Best Songs of the Week

DOOM’s one of my favorite rappers, so it makes sense that Irish rapper Rejjie Snow’s "Nights Over Georgia" hits the spot. Over a jazzy piano loop and laced with very carefully chosen language, Rejjie delivers something that should please all fans of DOOM, and should also make the rest of those not yet up on Rejjie to look out for Dear Annie in 2014. - Confusion

Of all the current Scandinavian bands making weird and wonderful pop music, jj are my favorite, having taken over from The Knife when The Knife gave up on melodies. The mysterious duo are so wonderfully individual, sometimes taking the lyrics of US R&B and hip-hop songs and piecing them together into some sort of beautiful pop tapestry, sometimes making devestatingly detailed and honest songs like this one, dropped suddenly with this impressive video. - Constant Gardner

Bless El-P and Killer Mike for sharing "Pew Pew Pew," a bonus track from the deluxe edition of Run The Jewels, and not forcing us to buy the thing. You'd think that the last thing you want amongst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is music that's as hectic as this cut. But the frenetic pace and the unapologetic grittiness in the production of "Pew Pew Pew" will have you wanting more from the duo, building some well-deserved anticipation for Run The Jewels 2. Terrific form, gentlemen. Terrific form. - Joyce

BROODS' catchy "Bridges" was one of those songs that I played repeatedly once I first heard it earlier this fall. A few months later and the New Zealand duo has already followed up the track with something equally impressive. Produced by Joel Little (who also produced a little song by Lorde called "Royals"), "Never Gonna Change" employs a more somber tone, but does so without losing any of that glistening pop sound so prevalent on their previous offering. If this is the pattern BROODS is setting in their music, I'm on board. - Katie K

2013 has been a strange, difficult year for already much-maligned rapper Gucci Mane. We know some of you don't like him quite as much as Confusion, KK, and I, but for those of you out there who count yourselves among his fans, the release of new album The State Vs. Radric Davis 2: The Caged Bird Sings brings good news: Gucci's still got it. A dark sense of humor, unusual wordplay, general, menace, and excellent, brooding production choices typify the album on the whole, coming together most satisfyingly on album standout "Double" (which employs one of Gucci's favorite tricks, taking the titular word and squeezing as much meaning out of it as possible). Here's to hoping 2014 sees Gucci staying out of trouble and in the studio. - Jon Tanners

I know you lot see me and are on some "khal is a real ornery fuck." I get it, and wear that. I wake up and speak my truths because fuck everything else. Doesn't mean I don't have an emotional side. Tracks like Loefah's "Veal," which is all soulful vocals, deep bass, and odd loops speaks to my soul. "I've got a bad, bad habit, baby/and baby it's you" is some real shit. And while there's no drop, no thunderous drums, none of that shit, tracks like this are why I stay within the confines of electronic music. That ghost in the machine is speaking real life truths. - khal

For Christmas this year, I received a lot of the basics like gift cards, money, and socks. Yawn. But then, THEN, Santa blessed me with one of the greatest gifts you could give to a New York City-area raised rap fan: new Fabolous and, more importantly, new Jadakiss with the third installment of Fabolous' Soul Tape series dropping on Christmas Day. That, coming right after The Lox put out their Trinity EP, the pre-cursor to the group's (Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Jadakiss) highly anticipated third album. But back to Fabolous. Remember when Kendrick's "Control" verse hit the internet and the next day, the Brooklyn rapper tweeted, "Any studios open yet?" Well, guys, he finally found one. And he lets the music respond for itself rather than challenging Kendrick on any single verse. And one of the mixtape's many standouts is the Jadakiss-assisted "The Hope" featuring more production work from AraabMuzik. - Dee