Source: @JustInMyView / Radio One/R1 Digital
Ariana Grande feat. 2 Chainz — “7 rings (Remix)”
Ariana Grande faced criticism following the release of her newest single, “7 rings.” Some believed she drew influence from 2 Chainz for the single and its accompanying video without credit. One week later, Grande seemingly addresses that feedback by enlisting Tity Boi himself for the song’s official remix.
While the cut remains mostly intact, Hair Weave Killer adds a verse with his signature smooth flow. “My ideas are priceless, I know I’m the nicest,” he raps on the track, which was produced by Social House and TB Hits. “I knew you would like this / I must be psychic.” Later, he adds: “You didn’t expect this / You think like a robot.”
“7 rings,” which follows “thank u, next,” is the title track off Ariana’s forthcoming album. The follow-up to last year’s Sweetener is due to arrive next week. The album’s quick turnaround speaks to one of her goals.
“My dream has always been to be — obviously not a rapper, but, like, to put out music in the way that a rapper does,” she recently told Billboard. “I feel like there are certain standards that pop women are held to that men aren’t. We have to do the teaser before the single, then do the single, and wait to do the preorder, and radio has to impact before the video, and we have to do the discount on this day, and all this shit. It’s just like, ‘Bruh, I just want to fucking talk to my fans and sing and write music and drop it the way these boys do. Why do they get to make records like that and I don’t?’ So I do and I did and I am, and I will continue to.”
Listen to the 2 Chainz-assisted “7 rings” remix below.
Gunna — “One Call”
As Gunna continues to soar through the hip-hop ranks with a growing buzz and prolific output, the Georgia rapper unleashes his latest single, “One Call.”
Although he’s one of this year’s most talked about rappers, Gunna pulls inspiration from a late legend on this track by name-checking Tupac Shakur. “Middle finger to the cops, me against the world like 2Pac,” he raps. “Say the wrong word, get you shot / The ho’ll love you when you hot / Thank God, he gave me a shot.”
This could be a sign of things to come from Gunna. The rapper announced this track’s release with an Instagram caption that read: “ALBUM SHORTLY I PROMISE.” Last year, he released Drip Season 3 and Drip Harder with Lil Baby. He is now rumored to be working on Drip or Drown 2.
Answer Gunna’s “One Call” below.
Big Boi — “Doin’ It” & “Return of the Dope Boi”
Outkast star Big Boi is back with a couple of bangers. Two years after dropping Boomiverse, the ATLien returns with two new cuts. The first of those is “Doin’ It” featuring longtime collaborator Sleepy Brown and the second is “Return of the Dope Boi” with Killer Mike and Backbone.
Produced by Made In China, “Doin’ It” offers marital advice. “Create a family all by choice,” he raps. “And when you’re mad at me, I lower my voice / Grab my keys / Iceberg Slim put you on freeze / Walk off like a pimp, grab my trees / Put my dro in the wind, I’ma blow until you simmer down.” Later, he vows to avoid divorce. “Stay the course,” he raps. “Big mama taught me / To put the work in with no days off, G.”
The second of these releases, “Return of the Dope Boi,” remains true to its title in its subject matter. “Carry on like my Louis Vuitton rolling bag,” raps the OutKast vet. “Put it in the overhead, then I order apple cran / Cran apple ‘cause it’s too early for alcohol / Still sweating bullets ‘cause security done had them dogs.”
Fresh off his new “Trigger Warning” series on Netflix, frequent collaborator Killer Mike delivers a d-boy-inspired verse of his own. “Money making, never faking, serve that dope,” he raps. “Chop that work, chop that work, and put it in the baggy / Up all night, up all night, I be cookin’ crack.” Backbone adds: “I’m on some dope boy shit…Return of the dope boy!”
Listen to both “Doin’ It” and “Return of the Dope Boi” below.
G Herbo & Southside — Still Swervin
G Herbo and Southside are back at it. After teaming up for last year’s Swervo, the rapper-producer duo wastes no time. They hop right back into their ride for yet another one-two punch with Still Swervin. This go around, they also tap some other famous faces for the joyride.
Gunna, who also simultaneously dropped “One Call,” comes through with a guest appearance on “Trained to Kill (Big Body Whip).” Rising rapper-singer Juice WRLD lends his voice to “Never Scared” and Lil 40 and Pretty Savage pop up on “Bug.” Meanwhile, Helluva, Wheezy, DJ Victorious, and Cubeats help out on the production tip.
Despite the guests, Herbo keeps the spotlight on his raps and Southside handles a bulk of the beats. “I’m a millionaire,” Herbo raps on “Visionary.” “And I saw this shit through so I’m a visionary / Look up hustler, you see my face in the dictionary.” Beyond street-inspired raps, Herbo also gets heartfelt. On “Hood Cycle,” he adds: “We go through painful shit. We painkillers. We soldiers.”
Listen to Still Swervin below.
Lil Peep and ILoveMakonnen feat. Fall Out Boy — “I’ve Been Waiting”
A little over one year after his death, Lil Peep’s legacy continues to live on. His estate has just released his newest single, “I’ve Been Waiting,” with features from two of his biggest influences, ILoveMakonnen and Fall Out Boy. The song was produced by ILoveMakonnen, Louis Bell, Brian Lee, Brenton Duvall, and IIVI.
“Break my heart, but don’t tell me I’m not doing fine ‘cause I’m doin’ fine,” sings the late star. “Call me when you’re in the city again,” sings FOB’s Patrick Stump. “My head just went, oblivion.” Makonnen adds: “Fuck me up and make me just go crazy / Addicted to the pain that you just made me love / I’m fiending for your touch and on the daily / You’re the only one I want.”
The posthumous track shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for Peep fans. After all, the late singer professed Makonnen and Fall Out Boy’s influence over his style back in 2017, shortly before his passing. “One of my favorite hip-hop artists is Makonnen,” he told XXL at the time. “One of my favorite bands is Fall Out Boy. You put those two together and that’s Lil Peep.”
Makonnen used that as fuel for this collaboration. “All the songs that Peep and I have worked on are special to me. I knew adding his heroes Fall Out Boy to ‘I’ve Been Waiting,’ would be a tribute to my friend and collaborator that I could feel proud of,” he said in a press release, as per SPIN. “When I called [Fall Out Boy’s] Pete [Wentz], he immediately said yes, and it came together very quickly. I’m really excited to share this with the fans.”
Joyner Lucas & Chris Brown — “Just Let Go”
Joyner Lucas and Chris Brown reunite. A year after announcing their Angels & Demons joint effort, the rapper-singer duo returns with “Just Let Go.” It’s unclear whether the new song will appear on their anticipated project, but the track arrives today with a video to match.
Lucas raps to a love interest on the track, while explaining his hangups. “My heart’s been back-and-forth, trapped and bored inside a magic floor behind a padded door,” raps Joyner. “All my emotions in a attic stored.” Brown, who also handles the chorus, offers a few raps on the track. “Don’t be restless,” he sings. “Let your problems be my problems, I don’t mind it.”
This isn’t the first time Brown and Lucas have joined forces. After announcing their Angels & Demons effort last year, the duo also released “Stranger Things” and “I Don’t Die.” Both songs also arrived with videos.
The new visual features younger versions of Brown and Lucas. “Wanna see [Chris Brown] and Joyner [Lucas] as middle school kids who took over our talent show, pissed some teachers off and stole the show?” Lucas asked before releasing the video, which, as promised, is set inside of a school. Hear “Just Let Go” and watch the new visual below.
