It’s no wonder that music has such a significance to cities like New York, given that, much like the Big Apple, music never sleeps. While you were all partying it up on the weekend, getting buckwild and just wild, music dropped some heat to add to your fire. So while you drag your weary, sore heads to and from work this week, here’s what you missed from the weekend that needs to make its way to your playlists.
The *HAANH* man himself, French Montana, made an appearance on the latest OVO Sound Radio episode over the weekend, dropping three releases. None hotter, though, than this collaboration with Mr. OVO himself, Drizzy Drake.
‘No Shopping’ finds French Montana and Drake swapping inspired bars over a bass-rich Murda Beatz production, with the 6 God finally taking the time to clap back at Joe Budden’s multiple diss tracks, referencing Budden’s Grammy-nominated 2003 single ‘Pump It Up‘ with the lines:
Pump, pump, pump it up
She got a good head on her, but I pump it up
I’m not a one-hit wonder, they know all my stuff
You let me turn into the n*gga that you almost was
Ouch, Drizzy, why’d you have to do ‘im like that!?
Of course, Joe Budden wasn’t going to let go of his beef with Drake, releasing his response to the above ‘No Shopping’ only hours later, with Joey B’s third Drizzy diss track ‘Afraid’. Sampling Drake’s ‘The Resistance’ (taken from 2010’s Thank Me Later), Joey fires angry shots back at the OVO leader and keeps the beef between the two alive.
With Joe Budden being the prime aggressor between the two so far, is it only a matter of time before Drake releases a meatier response? Budden, for his part, sounds more inspired on the diss tracks than he has in years.
Speaking of Drake, fans of the 6 God may remember him dropping the remix to a track by fellow Toronto artist Ramriddlz way back in the very first episode of OVO Sound Radio. Since then, the dancehall/reggae sounds that abound Ramriddlz’s sound have been all over Drake’s own music, so perhaps what better time for the lesser-known Toronto artist to drop his latest single – a collaboration with modern reggae staple Mavado.
Fans of Drake’s foray into dancehall, or even Ram’s own Venis EP released back in March, are sure to love the latest Ramriddlz release.
Only a few days out from the release of ninth studio album (and first since being released from prison at the end of May) Everybody Looking, Atlanta trap icon Gucci Mane has let loose the intro for his latest record, titled ‘No Sleep’. With powerhouse producers Mike Will Made-It and Zaytoven handling the production, Gucci Mane gets honest about past indiscretions and addictions, continuing his hot run since his release from prison in the process.
Kreayshawn affiliate Lil Debbie dropped her debut album Debbie over the weekend, after releasing a string of mixtapes over the last few years. Stand-out album track ‘Whoop’ finds Debbie grabbing Starrah (who is bubbling and ready to blow up everywhere) for a club-friendly banger exploiting the best elements of Debbie’s sound. You can stream the full album via Soundcloud here.
The second of three releases French Montana unveiled via OVO Sound Radio, and host Oliver El-Khatib, ‘Two Times’ finds French Montana spitting bars with ease over his latest trap anthem. With Bad Boy’s Montana being such a hit and miss artist who often relies on features, the Maaly Raw production on ‘Two Times’ thankfully elevates his sound to conjure up one of the better solo releases to have ever found its way from French Montana’s camp.
Anticipated for a short while now, recently announced XXL Freshman, 21 Savage, drops his collaborative album with hot producer Metro Boomin, titled Savage Mode. With a sole feature from Future on the album’s third track, 21 Savage handles Metro Boomin’s production largely alone, putting together a menacing, confident album that utilises both 21 Savage’s persona, and Metro Boomin’s ingenuity. If nothing else, it works as a coherent, confident introduction to 21 Savage for those largely unfamiliar with the Atlanta artist.
