With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily roundup of the best new rap tracks you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later.
YG - “Deeper Than Rap”
When our new style icon YG isn’t too busy getting the mid-thigh length jean shorts and Shirley Temple tap dancing shoes outfits off on Instagram, he’s a great rapper who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. On “Deeper Than Rap” YG is at his most candid, using the final few lines of the track discussing his mental health hit hard: “They told me talk to a therapist and I did/But that don’t change the crazy shit I do, did, and lived.” It’s unsettling because he suffers from survivor’s remorse and is riddled with guilt about his past actions. For a rapper of his stature and importance, opening up to this extent might feel strange though it shouldn’t. This isn’t a song YG made for the charts or clout, he made it because it’s true and important to him.
Lil Dude - “Thug Love”
Prince George’s County rapper and Hoodrich Pablo Juan protege Lil Dude travels back to the olden days of the ’90s for a sample of Bone Thug-N-Harmony and Tupac’s gunshot filled collaboration “Thug Luv” to spit 2 minutes of cartoonishly violent foolishness. One thing Lil Dude will not let you forget is that he does have goons: “I got an old-ass shooter like Manu Ginobili.” Also, he loves himself some Disney Channel, using “Zack and Cody,” Demi Lovato, and “Lilo and Stitch” as metaphors about how he will let the piece ring. And while the gunshots do muffle his voice, it’s worth it because the sound effect makes every line sound impactful no matter how ridiculous.
LNDN DRGS - “Tomorrow” [ft. Freddie Gibbs]
Sometimes Compton-by-way of Vancouver rapper Jay Worthy’s lazy flow can slip into monotony, which is why he works best when paired with the busy production of Sean House. On “Tomorrow,” instead of Jay Worthy’s voice existing as the main presence, it feels like an instrument within a beat that belongs on the West Coast heavy Above the Rim soundtrack. Although Freddie Gibbs has no issue catching the groove when tapped for a feature.
YNW Melly - “Wine for Me”
YNW Melly exchanges the homicide ballads for a dancehall-influenced love song, and it works out because his Thug-inspired Auto-Tune flow was always destined to head in this direction. In the last year, no Florida rapper has picked up the traction (with two separate tracks on SoundCloud closing in on 10 million plays each) Melly has and it’s because of his combination of melody and songwriting. “Wine for Me” is not the best example of Melly’s writing because he just seems more passionate when talking about guns instead of women. But it is a showcase for his voice, as there’s something both sweet and sinister about every note he hits. And it should carry him into becoming a mainstream force as we move closer to 2019.
Willie The Kid - “Good Morning Vietnam”
Willie The Kid’s “Good Morning Vietnam,” with its marching band drums and lingering bass, feels like it should be playing during the climax of a long-ass 1960s spaghetti Western. His rapping over the mesmerizing beat is so precise and in-pocket it’s as if he’s sprinting through his verse. It’s technical and if even one element was slightly off the song wouldn’t work. It’s refreshing to hear this level of precision in contrast to all of the seemingly haphazard recordings we come across now.
Listen to new rap from YG, Lil Dude, LNDN DRGS, and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
