The NBA finals tipped off last night (June 4) in Oakland; the Golden State Warriors pulled out a 108-100 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. There's no question that this can be attributed largely to Lil B, the mythical figure whose very presence at Game 5 of the Western finals rattled James Harden enough to commit 12 turnovers. He dropped a new song and video, "Soul Food," this week--that's chronicled here. Additionally, there was Surf, the long-awaited album from Donnie Trumpet, Chance the Rapper and the rest of the Social Experiment collective, as well as the one true harbinger of summer, a Dom Kennedy record. All of this and more can be found in the XXL staff's picks for the songs of the week.

RelatedXXL’s Songs of the Week (May 23 – May 29)

chance-the-rapper
loading...

Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment Feat. Noname Gypsy and J. Cole, "Warm Enough"

Surf, the collaborative effort from Chance the Rapper's Social Experiment outfit, aims to blend jazz, hip-hop and coffee-shop spoken word sensibilities. It seems a narrow pocket to hit, but it's more or less Noname Gypsy's wheelhouse. The superlatively talented Chicago MC opens "Warm Enough" with a bending, technical verse where "sadness gets worse and we don't know why." Chance and J. Cole rap about flesh seeking freedom and flowers as they wilt, but it's the relative unknown who steals the song. Stream Surf in its entirety right here.

RelatedChance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment Shine on ‘Surf’

Key!, "Cried in the Trap"

Two-9 is one of the most sought-after acts in Atlanta right now. Key! doesn't care. The rapper splintered from the group and has taken to dropping infectious, often formless one-offs. His latest, "Cried in the Trap," is delightfully absurd. Its central question--have you ever cried in the trap--isn't really explored. Instead, Key! channels his inner Guwop and seeks a "strong Black woman" to be his bae. "I ain't got no respect for you/We ain't taking no bullets for you" is a pretty damning indictment of character, and we're inclined to trust his judgment.

RelatedListen to iLoveMakonnen Feat. Key!, “Straight Top”

Tink, "Wet Dollars"

Though there have been and will continue to be imitators, Timbaland has always been the king of the lighthearted, up-tempo club song. His Chicago-bred protege Tink hauls the aesthetic to Brooklyn in her new video for "Wet Dollars." Where other rappers try and fail to keep up with such club-oriented production, Tink moves along at an impressive clip, her fluid delivery at home over the uniquely danceable percussion. Tink is supposedly hard at work on her studio debut, Think Tink, which will be helmed by Timbo.

RelatedListen to Tink, “Million”

Dom Kennedy, "Thank You Biggie"

Dom Kennedy is associated with two things: summer and Los Angeles. But his new album, By Dom Kennedy, features an ode to the late Notorious B.I.G., one of New York's greatest--if not the greatest--rapper. Borrowing bars from "Juicy" ("Birthdays was the worst days/Now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay") and throwing Biggie on for his London jumpoffs, Kennedy crafts a breezy, nostalgic ode to days gone by. The song is anchored by a reference to "Get Money," the Biggie- and Lil Kim-featuring song from Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy.

RelatedStream Dom Kennedy’s New Album

Junglepussy, "You Don't Know"

Where Junglepussy's 2014 debut, Satisfaction Guaranteed (and its breakout single, the Cam'ron-nodding "Nah") was an exercise in New York formalism, her new single, "You Don't Know," is a brashly maximalist warning shot. Lamenting that she's "too cute for a group," Junglepussy sneers at her competitors, perches on stoops, compares her life to porn and pities your future, all between a barked hook that should induce nightmares. Though her contemporaries in the five boroughs and in the male-created pigeonhole of the female rap world might have more Soundcloud followers, Junglepussy is one of the genre's brightest young talents.

RelatedWatch The Video For Junglepussy’s “Nah”

Lil B, "Soul Food"

The undoubtedly self-written description of Lil B's "Soul Food" video on Youtube reads, "LIL B IS HERE TO HELP WE LOVE AND NEED HIM!!!! RAWEST RAPPER ALIVE LISTEN AND FEEL THE TRUTH!" It might read like hyperbole, but who else is "so illegal like the government" yet has "street money like the government"? Robbing millionaires while he sleeps with their wives, then admitting he's "a jealous bitch" sometimes; growing up, not knowing he was poor; listening to jazz and playing a little bit of sax. Lil B is the rawest rapper.

RelatedLil B Is Disappointed With Houston Rockets’ Guard James Harden

Jay Rock, "Money Trees Deuce"

The DJ Dahi-produced "Money Trees" was one of the standouts on Kendrick Lamar's instantly-canonized 2012 debut, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. Like some of Kendrick's best songs ("m.A.A.d. city," "Cartoon & Cereal"), "Money Trees" is anchored by a a guest verse. Jay Rock, the eldest--yet perhaps most anonymous--of his TDE cohorts turned in a show-stealing verse. Almost three years later, Rock is back with the sequel. This time, it's a solo effort; the Watts rapper opens with the same flow he employed on the original, before opening up into a more musical vocal take. It's hard-edged, emotive and technically impressive, a promising sign for Rock's upcoming LP.

RelatedAnthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith Assures Fans Jay Rock’s New Album Is Coming

More From XXL