After a rough couple of months where even Berner made the cut at Bout to Blow, things are getting interesting. June was a great month for new hip-hop singles, to the point where even surefire hits like Candice Boyd's "Damn Good Time"—a remake of Tamia's "So Into You"—were cut to make space. Established artists dropped major records and new stars found their footing.
Welcome to the July edition of Bout to Blow. This column has two goals:
1. To use the many tools available today to get some idea as to which songs are really bubbling with "the people"—in other words, to insert some science into the process.
2. To contextualize that information, because numbers in a vacuum will 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 of cheerleading, too. Many of these songs might be flourishing in certain markets and 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. After a harsh decision-making process, for July we narrowed a long list down to the 10 best records you have to know.
It's this month's edition of Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon.