It's holiday season, and that means it's time to start rolling out the year-end lists. There was almost too much good music to handle, as notable releases week after week meant that only the hottest tracks were able to attain a shelf-life of longer than a couple of months.
There were a few obvious trends that helped make sense of the past 12 months. Out West, L.A. made a big comeback, as its place in music history was revived with the release of Straight Outta Compton as well as a handful of ambitious concept albums, including a masterwork from hip-hop's premier social prophet. That other guy from across the border had another huge year -- with a platinum mixtape that had to be called an album after every one of its songs hit the charts. He was also lucky to have an Internet-breaking conspiracy fall right into his hands.
As was the case last year, Atlanta, led by a young team of adventurous trap producers, was the most productive city on the map. One man in particular went on a historic streak of non-stop savagery and another cross-dressing Slime managed to crank out three of the year's best mixtapes, despite being accused of plotting to kill his biggest idol.
That's the kind of confounding year it was. What a time to be alive.
Skip ahead:
Before making it to the official list, take a look at our honorary selections below. As always, the comments section is open for dispute.
Honorable Mentions:
Lil Wayne Feat. Drake - "Used To"
The Game Feat. Drake - "100"
The Weekend - "Tell Your Friends"
K Camp - "Comfortable"
Tinashe Feat. Young Thug - "Party Favors"
Freddie Gibbs Feat. E-40 & Gucci Mane - "10 Times"
Travi$ Scott Feat. Chief Keef & Swae Lee - "Nightcrawler"
Tory Lanez - "Dimelo"
Jeremih Feat. J. Cole - "Planes"
Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole - "Black Friday" Remixes
Boosie Badazz Feat. PJ - All I Know
About a year since he came home after 5 years in prison, a couple of which were spent on death row, Boosie delivered Touchdown 2 Cause Hell, his first album as Boosie Badazz. The album was filled with anger, pain, and regret, but the uplifting "All I Know," featuring shining vocals from budding singer PJ, showcases the perseverance that has kept him hungry for over 15 years.
Chance the Rapper Feat. Saba - Angels
Chance's October single "Angels," which he premiered on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is a gift to the city of Chicago, and a universally uplifting anthem that never sounds passé. The track features up-and-comer Saba, and the juke-inspired instrumental comes from The Social Experiment and Norwegian producer Lido. Driven by his collaborative spirit, as witnessed on both Surf and his joint mixtape with the Based God, Chance is making the most exciting music of his career. What's next for the Chicagoan of the year? It certainly won't involve a major label.
Boogie - Oh My
Last year, Boogie emerged as a unique voice out Long Beach, relatively reserved and unusually insightful. In April, he followed up his Thirst 48 mixtape with an unexpected Jahlil Beats-produced banger, "Oh My," that proved he could pack enough heat to be a major contender out of a fiercely competitive city, eventually earning him a deal with Interscope. And he never sacrificed the humbleness that made him so likable in the first place; he's more surprised than anyone. "Oh my goodness!" sums it up pretty well.
T.I. Feat. Young Thug & Young Dro - PBJ
After last year's "About the Money," T.I. returned with another hypnotic beauty with Young Thug and London on da Track. He's learned from his time as label boss to respect the energies of the young phenoms, and "PBJ" finds the two Grand Hustle vets trying to keep up with the otherworldly zone initially set by Thugger. And they (Dro especially, kindred spirits with Thug in many ways) do a damn good job.
Nef the Pharaoh - Big Tymin'
Nef the Pharoah made a regional smash in the Bay that was inspired by a different region -- brilliantly revamping an '02 classic from Baby and Mannie Fresh. "Big Tymin'" bumps in a way that's at once new and familiar, but unlike anything else in 2015. Nef's breakout single continues to reach across the country, thanks to a remix with YG and Ty Dolla $ign. With E-40 as his mentor, the 20-year-old Sic-Wid-It signee is poised to put Vallejo on his back.
Action Bronson Feat. Chance the Rapper - Baby Blue
While in London, Action Bronson teamed up with Mark Ronson and created a soulful everyman's anthem, "Baby Blue," showing that underneath all of his eccentricities lies a hopeless romantic. Chance the Rapper finishes the song with some ingenious poetic voodoo.
