Legacy Track of the Week: Kendrick Lamar - DNA.
“I got, I got, I got, I got, loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA, cocaine quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA, I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA, I got hustle though, ambition, flow, inside my DNA” make no mistake about it… Kendrick Lamar absolutely annihilates this record produced by Mike Will Made It, and combined they put together a likely addition to Kendrick’s Top 10 records of his career… this one is the very definition of 🔥🔥🔥 and the music video is even more crazy (and by now it should be noted that Kendrick has definitely mastered the visual qualities of his artistry, where based off this and Humble alone he definitely has same of the most thought provoking imagery in the game) - one last footnote - the moment where he says “Born inside the beast, my expertise checked out in second grade,” is singularly one of my favorite lyrics I’ve heard in a long time.
J Cole - Want You To Fly (HBO snippet)
“Yeah, uh, God is real and he using me for a bigger purpose, so fuck the world that would have you think that a ***** worthless, sometimes I think that these verses can help a person, way more than the ones they reading in churches on days of worship, no disrespect to the Lord and Savior, that ain't just ego, I just observe that them words no longer relate to people, cause modern times be flooded with dollar signs, and social media stuntin', my ***** just wanna shine, their frame of mind so far removed, from the days and times of Nazareth, like these days is a labyrinth, in a maze so elaborate, we barely get through half of it 'fore it's too late, my ***** is felons from sellin weight in more than two states, .22 in his waist before he could even shoot straight, quick to draw on you like Aaron McGruder, ***** who fate? All of that to say maybe the hood need a new faith, a new story about a boy from not too far where you stay” smh… Cole is more truth than any judge, teacher, preacher, or politician, and he really does spit it like he get it from the bible, for your survival… in a humble yet insightful way like only he could. That 4 Your Eyez Only documentary is available on all HBO platforms now! <<< and we should all embrace Hip Hop in it’s purest form, along with the visuals for all 10 records on the album.
Frank Ocean - Lens
“Despite our history, somewhere in your nights you're stuck when you think of me” Following Chanel & Biking, this is the third release off Frank Ocean’s own Beats 1 “blonded RADIO” show, and by Frank Ocean standards it certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s also a Travis Scott version floating around somewhere, and the cryptic artwork seems to be inspired by a painting titled “A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of his Former Self” by artist Kerry James Marshall.
Nappy Roots ft Emi Meyer - Wings
“You got to fly lil homie, get away fast, it ain’t safe here, dreams decay here, go to a fancy university and stay there, get in your fast car and drive like you hate here, to stay alive and on your feet you’ll see better days, after your journey come back home the love never fades, stay out of trouble, best you can make your folks the proudest, travel the world and tell me all about it…” For those that don’t know or don’t remember, Nappy Roots is a Hip Hop group consisting of members Skinny Deville, B. Still, Ron Clutch, & Fish Scales, that was founded in the late 90’s at Western Kentucky University where all members attended. At some point Atlantic picked them up and in 2002 Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz was a commercial smash hit, hosting a number of singles that made a significant imprint in the game. Yet as is often the case in the rap game, they were hot a few summers and then disappeared from the scene altogether, going independent and subsequently abandoned by the same pop culture that once embraced them to the fullest [although it should be noted that they continued to work with Anthony Hamilton and that was always good music] - yet here they are in 2017 back together like they never left - and the new album Another 40 Akerz is definitely filled with some moments. The lyrics in this record alone are definitely worthy of recognition and praise, and the featured singer/songwriter Emi Meyer is now officially on my radar. This is a great record that should get the video treatment real soon. Press play and enjoy.
Nappy Roots ft Micah Freeman & FortBowie - Take a Deep Breath
“You should try to meditate or pray, before you take another man’s time away, I was just 16 and turned felon, that’s common down where I’m from, young blacks getting labeled early, still fucked up in our late thirties…” Nappy Roots & company spits 💎💎💎 over this jazzy instrumental that’s right on time. Add this to the playlists immediately.
