XXL’s Songs of the Week (March 21

This week was the first of 2015 to truly crowd retail shelves and RSS feeds. Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful and Earl Sweatshirt's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside all saw release this week; Lamar's sophomore effort not only moved over 350,ooo physical units, but shattered the single-day album streaming record. Twice. As for Bronson and Earl, they capped off their weeks with the victory lap to end all victory laps. But that was just the Billboard news clippings. The week was also filled with rewind-worthy loosies from a litany of artists. These are the XXL staff's picks for the best hip-hop songs to come out in the week ending March 27.

Fabolous, "Take It Easy (Freestyle)"

Fabolous is plotting something. Jacking for Mad Lion 12-inches is not exactly what you think of when you imagine what might get the SEO numbers buzzing in 2015, but Loso made two-hunnid All Star week, silly. He's Ruthless like Eazy, make you roofless that easy. He's like Victor Cruz, with chicks to choose. "Take It Easy" marks the third week in a row the mixtape veteran has gone in over hallowed '90s instrumentals. If this is the warm up, the main event will be worth more than the price of admission.

Allan Kingdom, "Keep It Easy"

Allan Kingdom is not content in the liner notes. The precocious St. Paul MC has broken through to national audiences this month with his contribution to Kanye West's massive single, "All Day." When the Future Memoirs up-and-comer took his place beside West on stage at the Brit Awards, flame throwers in tow, the casual rap fan from either coast could be forgiven for running to Google. Now, Kingdom is grabbing those same onlookers by the shoulders, shaking them awake. "Keep It Easy," courtesy of producers Sledgren and The Real Ricky P, is as skull-rattling as you're going to get for the time being.

Related: Allan Kingdom “Glass Up”

Future, "Fuck Up Some Commas"

The best rap songs introduce phrases into our lexicon. Prior to the release of Future's Monster last fall, few Americans had the urge to 'fuck up some commas' because, well, who could vocalize that desire? If language is just the prison in which our thoughts are doomed to be trapped, Future is doing his best to stage a jailbreak. "Fuck Up Some Commas," which got the long-overdue video treatment this week, is slight, sinister and a little bit tongue-in-cheek; after all, it came out in the wake of his very public divorce. It hits harder than anything you could dream up, because you just don't have the vocabulary.

Wale Feat. Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign, "The Summer League"

Has anyone wondered if Wale is J. Peterman? The Seinfeld-obsessed MC, who's prepping next week's The Album About Nothing, which was made with at least some involvement from Jerry Seinfeld himself, shares a lot of the fictional clothing tycoon's qualities. He's self-involved, long-winded and prone to bouts of shameless poeticism. And when it comes time to rock comically oversized hats, who else are you going to call? "The Summer League," one of the last offerings before the album drops, taps Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign for assist duty. It should be a staple in sweltering DC cabs until well after Labor Day.

Lil Durk Feat. Jeremih, "Like Me"

Earlier this week, Def Jam pressed up "Like Me," the intoxicated, intoxicating Jeremih-assisted first single from Lil Durk's forthcoming debut album, Remember My Name. Due out May 12, the record will be a proving for the former XXL Freshman, one of Chicago's brightest young artists. However, that milestone was overshadowed by the news that early this morning (March 27), Durk's manager, Uchenna "OTF Chino" Agina, was shot and killed in Chicago.

K Camp Feat. Chris Brown, "Lil Bit (Remix)"

K Camp smartly tapped Chris Brown for the remix to "Lil Bit," his ode to mindlessness. The sound design here is remarkable: Before the song's midpoint, immediately prior to Breezy's rap verse kicks in, the discernible instrument lines give way, leaving instead the hollow, kinetic skeleton on which "Lil Bit" is built. Brown remains a more engaging rapper than he often is a singer, comfortable making tight vocal turns and emoting in ways his social media accounts would never betray.

Flatbush Zombies Feat. Joey Bada$$ and Issa Gold, "Did U Ever Think"

"Did U Ever Think," the Joey Bada$$-assisted song from the Flatbush Zombies, isn't actually an exercise in revivalism. Instead, it's a welcome perversion of influences, a cramped fever dream masquerading as a faithful adaptation. Bada$$ flits through the ProTools with a flow more nimble than anything found on his debut LP, B4.DA.$$. The Zombies also tapped Issa Gold, proving once again that their third eyes are intertwined with those of the Underachievers for a good reason.

Earl Sweatshirt and Action Bronson, "Warlord Leather"

In the week that each of their albums dropped, Earl Sweatshirt and Action Bronson couldn't sit still. While I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside and Mr. Wonderful climbed up the iTunes charts, the misanthrope and the master chef joined forces for what the suits call an exercise in synergy. "Your bitch pussy smells like Sway's hat" might not endear you at Thanksgiving, but it's an effective greeting nonetheless. The Alchemist is on an otherworldly roll thus far in 2015, thanks in no small part to Bronson. Dinosaur legs in the building.

Filed Under: XXL's Songs Of The Week