This feature highlights a hand-picked selection of some of the bigger tracks of the week. We have chosen a few of the tracks that landed within our top 25 most played, focusing on those that stood out, and left room for discussion. This edition features Drake, J. Cole, Nas and more! Take a look at the list in the gallery above, and feel free to let us know your own favorite tracks in the comments.
Drake- The Motion
You may remember Drake's scene-stealing verse on SBTRKT's "Wildfire" Remix. Well, "The Motion" gives him another chance to rhyme over that UK sound, and he sounds more comfortable than ever. Hopefully this is an indication of some of the production we'll see on "Nothing Was The Same" which is rumored to have some more work with Jamie XX, as well as James Blake (who's album Drizzy kept in the studio throughout the entire "Take Care" recording process).
Migos- Versace (Remix) (Feat. Drake)
Migos droppped one of the most infectious mixtapes of the year thus far, chock full of catchy Atlanta singles that benefit from incessant repetition of words and phrases. Versace (Versace, Versace, Versace) is no exception, and Drake displays the best rapping he does on any of the 4 tracks he dropped this weekend. He's definitely one of the best flow chameleons in the game right now-- co-opting the cadence Migos use on their verses and making it a little more complex without sacrificing quotability. It's worth it just to hear how much fun he's having.
Yo Gotti- Act Right Feat. Young Jeezy, Iamsu! & YG
Still waiting for DJ Mustard-clone production to get old. Hasn't happened yet.
J. Cole Let Nas Down (Remix) Feat. Nas
Cole and Nas are similar in a lot of ways. Their fans will continue to champion them as the saving grace of "real hip-hop" for the entirety of their careers. Their inability to take risks will keep their fanbases strong, but will leave others looking for more exciting, forward-thinking music kind of... bored. The rapping is great though, and that's what keeps these fans satisfied in the end. While I'd be hard-pressed to say this is a "moment" in hip hop, it was a nice surprise, and especially a treat for the "real" hip hop heads.
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Vince Staples- Sleep Feat. Ab-Soul, Dash & Mac Miller
Shoutout to Mac Miller for putting out two solid projects in one week. It's not too hard to make a good left-field rap album these days, but it is very hard to dislike one. Mac Miller has thus taken an easy, but concrete step into the hearts of rap fans. We'll just have to see what he does next.
YG- My Nigga Feat. Rich Homie Quan & Young Jeezy
The first thing you think when you hear Rich Homie Quan is Future-biter, but it's not entirely true. While it would be difficult to say Quan hasn't taken at least a couple notes from Future Hendrix, it's more just a sign of the intrusion of melody into rap music. Future happened to be the first autotuned spit-gurgler, but it doesn't mean every one of his successors is indebted solely to him. Quan is just another rapper experimenting with songwriting, and there are only more to come.