With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily roundup of the best new rap tracks you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later.
City Morgue - “KenPark” [ft. Sickboyrari]
Play one of their music videos and it’ll make a Harmony Korine movie look like an afterschool special. The hard drugs, the automatic weapons, the screaming—it’s enough to make the duo composed of New York’s ZillaKami and SosMula rap’s latest controversial up-and-comers. The heavy metal guitar featuring instrumental on “KenPark” could be off-putting to rap fans but there’s an appreciation for hip-hop in their music that will help City Morgue avoid being written off. Allowing an underground mainstay like Sickboyrari to spit a verse on their track shows that the duo aren’t trying to separate themselves from rap but build themselves a lane within the genre. It’s a movement—no matter how polarizing—that is growing and worth everyone’s attention.
Usher and Zaytoven - “Say What U Want”
Usher and Zaytoven have no business creating a song that hits as hard as “Say What U Want.” Zaytoven is locked in, letting his fingers run wild on the keys and Usher is in his silky-voiced zone. It’s stunning to think that after all these years artists are still turning to Zaytoven for their attempts at a new and fresh sound, and it’s credit to how timeless his production is that he always delivers.
ASAP Ant - “Sean Taylor” [ft. MoneyMarr and Baby 9eno]
On “Sean Taylor,” ASAP Ant shows love to his local DMV scene by giving two of the areas most promising artists (MoneyMarr and Baby 9eno) a chance to step out of their comfort zone. Normally when we see MoneyMarr and Baby 9eno it’s in a lo-fi video over the signature dark production of the DMV. But on “Sean Taylor” they successfully bring their aggression to the dreamy production of Lord Fubu.
Quentin Miller - “Problem Solved”
When Quentin Miller isn’t catching strays from beefs he was trying to avoid, he’s dropping overlooked tapes like his recent X.X. QM has never been able to escape the Drake ghostwriter shadow looming over him and probably never will. But “Problem Solved” is a hard-hitting track that shows that the Atlanta artist can flow and, when given the opportunity, has ideas to share with the world.
Dee Gomes, King OSF, and Lil Tjay - “Replay”
Providence, R.I.’s Dee Gomes and King OSF bring their melodic style to New York to link with Lil Tjay for a track that should soundtrack every high school dance in the Northeast. The three turn up the sappiness and it climaxes with Tjay hitting a note backed by a whole squad of singers, in a moment that would be corny if Tjay didn’t handle it with his usual smoothness.
Check out yesterday’s Ones, and listen to new rap from City Morgue, Usher and Zaytoven, A$ap Ant, and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
