Judging by the line up of releases May has to offer just seven days into the month, it would appear this summer is going to be an exceptional one for music.
This week’s edition of HipHopDX’s New Music Friday Singles foreshadows a diverse and lively start to the season with fiery surprise drops from artist such as TDE’s own Isaiah Rashad and Dreamville rap messiah J. Cole, followed by heat-check releases from Saweetie, Trippie Redd and Coi Leray.
Additional sonic depth is provided by Russ, Yung M.A and Fivio Foreign, among others.
Check out the full list of singles from the week ending Friday (May 7), below.
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J. Cole – “Interlude”
Just as Travis Scott gassed up Don Toliver to deliver his latest bop “What You Need” Bas seemingly triggered J. Cole’s The Fall Off movements following his Instagram plug of Cole’s KOD follow-up project last week.
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Making a volatile return to his mythical lyrical form “Interlude” captures Cole flirting with new flows as he floats his comparisons of Bun B, Nipsey Hussle and Jesus and vehemently denounces his ops — whoever they may be.
Isaiah Rashad f. Duke Duece – “Lean Wit Ya”
Following his “Why Worry” single last year, and well over two-months of hype for his collaboration with fellow Tennessean Duke Deuce, Isaiah Rashad has returned with the Duke Nukem rapper for their hype “Lay Wit Ya” collaboration.
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The parking-lot-pimping visual to “Lay Wit Ya” perfectly personifies the crunk vibes of the dagger banger that allows Zay Wop to preach his broken street sermon and imbued the record with his signature raspy raps and harmonies.
Saweetie – “Fast (Motion)”
As the Pretty Summer Playlist Season 1 EP begins to fall into her tailwind, Saweetie is switching gears and picking up speed yet again with her momentum-based release “Fast (Motion).”
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Made up of equal parts Bay Area hyphy rap inspiration and club culture “Fast (Motion)” has the energy to fulfill the requirements to become the unofficial twerk anthem for all impending pre-summer functions.
Even though this track is fire, hopefully the twerk queen theme with Cardi B is still on the way.
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Trippie Redd f. Playboi Carti – “Miss The Rage”
Earlier this year, when Trippie Redd went into full-blown rockstar mode under the executive production direction of Travis Barker, it marked a defining new frontier to his artist trajectory and ultimately to his career.
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It appears now it back to basics for the Pegasus rapper who has teamed up with his rap “Mount Rushmore” nominee Playboi Carti for their ruggedly sentimental “Miss The Rage” record.
Young M.A f. Fivio Foreign – “Hello Baby”
There is no doubt that Young M.A is readying her fanbase for something big, following her Red Flu EP last year and string of recent releases including her ruthless “Whoopty” remix back in March.
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Bridging the gap between the Beast Coast lyricism of the 2010s and fledging drill scene throughout New York City, Young M.A and Fivio Foreign gift Brooklyn a multi-generation banger from the hometown heroes to kick off “sundress season.”
Coi Leray – “Bout Me”
Coi Leray is seemingly impossible to stop from shining in 2021. Even as the shadow of her father’s reputation continues to cast over her, she is making peace with their fractured relationship and gaining more attention in the process.
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As her Pooh Shiesty-assisted “Big Purr” is steadily becoming a mainstay on airwaves, Coi Leray recently welcomed a gold certification from the Recording Industry of America into her collection for her fan-favorite “No More Parties” featuring Lil Durk.
Nevertheless, even as her success mounts, so do her haters — and that’s exactly who Coi Leray is talking to on “Bout Me.”
Russ – “Small Talk”
It feels like Russ hasn’t let his foot off the gas since dropping his “Ugly” collaboration with Lil Baby at the top of the year in January. In addition to several solo singles, he’s made magic on multiple guest verse occasions this year, also, including highlighted feature performances alongside 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Blxst and Jackboy.
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To sum it all up, Russ is on his grind and is unavailable for the “Small Talk” as a result.
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The music doesn’t end there though, with a loaded batch of Honorable Mentions offering new material from artists such Chief Keef,Flipp Dinero,Scorey,Nardo Wick and mineral.
Also, tap into HipHopDX’s Best HipHop,Best Rap and Best R&B Songs playlists on Spotify to keep good music flowing.
