In the Cut: Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J Made XXL’s Top Songs of the Week

After the wild global tumult of last week, the world has restored itself to order, even while Justin Bieber continues to lose his mind in Europe. At XXL, we've taken some time out this week to celebrate ourselves - something we truly don't do enough - and our longevity in this "dying" industry. When news broke that fellow music/entertainment publication Vibe would discontinue publishing in print before the end of the year, we were reminded of all of our die-hard fans and readers (you!) who have kept us relevant for this many years. Looking ahead to later this year, we'll be celebrating our 16th anniversary in the Fall, and that's pretty awesome.

Anyway, in music news - will.i.am released his new solo project, a disco/pop/rave LP, which we celebrated with a look back at his best hip-hop beats. We also took some time to sift through the amazing amount of talent coming from Atlanta and released a new New New, featuring rappers from the A that you need to know. Also, Mac Miller returned to the spotlight with a trippy new single and music video, West Coast producer Grip Grand put out a stellar MF Doom remix EP, and Snoop Dogg Lion released his Reincarnated reggae album.

In our weekly column called In the Cut, the diversely-opinionated XXL staff celebrates another lively week in hip-hop and picks some of their favorite releases from the past week. Some are songs, some are videos, all are incredible in their own way. Until next week – stay classy, rap world.

Wiz Khalifa ft. Problem & Iamsu! - "Bout Me"
See, one thing bout me is that I like to get turnt up, especially on the weekends, so for Wiz to unleash this video for Cabin Fever 2's ratchet anthem before the weekend was perfect timing. Judging by the visual, the trio sure turnt things up, and man I wish I was there. To make up for it, I'ma have to turn things to the max and get extra crazy starting tonight. Thanks Wiz. Oh yeah, and, "F*ck dying!"—Ralph Bristout, Lifestyle Editor

GG DOOM (Grip Grand x MF DOOM) - "Jive Turkey"
Earlier this week, West coast producer Grip Grand released remix project GG DOOM...But How? featuring the legendary MF DOOM's acapellas over Grand's original production. Although the project has been since deleted from the Internets per Metal Fingerz's request, a video mash-up of the song "Jive Turkey" still exists on YouTube. Utilizing a sweet sax sample and pitch-perfect drums, Grip Grand perfectly captures DOOM's lo-fi jazzy production  while still maintaining his own individual sound. It's a shame that the project has been taken down, but as Grand himself notes on his website, "only a fool purposely crosses the Villain."—Sean Ryon, News Editor

Nasty Mane ft. Juicy J - “Pop A Molly”
Nasty Mane is best known for his Belly On Full mixtapes alongside his cousin Project Pat. Earlier this week, he released the DJ Scream-hosted K.U.S.H., which is an awesome acronym for Knowledgeable, Underestimated, Survivalist and Humble. On “Pop A Molly,” Nasty Mane gets some assistance from another relative who's also a pill-popping enthusiast, Juicy J. It’s aggressive, reckless and should be played at maximum volume. These guys must have the best family reunions ever.—Neil Martinez-Belkin, Music Editor 

Wale ft. Travis Porter - "One Eyed Kitten Song" Video
I love 100 Miles and Runnin' era Wale, but I also love him when he's at his most ignorant, like on this Diplo-produced banger about eating/fucking/loving pussy. Part of me wants to know where they shot this video… Does Wale have a strip club in his basement? Did they rent out a basement and turn it into a strip club? Did the girls feel weird about stripping for four guys in a basement? Anyway, the video asks more questions than it answers, but that's okay because it's Friday and Wale preps you for the weekend with the jolly refrain, "Killed that pussy, died with its eyes open."—Dan Buyanovsky, Associate Editor

Los ft. Diddy and Ludacris - "Disappointed"
This is beyond smooth. Los’ Becoming King released this week, and one of its key tracks is “Disappointed,” featuring Diddy and Ludacris. Some say Puff’s verse on “Ocho Cinco” is the best this year, but he doesn’t disappoint here on hook duty. Luda and Los also hit up the track with some on-point verses about stunting and feeling disappointed with their detractors. “I burn a hundred thousand just for my enjoyment,” Diddy raps on the song's refrain.—Eric Diep, Assistant News Editor

Juicy J ft. Pimp C & T.I. - “Show Out (Remix)”
God dammit, Juicy J knows how to make music everyone can flex too… The Memphis native is set to put out his first studio album under the Taylor Gang label later this year, and things definitely look promising. Can you imagine this song playing in a club and everyone not dancing? It’s impossible. To make things more epic, we get to hear an unreleased verse from the late great UGK member, Pimp C, which is just filthy. Please play this at high volumes with a cup filled with dirty sprit in your hand. The message is clear, pour up and smoke up, and always show out.—Emmanuel C.M., Assistant Editor

BONUS:

Mac Miller - "SDS" Video
When I first saw this video I immediately thought of an early-2000s Eminem - not because he's also white, but because he had a similar level of goofy comedic timing - but MTV also shouted out Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes as possible predecessors to the "SDS" video, and they're spot on. The quirky visual is as eccentric as the Flying Lotus-produced song, and Ian Wolfson aka Rex Arrow (who's directed all of Mac's videos to date) really just gets better with time. Also, Corey Feldman is in this video and that's an automatic win.