With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily roundup of the best new rap tracks you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later.
Marlo - “The Real 1”
On “The Real 1” Marlo captures vintage Atlanta—back when Soulja Boy’s jean shorts draped over his ankles and Jeezy still wore his fitteds backwards with a tilt. The horn-filled beat sounds like it belongs on an early Shawty Lo record and Marlo shows out on the production with his charming Southern inflection. The video takes us on a ride through a seldom seen side of Atlanta. Marlo brags about his powerful label waving his Quality Control flag outside of a shutdown Western Union and a Checkers. It’s a refreshing throwback to a sound that most Atlanta artists have left in the past.
J.I.D - “151 Rum”
J. Cole has been trying to turn Dreamville Records into a home for elite rappers by stacking the roster with spitters like EarthGang and Cozz, but J.I.D just might be the best of the bunch. “151 Rum” is proof that despite J.I.D’s lyrical density his music still has plenty of mainstream appeal. Even when he full on dives into his rapid-fire flow on “151 Rum” the hard-hitting beat keeps the song’s energy high. It’s a style that might seem to align more with Kendrick Lamar’s TDE than Dreamville, but it’s also evidence of the type of variety that will further establish Dreamville as a force to be reckoned with. Having somebody on your roster that has an unlimited stash of clever lines ready to tap into doesn’t hurt either: “Every day in my eyes, they killing my niggas, die, nigga die/Pull up with the fire, get ’em nigga, it’s eye for an eye.”
Lil Sheik - “Make It Last”
Behind beats culled from ’80s R&B hits and deep cuts, teenage rapper Lil Sheik is quickly becoming one of the best on the West Coast. The reflective “Make It Last” is Lil Sheik in his zone, catching the groove of the smooth beat. And even at his most self-conflicted Lil Sheik’s raps still ring off throughout the Bay area: “And I’m so sick and tired of hearing voices in my head, fucking with me.”
Diego Money and Lil Dude - “HomicideMoney”
Texas’ Diego Money borrows Lil Dude’s flow as the two combine for “HomicideMoney.” Lil Dude drops in a reference-packed verse (“I wrestle with the world like Kurt Angle”) and Diego Money follows him up with some tough-talk (“One phone call my shooters come get you”). Diego Money often works best when rapping in a duo and pairing with Lil Dude works out perfectly for them both.
Bernard Jabs - “Million Dollar Smile”
Bernard Jabs takes his animated Southern flow and juxtaposes it with a guitar-heavy beat from Charlie Shuffler. The Georgia rapper doesn’t sulk over the melancholy guitar, instead he would rather get his ridiculous raps off: “Might fuck around and take Teanna Trump to the prom dance.”
Check out yesterday’s Ones, and listen to new rap from Marlo, J.I.D., Lil Sheik, and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
