Out of My Head: Five Songs I Listened to This Weekend

Song of the Summer, 2015.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly is the only major label album release that's lately held my favor and attention. No worries, however, since Young Thug will soon debut on Atlantic, while Future's got the mixtape game on lock, and a hunnid regional starlets keep my unsuspecting iTunes library lit with droplets of fire. Shouts out to Bricc Baby Shitro, Mick Jenkins, and Rapsody this time around.

2015 is a rap renaissance, but y'all don't hear me tho.

1. Kehlani f/ Lexii Alijai "Jealous"

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Released: April 9, 2015

As far as R&B lovers' quarrels go, "Jealous" is vindictive and confrontational, yet weary and introverted, qualities which, I admit, are the emotional cheat code and shortcut to getting a post-love song to resonate with me. "You enjoyed yourself too much, and you ain't barely started/I just can't invest in shit to end up broken-hearted."

2. Rapsody f/ Merna "Don't Need It"

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Released: April 7, 2015

Fans keep begging Lauryn Hill for messy encores. Listen to this latest wave from Rapsody instead. "I was told to give energy to those you don't like/I don't need to go major; made it this far without paper/I don't need that cover neither—I don't need none of your favors." All she needs is big-ups from ​Rocafella's legendary Young Guru on the instrumental ("I don't need your emo beats; all I want is soul and funk"), and an assist from singer-songwriter Merna on the hook. Rapsody's been working with 9th Wonder and Jamla since the 00s, and her recent work with Guru and Kendrick Lamar is the launch of a brilliant ascent, I hope, on the strength of a presently, unfortunately neglected LP. Not that she needs me in her corner, as I can barely engineer a respectable breakfast.

3. Mick Jenkins "Alchemy"

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Released: April 8, 2015

The beat is woodpeckers and jackhammers in hallucinated space. Mick Jenkins doesn't rap; he barks, like a bloody chimera. Even his handgun schematics are futuristic and supernaturally precise, and so I christen him Rap Game Vash the Stampede. We recently linked up with Mick and heard a few tracks from his upcoming project, and I'm excited to hear the whole tape in its final draft. You should be, too.

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5. Boogie "Oh My"

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Released: April 9, 2015

Song of the summer, assuming your previous summer sounded less like "Fancy" and more like "Hot Nigga." You can tell that Boogie's come-up is 100% organic since the motherfucker is wearing a red bucket in the video, despite the fact that newbie rappers quit wearing bucket hats in 2013. "Oh My" is so hot that no compassionate parent would punish those ten youngins for dancing on that roof.

6. Bricc Baby Shitro f/ Lil Debbie "Real One"

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Released: April 10, 2015

From the oddly-moniker'd gent who brought you "6 Drugs" and "Bury Me," here's a mixtape that includes a legitimately impressive collaboration with Kid Ink. Though let's focus on the Lil Debbie duet, which I'd like to regard as the wavier, bass-heavy successor to Nicki's "Truffle Butter." Shitro's working with Brodinski, Metro Boomin, and Sonny Digital, so I'mma stay tuned.

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