#GUMMI EYEZ 4 ME

[therappundit]

August 2017 - *PlayLi$t of the Month*

You can call this my extended summer blow-out edition of The Pundit’s PlayLi$t. The last few weeks have brought us a dramatic influx of new hip-hop music, and of course I am here to consume ALL of it. That being said, as THE Rap Pundit it is my duty to guide you through the creme of the crop...so let’s begin, shall we? Here is my current playlist, folks:

1. “Negus” - Sean Price feat. MF DOOM & Ike Eyez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8i5_Sefku4

(From the moment the beat kicks in to the opening bars from Sean P., you know you’re in for an ominous treat. With a beat like this thumping along and building to a new MF DOOM verse, this was an obvious choice for this month’s list.)

2. “Try My Hand” - The Alchemist feat. Mobb Deep

https://soundcloud.com/alan-the-chemist/mobb-deep-try-my-hand

(As much as I hate bring reminded of the loss of two of my favorite MC’s for this month’s 1 & 2 selections, I’m looking at this new Alchemist & Mobb Deep joint as a reminder of how special of a MC Prodigy is/was.  While Sean Price brought a humorous grit to the New York underground, Prodigy typically provided a somber honesty that made his verses standout on any record. R.I.P. Sean P., R.I.P. Prodigy - and thank goodness the real hip-hop heads can continue to appreciate your gifts.)

3. “Macho On Coke” - Westside Gunn & Mach-Hommy

https://soundcloud.com/user-5212897/westsidegunn-x-mach-hommy-macho-on-coke

(Who better to continue the east coast underground tradition? I’m not exactly sure what this joint has to do with “The Macho Man” Randy Savage - damn, another R.I.P. - but this is the sort of untouchable rawness that we have come to expect from WSG, Hommy & Daringer whenever they get together. There are few collaborations I get psyched to hear more than when Griselda & Mach connect.)

4. “Diamonds” - A$AP Twelvyy feat. A$AP Rocky

http://www.thefader.com/2017/07/21/asap-twelvyy-asap-rocky-diamonds

(Twelvyy shall sit on the shelf no longer. The A$AP Mobber was next in line to step up, and he did just that with this 12 album. It’s a sobering NYC-banger from start to finish, a testament to A$AP Yams’ vision, and one of the group’s strongest projects in recent years. Both Twelvyy & Rocky put in fine work on this one, of many album standouts.)

5. “Honda Civic” - $ha Hef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGW9zoXDt9s

(Do NOT sleep on Hef’s new tape, Out the Mud. Possibly the darkest track on this whole list - which says a lot, because a stack of gritty records dropped in the last few weeks. $ha Hef is perfect for fans of Retchy P and Griselda, so check out his catalogue if you’re unfamiliar.)

6. “Message For The People” - The Alchemist & Budgie feat. Durag Dynasty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_k2cY3G_Vc

(Amidst all of the stellar cameos on this Alchemist & Budgie project, Durag almost steals the show with this soulful gem.)

7. “Plain Jane” - A$AP Ferg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik_5x7fbCmA

(Possibly the strongest of the Ferg loosies that was released during a furious stretch of dope music back in June/July, “Plain Jane” serves as both a great return to form for the A$AP lieutenant, and a hype-builder for Ferg’s upcoming mixtape.)

8. “’95 Bad Boy Logo” - Skyzoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ZkDPsCuuw

(Truth be told, I could have fought to squeeze Skyzoo’s entire Peddler Themes EP on this month’s list. The guy simply doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the finest lyricists in hip-hop for the last 15 years. This cut is a beautiful homage to one of my favorite eras in hip-hop history.)

9. “No One Seems To Care” - Nyck @ Knight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JryKk_y2Pw

(The Pro Era duo dropped a collection of songs that bumps from front to back, and it is easily the crew’s best project since Joey’s B4.Da.$$.)

10. “Long Live The Kings” - Mulatto Beats feat. King L

https://soundcloud.com/mulattobeats/long-live-the-kings-feat-king

(No one captures the drill vibe better than King L. Put him over a beat from a dope producer like Mulatto Beats, it will likely result in a dope song. And behold, here’s one right now - one of the best, most slept-on rap songs of the month.)

