It's been a bust seven days in music. At the tail end of the week, Drake turned back the clocks by bringing a collection of his loosies to streaming services, and ASAP Rocky was finally allowed to leave prison in Sweden as he awaits the final verdict of his trial on August 14. Meanwhile, Brockhampton returned with a new single called "I Been Bored Again," Schoolboy Q reunited with Alchemist, Ariana Grande dropped a new single with Social House, Lil Durk's new album arrived, and Cousin Stizz released a Take A Daytrip-produced banger. Read up on all that (and more!) below. These are the best new songs of the week.
Lil Durk f/ 21 Savage, “Die Slow”
Lil Durk isn’t playing nice on his latest single, "Die Slow." The song, which features a hard verse from 21 Savage, is a vengeful track that wishes death upon those who do wrong by him. "I'm from Chicago, where we turn our opps to Gelatto, ayy/We shoot at opps, we high speed cops, we ducking potholes," he raps. This isn’t exactly a song you would hear at the club, but it is anthem that could easily be heard blaring through car speakers. The song appears on Durk’s latest project, Love Songs 4 the Streets. —Jessica McKinney
Schoolboy Q & Alchemist, “W.Y.G.D.T.N.S.”
For the first minute and 27 seconds of Schoolboy Q's new song with Alchemist, he doesn't rap. Instead, Q tells a meandering story about taking a morning drive on the freeway as Alchemist's jazzy production floats in the background. Just as you begin to wonder if the whole song will be a spoken word jazz performance, Q seamlessly transitions into a nonchalant verse about collaborating with Kendrick, Trump's presidency, and fans begging him for new music. It's effortless. This is Sunday afternoon rap. Consume this one with a cup of tea and blunt. —Eric Skelton
Brockhampton, “I Been Bored Again”
The boys are back. A shade under a year after the release of their major label debut, iridescence, Brockhampton has returned with a new single called “I Been Bored Again” from their next album, GINGER. The often pop-leaning group is focused on bars this time around, as they kick the song off with an excellent verse from Kevin Abstract, who reminds everyone that some things never change: "Mama in the South still, gold all in my mouth still/Rappin' 'bout dick still, and I lease a house still." Also, shout out to Merlyn, who always comes in with wild, unique energy. GINGER is off to a great start. —Eric Skelton
Cousin Stizz, “STP”
Ahead of his new album, Trying to Find My Next Thrill, Cousin Stizz caught our attention with his new banger, “STP.” On the hypnotic banger, Stizz floats over synthetic instrumentals, flexing a laid-back flow. In conjunction with the single, Stizz also treated fans to an accompanying music video, which plays off the song’s catchy hook, spelling out “straight to the paper.” It’s a braggadocious track that has us eagerly anticipating the full album. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long. Trying to Find My Next Thrill arrives on August 14. —Jessica McKinney
Ariana Grande & Social House, “Boyfriend”Â
"I’m a motherfuckin’ train wreck." Ariana Grande continues her trend of vulnerability on her latest single with Social House, "Boyfriend." Even when she’s showcasing her insecurities, the five-foot pop singer still manages to display a sense of certainty as she vies for the attention of someone else’s boyfriend. It’s not every day that another artist can keep up with Ari’s powerhouse vocals, but Social House, who previously worked with the singer on 2019’s thank u, next, seem to be doing just fine. It’s definitely one of Ariana’s better collaborations of this year (sorry, but the "7 rings" remix still isn’t cutting it). And as expected, the accompanying music video has a funny narrative that is bound to make Ari’s core fanbase LOL. —Jessica McKinney
Dave East f/ Max B, “Wanna Be A G”
Harlem natives Dave East and Max B linked up for a new single, “Wanna Be A G,” which appears on East’s Survivor Pacc. The song is an enjoyable slow-burner that tells the tale of a kid trying to live a street lifestyle. “Can’t stand the pressure, they fuck around, they go and tell/But I don’t shoot shade/Step back, shoot a fade/Marry the streets young, she toss up the bouquet,” Max B raps in his signature low tone. The single arrives on the heels of news of Max B's early release from prison (his 75-year prison sentence was reduced and he’ll be getting out sometime in 2021). If this is the type of heat Max has cooking from behind bars, there’s no telling what he’ll bring to the mic when he finally gets out. —Jessica McKinney
Jeezy, “1 Time”
On the first single from Jeezy’s final album, TM104, the Snowman appears flips JAY-Z’s 2000 single "Stick 2 the Script" and makes it his own on "1 Time." On the Sonaro-produced trap beat, Jeezy stays true to the brand, rapping about hustling and street life. Even so, he manages to throw in a few pop culture references, like his lines about Tiger Woods ("Tiger Woods with the fork, I’m a pro") and the Nutty Professor ("Got the weight on the dresser, I’m the Nutty Professor"). If you’re feeling this, mark your calendar for Jeezy’s TM104, which is slated to release on August 23. —Jessica McKinney
Cardo, “Mail Like”
Cardo just swerved on us. While the Grammy-award-winning producer has been hard at work on his own album (said to feature contributions from the elusive André 3000) which he described to me last year as "Michael Myers at the beach," the common thought was that he'd follow the producer-album blueprint. Which is to say, an album full of original Cardo beats and an arrangement of rappers and artists you wouldn't normally expect to see together. Well, that's ostensibly still in the works, but this week brought us LSC Everybody's Favorite Cousin, a six-track EP that features Cardo on the boards and on the mic. It might be unexpected, but it's hardly awkward. Anyone who's heard and loved the Big Bossin tapes Cardo produced for Detroit spitter Payroll Giovanni will find a worthy companion project in Favorite Cousin. The chill loquaciousness Cardo displays in person and across his avuncular Twitter feed translates cleanly to his rhymes: slick player shit, G code advice, and a hustler's charm. We're still waiting on those 3 Stacks collaborations, but Cardo just opened up a whole other lane for himself. —Frazier Tharpe
David Wolves, “Rapture”
Three months ago, we wrote about David Wolves' excellent introduction to the world on "Touring Test." Now, after the release of another cut called "June 12," the self-produced artist hits his stride on "Rapture." On his third song, Wolves courageously dives into heavy subject matter as he tackles God and religion over gritty, powerful production. It's another strong effort from the young artist, who now has a proven track record of delivering expansive, larger-than-life songs that still leave room for him to get personal. Look out for his debut album, VIOLE(N)T, coming soon. —Eric Skelton
