Last week gave us Gucci Mane's second album of the year, Woptober, The Game's 1992, and Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge (aka NxWorries)' Yes Lawd!, and we've still got projects from D.R.A.M., Joe Budden, Common, and Jeezy dropping soon, but it feels like it's been a while since any major releases have arrived. Chalk that up to a front-heavy year more than anything else, with Kanye, Beyonce, Chance The Rapper, Drake, Frank Ocean, Future, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Young Thug -- arguably nine of hip hop/R&B's top-tier stars -- all dropping projects in the first nine months of the year.
Desiigner, 2 Chainz, and Pusha T all tie with two appearances apiece this week, but as Pusha's the only one who shows up both times as the lead artist, he's probably the winner. New tracks barely missing out on a spot this week include Gucci Mane's Woptober highlight "Icy Lil Bitch" (#11), Ty Dolla $ign and Wiz Khalifa's new TGOD cut "Brand New" (#12), the official version of Kanye West's "Tiimmy Turner" remix (#13), and Usher and Young Thug's Hard II Love outtake "Girls Wanna Have Fun."
10. Mac Miller Feat. Anderson .Paak - Dang!
Twelve weeks on and this one's still kicking it. There's not much else I can say about "Dang!" that I haven't already said in the many nonconsecutive times it's showed up in our Top Ten in the latter half of this year, but I do wonder why it and a certain other track from July have tuck around for so long. In its twelfth week out, "Dang!" drops three places from #7 to #10.
9. Pusha T - H.G.T.V. (Prod. By Mike Will Made It)
Ever since "Grindin'," Pusha's been one of the game's best at destroying creeping, minimal beats. He did it again on "Mr. Me Too," then on "Numbers On The Board," and now that approach continues to yield great results on the new "H.G.T.V." Details on Darkest Before Dawn are sparse right now, but it's safe to say that it's one of the most anticipated projects of the year's fourth quarter. "H.G.T.V." debuts at #9.
8. Kanye West Feat. Young Thug - Famous (Alternate/Original)
This rough alternate cut features Young Thug a hell of a lot more than the one song of his that made TLOP's final cut, "Highlights," so naturally people have been excited to hear what a more even duet between him and West sounds like. Unfortunately, the internet's been scrubbed clean of the unauthorized leak. In its second week out, the original version of "Famous" falls five spots from #3 to #8.
7. DJ Khaled Feat. Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Future, August Alsina, Jeremih & Rick Ross - Do You Mind
Originally released the same week as Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak's "Dang!", DJ Khaled's most jam-packed posse cut from Major Key has performed even better, never once dropping out of our Top Ten for twelve straight weeks. Let's see how long the streak lasts. In its twelfth week out, "Do You Mind" falls one spot from #6 to #7.
6. YFN Lucci Feat. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne - Key To The Streets (Remix)
Apart from the two twelve week freaks of nature, the ColleGrove remix of rising star YFN Lucci's already-banging "Key To The Streets" is the longest-tenured track we've had on the list in quite some time. This is now its fifth week out, and it's only just dropped out of the top five for the first time. This time, it slides two places from #4 to #6.
5. Tory Lanez - Blue Jay Season
Tory Lanez's "Radar," an inclusion on DJ SpinKing's recent For The Culture tape, was the higher charting of his two entires on last week's list, but "Blue Jay Season," which ranked towards the bottom of last week's list, is the one that's held on. Perhaps it's because the Blue Jays have continued to stay alive int he MLB playoffs, although they are currently down two games to the Cleveland Indians. In its second week out, "Blue Jay Season" rises four places from #9 to #5.
4. Desiigner & DJ SpinKing - Outlet (Preview) (Prod. By Vinylz & CT)
Easily the lowest-rated track on this week's list with a 47% user rating, this preview of a new Desiigner track was touted by Trevor as "the longst ad-lib intro of all time." I didn't get a chance to hear it myself before it was taken down, but I'd wager that that's probably the reason for such a low rating. Nevertheless, the preview of "Outlet" makes its debut at #4.
3. Pusha T Feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Desiigner - Circles
The second of two loosies that King Push shared last week, "Circles" contrasts with the stark "H.G.T.V." in that it's a little more fun and it's a posse cut outfitted with G.O.O.D. signee Desiigner and Ty Dolla, who's basically an honorary member at this point. There's no telling if these two are intended for Darkest Before Dawn (or Cruel Winter, for that matter), but time will tell. "Circles" makes its debut at #3.
2. Big Sean & 2 Chainz - Light It Up
We haven't heard much from Big Sean since February 2015's Dark Sky Paradise (save for TWENTY88), but he has let us know many times that he's been hard at work on a follow-up. This new collaboration with 2 Chainz won't be on that upcoming album, instead slated for Kevin Hart's What Now? The Mixtape, but it should appease Sean fans anyway. "Light It Up" debuts at #2.
1. Bryson Tiller - Let Me Explain
In just over a year, Louisville's Bryson Tiller has gone from unknown to sure-shot to top our charts. Part of that's because loosies are rarer for him than, say, his idol Chris Brown, so his fans will take whatever they can get. "Let Me Explain" also sounds like it could stick around for a while though. This week, it debuts at #1.