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Drop Watch 01.31.25

Drop Watch 01.31.25

My personal G.O.A.T. Pink Siifu dropped a phenomenal record this week. Over his career, he's added so many colors to his palette and this record is a really impressive synthesis of all of that, including

  • The Cloud Rap sound that he leans into on parts of GUMBO'!, and most of Kryptonyte (with Liv.e, Lord Byron & Ben Hixon) and IT'S TOO QUIET'! (with Turich Benjy)
  • the abrasive noise rap of NEGRO
  • the MIKE/Navy Blue/Earl Sweatshirt [sLUms] sound is present
  • the electronic stuff that nobody else is really bringing to the table to the extent he is. On this record, he's bringing ghettotech trio HiTech, Tunisian footwork producer Khadija Al Hanafi, and 454 into the fold.

All tied together with his southern influences from growing up in Birmingham. He likes to call it 'gumbo'. Nobody is doing it like Pink Siifu right now.

If you like the cloud rap stuff on Siifu's record (or the SURF GANG beats on MIKE's album mentioned below): FearDorian's album, Vayda's deluxe and Dylvinci's beat tape might be up your alley.

The MIKE record is really great, it's streaming here now. If you like Earl Sweatshirt (or Siifu), check it out. Yousef Srour wrote a pretty good review of it for Stereogum. If you like stuff like that (and/or billy woods), Portland producer Fines Double put out an album this week with a bunch of Backwoodz and Backwoodz adjacent guys on it (including woods himself). Frequent Backwoodz collaborator Messiah Muzik also dropped a beat tape.

Louisville trap rapper EST Gee last couple releases have been lackluster but I'm still tuning it. Him and Lil Baby rarely miss on collabs. He's one of the all-stars on Yo Gotti's CMG label along with people like Moneybagg Yo and GloRilla. Hoping for some more beats from FOREVEROLLING, who was a mainstay in his earlier work.

If you like Kodak Black or Luh Tyler, you might dig Tallahassee's Wizz Havin. IMO one of the more promising up-and-coming rappers out of Florida along with guys like Loe Shimmy and Trapland Pat.

LE$ is a reliable guy who's you'd dig if you like TX rap and Curren$y (formerly signed to Jet Life IIRC).

SlimeGetEm is one of the more buzzing figures in the DMV Crank scene (which I'm honestly still trying to wrap my head around). noz wrote a good run-down on what he's about for his Favorite Rap 2024 list.

If you like classic soul music, Eddie Chacon (who's been around since the 80s) & John Carroll Kirby (producer/pianist who’s worked with Solange/Frank Ocean/Steve Lacy/Harry Styles) are putting out the follow up to their 2023 record Sundown this week via Stones Throw. For more context around him/the last record, check out Margeaux Labat's review in Pitchfork.

If you like Griselda, check out V Don's EP on Benny the Butcher's label, Circa 97's producer tape, or Tha Musalini & DJ Skizz's tape.

If you like Midwest indie rappers like Mick Jenkins or Saba, check out Qari's tape. He was in a duo called Hurt Everybody with Supa Bwe, you might recognize those names if you were following the Chicago scene when Mick and Saba were coming up. Qari's Operation Hennessy EP with greenSLLIME (who frequently works with Mick Jenkins) got me through COVID, very slept on.

