Bout to Blow: 10 Dope Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon

Prepare your Valentines' Day playlist: You're now reading Complex's Bout to Blow—February edition.

This column has two goals:

1. To use the many tools available to us today to get some idea of what songs were really bubbling with "the people"—in other words, to insert some science into the process.

2. To contextualize that information, because raw numbers in a vacuum would have you thinking an anonymous rapper dropped onto a stellar track was hip-hop's next big rap star when he was more like an empty, tattooed vehicle for a dope beat and a hook.

The post is obviously intended to be somewhat predictive. There's also an element, though, that is cheerleading. Many of these songs might be flourishing in certain markets, but could use wider exposure. They're tracks where the metrics suggest some forward momentum, even if the clubs and radio play don't reflect that. What trends have we spotted as we enter 2015's second month? A creative comeback for Meek Mill and The-Dream; the continued dominance of Jeremih; and the outward evolution of DJ Mustard's sound. Also, get ready for a hit "ratchet" record from an unexpected direction.

Check out this edition of Bout to Blow: 10 Dope Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon.

David Drake is a writer living in New York City. Follow him @somanyshrimp

The-Dream's had a pretty spotty hit record since his third album, 2010's Love-King. Although fans have intermittently claimed a "return to form" every time he's dropped a new release, few of those songs had the staying power of his earliest pop records. At his best, his distinct melodic sensibility suggested a soul overloaded with emotions too large for words, which justified his charming, tossed-off lyrics. His newest record, the T.I.-assisted "That's My Shit," is his first true return to form: Musically, it's understated rather than grandiose, not far from his origins as the songwriter of the similarly titled "Shawty Is da Shit". This time, T.I. takes Fabolous' place as the guest rapper du jour. For more T.I. R&B guest raps, make sure to check Anthony Lewis' incoming hit "It's Not My Fault," certain to follow The-Dream up the charts.

Sevyn Streeter is one of R&B's most talented singer/songwriters, but thus far her great songs haven't given her much of a presence in the marketplace. What are Sevyn Streeter's hopes, dreams, fears? She's written some beautiful songs about just those things, but none have translated to the broader audience she deserves. Luckily, the Chris Brown-assisted "Don't Kill the Fun" promises to do exactly that, thanks to its distinct sonic fingerprint. At any moment, "Don't Kill the Fun" threatens to transform into a '90s pop-house record, its echoing synth-sax a forgotten burst of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember the golden era of Robin S., Crystal Waters, and Strictly Rhythm records. For those who aren't, it will simply seem a refreshing new texture—just the kind, one hopes, to hook Sevyn Streeter in the popular conscience.

Together, Quan and Thug compliment each other so well it's made many of their solo moments seem slight in comparison—at least when it comes to their crossover work. Quan's "Flex," for example, is similar. But "In This Game" feels like the future. It weds Thug and Quan to the uptempo West Coast "ratchet" groove—a shift away from the slower tempos of London on da Track's Atlanta-centered sound. The little synthesized bleeps in the beat's background echo Kid Ink and Chris Brown's "Show Me," in that they both suggest the ambiance of Robin S.'s 1993 house hit "Show Me Love." In this case, though, all of the lushness of Kid Ink's record has been drained. Instead, it suggests open space, keeping it of-a-piece with Rich Gang's earlier work.

Meek Mill isn't waiting any longer. After spending 2014 behind bars, with underrated street single "Off the Corner" his only real record in circulation, he's kicking the door down. Surprisingly, it's Big Sean who steals the show out from under him, although Meek seems to hold back intentionally, letting the groove take center stage. As far as the beat goes, it points to hip-hop's next year: The uptempo "ratchet" sound from the Bay Area spearheaded by DJ Mustard isn't going to die; it's going to diversify. This record is much closer to "The Motto" than it is "BMF," and that's the direction rap will continue. A$AP Ferg feels like he's struggling to keep up with the beat a bit, but doesn't undercut it, and the occasional Bone Thugs flow adds to the song's satisfying rootlessness. Two important questions for Big Sean: 1. Where does the offbeat flow come from? A lot of rappers in Detroit spit like that, from Yae Yae Jordan to Pablo Skywalkin—it would be dope if someone could trace that lineage. 2. Is the line "I got moneybags under my eyes, hoe, cuz I ain't sleep" an intentional or accidental reference to Pac Man's "Duffle bags under my eyes from no sleep-money"? 

