I Got 5 On It,” - Luniz featuring Michael Marshall: A total stoner anthem with a memorable electric piano beat, hook from Michael Marshall, and great verses from Yukmouth and Numskull. I remember hearing this song all the time as a kid, and I definitely recommend it as an addition to the weed playlist for the stoners in my audience. It’s a West Coast hip hop classic, and I really liked that Jordan Peele included it in his movie, Us.
“You Oughta Know,” - Juelz Santana and Cam’ron: There’s so much I love about this track that I don’t know where to begin. Whether it’s that amazing pitched up beat produced by The Heatmakerz that samples Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” or the smooth lyricism from Juelz Santana and Cam’ron, this song is a complete masterpiece. The gangsta life rhymes from both artists sounds natural and authentic on this track, and both Juelz and Cam are incredibly underrated rappers, and deserve more attention. It’s featured on The Diplomats album, The Purple Bunch.
“Ali Bomaye,” - The Game featuring 2 Chainz and Rick Ross: Another hip-hop classic, this time from the 2010s, I remember hearing this on the GTA V radio all the time, and I always look forward to when it comes on when I’m playing the game. 2 Chainz and Rick Ross provide fantastic guest verses, and The Game shines over a phenomenal beat produced by Black Metaphor. The instrumental samples a great Florence and the Machine song, “Seven Devils,” and those snares and hi hats are so hard hitting.
“i like the way you kiss me,” - Artemas: Changing things up with an alternative pop, synthwave track that came out in March of this year. It’s incredibly catchy, with an infectious hook, reverb-soaked vocals, a nice minimal amount of electric guitar, and the variety of different synths (bass, lead, etc.). Artemas is a talented singer and has an androgynous voice, so before I looked him up I didn’t know he was a guy. He’s an independent artist, so I want to support him and I look forward to hearing more of his music.
“A New Kind of Love (Demo),” - Frou Frou: Technically I’ve talked about this song before, when I discussed the reworked track, “moment,” by vierre cloud, which pitched up and sped up the track. However, I think I would be remiss to not talk about the original track. A 2022 electropop track by British electronic duo Frou Frou, which consists of pioneering musician Imogen Heap and producer Guy Sigsworth. Heap’s vocals are soothing and beautiful and I really like the theme of love that this track touches on. It’s an incredibly positive song, and now I want to check out more of Frou Frou’s music, as well as Heap’s.