a decade in the making, New York hip-hop royalty AZ has finally dropped Doe or Die II, the sequel to his mafioso rap classic debut. Lyrical exercises like “Ritual” ensure the album was well worth the wait, as The Firm member tag-teams with Lil Wayne and Conway the Machine over a grimy beat by The Alchemist to remind fans and fellow MCs alike that he’s been a force to be reckoned with since the mid ’90s. Using an effortless multi-syllabic flow, AZ raps about not needing the spotlight to prove he’s been one of the best rappers over...

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the rap and hip-hop song releases you need to hear each week. Check out the full playlist here. For our latest installment, Kanye West teams up with Fivio Foreign and Playboi Carti for “Off the Grid.” Following three public listening events and several missed release dates, Kanye West’s much-fabled Donda finally dropped on Sunday morning. With 27 tracks to choose from, picking a standout song was no easy task, but “Off the Grid” fits the bill because it sees the G.O.O.D. Music founder at his best. Sprinkling his own touch on Brooklyn drill, Kanye brings out a lyrical side of Fivio Foreign rarely seen before, while also sounding right at home over the wobbling bass and gothic synths. The track was reportedly first made as a solo track for Playboi Carti, who ...

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the rap and hip-hop tracks you need to hear each week. Check out the full playlist here. For our latest installment, Kendrick Lamar makes a roaring comeback on Baby Keem’s “Family Ties.” It’s no surprise that Kendrick Lamar’s first guest appearance since announcing his final album on TDE is on Baby Keem’s new single. Not only are the two rappers cousins, but Keem is the flagship artist on Kendrick’s company, pgLang, which will logically be the Compton rapper’s focus after leaving his label of 17 years. Besides that, 2021 is shaping up to be Keem’s mainstream breakout year. After teaming up with Travis Scott on “durag activity,” the 20-year-old rapper was featured on a track played at one of Kanye West’s early DONDA listening parties. Advertisement Rela...