Mario just released the second single and title track for his first album in almost a decade, Dancing Shadows. The song kinda reminds me of Usher’s “Climax” — it’s slower and a lot less melodic, but it has the same electronic R&B feel. The video features Mario dancing with a woman in a poorly lit room. Because dancing shadows. Check it out below.
I hate gang culture and everything about it, but I find YG highly entertaining (and his album, Stay Dangerous, is one of the best releases of the year). I would’ve loved to see him make “Pussy Money Fame” a single, but “Bulletproof” will do for now. As expected, the video features a whole lot of gang shit, opening with a solid minute dedicated to clowning 6ix9ine for being an alleged pedophile. Watch the clip below.
Nothing makes me sadder than when a whole bunch of people I like come together to make a song I hate. “Pistol On My Side (P.O.M.S.),” the second single from Swizz Beatz’s sophomore album, POISON
(due November 2), not only has Lil Wayne rapping on the track — Swizz’s wife, Alicia Keys, also receives a producer credit. Technically, this should be a good song, but I’m just not feeling it. Something about it feels dated. Ah well, check it out below.
I’m no Eminem fan, but Machine Gun Kelly just got bodied. This is the best Eminem has rapped since The Marshall Mathers LP. In a delayed — by today’s standards — response to “Rap Devil,” Eminem’s “Killshot” pokes fun at MGK’s man bun, weak ass bars, and simultaneous dissing and stanning (actually referring to MGK as “Stan”). Em also does a lot of flexing, saying that his biggest flop is MGK’s biggest hit and how he is still outselling him at 45. With the exception of the gratuitous Rihanna namedrop and the weird line about Diddy, “Killshot” is solid. That being said, this whole beef is still lame by virtue of its participants. Check to “Killshot” below.
It seems Khalid’s new joint, “Better,” got lost in the wave of new releases over the last 24-48 hours. The track, presumably a lead single from Khalid’s as-yet-untitled second LP, is your run-in-the-mill mid-tempo R&B song. If you’re within a certain age group, the production will remind you of Mario’s “Let Me Love You.” Check it out below.
I’m generally not interested in Eminem’s music, so this video is my introduction to “Lucky You.” It features Joyner Lucas, whose verses provided a stark reminder that Eminem is not that good of a rapper. If you’re wondering who Joyner Lucas is, you probably aren’t alone, but I’m sure you might have come across his work: He made that raggedy-ass “I’m Not Racist” song and video that delved into the topic of race in the most laughably basic way you can imagine.
I feel like anyone who saw the “I’m Not Racist” video and actually thought it was profound is probably an Eminem fan, so this collaboration was meant to be. Watch the video below.
Ciara just dropped “Dose,” a Darkchild production that lowkey reminds me of one of those Keri Hilson songs from 2009. The song isn’t spectacular in any way, but it isn’t terrible either. I’m more concerned with the fact that Ciara neglected to give us a music video for “Freak Me.” Like…what’s really good? Anyway, listen to “Dose” below.
Mariah Carey dropped the video for “GTFO” at midnight as promised and it is exactly what I thought it would be.
First, the good: Mariah looks AMAZING. She has never looked better.
Now, the bad: She has become totally and completely unimaginative when it comes to music videos, and at a time where video streams count towards chart success, she is doing herself a disservice by putting out dry visuals like this. She has essentially been making the same video for the last five years or so, where she bats her eyelids at the camera and does half-ass twirls all while lipping the words to the song off-sync. In slow motion, no less.
But I keep hanging on. Because I love Mariah and because I think she has gotten a bad rap throughout her career. She is one of the biggest victims of rockism, and one day, I will dedicate a blog post to the matter. In the meantime, watch the “GTFO” video below.
Gucci Mane, Bruno Mars and Kodak Black have come together to give us one of the more random collabos you will come across, and oddly enough, it actually kinda works. Bruno Mars had posted pics of himself and Bill K. Kapri in the studio, so I knew they had something cooking, but I didn’t know we’d hear it this soon nor was I expecting Guwop to be on the track.
“Wake up in the Sky” is what I’d call a trap slow jam. I’m not crazy about it, but I’m definitely partial to all three artists on the track and can already tell that it will grown on me because it got better with each listen. I’m hoping we get a video for this one. Listen to the track below.
Today in 1996, we lost one of the greatest rappers the world we ever know. 2Pac had a short life and career, but he made every year count and left an indelible impact. Today is Thursday, so you already know what type of time I’m on.
“Dear Mama” has always been one of my favorite songs. It takes me back to simpler times — I was only 8 when this song was released — and, generally speaking, I just love an ode to mama. 2pac’s “Dear Mama” is particularly special because unlike most songs like this, he touches on his mother’s shortcomings, showing that she — like all mothers — is imperfect.
The song, which sample’s the Spinners’ “Sadie” and Joe Sample’s “In All My Wildest Dreams,” was Pac’s biggest hit at the time, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Join me in celebrating the memory of the legendary Tupac Shakur.