Rap Song of the Week: Dot da Genius Recruits Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, & J.I.D on “Talk About Me”

The post Rap Song of the Week: Dot da Genius Recruits Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, & J.I.D on “Talk About Me” appeared first on Consequence.

Rap Song of the Week breaks down the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Dot da Genius previews his upcoming album with “Talk About Me,” an all-star collaboration with Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, and J.I.D.

After more than 15 years of being Kid Cudi’s most trusted collaborator, producer Dot da Genius is stepping out with a debut album. If “Talk About Me” is any indication, he’s preparing a red carpet rollout. Touting features from Denzel Curry, J.I.D, and Kid Cudi (of course), he dropped the all-star collab along with a video from Lyrical Lemonade director Cole Bennett.

“It feels good to finally make the decisions, decide what looks good, and just get my vision out to the people that supported me all this time,” Dot da Genius said in a statement. “There are so many kids out there that have supported me, so I want to give them something to hold on to.” To that end, he lays down a booming track with spacey synths for each rapper to show off their unique styles.

Curry, whose latest album Melt My Eyez See the Future includes a pair of tracks produced by Dot da Genius, sets the tone with the chippy chorus: “Everybody on the block talk about me/ Way back in the day, you used to doubt me.” Following suit, the Carol City MC lets loose about everyone trying to bring him down before shouting out Cudi: “Cop a black on black hovercraft that float/ Or I pull up in a Phantom like Kids See Ghosts.”

Right at home on Dot da Genius’ production, Cudi pops off about living his best life before bringing out his darker side (“Type of negro that’ll go in rage mode, the evil creeps/ The Devil cannot hold a middle finger how it be”). Meanwhile, J.I.D, continues to prove why he’s one of the slickest rhymers in the game while closing out the track with lines like “Bunch of pie flippin’ n****s, they don’t work at Dominos/ Take a slice out a n****, delivery, not Digiorno.”

After Pro Era’s Powers Pleasant dropped his cypher-like track “Overseas” last week, it’s refreshing to see another deserving producer step into the spotlight and join the likes of The Alchemist, who’s been dropping compilation albums for years. Based on “Talk About Me” alone, Dot da Genius’ debut effort deserves plenty of anticipation.

Honorable Mentions:

Young Devyn – “Decisions”

Never lacking confidence, the self-proclaimed “Baby Goat” Young Devyn handles business on “Decisions” with fiery energy that belies weary rhymes about the tough calls that come with success, but the Brooklyn rapper isn’t looking for any sympathy. Despite her growing fame, Devyn hasn’t taken her foot off the pedal and is solely focused on putting more pressure on the competition. With a strict focus on the future, Devyn’s career has nowhere to go but up.

Coast Contra – “Never Freestyle”

Prior to their kinetic Tonight Show appearance on Monday, June 20th, Questlove himself hyped up the LA-based collective Coast Contra by referencing Odd Future’s infamous late night appearance more than a decade ago. Red hot off the performance, the quartet brought their viral “Never Freestyle” to streaming services. Building off the “Cypher Sundays” that gained them a loyal following, Eric Jamal, Rio Loz, and Ras and Taj Austin thrive on trying to top one another and bringing a modern boom bap feel to their original tracks.

Bandmanrill feat. Sha Ek – “Jiggy in Jersey”

Newark rapper Bandmanrill has been putting his own spin on drill since breaking through with “Heartbroken” last year, notably speeding up his breakneck flows to keep up with Jersey club-infused production. “Jiggy in Jersey” shows off exactly what he’s capable of, as Bandmanrill bursts through the frenetic beat with tributes to fallen friends and tales of spinning the block. With an equally energetic delivery, Sha Ek fits right in.

French Montana and Harry Fraud feat. Benny the Butcher and Jadakiss – “Bricks & Bags”

Benny the Butcher’s opening line of “I should have signed to Coke Boys, but I was sellin’ dope, boy” would be a standout lyric on any other track, but it’s just a throwaway line for the chorus on “Bricks & Bags.” With features from two of the best street rappers of all time, the song is exactly what you’d expect. French Montana breaks up the features like a cooldown match in a WWE PPV, and Jadakiss serves as the main event with biting lines like “The only drill he ever been on was from Home Depot.”

Lupe Fiasco – “MS. MURAL”

Contrary to its name, Lupe Fiasco’s DRILL MUSIC IN ZION is not a drill album, but that’s probably a good thing. On the final track in his “Mural” trilogy, Lupe spits a bonkers second verse in which he continues a rhyme patterned after the third line: “The patron pointed at a pile, ‘Are those rejections or mistakes?'” Naturally, he also manages to question faith, capitalism, racism, and gender roles in the process.

Best Rap Songs Playlist:

Rap Song of the Week: Dot da Genius Recruits Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, & J.I.D on “Talk About Me”
Eddie Fu

Popular Posts

• Paul McCartney Brings Out Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury: Watch

• The Hollywood Vampires (Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry) Reunite and Announce Tour

• Brad Pitt: "I Consider Myself on My Last Leg"

• Christian Bale Confirms "Kate Bush Stuff" Was Cut from Thor: Love and Thunder

• Dave Chappelle Buys Ohio Land Where He Helped Block Affordable Housing Plan

• Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting 16-Year-Old Girl

Subscribe to Consequence’s email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.