YG - Twist My Fingaz
After dropping L.A.'s best album last year with My Krazy Life, YG had a quiet 2015, only releasing one single. That single, "Twist My Fingaz," is an undeniable L.A. anthem, intended to place YG in the lineage of the g-funk greats. Over production from future legend Terrace Martin, YG boasts about being "the only one who made it out the West without Dre" and "the only one that got hit and was walking the same day." He ain't lyin'.
A$AP Rocky Feat. Lil Wayne - M'$
For his sophomore album, ALLA, A$AP Rocky camped out in London and his music was thus laced with psychedelia. On "M'$," however, he was just Flacko being Flacko, kicking his jiggiest raps over production from GuWop hitman Honorable C-Note, "talkin' bout M's," exactly what he should be talking about when he's this dialed-in. Weezy didn't impress with his solo projects this year, but he sounds hungrier than ever on "M's," as was the case for most of his big features.
2 Chainz - Watch Out
2 Chainz slowed his productivity in an effort to build up his label, The Real University, and pursue the ultimate standards in luxury as the host of GQ's "Most Expensive Sh*t." At the end of the summer, though, he went back to the trap and released the third installment of his Trap-A-Velli Tre mixtape series as Tity Boi. "Watch Out" is the tape's strongest cut, as Tity intermittently fires venomous bars over a sinister piano trap number from duo FKi.
Jay Rock Feat. Black Hippy - Vice City
Right now, there's no crew that can do a posse cut like TDE, and more specifically, Black Hippy. All four members of the L.A. supergroup all got together for the Cardo-produced "Vice City," off Jay Rock's latest album, 90059, and, one-by-one, tried to rap their way out of a whirlwind of sin. This spooky banger served as a reminder of how far they've come in the past few years.
Bryson Tiller - Don't
Not everyone who's got flow and a half decent singing voice is destined for OVO. Drake came calling after Bryson Tiller's breakout hit, "Don't," began to blow up, but the young Louisville TRAPSOUL singer turned down his offer in an attempt to forge his own lane. With a woozy, electronic influence, and a southern accent that makes the trap connection feel especially natural, he's doing just that.
Rick Ross - Foreclosures
A month after "Meek fell," Rick Ross went on a hot streak that would continue through the year's end. It began with "Foreclosures," which appeared on his Black Dollar mixtape and became a bonus track on his new album, Black Market. Taking on a throwback J.U.S.T.I.C.E. and 8 Bars production, Ross set out to establish his own brand of luxury rap, flowing with careful grace and a prevailing sense of boss wisdom, even in the most ridiculous scenarios. "Foreclosures" is a lesson on financial politics for anyone who thinks it's easy being a black mogul of his caliber.
Chris Brown & Tyga Feat. ScHoolboy Q - Bitches N Marijuana
Though Chris Brown and Tyga released their collaborative album, Fan of a Fan, to underwhelming numbers at the beginning of the year, they made a surefire club banger with "Bitches N Marijuana." The best buds teamed up with Nic Nac for the follow-up to "Loyal," and grabbed ScHoolboy Q, an obvious choice considering the subject matter.
Miguel - The Valley
One of the best records off Miguel's psychedelic sex opus, WILDHEART, was the especially graphic "The Valley." The '70s-esque pornographic jam is one that finds Miguel's vocals heating up in sync with the swelling instrumental, before climaxing with a mash-up of all the track's elements. Raunchy lyrics like "I wanna fuck like we're filming in the valley" are sung with such conviction that you can't help but grit your teeth and sing along.
Earl Sweatshirt - Grief
Continuing to distance himself from his Odd Future roots, Earl Sweatshirt's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside was even darker and more personal than 2013's Doris. The lead single, "Grief," and its hauntingly bleak instrumental, coming from Earl's randomblackdude alias, set the tone for his self-produced sophomore LP. Running through bitter raps about addiction and consuming paranoia, he made listeners feel totally cut off from the outside world. The scary part is just how self-aware he remains within that dangerous solitary place.
Kevin Gates - Tomorrow
Baton Rouge antihero Kevin Gates lessened his output this year, but the tracks he did release managed to solidify his reputation as one of the most consistent artists in the south. At the same time, there's always an element of unpredictability with Gates, as the passion and fury relayed in his music reflects a life of tragedy that continues to affect him every day. Nonetheless, he's clearly perfecting his craft, and "Tomorrow," a non-album track he shared while on the road, shows his thick drawl effortlessly carrying an infectious melody through each bar as he powers through his depression with pure adrenaline.