A problem that dogged A$AP Rocky since he broke from Tumblr to real-world fame in the early 2010s was whether he could write an organic hit record on his own. "Fucking Problem," his only Hot 100 release, was a fully packaged Drake record that benefitted greatly from a 2Chainz hook and multiple star appearances. But "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2"—"LPFJ2" for those with tired keyboard fingers—is the rapper's first shot at a legitimate crossover hit that stays true to the A$AP Mob's historically and regionally minded sound. First teased in an interlude in the "Multiply" video, "LPFJ2"'s searing synthesizer riff and torpid 808s (courtesy of producers Nez and Rio) suggest a spiritual bond with '90s West Coast hip-hop without aping it directly—much as Vince Staples' "Blue Suede" affirmed a connection to the past while looking forward. The primary melodic hook is unforgettable and serves as a gripping canvas for Rocky's studied flow. Of course this song arrives in the wake of the tragic passing of A$AP Yams, who was in large part responsible for the breadth of the A$AP Mob's aesthetic, which makes its likely success that much more poignant.

We know what you're thinking: "Complex must be joking." But no, we're quite serious: Kalin and Myles' ratchet-goes-Disney single "Trampoline" is one of the hottest records out, and anyone who would begrudge this while celebrating Jeremih's "Don't Tell 'Em" is susceptible to the illusion of surface-level branding (or an irrational hatred of "Trampoline"'s canned guitars). And "Trampoline" is the more creative interpolation, repurposing Bill Withers' "Lean on Me," rather than yet another '90s house record. If its boyish lead performers didn't look as if they were made for children's television programming, this would get a whole lotta respect.

This was actually mentioned last month, but cut due to Jeremih overload. Jeremih overload continues as we go into February. Luckily, "Somebody" is still on the verge, not quite yet breaking into Billboard. Natalie La Rose is a newcomer signed to Flo Rida's label, a performer of Dutch descent who now owes Jeremih for her career. This song—whatever its billing—is a Jeremih record through and through, operating on Whitney Houston's "I Want to Dance With Somebody" the way "Don't Tell 'Em" swiped "Rhythm Is a Dancer." The novelty of the record, of course, is that it reverses the original sentiment completely, as the title suggests. If you can't find somebody to love, "Somebody" will do just fine.

I've suspected for a minute that Rowdy Rebel might have had the more sustained career than Bobby Shmurda—that is, if it hadn't been sidelined by the NYPD. This record is one of the best Rowdy Rebel or Shmurda has yet produced, thanks in large part to Jahlil Beats' propulsive "Triggerman"-sampling beat. Perhaps an attempt to de-regionalize the duo after Jahlil fielded so many questions about their debt to Chicago's drill scene, "She All About the Shmoney" is a NYC-meets-West-Coast-meets-New-Orleans record replete with a guest spot from Too $hort. Shmurda's verse isn't particularly quotable compared with "Hot Nigga"—and this is unlikely to replicate its success—but it has the same raw energy, at any rate, that drew folks' attention in the first place. Also, the beat knocks.

Originally this leaked with a guest spot from Chance the Rapper, and when you hear J. Cole say "dick so big it's like a foot is in your mouth," you'll wish he'd kept it that way. Nonetheless it's a really strong record, gradually building in sensual tension to a release which never comes—all foreplay. It's probably worth noting that the song sounds very strongly as if it were written by Ty Dolla $ign.

Lil Durk had a rough 2014—although his song "Bang Bros" garnered some buzz in the Midwest, it didn't get much of a radio push, and his tapes were a bit spottier than his early work—nothing with the consistent potency of 2012's I'm Still a Hitta. But "What You Do to Me" is a thrilling record of earnest young love, its muted exuberance enhanced by the contrast of Dej Loaf's cool reserve. Dej Loaf rapping "You got me screamin to the top of my lungs" is that much more resonant for being so difficult to imagine, an internal monolog of all the things she'd like to say that remain unsaid.