Best Songs of the Week Featuring 21 Savage, PartyNextDoor and More
XXL returns with our best songs of the last week. This week, June busted down the doors to bring in the summer. Along with it came 21 Savage, who came bearing a fire new single. Naturally, we're going to start with the 2016 XXL Freshman.
After teasing the rap world with a flurry of dagger emojis a few weeks back, 21 returned with "All the Smoke," an ultra-ominous sounding new track produced by Southside. Using his icy monotone delivery to its fullest effect, 21 comes through to spit some hopelessly grim bars about life in East Atlanta, rapping about cooking crack with his uncle like he's playing a game of catch. Dope.
Next up is PartyNextDoor, who's rolled through with his Colours 2 EP. While every bit of the four-track release was absolute flames, it was ultimately "Low Battery" that stood out the most. With an instrumental that sounds like a cloudier version of Drake's "Get It Together," PND uses the idea of a cell phone's low battery and the logistics of text messaging to evoke paranoia and vulnerability on the track. He's just nice.
In a week of returns, Juelz Santana and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie also managed to make some serious noise with "The Get Back." With an incredibly dope "Dead Presidents" sample in the instrumental, A Boogie's melodies and a vintage Juelz verse, there's no way this track wasn't going to make our list. The track is off Juelz's forthcoming project, The Get Back.
Coming all the way from Worcester, Ma. is the ascendant Joyner Lucas, who became the latest rapper to body Future's "Mask Off" instrumental. His version's called "Mask On," and throughout his freestyle, he showcases the sorts of technical mastery and energy that has him blowing up right now.
Gunplay lands on our list with "Cocaine," yet another reminder that very few in the industry do gangsta rap as well as he does. It's set to appear on his forthcoming album, The Plug, due out on June 9.
Check out this week's best bangers for yourself just below.
See Behind-the-Scenes Photos of 21 Savage at 2016 XXL Freshman Class Cover Shoot