Legacy Track of the Week: Jacquees ft Lil Baby - Your Peace
“I'm tryna live my life right, right, right, right / won't you be my peace? My peace, my peace/ Why we taking time, time, time, time, time? / When I could be your peace, when I could be / Now, please don't make me wait, wait / I'm going out my way, way / I won't make you wait, wait / they couldn't take your place, place”🔥🔥🔥 Maybe the best R&B record of 2019 period, this John “SK” McGee and Simon Kemper production hits into a period of nostalgia and showcases Jacquees talent at it’s finest. If he put out more records like this he really would be the current King of R&B.
Jacquees - Round II
“Round one, it's easy (Yeah, too easy, baby)/ can we go for round two? Don't tease me (Nah, don't tease me, baby)/ tell me, are you ready for round three?/ Oh, I love how you giving it up and you fucking with me” After much great promotion and forced controversy, Jacquees dropped his sophomore album, King of R&B, where at times the singer from Decatur, Georgia does sound like a worthy contender for the throne - when at the same time he really shouldn’t even be considered.
Jacquees ft Tory Lanez - Risk It All
“I was cool being your rebound/ love when we creepin' round/ he ain't gotta know about us/ I ain't tryna do too much, baby lemme give you just enough” Produced by John “SK” McGee this really does have a nice tempo to it, one of the better commercial R&B records of the year.
Jacquees ft Lil Keed & Lil Gotit - Hot For Me
“Baby, can you make it hot for me? Take you to my bed, better not be scared, you know what it is/ in my bed making memories (Ayy)/ 'Round and 'round we go/ how did we end up on the floor, baby?” After much unnecessary controversy that surrounded Jacquees proclaiming himself the new King of R&B, the Cash Money artist released his sophomore album of the same name to coincide with the media attention, and honestly, it falls way short of its potential. Jacquees undoubtedly has a lot of talent but he’s yet to release an album that reflects it, aside from a few hot singles like the one above.
Dave East ft DJ Premier - They Wanna Kill You
“September to April, we pumpin', take the summer off/ May, June, July, August, livin' lawless/ in Georgetown, I really was recruited by the Hoyas” After much anticipation and unnecessary long delays, Dave East finally released his debut album, Survival, and although this introduction produced by Premier has some nice moments, like the majority of his career, it hardly feels like the Harlem native has the hunger of an artist fighting for his life.
Dave East ft J. Black - Penthouse
“This view is everything/ shit, I could get used to this” Produced by Mike N Keys this is a cool tone-setter but not much more for the artist that was supposed to be the heir apparent to Nas.
Dave East ft Nas & The Soul Rebels - Godfather 4
“You see a mic stand lit up under the spotlight/ a silhouette of a man slayin' beats that knock right/ I treasure whenever ****** or rhetoricals hit/ orchestral tracks and nail it, smooth black velvet/ and rap intelligent, but then it's just a low percent/ who blow on some Nas, B.I.G., and Hova shit, no offense but I was over with findin' young spitters whose names I remember, Dave…” Speaking of the God MC, the teacher and the student trade bars over a Green Lantern beat that’s as cinematic as the Godfather trilogy.
Dave East - On My Way 2 School
“Nice in ball, all the girls liked me, guess you could say I'm cool/ had love for a few of my teachers, but I just hated school (I hated it)/ either it was that or I just hated rules/ I even was cool with the lunch ladies that would make our food (Yeah I was)” These back to school raps are Dave East at his finest 🔥🔥🔥
Dave East ft Fabolous - What’s Goin On
“I be super fly, these hoes just wipe my clothes/ she's a easy target, you 'posed to snipe at those/ in the Rolls doin' 60, bumpin' that Nipsey/ shorty with me kind of tiny, one drink and she tipsy” The Fab x Dave East collaboration could have been a lot better but this is decent.
Dave East ft Snoop Dogg - The Marathon Continues (Nipsey Tribute)
“Your voice keep playin' in my head/ son't wanna believe you dead, no way that ***** killed you/ I know that's not what I read, God damn, Nip” Dave East pays tribute to the fallen Nipsey Hussle on the outro of his debut album, declaring that “I'ma listen to your raps forever/ on the real, fuck how they feel, Victory Lap was better” The Marathon Continues 🏁
Jason Derulo - F It Up
“Girl, as soon as we get home…” A promotional single for what would have been Jason Derulo’s fifth studio album, 2Sides, that was ultimately scrapped once the pop star left the Warner Bros record label due to creative differences.
