New Releases You May Have Missed (Well, The Ones Actually Worth Checking Out)

In case you've missed Twitter, Facebook, or any real music news in the past week or so, it has been a pretty good week for new hip hop releases. The Dreamville crew returns with a couple drops following rumors of the long awaited Revenge Of The Dreamers 3 project soon to be releasing (though still no definite date set), aside from Dreamville, Bas decides to drop his own random loosie (or is it JUST a loosie? Hmmm...), and Drake fulfills his promises of new music after the Raptors win the franchise's first NBA Championship.  Check out all of the releases below, with a short explanation/review.


Dreamville Compilation tracks - "Down Bad" and "Got Me"




Is there anything else in hip hop worth talking about right now more than Dreamville's 2 new compilation tracks?  Cole and the Dreamville crew made waves on Twitter on June 12th (almost a week ago) after releasing the two tracks above, "Got Me" and 'Down Bad", both featuring several artists, all signees under the Dreamville imprint. Both tracks are sounding extra clean and crispy and adapt much differently to the current hip hop climate, and are sure to raise conversation and excitement moving forward, but if  I had to choose between the 2, I personally have to pick "Got Me" as my favorite release of the last week. It's slow burning and deep penetrating bassline hits your ears and your speakers unlike anything could do, unless it was a straight up knife to the chest. Bump this one in the loudest possible speaker system you can find.

Bas ft. JID - Fried Rice


    
After what many considered the best album of last year (actually just me, literally just me) dropping in late 2018, Milky Way, it is always nice to see an artist like Bas, who always considers quality over quantity, returning with new music. In a song that finds JID shredding a fast paced 2nd verse (has anyone ever talked about how much this guy sounds like Anderson .Paak? No? Alright then) along with Bas' signature awkward, yet somehow-it-always-works-so-well flow, Bas has blessed his fan base with another different style; a rapper of many different traits and flows, a verse chameleon if you will. Definitely worth the listen, especially if you like Bas.

Drake - Money In The Grave (ft. Rick Ross) & Omerta




(*I do not own any of these songs, or the rights to them*)
    
The Toronto Raptors, for the first time in the franchise's short 24 year history, have beaten the Golden State Warriors to become NBA Champions, and as a somewhat, kinda/sorta Cavs fan (I live in Ohio), I could not be more excited to see the "dynasty" fall another year short. Here's to hoping it lasts, KD leaves for Washington, and Klay realizes his worth and goes somewhere else (I can dream). But the most noteworthy detail (hip hop wise) of the Raptors newfound championship glory is the fact that Drake celebrated the title win by releasing 2 new songs!  And I could not be more.... ehh. Don't get me wrong, the songs themselves are decent, I think I like "Omerta" more than "Money In The Grave" (probably because it doesn't attempt to sounding like everything else out), but both songs do not really honestly sound authentic Drake to me, in my humble opinion. And I know I'm just some blogger/writer who types his opinions out on the computer, but that's my 2 cents on the matter. Drake still continues to succeed, and he will as long as he keeps putting some kind/shape/form of music out every year, but me personally, as someone who finds the most enjoyment in hip hop strategy/planning/ consistency in themes; I would like to see Drake put out something that has a bit more bite under it. These 2 songs feel... well, maybe "lifeless" isn't the term, but they don't have that proper Drake edge to them that you would hope for, and all is fun for releasing songs in celebration of your favorite team, but I will say that Drake releases used to feel a lot more... special. Now? Not quite so much. All in all, Drake put out 2 more songs that people will jam to and enjoy, and I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy hearing the songs the next time I attend a party. But will I play them much on my own?  Probably not. In terms of quality, pretty good. But in terms of Drake quality?  Not as good as hoped. End bitter hip hop/Drake blogger rant.        








  

ICYMI: New Music: Bas - Pinball II (feat. Correy C)

A few days ago (April 10th), Queens based and Dreamville imprint rapper Bas returned with a new single, featuring Los Angles rapper Correy C. The song is titled "Pinball II", and is apparently a follow up to his 2013 record, Quarter Water Raised Me, Vol. II. The song is also apparently co-produced by J. Cole, Ced Breeze and ClickNPress, and is available now on iTunes and streaming services.

After an amazing 2016 with the release of his acclaimed Too High To Riot album, Bas went ghost in 2017, though now it seems like he could be preparing for a big release in 2018. Keep on the look out for that, and checkout the lyric video to Bas' new single below.



(*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)

 

I'm Late, But Bas' "Too High To Riot" Is Too Dope

I know, I know exactly how you internet fiends get. "Are you serious you're just NOW listening to that?  I've been on that since the millisecond it came out!"  Okay, so I haven't exactly been up to date on the newest and most dope shit lately, but when I see dopeness, I'm most certainly going to point it out. One of J. Cole's Dreamville protégé's Bas has been on the come up for a minute, but it seems like Too High To Riot is his coming out party. I had heard the Queens, NY rapper on a couple of Cole loosie's from back around 2010-2011 (I believe), and I have to admit that I didn't exactly see what was going to appeal him to people, but of course Bas wasn't putting out music like the songs on Too High To Riot back then. It seems Bas has finally found his sound.

Now I'm not going to call this an album review since I hate doing them so much, I mean obviously I'm not the most up-to-the-minute like these other hip hop blogs (since when is doing an album review the day it came out a good idea?), but from now on when I hear a new album, I think I'm just going to point out the things I like about it. And seeing as Bas' Too High To Riot appeals to just about every sense, there is a lot to like about it.



So yeah, Cole is featured on the album, and most would think that this would be the high point of this album, but the great thing is that it's not (speaking of Cole's feature, Bas and Cole have a really fun back and forth on their collaboration off the album, "Night Job"). Bas has what the kids today would call, a "wavy sound" that could get anybody moving. You can party to these songs, or you can just kick back and do some laundry to it, and there's a huge in between. The bass lines in songs like "Methylone", "Housewives", and "Clouds Never Get Old" are perfect to bump in the whip, while Bas also shows his deeper, more reflective side in jams like "Live For", and then he goes and makes ridiculous interlude types of songs like "Miles And Miles" that could lift you up and float you away (even without the smoke, though I'm sure it's heavily influenced).

So all in all, stay awake on Bas. He has an incredible body of work just in Too High To Riot, an album that makes him one to watch moving forward. Being under J. Cole and his Dreamville label could be bad or good, it's too hard to tell so early seeing as Cole doesn't have much experience being the mentor type, though it seems if Bas is going to continue being as dope as he is, Cole will have no problem with letting Bas do his thing.