Thought It Was A Drought

Meek Mill – 4 x 4 (I & II)

The world is ultimately split between two groups of people; Meek Mill fans, and those who’d prefer not be yelled at over bombastic trap-opera. Personally, I’m partial to the yelling.

Anyway, you’d think that a slanging match with the most popular rapper on the planet would give Meek a chance to thrive, but here’s the thing – despite Meek’s street cred, the meme-savvy Drake was always destined to win the battle. The Canadian is just too powerful, having both the Klout score and Reddit Gold to crush any adversary.

Even so, last summer’s already well-done beef is back for a second round, but there is at least one crucial difference this time; Meek be rapping. Will it change public opinion? Probably not, but forget the feud, because 4/4 is the Philly’s emcee’s best music this side of Dreams and Nightmares (intro). The double EP succeeds by simply playing to his strengths, ramping energy levels to heights that only he (and probably his girlfriend) can reach. To hear Meek at his peak, head straight for the two towering C-Sick productions from part one, Give Em Hope and Pray For Em.

Nef the Pharaoh x Cardo – Neffy Got Wings

Following in the esteemed footsteps of E-40 and the late Mac Dre, Nef the Pharaoh could be the next great rapper out of Vallejo, California. Still just 20 years-old, it’s a little early to be passing around the crown, but in last summer’s Big Tymin’ (signed to 40’s own Sick Wid It Records) Nef already has a hit under his belt.

He also has several other songs that could have been nearly as big, including the breezy, Cardo-produced Michael Jackson which inspired this 10-song team-up with the Texas-based beatmaker. The pair continue to prove their compatibility; #SayDaat is the perfect marriage of G-funk synthesizers and Bay Area slang, while Innovative and the Mozzy-featuring Devil’s Team are as effortless as they come. This is really Nef’s greatest asset; although his style follows a clear lineage in the Bay and beyond, his raps always sound more natural than nostalgic.

Young Greatness – Moolah

Moolah is a few months old by now, but the video released this month looks set to give the song a second wind. Young Greatness is signed to Quality Control (Migos, Rich the Kid), and adds an extra dimension to a label best known for the polysyllabic style of its main attraction. Although the rising New Orleans rapper has traded verses with Migos’ Quavo in the past (see previous single Yeah), his flow is looser and more adaptable. He can sing hooks too – and if the Jazze Pha produced Moolah is an indication of what’s to come, then 2016 could be his year.

Ka – Superfly Single

Sadness is something that’s too often glossed over in Ka’s music. Whether that’s down to the starkness of his music, the density of his verses or their monotone delivery, it doesn’t matter – either way there’s no escaping sadness on 30 Keys.

Produced by regular collaborator Roc Marciano, the Brooklyn rapper deploys a gentle piano loop in a rare major key melody. As ever, Ka’s words are precise, bringing to life the sounds and smells of Brownsville after midnight and the internal conflicts behind every drug deal. In this case, the dealer wants out. They know full well the consequences of the trade, but when dinner is instant soup that money sure looks good. Ka raps: “Every trip I’m like ‘this one my last’, two weeks later I’m dipping in the stash.” It’s one of several perfect couplets, and as the tape winds to a stop he signs off, “that one hurt, man. That one hurt.” He’s not lying.

Trill Youngins – Millionaire

Trill Youngins had a sleeper hit on their hands last year with I Look Fly, a song about buying the best hats and stealing your girl. New single Millionaire aims higher, as the East Oakland group looks to turn its fitted cap fund into million dollar dreams, a bigger house for their parents and, yes, even more hats. TY’s brand of sugary sing-rap is massively infectious. Buoyed by tag team verses, ample melodies and the collective energy of the group’s five members, Millionaire might just bubble into summer.

2 Chainz – Felt Like Cappin’

It’s been a few years since 2 Chainz released B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, the brilliant and underrated sequel to his more commercially successful major label debut. Now 38 years-old, and having released several middling free projects in the interim, I had presumed the artist formerly known as Tity Boi had lost his grip on the charts. Felt Like Cappin’ suggests otherwise.

Backed by heavyweight producers including Mike WiLL Made It, Timbaland and FKi, 2 Chainz proves here that he’s still got the magic touch. At least half of these songs sound like singles in the making, as the rapper moves away from trap anonymity and, in doing so, sounds like he’s having fun again. MFN Right is like Future’s Peacoat without the codeine, as Zaytoven’s fumbling keys take on a new context in tandem with Mike WiLL’s rumbling sub bass. It’s 2 Chainz, though, who brings these songs to life, and nonsensical boasts like “Got a tour bus that’s as long as a fucking centipede” prove he’s not lost his way with a dumb but memorable one-liner.