Skepta - Shutdown
Yeah, Skepta was probably in the grime Hall of Fame before he made his first big splash Stateside. "Shutdown" begins with, and is perhaps named after, a Drake Vine, and later on, there's a clip of a crotchety English woman expressing her dismay at Kanye West's surprise invasion of the BRIT Awards, when he performed "All Day" backed by a giant flamethrower and top grime emcees like Skepta, Novelist, Stormzy, and about 30 others. In between, it's masterful bars bursting with non-stop energy. Grime is here to stay. Truss mi daddy.
Future - Trap Niggas
Future's incredible year has been fueled by a dark spirit. And while that spirit is often given life by sex and drugs, it ultimately comes straight from the trap. And that's just where Future went on "Trap Niggas," off his Southside-produced 56 Nights mixtape, eventually ending up as a DS2 bonus cut. "Fuck what ya heard, God blessin' all the trap niggas," sang the Freebandz President, himself the most blessed of all.
French Montana Feat. Chinx & N.O.R.E. - Off the Rip
Would "Off the Rip" have blown up had it not been for Chinx's tragic death less than three weeks after its release? Does it matter? "Off the Rip" became a definitive summer anthem, solidifying the Montana-led, Max B-inspired Coke Boys wave as a major part of New York rap. And it served as a testament to Chinx's immense talent and to Montana's drive to keep his legacy alive. N.O.R.E. even came in to give it the OG kingpin stamp of approval. I don't know if anyone out West caught on, but "Off the Rip" was everywhere in the City this year.
Future - March Madness
Future's hunger was never so apparent as on "March Madness," the 56 Nights cut-turned-single that, for some reason, was left off DS2. The riveting Tarentino production ignites the Freebandz leader into an unrelenting stream of consciousness, reveling in his current winning streak as his psyche remains haunted by his past life and by the rampant killings of innocent black men at the hands of police. It's amazing that such a heavy-handed track went so hard in the club, but Future's visceral sound has always served as an attempt to make sense of an almost untranslatable pain.
Jamie xx Feat. Young Thug & Popcaan - I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)
Drake grabbed a Jamie xx instrumental on the Take Care title track, but it's clear the London producer was after Young Thug the whole time. "Good Times," the feel-good song of the summer, sampled '70s a cappella group The Persuasions into a dreamy dancehall-inspired house beat, with some nice vocal additions from Jamaica's hottest star, Popcaan, to bring the steel drums home. But this is really Thugger's song. And no one's been having a better time than him.
Kanye West Feat. Paul McCartney - Only One
However frustrating it is being a Kanye fan these days, he's become an even bigger icon, seizing his place in the fashion world and announcing a 2020 run for the White House. On his first single since Yeezus, "Only One," he sang from the perspective of his mother in heaven above, letting her devotion travel through him to his one-year-old daughter. With Paul McCartney playing keyboard, the song remains, of course, on the Kanye scale of ambition, but if you weren't moved by "Only One," you probably need a hug.
Fetty Wap Feat. Drake - My Way (Remix)
Once again, Drake attempted to catch a buzzing artist on the rise and help them score their biggest hit. Though Fetty Wap was a little more than buzzing when Drake jumped on "My Way," as "Trap Queen" was the No. 3 record in the country at time. And indeed, the version that switched Drizzy for Monty went on to become a Top 10 hit, another show of Fetty's ability to land on inventively catchy melodies and ride them out with enough energy to last a whole song. Like it or not, though, the song's success was assured as soon as Drake began, "All I gotta do is put my mind to this shit." It was that easy.
Meek Mill - Check
Remember when Meek Mill was killing it? It was the beginning of the summer, he had swept up the baddest chick in the game, and though he had only released a few tracks since getting out of prison, he was sounding awfully hungry approaching the release of his sophomore album, Dreams Worth More Than Money. "Check," the album's lead single, showed he was owning his lane of relentless street rap, which he could pull off on the hottest club productions, doing so on the siren-filled horror movie "Check" beat from Southside and Metro Boomin. All the expectations were soon proven as DWMTM became Meek's first No. 1 album. And then came a series of unfortunate events...
Luckily, he's well-versed in "flexing from the bottom" and looks to drop his comeback record on Christmas.
