1) Drake - I'm Upset
"I'm Upset" is the most Drake title of a Drake song I have ever heard. This song actually came out last Saturday on Drake's Beats 1 show OVO Sound Radio and I was just coming back from an evening showing of Deadpool 2 (great movie btw). The production from Oogie Mane is nice and smooth, and I thought we were gonna get another great single from Drake, especially since he dropped his Pusha T diss "Duppy Freestyle" earlier that day. However, he didn't do the beat justice as he just uses the same dry, monotone flow throughout. It made for a boring song.
Verdict: "I'm Upset" that Drake thought this song was a good idea, but that still wasn't the biggest hit he took this week. [Disliked]
2) YBN Almighty Jay - 2 Tone Drip
The YBN crew, which also includes up-and-comers YBN Nahmir and YBN Cordae, have a very unique come-up story. YBN, which is short for "Young Boss N***as," started as a clan who freestyled on Xbox Live. I've heard Almighty Jay on Nahmir's song "No Hook," and I wanted to know what he would sound like on his own. First off, I like the production from Hoodzone. The drums that came in after the intro sounded very loud and caught me by surprise. YBN Almighty Jay has a flow on this song that sounds a lot like Rich The Kid's flow, but like a better, more energetic version of it.
Verdict: Yeah, it's a banger. [Liked]
3) Lil Skies feat. Yung Pinch - I Know You
My stance on Lil Skies is in the middle. I think he can make some nice melodic songs like "Red Roses" and "Lust," but he doesn't know how to make anything that isn't in the style of those songs. Other than songs like "The Clique" and "Lettuce Sandwich," Life of a Dark Rose was a very boring and generic album. And unsurprisingly, this song is also generic as hell. I think Yung Pinch is an underrated artist, but he could have done so much better here. His chorus was repetitive and the whenever he isn't claiming that this girl wants to fuck him for his clout, you can't really understand what he says because it's very slurred and unintelligible. However, I liked his verse. Lil Skies, who actually lets Pinch do most of the work on this song, only has one verse, and I already forgot what it sounded like. I did enjoy the production from Taz Taylor, but it's nothing spectacular whatsoever.
Verdict: Sure it sounds nice, but is it good? Not really, but it's not terrible either [Ehhhh]
4) Future feat. Yung Bans - Bag
Future released the second single for his soundtrack for the upcoming movie Superfly. His last single was a collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR called "No Shame," which was a track I don't remember at all. Yung Bans is a rapper who has been making waves recently, and he might be one of the most generic out there. I've heard 3 songs by him and I don't even remember what they sound like. As expected, Bans sounds pretty generic and it doesn't really help that he takes up most of this track either. However, Future's verse saves it and makes it sound more than listenable. He brings some much needed energy and does the production from Bryannwrk and XL justice.
Verdict: Future is why this song is good. [Liked]
Mac Miller released 3 singles on Wednesday which practically went unnoticed due to Pusha T eviscerating Drake on "The Story of Addidon." He hasn't been very active since his 2016 release The Divine Feminine. I only heard him on Carnage's single "Learn How to Watch" back in January, which was a great verse. He was in headlines pretty often this past month with his breakup with Ariana Grande and recently getting a DUI. These are my thoughts on all three tracks:
5) Mac Miller - Programs
This song surprised me quite a bit. I didn't think he was going in a more trap-like direction with this track. I don't really mind it since he still uses his regular flows throughout the track and makes it sound more interesting than other rappers would on this beat. The production from CuBeatz and Cardo sounded great and fit Mac very well. From what I've heard from him, Mac Miller isn't typically a banger artist but he is very good at making them.
Verdict: It's fun and energetic. [Liked]
6) Mac Miller - Buttons
This song sounded more like the Mac Miller I know. I love the use of piano on here, especially the effects on the keys after the beat kicks in. The chorus from Mac, while it's something we've heard a lot over the past few years, is the highlight of the track as he points out that crazy things are happening all around us and we pretend that everything is okay. The trumpets over the final chorus were a nice touch.
Verdict: It's solid, I'd recommend it. [Liked]
7) Mac Miller - Small Worlds
Sonically, this is a great song. You have some guitars and pianos, which fit the production surprisingly well. However, this isn't Mac's best. His vocals sounded awful, especially when he tried to draw out longer notes. The chorus is by far the worst part of this track, but I do think this song picks up a bit in the third verse.
Verdict: It's easily the worst of the three singles but it has its moments. [Ehhhh]
8) A$AP Ferg - Harlem Anthem
This is the third official single for the upcoming soundtrack to the movie Uncle Drew. I've seen the trailer and various promotions for this movie, and I don't think it looks good, which is a shame because the Pepsi Uncle Drew commercials are amazing. I wasn't too crazy about the other two singles (Cocky by A$AP Rocky and 1942 by G-Eazy), and I feel the same about this one as well. In fact, I think this is the worst of the three. I hate the autotune and the chorus and I don't think this type of production fits Ferg well at all. However, I didn't think his verses were too bad. What especially drags this song down was the long outro, which didn't sound interesting and could have been 30 seconds shorter.
Verdict: Not a fan. [Disliked]
9) MadeinTYO feat. A$AP Ferg - Ned Flanders
As someone who enjoys MadeinTYO's music, I always know what to expect and I'm never disappointed since all of his songs are the same. I'm especially thankful that his go-to producer, K Swisha, is back since he didn't produce a single song on his last EP (True's World). He's a very underrated producer and his beat is the highlight of this song. One thing I always liked about MadeinTYO is his hooks and he delivers another catchy one here. But the best verse on the song is easily Ferg's as he slaughters the track with his unique energy.
Verdict: It's a banger and probably my favorite single from this week. [Liked]
10) Lecrae x Zaytoven - Get Back Right
I don't listen to Lecrae's music, but he's definitely the only Christian rapper that I've ever enjoyed. He and hitmaker Zaytoven will be releasing a collaborative project called Let the Trap Say Amen and this is the lead single for it. It's the kind of collaboration that sounds weird but at the same time, it could work so well. Lecrae does fit Zay's production quite nicely, as he lays down some decent flows throughout. However, this is a pretty average Zaytoven beat and I thought Lecrae's hook was repetitive and boring.
Verdict: It's alright, but not great. [Ehhhh]
I will be writing and putting out my review for Kanye's new album later today.
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