It’s the first of the month, and as you prepare for your Fourth of July plans, here are some songs to add to your summer playlists. Cardi B is back with “Hot Shit,” a fiery club anthem featuring Lil Durk and Kanye West. City Girls are also turning up for the summer with “Good Love” featuring Usher. And Joey Badass is gearing up for the release of his album 2000 with the single “Where I Belong.” This week’s list also features songs from Calvin Harris, 21 Savage, Steve Lacy, and more.
Check out the best new music this week below. You can also add our playlist on Spotify here.
Cardi B f/ Kanye West & Lil Durk, “Hot Shit”
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Cardi is back. On her first solo release of the year, the Bronx native taps Chicago’s Kanye West and Lil Durk. “Hot Shit” is a high-energy club record that finds Cardi bobbing over a Tay- Keith-produced, trap beat, spitting braggadocious bars about her popularity, good looks, and material wealth. Lil Durk matches Cardi’s energy with an electric verse, spitting, “This that block music, this that drop/ location, drop a opp music.” Kanye completes the track with a lengthy verse where he name-drops Virgil Abloh, Jay-Z, and talks about his reputation. “They can’t stop me now, uh, I been poppin’ out, uh/ Cardi, where your sister at? I need Henny now,” Ye spits. “Hot Shit” is believed to be the lead single from Cardi B’s upcoming album.
City Girls f/ Usher, “Good Love”
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The City Girls and Usher teamed up for “Good Love,” an electrifying new dance track. On the song, Usher delivers a slick and freaky chorus, singing, “I can freak you in the daytime/ If you’re up or late night/ I’ma let you control it.” Yung Miami kicks off the first verse, with raunchy and sexy lyrics, then JT comes on the track with intensity as she spits, “I don’t want a drink, where the bottles at?/ Sit right here, pay for the tab/ Me and my bitches gon’ make you laugh.”
Joey Badass, “Where I Belong”
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“Where I Belong” is a dark and menacing track courtesy of Statik Selektah production. Joey Badass delivers lengthy verses with cocky lines, boasting his status and wealth. “I gave this shit my all or nothin’, now my bank bussin’/ I’m livin’ plush’, new crib cost a milli’ plus/ Six figures on every art piece that’s hangin’ up,” he raps with a flow that’s smooth and easy on the ears. “Where I Belong” is expected to appear on Joey Badass’ upcoming album, 2000.
Calvin Harris f/ 21 Savage, “New Money”
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Calvin Harris is here just in time for summer. On “New Money,” he taps 21 Savage, and the ATL rapper slides over a groovy, summer beat, delivering a hypnotizing chorus as he raps, “Gucci on me, check, Hermes, check/ Louis V, check, yeah, Fendi cost a check,” before sliding into his first and second verse. “New Money” is a nice, feel-good record that will appear on Calvin Harris’ upcoming compilation album Funk Wav Bounce, Vol. 2.
Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
“Bad Habit” is a groovy new record from Steve Lacy. Featuring production from Lacy himself, the song finds him delivering high-pitched vocals over a funky beat. “No, you’re not too good for me, my dear/ Funny you come back to me, my dear/ It’s okay, things happen for/ Reasons that I can’t ignore,” he sings over an electric guitar. “Bad Habit” will appear on Steve Lacy’s forthcoming project, Gemini Rights, which is slated to drop on July 15.
DJ Drama f/ Benny The Butcher, Jim Jones, Fabolous, & Capella Grey, “Forever”
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On “Forever,” DJ Drama tapped New York’s finest: Griselda’s Benny the Butcher, Jim Jones, Fabolous, and Capella Grey. Fab kicks things off with a hard-hitting verse, followed by an aggressive verse from Benny the Butcher. Jim Jones closes the track, while Capella Grey delivers an electric chorus all throughout the track, singing, “Oh, the life that we live, oh/ Mmm, these streets are just everything we know.”
Gucci Mane f/ Lil Baby, “All Dz Chainz”
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“All Dz Chainz” is a new trap anthem from Gucci Mane featuring Lil Baby and Wheezy on the production. Baby delivers a saucy verse, rapping, “You the type to flex for hoes, I’m the typе turn up the bros/ I wouldn’t give a damn they offеred life, you better not break the code.” Gucci follows with a lethal verse, spitting, “My bullets don’t discriminate, don’t play with Wop, I demonstrate/ Don’t get shot on the interstate, your girlfriend hyperventilate,” and punctuating the verse with: “R.I.P. to Trouble and free Thugger and free Gunna too.”
Symba, "Never End Up Broke"
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If there’s room on your Fourth of July barbecue playlist for three minutes of hard-hitting, lyrical prowess, look no further than Symba’s new song “Never End Up Broke.” Gearing up for his new project Results Take Time, which will arrive later this summer, the Bay Area rapper delivers two verses full of masterful writing over a gritty beat co-produced by Dem Jointz and Dr. Dre, spitting braggadocious lines like, “My life jacket Celine, swim trunks Supreme Just left the scene in Alexander McQueen.” Sounds like Results Take Time is going to be a good one. —ES
Lloyd Banks f/ Conway the Machine, "Menace"
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Lloyd Banks is getting ready to drop an album called The Course of The Inevitable 2 this summer, and he just hit us with a great new single on the one-year anniversary of the first TCOTI. With an assist from Conway the Machine, Lloyd goes off over a grimy beat, delivering two lyrically intricate verses full of punchlines and witty wordplay. He’s still got it. And, like always, Conway comes through with the goods. Would you expect anything else at this point? What a duo. —ES