Rae Sremmurd - This Could Be Us
After their first two smashes, "No Flex Zone" and "No Type," finally slowed down, Rae Sremmurd's debut album, SremmLife, continued to spawn hits for most of the year. Over a breezy summertime Mike Will beat, "This Could Be Us" is the perfect ode to the single life. The Mississippi bros are true ladies men, and because of their lifestyles, certain heartbreakers. Lee's innocent vocals on the chorus give off the sense that something's missing, but that longing can easily be replaced by whatever's right in front of him.
Young Thug Feat. Birdman - Constantly Hating
Birdman has emerged as perhaps the least trustworthy figure in the industry. Though this year marked a serious decline in the Cash Money empire, he still introduced much of the world to Young Thug, and their controversial partnership helped the Barter 6 rapper become a superstar. If there's one piece of wisdom Bird was able to bestow upon Thug, it's how to deal with the constant hate -- or, in Thugger talk, when "pussy n*ggas hold their nuts, masturbatin' on you."
Instead of going for the prevailing "if you ain't got no haters, you ain't poppin'" sentiment, Thug decided to slow down and exercise one of his more unorthodox blends of singing and rapping. The jaunty production from Wheezy perfectly echoes the carefree manner in which Thugger taunts his foes -- by simply making a banger in a different language. Blatt.
Migos - Pipe It Up
It was a prolific year for Migos, even if they spent most of it as a duo, as Offset was incarcerated for over 7 months. Quavo and Takeoff showed they could hold their own on the summer banger "Pipe It Up," produced by the teenage Canadian sensation Murda Beatz. The whole song rattles with charisma, as Quavo and Takeoff trade rapidfire verses and the former owns the hook, adding some more classic bando lingo to the trap vernacular. Repetitiveness isn't synonymous with redundancy, and the Migos' young energy continues to inspire, especially considering all they dealt with this year. With Offset back and dialed-in, 2016 is looking even better.
Drake - Energy
"Energy" is the cockiest track off Drake’s platinum throwaway tape If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and one of the few that's straight Drizzy raps. It begins with a sample of a signature DJ intro from Jamaican soundsystem don Jah Walton and a few seconds of heavy gunfire. It could easily be cheesy, but nah. Drake drops at least one of these tracks a year. One that reminds us that he does, in fact, have a lot of enemies -- whom he's defeating one by one. His acting days may never be completely over, but his thirst for drama is sure to entertain for years to come.
Big Sean Feat. Drake - Blessings
This year seemed to mark Big Sean's arrival into the top-tier of mainstream rap. Though he's always been an impressive lyricist, his early rhymes don't have the same sting as they do on "Blessings," the biggest hit off Dark Sky Paradise aside from last year's "IDWFU." Welcoming him to the other side was Drake, who, as usual, showed that there's a dark side to being "blessed."
Vinylz gave the song a noir feel with his cinematic production -- something to soundtrack the next illuminati roundtable. Amid his first verse, Drake halts his own course and chides a hater -- whom, with a little imagination, could be any number of present suspects -- for interrupting his celebratory toast. Though both emcees will continue to be bothered as they climb way up, don't expect either top sacrifice his spot.
Omarion Feat. Chris Brown & Jhené Aiko - Post to Be
It might not be one of the best R&B collaborations of all time, but it probably should have gotten a Grammy nod. "Post to Be," featuring a featherweight Mustard production, was an undeniable pop smash. And it was an inescapable party singalong, with a crisp lead off from Omarion, the starpower of Chris Breezy, and, yes, the cutest booty-eating lyric there will ever be. Each of the four artists on the track have helped bring R&B firmly into the club circuit, and "Post to Be" is evidence of just how much fun the genre can be when it's done right.
Post Malone - White Iverson
Can Post Malone reasonably call himself the White Iverson? Doubtful. And that’s probably what irritated elder rap pundits like Charlamagne tha God. Malone apparently got the nickname after he got cornrows, and maybe it’s problematic he decided to adopt it and make this song. But at the end of the day, he doesn't really need a defense, as he, with the help of duo FKi, pulled off a hazy club ballad that stayed hot for most of the year. In contrast to the presumptuous title, Malone portrayed himself as a humble, grinding young artist with his own special sauce. We'll see if the whole "being white" thing ends up as a crutch or a silver spoon -- but this year, "White Iverson" stood as a universal underdog's anthem.
Drake & Future - Jumpman
What a Time to Be Alive doesn’t seem to be getting much year-end love, at least compared to its initial astronomical hype. Its legacy might be short-lived -- time will tell -- but, nonetheless, Drake and Future used the surprise release as a means of solidifying a rare partnership, one that will hopefully be explored further in the near future. "Jumpman," the album's biggest hit (and technically Future's biggest hit ever), is the silliest track of the bunch. And it's the one that best encapsulates the energy behind the bold stunt of locking themselves in the studio for six days and trying to keep up with the locked-in zone of young Metro Boomin on production, woo!
All of us who tuned into OVO Sound Radio on that special Sunday night felt the same vertigo that Drake probably picked up from sipping on Future's Dirty Sprite.
Vince Staples - Señorita
The twins of Christian Rich gave Vince Staples a Michael Myers-inspired 808s production for the lead single of his stunning debut album. The beat, which was originally meant for Pusha T, included a Future sample as a reference point, but Vince decided to keep the gripping opening lines of "Covered N Money" as the song's hook. He imbibed all of Future's dark traphouse energy, ditched any remnants of glitz, and painted a haunting, detailed picture of the zombieland he calls home. Much of its thrill, as Vince well knows, is because his world feels like a distant fantasy. Further listens of Summertime '06 will prove just how real it is.
Tory Lanez - Say It
This was Tory Lanez' year, and it's about damn time. He had a few hits that heightened his underground buzz -- the RL Grime-produced "In for It" or "Acting Like," with Shlohmo, both off his joint EP with L.A. electronic collective WeDidIt. "Say It," however, the first song recorded after signing to Interscope, was the song that most fully expressed his potential starpower. Working a sample of a classic '90s R&B jam into the perfectly sung chorus, "Say It" is the crowning achievement of a guy who’s been showing and proving throughout entire career.
Young Thug - Best Friend
Slime Season and its sequel were two of the hottest tapes of the year despite being comprised of mostly songs that had leaked months earlier. "Best Friend" was one of the few new records on SS1, and one of Thugger's most immediately visceral bangers ever. In his opening verse, he offers a course in swagonometry, and then, pauses suddenly, before allowing himself to PROCEED (and eat the booty).
Most of the song's lyrics have nothing to do with Thug's "best friend," but every line shows a masterful execution of an innate rhythm that cant be imitated. "Let me tell you how I spent a couple hundreds today," Thug wails in a command that would be mundane were it not for the unpredictability of the subject at hand. He's made another unabashedly hard track while being himself, and in today's game, that's not nearly as easy as it sounds. The reason Thug's boasts are so much more compelling than those of his peers is that they elicit a refreshing sense of self-love. He's come this far by being his own BFF.
The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
Released at the top of the summer, "Can't My Feel Face" is the sunniest track that The Weeknd has ever made. In an unapologetic attempt to bring out his inner-Michael Jackson, Swedish superproducer Max Martin threw Abel into pop stardom, from which, following the release of Beauty Behind the Madness, he likely won't return. For most of his career, The Weeknd's sweet, effeminate chops have been smothered by darkness. But here, he rejoices in the light pleasure of Martin's serotonin-packed disco loops, and his vocals shine like never before. He's explored the trappings of addiction in great depth, but here, he reminds us that there's always an upside to a crushing comedown.
Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money
Though Rihanna’s celebrity has never been higher, it’s been over three years since her last album. She began 2015 with an acoustic collaboration with Paul McCartney and Kanye West, and she landed a few songs on the soundtrack to the CGI children’s film "Home," in which she also starred. Then, in March, she came back with one of her rawest-sounding bangers to date, "Bitch Better Have My Money."
The song was written by a 20-year-old, and it’s nowhere near Rihanna's prettiest singing. At times, it's deliberately ugly. Rihanna was as powerful as ever in going about her sex positive, free-nipple’d ways, but the feminist statement that resonated the most was achieved by holding her boss' trophy wife hostage in the backseat of her foreign car. Badgirl RiRi is, in fact, nothing short of a cold-hearted killer.
Future Feat. Drake - Where Ya At
Straight up, Future's DS2 would not have gone No. 1 had Drake not revealed he was on the album a week before it dropped. On the other hand, Drake’s summer might not have been so dominant had he not kept up with Future on "Where Ya At," a trapper's lament about loyalty, and how rare it is -- as the 6 God would soon discover.
The track kicked off the partnership between two rappers who soon positioned themselves as the hottest in the game. The highlight here, though, is the production of young Metro, who uses a quick loop of what sounds like a harp along with skittering 808s to carry the flows of both WATTBA collaborators.
