It has been an undoubtedly quiet year in hip-hop thus far. This came as no surprise, as 2022 brought us new albums from the games biggest names. We can save our 2022 best of lists for a different post, but the result has been a dry first half of the year for hip-hop fans. Thankfully, today (June 2nd) brought us our first big drop night of the year. Not only did we get big names, but we got big storylines and drama to call for IPTC’s first Friday Recap of the year. Here’s our first take on this week’s new hip hop drops.
The Return Of Wunna
The long awaited return of hip-hop’s current resident “snitch” came today and it did not disappoint. The new single “bread and butter”, which received zero promotion and went virtually unannounced up until its drop, was the song we all wanted to hear from him. Interestingly enough, it was released under the YSL label, so that likely explains the lack of formal roll out. He has not lost his touch in the slightest in terms of his signature flow and effortless beat crushing. But the story here is not about the quality, but the content. Obviously, he was not going to be able to release anything new until he addressed the YSL case and his perceived betrayal of Young Thug. He went above and beyond that and gave his unfiltered version of the truth, which directly addresses the scandal. One of the most notable lines in the song is, “You b*tch a*s n***as got me as the topic of the chat. You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat. And that boy is like your brother, and nobody speak on that.”
Hard to say definitively who exactly he is talking to. My guess would be it is more of a general stab at other rappers who are guilty of the same thing and maybe haven’t been exposed for it, but it seems like this is more to deflect and excuse his decision. He does not deny that he did take a plea, but certainly was not categorizing that plea as others are. He speaks on the impact his responsibility for his family had on the decision – which is a point that has not really come up, but it is an important one to highlight. He has created generational wealth for his family and financially supported what likely amounts to hundreds of people. It helps frame the decision and reminds people that he rightfully prioritized his family in his decision making and not the opinions of people on the internet. Regardless of whatever side of the fence you fall on, it is exciting to have him back and cooking. The song is a big hit and will generate a ton of buzz. It will be interesting to see what he does next and watch how his label situation develops.
Metro Spider
What a treat for fans that we get a 2nd Metro boomin album in 7 months. The parameters were a bit different for this one since it is the new Spiderverse soundtrack, which is important to note is rated PG. So we got an avengers assembled squad, but rapping on their very best behavior. It was surprisingly refreshing to hear the switch up and the team did a perfect job executing the spiderman themed album. Granted it probably did not feel too difficult for them rapping about spiders (Given Young Thug’s Spider Worldwide Clothing company) and dropping double entendres about mary jane. It was funny to notice that the only drug references they were able to sneak it had to have a clear, explainable double entendre. On Givin’ Up, 21 raps, “How you gon’ give up on me? (On God) How you just give up on we? (21)
I never quit, though Got a house started with a brick though.” Clearly and hilariously a reference to a brick of cocaine, but can easily pass it off as starting the building of a house with one brick. Metro’s clear creative direction stood out the entire album and he did a perfect job of orchestrating a distinct superhero sound. The drums were as flawless as ever and he of course picked the right people to do the job. Swae Lee, Don Toliver and Offset got the majority of the work and helped carry the balance of singing and rapping on the soundtrack. You can’t forget, a lot of your favorite rappers are dads and family men and you could tell they enjoyed switching up and making family friendly songs. For what this album was, Metro could not have done any better and it’s awesome to see him excelling at such major levels. He is a great guy to root for and unsurprisingly delivered a fun album that I will be giving a ton of run this year.
Back To My Roots
I am sure that IPTC fans will be surprised to hear this, given my british heritage, but I would not consider myself a big fan of the UK hip-hop / Drill scene. However, I have been tapping in a bit more and am really big on Central Cee right now. He honestly seems really cool and is officially in rotation for me. His Friday drop of Sprinter ft. Dave (Unfortunately for me not Dave Burd aka Lil Dicky) will probably be in my top 100 played songs of the year by next week. He clearly is dedicated to his craft and it shows in his raps. This one is definitely one of my favorites by him and can see him continuing to blow up and become a global superstar. Drake has already worked with him on his Nocta gear, but has not done a ton of music collaborations with the American rap scene. Hoping to see some in the future and I would bet Drake will be the first one to do it. If you have not heard of him, start with Sprinter and his La Leakers Freestyle.
The Idol, Currently Polling at 25% on Rotten Tomatoes
The silver lining for what is shaping up to be a disastrous show, is that we are getting a Weeknd album out of it. Up until this week, the details for the album have been pretty sparse. We have seen some Mike Dean tweets, gotten the single Double Fantasy, but otherwise we did not hear much. In addition to getting the second single, Popular ft. Playboi Carti & Madonna, we got the 6/30 release date and the soundtrack length of 14 songs. It is not only thrilling to get confirmation of a full album, but it is also referred to as Vol. 1, hinting that we may be in for even more Abel/Tedros/The Weeknd than anticipated. The song itself is Metro produced and synth’d out by Mike Dean. The song is him singing about the rise of fame and it seems safe to say that the song is about Lily Rose Depp’s Idol character, Jocelyn. In staying consistent with the popstar theme, The Weeknd employed Madonna and she crushed her vocals. Playboi Carti has the reputation to be hit or miss, and if that is the case, this one is a hit for me. He has the assignment of the post chorus and uses his signature “baby” voice. He showed up for the moment, but fans will surely debate whether it is a better song with or without him. The two singles that have dropped so far signal what should be another classic Abel album without a unique era and world of its own. You could say that because this is soundtrack, he faces similar constraints as Metro with Spiderverse, but Abel did create the show in this case, so as far as I am concerned, we are getting a new Weeknd album at the end of the month.