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STREAM: King L (King Louie) - Val Venis
Another day, another song that inspires punches in the air from Chicago's King Louie. The beat sounds like one of those joints you put over sleeping babies with some added gunshots (aka old Gucci Mane mixtapes). Louie clears it out with some supreme confidence and violent punchlines. This is his first official single after inking a deal with Epic, so expect more soon.
DOWNLOAD: Freddie Gibbs - Pull Up (feat. Young Jeezy & T.I.)
Freddie Gibbs: still tough, and with the addition of ATL trailblazers Young Jeezy and T.I., he has all the makings of a gargantuan banger on his hands. "Pull Up," a Lil C-produced cut off Gibbs' upcoming Baby Face Killa Gangsta Grillz tape, files-down his rough edges towards mainstream viability with a club-ready beat and heavy-hitting lineup.
MIXTAPE: 50 Cent - The Lost Tape: Gangsta Grillz
Mixtape master of old 50 Cent is trying to resurrect the whole 'aggressive content' style that made him a household name and Vitamin Water baron. One strategy? Going back to his mixtape roots and collaborating, here for the first time, with DJ Drama. The Lost Tape also features Eminem ("Murder One), Snoop Dogg ("Remain Calm"), 2 Chainz ("Riot (Remix)") and even some production araabMUZIK.
STREAM: Pusha T - Exodus 23:1
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(Photo: Jason Goldwatch)
Vicious and operatic, Pusha T dropped a new one called "Exodus 23:1" while hanging out with his boss Kanye West in Cannes. The track, while enjoyable on its own, has been making waves for its clear attack on Drake. "Contract all fucked/ Explain up, I guess that means you all fucked up," he raps. "You signed to one nigga that signed to another nigga that's signed to three niggas/ Now that's bad luck." Game on!
MIXTAPE: SL Jones x DJ Burn One - Paraphernalia
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In hip-hop, there's nothing like a great organic relationship between a single rapper and producer. And that's certainly the deal with Little Rock rapper SL Jones and the always-fantastic DJ Burn One, who went from experimenting on a few tracks to a full-blown collaborative mixtape. The 12-track Paraphernalia is like spending the day at a barbecue. There's soulful lyricism and the sort of stoned throwback organic funk at which Burn One excels. It's free! Rock it!
STREAM: Rick Ross - So Sophisticated (feat. Meek Mill)
God Forgives, I Don't is the quite-amazing title of Rick Ross' fifth LP, which is set for release July 31. Last week, the Maybach Music Group boss released the radio-petting, Usher-featuring "Touch N' You," and now we get the street single "So Sophisticated." It's most definitely a crazed Rozay banger with gigantic drums, operatic hits and glitchy electronics that somehow go straight to the part of your brain where punching holes through walls seems like a great idea.
STREAM: Curren$y - Capitol (feat. 2 Chainz)
After the Wale-featuring "What It Look Like" and "Fast Cars Faster Women," a collaboration with Das, Curren$y just dropped the third single from his upcoming Stoned Immaculate album. Featuring on-every-track-in-2012 rapper 2 Chainz, "Capitol" is a breezy, flute-laden affair that finds Spitta focusing on weed, women, fine automobiles and vacationing. Hear more when the record, his second for Warner Bros., drops on June 5.
DOWNLOAD: Doseone - End & Egg
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On "End & Egg," Doseone puts his unique nasally flow in the favor of genreless spaceship production. The Anticon veteran takes multiple lefthand turns over majestic metallic sounds and steady thump on some headphones-under-the-hoodie business. His new solo album, G Is For Deep, is out May 29.