Drake - Know Yourself
When Drake begins "Know Yourself," it doesn’t really sound like he’s trying. This is the lazy, inexplicably gloomy Drizzy we love to hate (and hate to love).
Then the beat suddenly changes. Boi-1da (or SykSense, perhaps?) plays a sample of some chimes from an 1980 library record that seem to hang in thin air while Drake plots his next move -- "I was runnin' through the 6 with my woes!" And just like that, along with an ensuing burst of "that nasty flow," the song turned into something huge. When Drake is at his most casual, he's also full of surprises, and that's what made If You're Reading This It's Too Late -- the first mixtape Drizzy we’ve heard since 2009 -- such a fun project.
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
The lush grooves of "Alright," built off a simple looping vocal sample crafted by Pharrell and a lively wave of saxophone from Terrace Martin, arrive after Kendrick's agonizing mental breakdown on "u." It comes as a sigh of relief on an album that, no matter how beautiful, was, at times, a task to listen to.
The song will be remembered by one line: "We gon' be alright." In a year when police killings of innocent black men seemed commonplace, the resolve of black America was tested, not least that of Kendrick, who, as mentioned, was driven to the his wit's end in the making of To Pimp a Butterfly.
Amid all of his brilliant rapping, the wisdom in which we'll be unpacking for years to come, the one sentiment that rang the loudest was not something Kendrick had struggled to learn. "We gon' be alright," he simply told himself, and those who were willing to listen. The line has since been invoked in Black Lives Matter protests across America. Because if there's one person that minority youths can believe in, it's Kendrick Lamar.
Ty Dolla $ign Feat. Future & Rae Sremmurd - Blasé
blasé (adj.): apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment
Has the adjective of French origin ever been put to better use? This is the avant-garde of ratchet, with four immensely talented savages leading a destructive but thrilling lifestyle. The off-kilter DJ Spinz melody sounds as if it's been injected with some bunk coke, teetering along into something unexpectedly catchy. The track ultimately landed on Ty Dolla’s Free TC, though it would’ve done well on DS2 had Future wanted any features.
These VIP regulars know that in even the most turnt of scenarios, there will be women trying to claim them and fake friends trying to drink for free. With a casual sigh of irreverence, they'll destroy the club regardless.
Fetty Wap Feat. Remy Boyz - 679
Disclaimer: "Trap Queen," which, amazingly, was released in March 2014, isn't on this list. It's still, of course, Fetty's biggest hit -- one of the biggest hits of the year -- but what was equally impressive is how his next single, "679," almost matched the success of his breakout viral sensation, reaching No. 4 on the charts. There were few earworms as continually enjoyable as Fetty's hook on "679," nearly besting the aforementioned candidate.
Whereas many songs that dominated the club were about channeling one's inner-savage, "679" is pure guilt-free euphoria, thanks to the glossy bassline from Peoples and the undeniable charisma of Paterson's native son. He's got the rap game sewed-up, and with his faithful steed, Monty, the Remy Boyz -- now just the two of them -- are here to stay.
Travi$ Scott - Antidote
On Rodeo, Travi$ Scott continued to build upon the sound heard on his first two mixtapes, Owl Pharaoh and Days Before Rodeo. His goal was a sonic universe that's at once rage-inducing and effortlessly melodic. He managed to achieve this rare combination -- of the turn up and the turn down -- on "Antidote," earning himself his biggest hit in the process.
Taking a page out of Kanye's playbook, he used auto-tune to make his voice sound softer and sweeter than ever, singing an ode to the relatively innocent pleasure we've all taken from some particular "nightshow." Why "open up that window" when it feels so good inside?
Young Thug - Check
Thus far -- and the best is certainly yet to come -- "Check" has been the pinnacle of Young Thug's rare partnership with London on da Track. Usually Thug lets one of London's hypnotic productions play out before he begins one of his improvisational tears. Here, he goes right in -- with a quick burst that shows, though his words may be random, each syllable is perfectly timed. London's producer tag arrives right as Thug segues into the hook, dumbing things down before he lets loose again.
After rapping, "If cops pull up, I put that crack in my crack," he pauses, in apparent danger of losing his footing, before regaining his composure: "I put that brack in my brack" -- reminding us that his alien vision is communicated through the body of a seasoned Atlanta Blood.
Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta
"King Kunta" arrived a month after Kendrick dropped "Blacker the Berry," on which he named himself "the biggest hypocrite of 2015." The war between self-love (as expressed on "i") and self-loathing was put on hold -- or, rather, that same double-consciousness persisted through "King Kunta," but he was able to move forward despite the chains tied around his feet. And he was able to do so by the power of funk.
Using the DJ Quik-produced bassline from a sleeper hit from late CPT rapper Mausberg, and expressing a hilarious internal dialogue like hometown hero Suga Free, the track initiated a localized g-funk revival that would be continued by rappers like YG and The Game. Like Kunta himself, the city of Compton is one that is oppressed but undeniably great. And the latter is reason enough to celebrate.
The Weeknd - The Hills
After The Weeknd earned his first-ever No. 1 hit with "I Can't Feel My Face," one of the few non-Parental Advisory songs in his catalog, he went on to do even bigger numbers with "The Hills," perhaps the most illicit song to ever top the charts. The Weeknd has always had a fascination with horror, and here, Mano injects his production with screams and gunshots as Abel succinctly expresses the deeper meaning behind much of his work on the lights-out hook: "When I'm fucked up that's the real me."
The song even repurposes the title of a Wes Craven classic to describe the voyeuristic world in which The Weeknd now resides. "The Hills" is something of a return to his roots -- though he's taken his bedroom stories from a shoebox apartment on Queen Street West to the Hollywood Hills, where he can no longer remain anonymous.
Rich Homie Quan - Flex
Though Rich Homie Quan has slowed down since the breakup of Rich Gang, at least compared to his former partner, he did have one of the songs of the summer, one that was even bigger than his breakout hit. "Flex" shows off all of Quan’s quirks, as well as his serious rapping skills -- especially in the second verse, and there are no gimmicks as the entire song feels as though it's expressed in one infectious burst of energy.
He's feeling himself, and he's not afraid to show it. And when words won't properly convey the type of way he's feeling, a simple, "ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh" will do just fine.
Drake - Back to Back
Drake waited four days for Meek Mill to respond to "Charged Up," before deciding to end the beef once and for all and drop the "Ether" of the '10s. "Back to Back" was a perfectly executed diss track. Should Meek have been given more time considering he was on "his girl's tour"? Probably. But Drizzy rewrote the rule book in 2015, as each one of his painful insults were soon translated into memes that had everyone laughing.
He was even able to initiate an inter-Philly beef by namedropping AR-AB, who would go on to remix the track, along with the Dreamchasers' own Omelly and Sauce Walka (who, in reality, was the closest to leaving a bruise upon Drake's ego; i.e. not even close). "Back to Back" was even heard playing on the Eagles' practice field, and it went off in the club -- like no diss track has done before -- from Philly to NYC and beyond, with partygoers begging for DJs to respect its title and play it twice in a row. Drake may have not put an out an official album, but he was responsible for the most exciting hip-hop event of the year.
Future - Commas
Future, who was a dominant force throughout the entire year, made many songs with considerably more depth than "Commas," but the Spinz and Southside-produced club crusher was the one that kicked off his unstoppable tear. It was when he fully asserted all of his ruthless energy, taunting his ability to create sudden hooks on the go, each one punctuated by the ubiquitous 808 Mafia siren. With "Commas," Future signaled that he wanted to ditch all of the pop appeal he had spent the past couple of years constructing, and start from scratch, with the same relentless drive he had learned in the trap.
The record was broken not by major label A&R's but by strip clubs in Atlanta, the most illustrious of which is run by his right-hand man. There's no question that this song helped rack up least two commas worth of racks every Monday night.
Drake - Hotline Bling
Live on the second episode of OVO Sound Radio, after responding to Meek Mill with "Charged Up," Drake quietly followed with an upbeat, tropical R&B tune. "Hotline Bling," of course, would go on to outlast either of his diss tracks, and in the end, it proved that his greatest abilities are those he has a "singin' n*gga."
With its outdated technological references, "Hotline Bling" could've been written in 2002, when he was an anonymous Romeo looking for puppy love in the Toronto suburbs. The song is filled with quick bursts of pleasure -- "every time that hotline bling" -- that mimic the high of feeling a sharp buzz in one's pocket, hoping it's a text from bae. It also explores Drake's pettiest of feelings, including the stalker-ish breed of jealousy that we've, no doubt, all felt at one time or another. There was a great joy in seeing Aubrey use this song, a celebration of human insecurity, to cement his current win streak -- one that even the most masculine of rappers, those with an inability to catch feelings, can't touch.