Some of our favorite artists delivered new music on Black Friday, as we were blessed with projects from Game (Born 2 Rap), Griselda (WWCD), Fabolous (Summertime Shootout 3), and more. Beyond the full-length offerings, some of the best new music this week came in the form of singles: The Weeknd’s “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights”; Future and Bryson Tiller’s “Wonderful”; Roddy Ricch and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s “Tip Toe”; and 21 Savage’s “On the Inside.” These are the best new songs this week.
The Weeknd, “Heartless”
The Weeknd’s last project, 2018’s My Dear Melancholy, was inspired breakups, which made for an EP filled with feelings of wistfulness and self-pity. His latest single, “Heartless,” is quite the opposite, signaling the return of Scumbag Weeknd (the fuckboy from “The Hills” who only “fucks you when it’s half past five”). Assisted by Metro Boomin’s bass-heavy musical backdrop, Weeknd spends the entire song flexing, delivering cocky lines about his love life (“Hundred models gettin' faded in the compound/Tryna love me, but they never get a pulse down”) and superstar status (“Photoshoots, I'm a star now/I'm talkin' Time, Rolling Stone, and Bazaar now”). As always, Toxic Abel is the best version of Abel.
Roddy Ricch f/ A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, “Tip Toe”
It was only a matter of time before the melodic Roddy Ricch joined forces with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, whose sing-song style has paved the way for New York rap upstarts like Lil Tecca and Lil Tjay. On “Tip Toe,” Ricch and A Boogie trade sharp melodies over a trap-infused banger courtesy of producers Niaggi and Pilgrim. The track serves as the final single from the Compton rapper’s upcoming album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, which is expected to arrive on December 6.
Griselda, “Moselle”
Mafioso rap is back, thanks to Buffalo hip-hop collective Griselda, who have released a string of excellent solo efforts from crew members Conway the Machine (2017’s G.O.A.T.), Westside Gunn (2018’s Supreme Blientele), and Benny the Butcher (2019’s Crowns For Kings). After signing a deal with Shady Records earlier this year, the Buffalo trio has released a new album, WWCD. Soaked in the crew’s new era boom-bap aesthetic, “Moselle” is an early standout, as all three rappers deliver scene-stealing verses over a beat that sounds like it was chopped up by RZA in the early ’90s. Conway kicks things off with coke raps (“This the theme music for the pie stretchers/I whipped five, I got five extras/Three Everybody Is F.O.O.D. tapes, a trifecta/Show these n****s in the game how to apply pressure”), before Benny destroys his verse (“I’m 5’8” but 6’11” when I stand on my bricks/I cancel ya’’ll quick with the Glock I shoot cannonballs with/I sat in prison, walkin’ the yard, just plannin’ all this”), and Gunn closes things out with a show-stopping performance of his own (“We wore Fear of Gods to the last supper/Too much coke, I made the Pyrex glass suffer/House of Very Islands, stylin’/Dope pilin’ on China, put the .40 to him, started firin’”).
21 Savage, “On the Inside”
The Godfather of Harlem soundtrack continues to drop gems, from DMX and Rick Ross’ August collaboration “Just In Case” to last month’s Pusha-T and Swizz Beatz offering “No Patience” to this week’s 21 Savage solo track, “On the Inside.” Backed by a ghostly instrumental produced by DJ Marc B & Kid Hazel, 21 reflects on his favorite themes, namely the brutal conditions of his pre-fame day-to-day (“I was down bad, ain’t have a dollar to my name/I was down bad, just my family and my gang/Glock 23, I was prayin’ to my flame/Hit a lick, hope I don’t gotta kill for this chain”) and his propensity to violence (“Last n***a tried to rob me? On a stretcher”).
The Game f/ Nipsey Hussle, “Welcome Home”
Following months of Marathon Mondays, Game delivers his greatest tribute to Nipsey Hussle with “Welcome Home,” an early highlight from his new and supposedly final album, Born 2 Rap. It’s not the first time we’ve heard a stellar posthumous verse from Nip (see: DJ Khaled’s Higher and Rick Ross’ “Rich N***a Lifestyle), but his guest appearance on “Welcome Home” is perhaps the most bittersweet verse we’ve heard from the West Coast legend since his untimely death, as lines like “Gave my mind to these millions and my heart to the game/Probably die up in these streets but I survive through my name,” foreshadow his tragic fate. Featuring a full verse, chorus, and interlude from Nipsey, “Welcome Home” is a true celebration of the late rapper’s legacy.
Fabolous f/ PnB Rock, Gucci Mane & 2 Chainz, “Options”
The third installment in Fabolous’ celebrated Summertime Shootout series boasts a guest list that’s long on talent, featuring everyone from R&B titans like Ty Dolla $ign (“Ooh Yea”), Chris Brown (“Us vs. the World”), Jeremih (“Choosy” & “Too Late”), and Tory Lanez (“Seasons Change”), to hip-hop superstars like Meek Mill (“Talk to Me Nicely”) and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (“Gone for the Summer”). The tape’s standout track, “Options,” pairs Fabolous with PnB Rock, and rap feature killers Gucci and Chainz, for a star-studded collaboration that doubles as an ode to the options that a life of riches brings.
