Lil B - Eat (Mixtape, 2013)

Lil B sings over Master P’s “Ice Cream Man”, No, he sadly doesn’t dress up like an ice cream man

Pink Flame is available now

Young Dolph - Dream (Mixtape, 2012)

this is on constant repeat. 

Riff Raff - Peppermint Tint (Mixtape, 2012)

I tried posting the audio earlier today, but the file was too large, and there wasn’t anything uploaded on Youtube yet. Then Riff decided to release this fucking ridiculous Christmas-themed video for one of the smoothest songs he’s ever been featured on. I mean really, what can I even say about this? I want to shed tears of joy.

RAP GAME CHEVY CHASE 

Verse Simmonds (feat. Red Cafe & Gucci Mane) - Shake Dat (Mixtape, 2012)

Like Gucci and Sean Garrett of yore, Verse Simmonds and Gucci are virtually incapable of making a bad song this year. Their collaboration started on I’m Up, on R&B-tinged standout “Wish You Would.” They continued this great chemistry on the Shawty Redd produced “Never See” off Trap God, and here, they hook up again(along with the omnipresent Ghost of Obie Trice also known as Red Cafe) for Verse’s own song. A very nuanced, almost modern-quiet storm instrumental makes up the foundation of the track for Verse to shine vocally yet again, while Red Cafe manages not to mess up the flow of the track (does anyone else think he sounds like a Brooklynite Arnold Schwarzeneger on his “SHAKE DOOOOOOWN” adlib?), but it’s Gucci who really steals the show with lines like “she got my dick standing at attention like an army veteran.”

50 Cent - Definition of Sexy (mixtape, 2012)

In the span of a few months of terrible singles featuring Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Eminem and even Too $hort, Curtis dropped his only genuinely good song in recent memory (included on the rather forgettable Murder By Numbers). “Definition”, which suffers from a terrible name courtesy (show some, Curtis) of a rapper who usually poses with his shirt off, finds 50 harmonizing over a silky beat, reminiscent to something found on his Sincerely Yours, Southside tape from a few years back. If you can get past the visuals the title may conjure, this is 50 making the type of song he was born to - the kind of song that sounds like it’ll have no place on his upcoming album. 

485 - Chiraq (self-released, 2012)

485 are a duo from Chicago who are little more than an amalgam of every popular rapper in the scene. Durk melodies abound, Keef adlibs are directly bitten, Keef’s rhyme structure is present, Reese’s simple, yet menacing hook writing is the structure for which this song finds it’s chorus, sung in a faux-Durk voice; there are even a couple of adlibs that sound eerily similar to Louie’s. The beat, courtesy of Jay Beatz, is totally Chop worship, and you’d be hard pressed to take anything original away from this song. They even claim OTF. But yet the song is catchy enough to stand up by itself, not in spite of its direct biting, but simply because of it. I really can’t imagine hearing much of 485 in the future, but for this one single that encapsulates pretty much everything that’s hot right now in their city, it works.

Chief Keef - Kobe (GBE/Interscope, 2012)

As much as I’d love to write about “Love Sosa,” I feel like I’ve already missed the deadline and I couldn’t do the track justice if I tried. Instead, I’d just like to point out that Young Chop is borrowing some cues from Zaytoven melodically here, while this is essentially the same video as Gucci’s “Heavy” without the women (it is a Keef video, afterall!) and shots of Kobe Bryant interjected throughout. Also, where the hell did Reese go? 

TKO Capone - Take Her 2 Da Tel (Mixtape, 2012)

Capone’s “Duck Season” is finally dropping, filled to the brim with fifty tracks, in a mere couple days. The latest leak from Capone’s magnum opus is this Southside produced banger, which finds Southside’s lurching beat getting an unusual lyrical assault. Rarely are Southside’s bangers meant for more than passionate screaming and bouts of rage, but Capone chooses to keep his off-beat punchline game here, riding the beat as well as any BSM member could. Between the ridiculous quacks and Capone’s unique sense of humor (“your girlfriend call me so she can sleep well/you a hot male, like where I send my emails? nah”)

TKO Capone (feat. Lil Rich) – Swaggin’ N Yo Girlfriend (Self-Released, 2012)

TKO Capone continues to emanate from Chamillionaire’s spirit with this syrupy slow jam, another leak off the heavily anticipated Duck Season Vol. 1. Capone’s melodious rapping is absolutely perfect here for the late-night grooves presented to him, and even though this is clearly intended for panty-dropping, Capone spends most of the track focusing on himself, with his absurd punchlines. At one point, he talks about cutting off his haters, using the docking of a pitbull’s ears for the simile. There really isn’t anyone who thinks quite like Capone, and that unique sense of humor is what makes Capone stand out among his crowd.

Capone’s brother, Lil Rich, is introduced here, and he has the same rapid-fire delivery that Capone employs. Even though Capone totally owns the spotlight here, Rich makes an impressive debut, and he’s certainly one of the better rappers in Capone’s entourage. Back-up singer Malachi also adds a lot to the song, harmonizing with Capone on the chorus, and hitting some ridiculous high notes that’re the only thing that keep you from sinking into Capone’s sludgy backboard rattler.