Doja Cat - Say So
“Day to night to morning, keep with me in the moment/ I'd let you had I known it, why don't you say so?” A single off Doja Cat’s sophomore album, Hot Pink, this Dr. Luke production took a minute to heat up before it was scorching hot by early Summer.
Thees Handz (The Grouch & Murs) - Carpe Diem ft Reverie
“Quit talking about tomorrow bitch/ right now you can change a whole lot of shit… all we got is the right now/ it’s time to make a change in your lifestyle” Many jewels in this record from one of the best underground emcees in the world, and another California native (Oakland) I was unfamiliar with, The Grouch, who is a veteran emcee in his own right as a founding member of the L.A. hip-hop collective the Living Legends.
CRIMEAPPLE - Lupos
“You going home with the big goose egg/ move straight or end up in the Bay like the Blue Face/ or Pharcyde, C to the R, IME phenomenal” The world knows him as CRIMEAPPLE but I remember his Hackensack/Rutgers beginnings as Vasco, and now years later he’s reaping the rewards of a lot of hard work that’s paid off. This guy performed in open mics of any kind throughout the mid to late 2000s, and to see him reinvent himself with the Griselda / Statik Selektah co-signs has been a great look for Jersey.
CRIMEAPPLE - Entenmann’s
“Like my steak bloody like my buddy said/ fuck a threat, one wrong move you get your huggies wet (splash)” More gritty word play from CRIMEAPPLE over the Buck Dudley produced project, Viridi Panem.
John Legend - This Christmas
“Hang all the mistletoe/ I'm gonna get to know you better” John Legend’s take on the Donny Hathaway classic, released on Legend’s A Legendary Christmas: Deluxe Edition.
John Legend - Christmas in New Orleans
“Magnolia trees at night/ sparkling bright/ fields of cotton look wintery white/ when it's Christmas time/ in New Orleans” John Legend’s take on the Louis Armstrong classic, this time produced by the one and only Raphael Saadiq.
John Legend ft Esperanza Spalding - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ let your heart be light/ from now on/ our troubles will be out of sight” A nice duet of the Christmas classic, introduced in 1944 by Judy Garland in the MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis.
John Legend - Please Come Home For Christmas
“Bells will be ringing the glad glad news/ oh what a Christmas to have the blues/ my baby's gone I have no friends/ to wish me greetings once again” Another nice rendition of a Christmas classic, this time originally released in 1960 by blues artist Charles Brown, and later by The Eagles in 1978, this one also includes the guitar strings and production of Raphael Saadiq.
Leslie Odom Jr. - Stronger Magic
“Some think it's just witchcraft/ but I, I think it's more than that/ 'cause I think there's stronger magic at hand” Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. released his third studio album, Mr., and the introduction showcases the Broadway star at his most cinematic.
Leslie Odom Jr. - u r my everything
“I (I) just want you to know (Know)/ you're so beautiful (-ful)/ girl, I love you so, so deeply” I shouldn’t be surprised after seeing the original cast of Hamilton live in New York City, but the man behind Aaron Burr clearly is a transcendent talent that I need to get more familiar with.
Leslie Odom Jr. - Hummingbird
“In the garden where I like to grow/ there's this gorgeous girl I'd like to know/ the problem is she's not looking at me/ I'm trying to catch her eye before the snow” At all times you can hear the musical influence of Odom Jr.’s music, but for all it’s rhythm and blues it makes for a perfect marriage.
Prince - Don’t Let Him Fool Ya
“Don't let him fool ya/ I know he got a big ol' Cadillac, uh-oh/ don't let him fool ya/ pretty soon he'll have to take it back, ooh/ don't let him fool ya/ I know he got some pretty fancy clothes, ooh ooh/ don't let him fool ya/ only heaven knows how much he owes, uh-oh” Originally recorded in the Summer of 1982 but never released, this finally saw the light of day on the re-release of the deluxe edition of 1999, where it premiered as track one of the bonus discs.
Randy Newman - What I Love About Nicole
[Instrumental] One of the highlights off Randy Newman’s score to Marriage Story, the critically acclaimed film that stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanssen.
