It’s that time of the week where we gather together and share some of the latest drops which have caught our attention. As January comes to a close, we get a bundle of songs with new drops from newcomers and some familiar faces. Kaash Paige shares a brand new song and partners up with East Atlanta’s 6LACK with a therapeutic offering entitled ‘Love Songs’. So without getting too deep into it, we share this week’s round of 5 on a chilled Friday afternoon.
BlazeYL – Stop x4
Blaze YL is unabashed and relentless on his latest drop ‘Stop x4’, a release packed with sonic curveballs and boastful charm. The House of Pharaohs rapper tags Honeywoodsix who fits together a trap sonic with trippy melodies that’ll have you bopping along to it.
Just like two sides of a coin, Blaze YL teeters between new era chops and braggadocios raps in which he would rather live out his rockstar lifestyle. He rocks the sonic with somber auto-tuned croons which ricochet against the thick slab of 808s and transitions smoothly into a mellow, screwed-up mix. ‘Stop x4’ features the young rapper flexing with his cohort and dodging a lady who is fixed on pursuing a hopeless romance.
Kaash Paige – Love Songs feat. 6LACK
Dallas native Kaash Paige is guaranteed to spin many heads this year with her versatile take on R&B. Last year she unearthed Parked Car Convos, an introductory offering which contained experimental cuts and soothing acoustic numbers.
On her latest offering Kaash Paige links up with fellow Southern misfit 6LACK on an audible treatment for your ears. ‘Love Songs’ is an atmospheric cut which echoes with soft tones over drowsy guitar strums and percussive hits which beat in like a ticking clock. The exchange between Kaash and 6LACK feels therapeutic and plays like a conversation between a doctor and his patient. Kaash Paige’s sweet croons blends lightly into the calming production which sounds rather therapeutic.
808INK – Pasta feat. Sleazy F Baby
808INK set the tone for their 2020 with a triumphant return, and treat us to an appetising cut called ‘Pasta’, alongside Manchester’s Sleazy F Baby. The trio chop it up together and get down to business over a stern hip-hop sonic emblazoned with knocking 808s and tooting horns.
Always ahead of the curve with their truly eclectic soundscapes, Mumblez hops on the head-bobbing score and rips through it with ease. The beat boasts slick drum beats and glitchy swoons which swoop into the heavy textures of the score, it’s clear that they’re a cut above the rest and ‘Pasta’ is hard evidence. The duo get up to mischief and chop it up with Sleazy, who injects much hype and charges up the score with his murky cadence. It seems like there’s no sign of slowing down and we hope there’s more to come from 808s locker of sounds.
Natalie C – Safe Zone
Getting yourself out of a romantic situation is just as frustrating as unraveling entangled earphones. Natalie C drops shares a poignant R&B offering in which she’s split between love and logic on ‘Safe Zone’.
Brooding piano keys decorate the bare atmosphere in which Natalie’s fine-tuned croons chronicle the consuming grasp of love. It sums up the essence of falling in love as detailed by songbird who is guarded and weary of stepping out of her comfort zone. Considering the production is minimal, Natalie delivers a stunning vocal display and cycles through runs that elicit heartfelt sensations. ‘Safe Zone’ is a truly soothing offering which gets better with each listen.
Headie One & Fred again.. – Charades
Headie One emerges from the shadows with a collaborative effort with Fred again.. who whips up a deep, distorted beat for the drill rapper to air out his thoughts. ‘Charades’ marks his first drop of the year, and what a way to kick it off.
Fred again.. lends his trademark sound dubbed ‘Actual Life’ in which he draws from random sounds and incorporates them into his production. ‘Charades’ kicks off with live concert audio and dissolves into a suspenseful sonic with layered keys. He doubles up on the subject matter of Music x Road and alludes to the crossroads he’s caught in two parallel worlds. “All I know is money and beef, don’t think I left it all in the past”, he firmly raps on the drop. As much as ‘Charades’s is a pensive song it showcases Headie One’s versatility as an artist who can walk blend seamlessly between genres and rack together a potent record with left-field producers. If this is a taster of what is yet to come from the drill rapper then we’re more than ready to witness how 2020 plays out for him.
