Hello. Welcome to the third installment of the 'Airdrop' playlist on Steemit. Providing another 11 track mix of some recent musical milestones. If you missed them, make sure to check the older mixes here.
Airdrop 15: (YouTube Playlist link available at the bottom of the page. If official videos were released or videos were deposted after the writing of this article, they are most likely updated and maintained in the YouTube Playlist.)
[1] Yo Gotti & Mike Will Made It - Dogg
Man.. Toughest beat I have heard in a minute. Gotti brings some entertaining punchlines and a raw flow but Mike Will really steals the show on this one with a beat thats an immediate facemaker.
[2] $uicide Boy$ - Pictures (f/ Maxo Kream)
The dark, ethereal mood of $uicide Boy$ truly come through on this track with a welcome assist from Houstonite, Maxo Kream. The New Orleans natives, $uicide Boy$ are some of the leading acts of the 'Horrorcore' genre and Maxo fits the style very naturally. Everyone gota fight demons sometimes.
[3] Gucci Mane - Met Gala (f/ Offset)
A track off the Gucci album, 'Droptopwop' which is produced in full by Atlanta elite, Metro Boomin. Similar to 21 Savage's release from 2016 'Savage Mode' where Metro could be heard throughout the whole tracklist, Gucci freely creates on the spacious beats and exercises structural freedom really presenting his unique style and delivery. The track 'Met Gala' features an especially nasty 808 that rumbles throughout the track and the verse by Migos' Offset also elevates the track further.
[4] Bryson Tiller - Stay Blessed
This track is off Tiller's sophomore effort after his breakthrough TRAPSOUL from 2015. After putting himself on the map as a marquee RnB act with his first album, his future potential stayed a mystery for some time. With the second release, his overall flexibility as an artist looks to be more limited than what his buzz seemed to have led on, but there are solid tracks on the tracklist nonetheless. 'Stay Blessed' is one of my personal highlights on the album.
[5] Goldlink - Same Clothes As Yesterday (f/ Ciscero)
Goldlink is an artist that has been buzzing for some time, and I was pretty familiar with his Soundcloud releases but the flow stuttered a little with the inconsistent quality of his release 'And After That We Didn't Talk' from 2015. It was only recently however that I realized his 2017 release 'At What Cost' is actually his first official studio album, and for that I feel I jumped the gun discerning his direction. The new album is very polished and keeps the soulful vibe that existed in his older material, undoubtedly inspired by his DC roots. The track 'Same Clothes As Yesterday' especially captures the smooth vibes that I originally gravitated to Goldlink for.
[6] Lil Yachty - Harley
Lil Yachty gets a disproportionate amount of hate, and that sentiment also goes for his album 'Teenage Emotions'. Although I would not argue that it is a masterpiece, I think it does some interesting things to cross over into a 'pop' lane that is uniquely his. The choice of Diplo production on a track makes sense as some of the tracks seem to connote a Mad Decent-style vibe rather than a QE trap vibe. Also listening to artists like Playboi Carti, hints to me that the concept of albums for some newer acts is evolving. Their projects are mood music, capturing a vibe more than anything. The track Harley was an earlier release that ended up on the album, and the happy knock is listenable and is a snapshot of current sound.
[7] Buddy & KAYTRANADA - World of Wonder
I don't know many people that dislike KAYTRANADA. He taps into an old soul with new techniques, and although its a formula many would attempt to copy, their material fall short in comparison. The short EP by Buddy features the types of sounds heard on KAYTRANADA's album '99.9%', and makes for a cool listen and perfectly fits a summer backdrop. The 'Flap Your Wings' sample found on this track also adds to the positive feelings.
[8] Dua Lipa - Dreams
Besides being easy on the eyes, Lipa is a potential pop titan and seems to have the ability to fill multiple lanes, while staying in her pocket. Generally I pay most attention to acts rooted in Hip Hop but there is an authenticity that shines through about her, and therefore amongst paper-thin competition, her future looks bright.
[9] XXXTENTACION - Looking For A Star
Beyond the artistry this young artist displays, his range is what continues to surprise me and etch into stone his solid future. After being publicized as a hardcore act, its honestly astonishing that he has the versatility to pull tracks like this off. I can't say that this track is the dopest or complete for that matter, but besides working well in the mix, its just great to imagine the variety of potential future releases.
[10] Major Lazer - Know No Better (f/ Travis Scott, Camilla Cabello, Quavo)
I have been following Major Lazer for some time since their video for 'Hold the Line' in 2009. Since then, Diplo and crew have come a long way, scoring some massive worldwide hits. Arguably the caribbean pop style, that was further popularized with Diplo's involvement with Justin Bieber's projects, was really spearheaded by Major Lazer. Also with Diplo's constant involvement with Hip Hop acts, its no surprise to hear him working with Travis and Quavo, but it is perhaps the first time over this tempo and style of beat. Its very playable, and listenable, although I do somehwat miss the gulliness of some earlier Major Lazer. Change is inevitable.
[11] Big Sean - Bigger Than Me (f/ The Flint Chosen Choir & Starrah)
I did not think that the Big Sean album was this dense in material, as this is the third airdrop to feature a track off the 'I Decided' album, providing the perfect outro. Probably the most heartfelt track on the album and has been on heavy rotation in my personal tracklist. (Hopefully an official video is released since for now live performances are the only videos available on YT)
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST LINK: http://bit.ly/2rzrMZd
Thanks for checking out Airdrop 15!
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