The Best and Worst of Rap This Week: Dubious Deluxe Editions and More

Pitchfork’s weekly rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, dances, weird tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches our attention in the world of hip-hop.

What does a deluxe album even mean now, anyway?

The CD aisles of Target and Best Buy were once filled with deluxe editions of popular albums that featured a few extra songs. I don’t think I ever actually purchased a deluxe edition, because the bonus tracks were typically inessential, and the whole thing was a pretty blatant ploy to squeeze money out of diehard fans. This strategy has dropped off along with physical CD sales, but it’s now staging a streaming-era resurgence in hip-hop.

Within the last couple of months, stars like Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, and Nav have quickly followed their album drops with streaming-only deluxe editions. After the release of My Turn in March, Lil Baby added six new songs to his deluxe edition, with some of them getting their own music videos. Lil Uzi’s deluxe edition for Eternal Atake boasted 14 new songs—chosen with the help of fans on social media—and a new title, LUV vs. The World 2. Nav followed Uzi’s blueprint with Brown Boy 2, the deluxe edition of Good Intentions, which he described on Instagram as “some leaks, snippets, and new vibes”—wording that’s nearly identical to Drake’s own Instagram hype for his recent Dark Lane Demo Tapes. (Ever the streaming schemer, Drake put out his deluxe-type release before his proper album, which is due later this year.) With these add-ons, rappers are goosing their streaming numbers and trying to please their unpleasable diehard fans, all without hurting the quality of their official albums. It’s likely the new normal.

LOWERLIPDRIP: “FERERFAREFAIRFERERFAREFAIRFERERFAREFAIR”

blackrobeBLACKROBES and Dew Haydn are LOWERLIPDRIP, a Chicago duo who sound ready to raise hell. Together, their energy is frantic, angry, and reflective—moods just about anyone can relate to, especially right now. Their new EP, Everything Is Fare, includes just two tracks, and my favorite, “FERERFAREFAIRFERERFAREFAIRFERERFAREFAIR,” is even wilder than its title suggests. Dew Haydn storms through first, nearly screaming, “Tryna’ take my city back, dawg.” Then blackrobeBLACKROBES’ flows with the smoothness of a throwback New York rapper over the glitchy instrumental. Their noisy production invites comparisons to JPEGMAFIA, yet by the time the song reaches its guitar-heavy outro, LOWERLIPDRIP’s controlled chaos has become all its own.

Pooh Shiesty’s money spread

The money spread is an art form. Just watch recent Gucci Mane signee Pooh Shiesty fan out his bills with the smoothness of a Michelin-star chef buttering toast. I like to imagine that Gucci Mane was on the fence about signing Pooh until he saw this money spread—and then handed him a blank check.

Lil Keed: “Wavy”

Lil Keed has gone viral on TikTok before—and, judging by the choreography-heavy music video for his latest single, “Wavy,” he hopes to infiltrate the platform once again. Yet the Atlanta rapper’s attempts at virality never sound forced, and “Wavy” has all the signatures of a good Lil Keed song: a sharp melody, vocals that sound like he just inhaled helium, and a chorus that can be picked up in seconds. It’s a promising start to the rollout of his upcoming mixtape, Trapped on Cleveland 3, whether the song starts a dance craze or not.

Gunna’s Spotify ad

I hope this image replaces the covers of IGOR and Blonde as the poster of choice for future college students.

Bbymutha: “Pi$$ed Off”

Aren’t we all pissed off at something right now? Well, so is Bbymutha. On the first half of her latest single, she lays down threats in her cool Southern drawl. She treats her men like objects before they get the chance to do it to her: “I like my dick on demand, I’m impatient.” The second half is similarly strong, as it moves in slow motion, with haunted production from Keadrean that’s reminiscent of Memphis icons Triple 6 Mafia’s Underground Vol. 1 1991-1994. Bbymutha doesn’t abandon her Tennessee roots, even when she’s pissed off.

HBO’s Betty has a rap music problem

Betty, a new HBO coming-of-age comedy based on Crystal Moselle’s 2018 film Skate Kitchen, follows a group of girls as they navigate New York’s male-dominated skate scene. In the city, skateboarding culture and hip-hop are closely intertwined; if any rap song blows up here, it’s likely that skaters were there first. So the show’s outdated soundtrack feels particularly egregious: Though the series is ostensibly set in 2020, a montage in the first episode is set to the 2012 A$AP Rocky hit “Fuckin’ Problems.” Similarly, in the third episode, a character named Honeybear goes grocery shopping, and we’re expected to believe that she’s listening to Sheck Wes’ 2017 track “Mo Bamba” in her headphones. For a show that clearly prides itself on authenticity, it’s surprising that the music was seemingly an afterthought. It makes you think that whoever is behind the show’s song selections has no connection to either New York’s skate subculture or rap scene. It’s disappointing.

Odunsi (The Engine): Everything You Heard Is True EP

Life is perfect for Odunsi (The Engine). On his new Everything You Heard Is True EP, the Nigerian singer and rapper is the most stylish, the most attractive, the most creative, and he couldn’t care less about anyone else’s opinions. It really should be unbearable, but through a seamless blend of effervescent Afropop, silky R&B, and stadium-ready rap, Odunsi proves he’s yet another undeniable talent out of his country’s emerging alté scene. Listening to the self-motivational hook of “wicked, sexy!” or the whine-ready rhythm of “luv in a mosh” almost puts me in as good of a mood as Odunsi.

Tony Shhnow: Dis Should Hold U Over

Tony Shhnow is an OK rapper. Just fine. But on his new mixtape, Dis Should Hold U Over, it’s hard to notice anything other than the work of Cash Cache, who produces every song. The beatmaker makes peaceful instrumentals that often sound like you’re wandering through Super Princess Peach. Each element on the mixtape feels distinctly calm, whether it’s the spiritual flute on “Drive Thru” or the soothing melody of “TikTok.”

Fivio Foreign’s foundation slogan

Brooklyn rapper Fivio Foreign has launched the nonprofit Foreignside Foundation in order to help at-risk teens, like he once was. Which is amazing. Adding to the amazingness, the foundation’s slogan turns the sound effect often made in Brooklyn drill songs—“GLTTTTTTT”—into an acronym that stands for “Gangsters Literally Taking the Time to Think Things Through.” Never change, Fivio.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork