Hip-hop music comes faster than any other genre in 2018. It's not uncommon for a rapper to drop upwards of three projects a year and while that's great, it becomes increasingly hard to stay on top of it. 'The Rap Wrap' is our attempt to keep you in the know on the weekly. This week, we're hand delivering new tunes from Anderson .Paak and Tyler, The Creator plus a fresh one from local MC Genesis Owusu.
Anderson .Paak - Brother's Keeper (Feat. Pusha T)
Pusha T and Anderson .Paak are two of the most potent lyricists in hip-hop right now so it's no surprise that Brother's Keeper is so powerful. The slow-burning, soulful jam is the highlight of .Paak's recent record Oxnard which bangs from start to finish.
Stefflon Don - Senseless (Remix Feat. Tory Lanez)
Stefflon Don has given one of her best recent singles a bit of a reno adding Tory Lanez to the mix. If anything, it reminds us that we need to re-add Senseless to all our playlists.
Genesis Owusu - Wit Da Team
Genesis Owusu is one of the best local hip-hop artists around right now and Wit' Da Team is a real moment for him. It's a slick groove that delves into cultural appropriation and more specifically, "the exploitation of black culture," in his words.
Tyler, The Creator - Lights On (Feat. Santigold & Ryan Beatty)
Tyler, The Creator was so inspired by his work on the forthcoming Grinch movie that he made a whole EP inspired by it. Lights On is so bloody smooth featuring an ear worm of a hook by Santigold and some silky backup vocals by Ryan Beatty.
2 Chainz - Girls Best Friend (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
2 Chainz dropped a few sneaky tracks this week and recruited feature artist of the year Ty Dolla $ign for this highlight. Over a West Coast groove, the pair take it slow on the impossibly smooth Girl's Best Friend.
Mike Will Made-It - The Mantra (Feat. Pharrell & Kendrick Lamar)
This is one of those trios that really couldn't fail when put together. The Mantra is as powerful as it sounds with Pharrell doing the ground work and Kendrick thundering through at the end.
