New music Friday brought us two more big-time albums with PartyNextDoor's P3 and Rae Sremmurd's SremmLife 2. The Sremm brothers were kind enough to welcome us to their LA abode to get the inside scoop on the inspiration behind their sophomore album. Read about our experiences with the hedonistic duo in our latest Digital Cover story. Those two albums are a good enough turn-up soundtrack for the weekend, but for those looking for some new music that's bubbling underneath the mainstream, our Staff Picks playlist is a good place to start.
This week's mix includes the reliable duo of Joell Ortiz and Illmind, the trap sauce courtesy of Cassius Jay, Quavo (pictured above), and Johnny Cinco, and mysterious newcomers like the masked Nok from the Future and Atlanta's 24hrs. Listeners will get two different sides of Chicago via an enraged back and forth freestyle from Vic Mensa and Joey Purp as well as the wormhole trap music of Lucki. The playlist finishes with some profound inspiration on behalf of Alabama's Jay Dot Rain, Stalley of MMG, and the ever-consistent ATL pairing of Nard & B.
Stream the playlist and check out each staff member's picks below.
Danny Schwartz: Vic Mensa & Joey Purp "773 Freestyle"
Kevin Goddard: Stwo feat. Amir Obe & Daniel Caesar "Fill the Void"
Carver Low: Nok from the Future feat. Ro Ransom "Road"; Joell Ortiz "Talk My Shit"
Rose Lilah: 24hrs "Right 4 U"
Angus Walker: Cassius Jay feat. Johnny Cinco & Quavo "Sak Religious"; Lucki "Speed Demon"; Jay Dot Rain feat. Stalley "Street Lights"