Every week, seemingly a gazillion songs release on streaming services. From Soundcloud and Bandcamp exclusives to the endless array of songs on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s a lot to take in. Additionally, some of the tracks aren’t nearly as good as it should be. Who wants to waste their time sifting through records in fear that some aren’t very good. How can one possibly have the time to even do it?
This is where Noisey has you covered. We’re saving you time in the playlist department to narrow it down to the three most essential songs in hip-hop and R&B you should hear. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist or album in the process.
3 of The Best New HIP-Hop Songs and R&B REcords of the Week
Ocho Worldwide- “16 Zips”
Listen to Ocho Worldwide’s “16 Zips” on its surface, it’s a smooth cruise. His smooth cadence and airy delivery with the sly sample from the old UPN hit The Parkers transports you to a 2006 episode of MTV Cribs.
But as initially breezy as it is, Ocho’s strength lies in juxtaposing flyness with grit and grind. He outlines tumultuous times with “16 zips” to make ends meet for his family, risks and mental strain alike. As much as he brushes everything off his shoulders, there’s exhaustion in his voice. The recurring refrain of “I had to get it off” plays as a hefty sigh of desperation. “Ain’t scared of Freddie vs Jason, only fear I had was lose it all,” he deadpans.
A good flex can only take you so far if there’s no weight and substance behind it. If people don’t sense there’s real trials and tribulations behind the artists, the music runs as empty calorie. That’s why when Ocho raps, “I put them Diddy’s on the road like I was Biggie, Sky’s The Limit/but them suicidal thoughts, I couldn’t shake ’em off” into a scheme about Taylor Swift and The Giver,” it’s not just punchlines. There are real stakes to the backstory that amplify his strong writing. It’s deeper than rap.
Zukenee- “KINO DER TOTEN”
We know what trap music is going to sound like nowadays. 808s and hi-hats tend to be overly familiar, producers can sculpt them seemingly out of thin air. Oftentimes, it bypasses energy and ambiance entirely to fit a ‘type beat’ mold. Where the hell is the distinction?
Insert ‘medieval trap,’ a concept Zukenee has been sketching for the last year. Big body trucks are carriages, fast cars are horses. Candles are in the trunk and he’ll rock knight armor to really hammer the point home. His breakthrough project Slaytanic dwells in sticks and swords, comparing gentrification to villages burning down, the streets akin to the woods.
“KINO DER TOTEN” adds to the medieval tapestry on display; Zukenee, adorned in chainmail, pierces through minimal keys John Carpenter would toy with back in the day. The trap is a dungeon where torches are lit on the wall and he talks to women like Dracula, hoping they don’t kill the vibe asking for his phone. Out of all of the uninspired vampiric cosplayers curbing from Playboi Carti, it’s refreshing that Zukenee actually commits to something new and fresh.
Veeze- “Signed a Napkin”
One thing that prevented hip-hop purists and washed up listeners from loving Veeze was his cadence. Oftentimes, he rapped in slurs from behind a double cup, barely coherent to less attentive fans. But listen closely enough, there was a punchline at every corner to marvel at.
“Signed a Napkin” doesn’t have this problem; despite punching in at a rate that borders on a run-on sentence, Veeze hasn’t been this clear in years. The renewed vocal clarity amplifies his sharp writing in addition to the dizzying flow. “I overdid it, Chrome glasses with the buff work / he dressin’ like me but he late 5 summers,” he boasts on one line. “$20k in Louie, IRS made me sign sum’n,” the Michigan rapper tosses off in another. Additionally, he’ll throw one-off jokes that run both morbid and absurd. “Sexual harassment, she send pics I ain’t ask for,” he shrugs. If you pay attention, Veeze is one of the most rewarding rappers working today.
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