Here it is, the once-weekly look at the tracks toward the top of our charts that you need to know about.
Keep in mind that these tracks are culled from the very top of our Top 100 and, by their very nature, lean toward more ppopular artists. We still think these tracks are worthy of your attention, but if you need a look at artists you may have missed, take a look at Underrated Audio.
This week was a good week for the little guy, with a lot of not-quite and not-yet household names holding court with the titans in the Top 20. Dej Loaf, Logic and Tory Lanez released songs worth hearing but before we get to that...
Item #1
Dej Loaf - Hands Down
This low-key track from the "Try Me" hitmaker divided HNHH readers. Many of y'all didn't like the tender, new approach from the Detroit native.
While it's not something we'd reach for all the time, this track from the World Champions mixtape certainly isn't all bad.
ACTION BRONSON ft. CHANCE THE RAPPER - Baby Blue
The latest track from Bronsolino's debut studio album is a collaboration with Chance The Rapper over production from Mark Ronson. If you need to be told, it's awesome.
Chance continues down the "oh yeah, I sing now" path that has divided fans before going Marie Laveau and placing a hoodoo curse on a former lover at the end of the song.
Kanye West - All Day
With every post-College Trilogy Kanye release comes the idea that he can't possibly go any bigger, that he's reached the peak of his maximalist schtick and will have to try a new lane.
Yeezy took a literal flamethrower to that idea with the first performance of his new song "All Day" at the BRIT Awards. The release of the album version of the track dispelled any notions left by "Only One' that Yeezy might go small on his upcoming album So Help Me God.
This absolute monster of a song hosts outright features from Paul McCartney, Theophilus London and St. Louis rapper Allan Kingdom but the recently released credits reveal that Yeezy brought everyone in on this song. Names listed include French Montana, Q-Tip, Velous, Kendrick Lamar and Mario Winans.
It's uncertain what some of these names contributed, but what is certain is that it's officially YEEZY SEASON.
WALE ft. USHER - The Matrimony
The Album About Nothing draws ever nearer and Wale dropped this obvious ploy for radio play earlier this week.
Dropping slick songs about squishy subjects like love and marriage isn't exactly going to make Wale stans happy, but we low-key dig this track. It's good to hear Usher out of the weird and sleazy EDM-lite area he's inhabited in the last few years.
LOGIC ft. BIG K.R.I.T. - Top Ten
All your friends who refuse to get up on Logic are kicking themselves after "Top Ten". Beyond the awesome Mortal Kombat-referencing cover art (apparently K.R.I.T. is the boss fight), the track is a killer lyrical showcase for Logic over a laid-back beat.
6ix's production sounds like Cookin' Soul with a twist and Logic makes full use of the production to create a song not unlike Kendrick Lamar's "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". In short, this is a song that makes you feel like it can't get warm soon enough.
AB SOUL - 47 Bars
Ab Soul typically creates great music to lay back and get high to, but with Logic eating his lunch on that front this week he had to do something different.
Enter "47 Bars", a track that Soulo released without the approval of TDE earlier this week. The track is absolutely packed with blink-and-you'll-miss-it references to rap greats, teammates and comic book characters. The folks over at Rap Genius must think it's Christmas.
Ab Soul fills the song with references to the late Capital STEEZ, who committed suicide in 2012.
Tory Lanez - Dimelo
Tory may be one of the last remaining Toronto rappers not signed to OVO and he uses his latest (a collaboration with producer Snakehips hosted by Yours Truly x adidas originals as part of their #songsfromscratch series) to take a few shots at the self-proclaimed 6 God.
"Homeboy, I know you love to think you fucking with me/Just keep it real my G, who really run the city" says Lanez in what could be a not-so subtle dig at Drake.
Shots or not, the rest of the song is great. You can listen to it below and then take a deeper look into how it was made here.