Metal Lungies

Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd could carve out a comfortable niche as as a ghostly, post-ratchet hook man. Listen to recent hits from the Mike Will brain trust below.

A rare keeper from G.O.O.D. Music stepchild CyHi The Prynce from his BHP 2: N.A.A.C.P mixtape. Flipping Jodeci usually works out. Download it here.

So hang on a second. That’s “High Fashion” featuring Future, produced by Metro Boomin, Southside, and WondaGurl and then “Nothing But Net” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR and Young Thug, produced by Boi-1da and with co-production by TM88, Southside, and Scott himself. Why do I feel like I’m reading the credits of the next Kanye album?

Ever since he did “Sexual Eruption” in 2007, Snoop Dogg’s best music has lain outside of hip-hop. New joints with Charlie Wilson and Dam-Funk are further proof.

Download the Dam-Funk joints at Stones Throw.

Per his description, beatmaker v e s a’s new tape is meant to “fund some up-coming projects & try to fund a trip to SXSW”. I’ll take it. a·typ·i·cal is 90s fetishism, but fear not another ode to Nickelodeon and Ninja Turtles. v e s a goes for new jack swing and boom bap vibes with well placed Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu samples and a tribute to Pete Rock.

P.U.D.G.E. went and flipped a YouTube meme into a slapping instrumental.

An overlooked anthem from December brought to my attention by the new DJ Lil Keem mixtape: YFN Lucci’s “Piped Dreams” has the hi hat rolls of his native Atlanta, but the stadium-sized vocal sample sounds like something out of DC. And the hook is great too.

Sy Ari Da Kid’s 11 minute posse cut only works because he scrounges great performances from 26 rappers. A full list of featured artists: K Camp, DC Young Fly, Snootie Wild, OG Maco, Kap G, Tha Joker, Jarren Benton, Drag-On, Zach Farlow, Nyemiah Supreme, Scotty ATL, Mike Fresh, Zuse, Royce Rizzy, Wave Chappelle, Katie Got Bandz, Rich The Kid, A1 The Supergroup, Yowda, Bandit Bang Marco, Translee, Zip K, Fat Bax, D Chamberz, and Math Hoffa.

Bonuses and alternate versions from A.G.’s 2010 Everything’s Berri album that were too dope to stay on the cutting room floor.

It’s easy to dismiss rappers like OG Maco and Bobby Shmurda who, like so many new faces in 2014, owe their fame in part to the meme lottery. The difference with OG Maco is that he’s a genuine talent with more than zero good songs. He can be compelling without screaming as evidenced by his verse on “Violent” by Ca$h Out. Further, “U Guessed It” was no fluke — he’s equally capable of wilding out over suffocating trap riot music on producer Brandon Thomas’ new EP.