11. “Resident Evil” - Sean Price

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHxbJPMaPAU

(So many gems on this Imperius Rex album, but this one might FEEL the most like classic P to me.)

12. “GUMMY” - BROCKHAMPTON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWhPimx07H0

(These guys are far too green to be able to generate this much well executed, unique rap music...but damn, if this isn’t one of the most attention-grabbing rap videos to drop this year, then I don’t know what I’m talking about. And I’m THE Rap Pundit, so we know that’s not true! This is one of my favorite joints I have heard from the team thus far.)

13. “Yea Yea Yea (Maps)” - A$AP Twelvyy

http://www.complex.com/music/2017/07/stream-asap-twelvyy-yea-yea-yea-maps

(Another triumph for Twelvyy. Dude poured his guts out on this album, and this one is straight hypnotic. Dark and lovely, like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song that inspired its’ name.)

14. “6am On Park” - Oun-P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWIFW1niIXM

(Oun-P’s been bubbling for a bit, but this is the first time he seems to really tap into a classic NYCentric vibe, so no one should be ignoring this record.)

15. “40 oz. At The Met Gala” - Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire

https://soundcloud.com/exqobumaye/03-40z-at-the-met-gala-prod-by-parallel-thought?in=exqobumaye/sets/brainiac-ep

(Welcome back, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire! Quite simply one of the most unique, special MC’s in hip-hop. What a great EP he just dropped - hope he sticks around to reclaim the much-deserved props. The whole tape bumps, but this one showcases both his skills and sense of humor so perfectly. With Sean P. gone, we need this guy now more than ever!)

16. “Ready” - Tate Kobang feat. Swizz Beatz & Va$htie

https://www.vibe.com/2017/08/tate-kobang-vahtie-ready/

(Still not really clear how this dude flies under the radar...he’s a non-stop rap single machine! I swear if he was coming out of Philly, L.A., Chicaho or NYC instead of Baltimore, he would be a huge star by now. This one has that classic Swizz bounce.)

17. “Floor Seats” - The Alchemist & Budgie feat. Mach-Hommy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so0i2RXWOTU

(This Alchemist & Budgie project is no joke. And neither is Mach-Hommy, who seems to have an unlimited supply of verses that sound like nothing you’ve ever heard.)

18. “The Foundation” - Ali Vegas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqlvrl1qY4

(From one of Queens’ finest to another, Ali Vegas sounds like he’s back to top form on this gorgeous homage to QB’s late great P.)

19. “Nyku Contemplating” - The Alchemist & Budgie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mt8uO7i_gE

(I almost completely missed this, thinking it was an instrumental track. Glad I didn’t, because I’m not familiar with Nyku, but he made a helluva impression on this one.)

20. “Broken Record” - Madchild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3LoSU3nkBA

(Another one of those slept-on records that warrants the need for extra long monthly playlists. Madchild delivered with the rhymes here, and Evidence killed with this beat.)

*Honorable Mention - Bonus Cut*

“You Already Know” - Lisaan'Dro

https://soundcloud.com/lisaandro/you-already-know-2017

(I don’t know much about Lisaan’Dro, but with ties to Roc Marciano, some dope underground producers, and a style that reminds me of a hybrid of Sticky Fingaz, Agallah and Sean Price...I hope to hear a LOT more from him in the future. Dude’s got bars.)

Still In Rotation:

4:44 by JAY-Z

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jay-z-4-44-upcoming-album-new-mixtape.117283.html

Rosebudd’s Revenge by Roc Marciano

http://onsmash.com/music/roc-marciano-rosebudds-revenge-album-stream/

DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23147-damn/

Issa by 21 Savage

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21-savage-issa-album/

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music by 2 Chainz

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2-chainz-pretty-girls-like-trap-music/

[ICYMI: Last month’s list below]

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/163155194116/july-2017-playli-t-of-the-month