LPs

Deluxe

EPs

Songs

  • Latto - Blick Sum (Remix) [feat. Playboi Carti]
  • Blessd - ARGENTINA (feat. Alan Gomez, Midel & Elixer)
  • Will Smith - BEAUTIFUL SCARS (feat. Big Sean & OBanga)
  • Jhowzin & Qualywav1 - Lingerie Vermelha (feat. Ajaxx, L7NNON & Rap Forte)
  • Black Sharif - So it Goes (feat. Fireboy DML)
  • Lolo OG - Mas Lentito 2.0 (feat. Maldy)
  • Felolaefe & Dakos - Dime si te gusto (feat. Julianno Sosa & JulianoChieff)
  • BACKWOOD BRAT & Rem Dolla - Dusty (Remix) [feat. DRAM]
  • BabyChiefDoIt - BBLLCDI
  • LaRussell & Hit-Boy - Let Me Know Sum (feat. E-40, Richie Rich & Mistah F.A.B.)
  • LaRussell & Sango - Hustlin' (feat. Jay Anthony)
  • Ave, Mike G & LaRussell - We Be Hyphy
  • Devin Tracey & Sango - All Things Right
  • Strandz & Giggs - Time
  • RetcH & TheLoudPack - P.O.P. Hold It Down (feat. Ab-Soul)
  • Driew & Ab-Soul - Don't Know
  • Ayo Maff - Panic
  • Donaty - Coqueto
  • VonOff1700 - Automatic (feat. JillaOff1500)
  • Lancey Foux - TBA
  • Shy Glizzy - Force My Hand (feat. No Savage)
  • BHM Pezzy - Free Smoke (Remix) [feat. YTB Fatt]
  • Looselyric - Ghetto Superstar (feat. WESTSIDE BOOGIE)
  • BabyDrill - Wicked West
  • DaBoii & Pablo Skywalkin - 2017 Flow
  • Finesse2tymes & Chase Run It Up - I Was Cappin'
  • Adam Calhoun - Holy Water (Upchurch Diss)
  • Brother Ali & Ant - Mysterious Things
  • BigWestt - Silverspoon (feat. Babyfxce E)
  • DJ Eazzy Bankz - Freak Hoe (feat. Babyfxce E & Cartier)
  • Joy Orbison & Joe James - bastard
  • Fly Anakin & Quelle Chris - My Nigga (feat. Big Kahuna OG & $ilkmoney)
  • 2hollis - afraid (feat. nate sib)
  • KNEECAP - H.O.O.D. 2025
  • P1 & Zoe Osama - Million Out The Slums
  • Lil Tony Official & Hairoc - Brazy Story
  • M1llionz - Eth or Btc*
  • Scootie Wop - OH MAN*
  • Lemuell & Andrah PR - Dreamwork (feat. Jovaan)
  • Cico P - Fuego
  • ZelooperZ & Real Bad Man - Sweet Celine
  • Caleborate & Raymon Marco - No Lie!
  • EBK BCKDOE - Baby Thuggin'
  • Parkside Plug$ & HeyTaewon - Mi Familia
  • prettifun - idk wtf
  • Dhanji & RASLA - KHATLA PAR
  • Evvai - Count Ca$h (feat. freemyswag)
  • cwill2smooth - Put You Up (feat. Lil Yee)
  • Wakai - 22s / Magenta Skin (feat. Kaicrewsade)
  • Saysoh & Mitchell - Love That
  • CJ Fly & Malik Marble - HIYU FREESTYLE (Daylyt & Ray Vaughn Response)*
  • femdot. - Kenmore & Broadway
  • Sophie Hunter - 2 shots of patron
  • Skramz, Baby Stone Gorillas & Gudda Mack - Hell On This Side
  • Yody 4x & Leai1side - HOPE 2
  • FLEE & Sliick - MOTION (feat. Kai Slick)
  • Little Vic, 38 Spesh, RJ Payne & Fashawn - Santeria
  • Jay Prince - Chasing Thrills
  • Bandmanrill - The J
  • RRoxket - Codeine, Percocets, Marijuana
  • Sir Michael Rocks & Geoohhs - Talkin' Legit
  • BandGang Lonnie Bands - Time Travel (feat. Ayler Young)
  • LilPzy & RONRONTHEPRODUCER - Criptonite (feat. RTBWEST)
  • Blvck Spvde & Stefan Ringer - Yourzzz
  • BoogaN - Got a Cap On (feat. ItsManMan)
  • Fawzi - Castro
  • Mari Peso - Thieves R Us (feat. 54Blamtana)
  • RRB Cheese & SME TaxFree - Ricky Bobby / Play in That Sand
  • Cee Drilla - Mazza
  • Glock Sama - Tap Water
  • Rae Mulla & chrms - Breathe
  • Barlos! & Tooly! - Ak livestream Pt. 2
  • squillo - Grinch / helena
  • TheBabeGabe & The Human - Swan Song
  • FT Hop Out - Wacced Out Murals (Freestyle)*
  • Omar Gooding - Fix Ya Mouth (Cam’ron Diss)*

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* means not on DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, etc.)

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Jamie Larson
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