XXL’s Songs of the Week (Feb. 14

This week kicked off with Valentine's Day, but as a great man once said, ain't nothing nice. The last seven days saw acid-tongued releases from some of the genre's most vicious young misanthropes: Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt each blessed the net with barbs. Other millennial rappers geared up for album releases; while Big Sean is leveraging his new record, Dark Sky Paradise, to vault him over the top of mainstream dominance, Fashawn simply hopes to recapture the buzz he had when he dropped his debut in 2009. This is the best recent work from those four artists and more.

Earl Sweatshirt "Quest/Power"

Odd Future's resident multisyllabist splits time between two instrumentals here, courtesy of producers Budgie and Samiyam. Sneaking cake up out the motherfucking bakery, moving state to state for the profit, crushing spliffs under sneakers. Even when he's weaving in and out of lanes as he drifts to sleep on the highway, Earl is one of the sharpest pens in the game, flitting between human and mercenary as effortlessly as he strings together murder plots.

GoldLink "Vroom"

Borrowing liberally from Missy Elliott, the DMV's GoldLink flexes his relative sobriety on the bright new "Vroom." Despite being relatively anonymous for a person whose music has garnered such a national following, GoldLink's personality cuts through, making a strong case for his inclusion in Rick Rubin's whispered-about rap boot camps. His delivery is fluid, but forceful when need be, proving him to be one of the most capable rappers from his hometown to have broken through nationally.

Missy Elliott "Take U There (Remix)"

Speaking of Missy Elliott, the one-time commercial juggernaut has used her Super Bowl performance alongside Katy Perry as a springboard to launch her name back into the national discussion. On "Take U There," her remix of Skrillex, Diplo and Kiesza's song that was released under the Jack U moniker, her off-kilter flows are in full effect. It would be tempting to say Missy sound reinvigorated, but the reality is that that spark probably never left.

Big Sean "Win Some, Lose Some"

For his latest solo LP, Big Sean has made a concerted effort to put forth a more nuanced, more complicated, decidedly darker image. Dark Sky Paradise grapples with most of the tumult that was reduced to half-a-bar toss-offs on his previous efforts. "Win Some, Lose Some" catches him getting dressed up for court and worrying about where his next Rolex is coming from. So it's still Big Sean, but it's a little darker this time.

Fashawn Feat. Nas and Aloe Blacc "Something to Believe In"

For the official followup to his renowned 2009 debut, the Exile-produced Boy Meets World, Fashawn decided to bring out the big guns. Over regal horns, the studied California MC taps Nas to trade bars on "Something to Believe In," one of the early drops off the former's long-awaited sophomore effort, The Ecology. Coming complete with a soulful hook courtesy of Aloe Blacc, it's a hungry, socially conscious number that promises to put the focus squarely back on Fashawn's slight shoulders, just in time for release day.

Remy Banks Feat. Nasty Nigel "rem."

Odd Future's Left Brain is about as Los Angeles as you can get, but the track he slid Remy Banks for "rem." is as New York as stop-and-frisk and pink Range Rovers. Alongside his cohort Nasty Nigel, Banks attacks the foreboding piano line with visions of chauffeured Benzes and eviscerated opponents. The real star, of course, is Left Brain, who continues his development into one of the most versatile young beatsmiths in the game.

Related: Remy Banks “Indica/Sativa”

Asher Roth "Blow Yr Head"

Asher Roth opens "Blow Yr Head" with questions--about his own career. "Ash, stop fucking around, yo where's the album?" Lamenting that he used to be "the coolest guy," America's Great Frat Hope doesn't so much trace his transition from major label darling to cult hero as he demonstrates the mechanisms that made it possible. Dipping in and out of syllable-heavy passages, he brags about listening to Outkast very loud and attending Def Jam-approved weddings. He might be smaller now, but he's weirder, and certainly better.

Action Bronson "Terry"

As he gears up for the March release of his highly anticipated retail debut, Mr. Wonderful, Action Bronson decided to sate his fans with one last appetizer. "Terry," the Alchemist-produced album cut Bronson dropped off earlier this week, is muted--relatively speaking, at least. The virtuoso on the keyboard who reps the Eastern seaboard is trying to do the remix with Pitbull, smoking good, fucking eating, drinking, reminiscing on the tattered issues of Penthouse that put him through puberty. Bronson remains the most unerringly colorful writer in rap right now.

Filed Under: XXL's Songs Of The Week

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XXL’s Songs of the Week (Feb. 14 – Feb. 20)