Troy Ave - Truth Be Told PSA
“If you was right there why you didn’t help me pick up Bang body?…. He had that dumb ass look hanging off his fat fucking slob face… just pissing me off… I’m sitting in jail and he’s lying to me…it’s all on the video” Over a continuous sample of 2pac’s voice from the classic record Bomb First (My Second Reply) off the Makaveli album “***** and bitches, power and money, riders and punks” Troy Ave goes IN on his former BSB crew in this 30+ minute intermission, and to be honest it’s a good listen that for the most part seems justified… hate or love Troy Ave but his crew is literally nothing without him (Hovain is pretty much the definition of a Twitter A&R and it’s pathetic), and by all accounts it seems like they were nothing short of disloyal to the source who made them “relevant”. Mind you I’m not surprised by this at all.
Troy Ave - Press Spray
“You a drug addict and a bitch beater, rap podcast and a dick eater…” Troy Ave gettin at Joe Budden 😂😂😂 you gotta love it...
Troy Ave - I Ain’t Mad at Cha
“Cause you a pussy and ***** was fucking your bitch, she left and took the baby cause you ain’t have them chips, Lito put you on and you took the bitch back, now when you fall off I guarantee she fall back, sucka, you remind of that Hovain clown, his baby moms fucked a ***** that work in Food Town, beat her up in the middle of sleep, all cause she got a text from Produce Pete, he said how this dick look I fuck you better than your man, 400 pounds on her neck choke slam, damn…” Over a chopped up sample of 2pac’s classic of the same title… this isn’t even remotely as good or memorable… but even still I applaud the effort.
Juelz Santana ft Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa - Mr. Weedman
"Fire shit can't get no higher shit, type of shit, got me coughin soon as a I light the shit." Another record off Juelz Santana’s upcoming album The Get Back, this one is pretty straightforward and self explanatory.
Zaytoven ft Gucci Mane & 21 Savage - East Atlanta Day
"I just pulled up in a Lambo on East Atlanta Day, drop top don, *****, East Atlanta Day, I got all my jewelry on, *****, East Atlanta Day (Brr!), it's a trap holiday, *****, East Atlanta Day” another one that’s rather straightforward and doesn’t need much explanation.
Nappy Roots ft EarthGang & Scotty ATL - The Void
“I be on drugs all the time son…” The EarthGang feature (Dreamville affiliates) on Another 40 Akerz is definitely on point
Mac Miller ft Ty Dolla $ign - Cinderella
"I been waitin' all night for this moment, I been waitin' all year for this moment, I been picturing you takin' off your clothes for me, I been literally curvin' all these hoes for you, daddy told you, better bring your ass home Cinderella..." this record came out last year off the Divine Feminine, which we reviewed on the site track by track right here. And as stated before this is nothing less than a fire instrumental and one of the best hooks of the year, all in thanks to incredible contributions from Dj Dahi and Ty Dolla $ign that truly indeed makes this really special... Mac however doesn’t flex on this but he coasts on it, and from top to bottom this is likely the most refined record of his career - although this recently released music video does way too much and feels completely over the top for no apparent reason.
Nicki Minaj ft Drake & Lil Wayne - No Frauds
“What type of mother leave her one son over a stack?, lil boogie down basic bitch thinkin she back, back to back, oh you mean, back to wack? ‘Back to Back’? Me and Drizzy laughed at that” Here’s the visuals for Nicki’s response to Remy, and as stated before on this site, if you don’t think this is a legitimate response to Remy’s struggle mixtape bars then you’re really a hater... and like we say on Drink Champs… relaaaaax…. (in fairness though that Money Showers record from Joe & Remy deserves more shine, press play on that as well).
Tinashe - Flame
“C'mon, tell me that you've still got the flame for me, and tell me that you still want to stay, don't leave” This is an expected single off Tinashe’s upcoming album Joyride, and honestly in this case the visuals are better than the music… specifically the artwork for the single 👀
