B13 Peer Review

12.28.2016 News Drake is having a huge week. Not only is he going public with his J.Lo relationship, but he’s also reached a historic milestone on the Billboard Hot 100, tying Lil Wayne for most appearances ever on the chart among soloists. This week, his new Gucci Mane collaboration “Both” debuted at No. 41, marking his 132nd time on the Hot 100, a chart with history that dates back to 1958. Only the “Glee” cast has more appearances on the chart with 207, an achievement reached by the Fox show’s rotating cast of characters from 2009-2015. Drake has been a lead artist on 82 of his Hot 100 appearances (62 percent) and he’s been featured on 50. Lil Wayne has been the lead on 47 (36 percent) and was featured on 85. Both stars have nabbed multiple No. 1s. For Drake, this includes the Rihanna-led “What’s My Name?” and “Work” as well as his own “One Dance,” which features Wizkid and Kyla. For Weezy, this encompasses “Lollipop” and his assist o...

In what has become a longstanding hip-hop tradition , Skillz has unleashed his annual “Rap Up” freestyle, recapping 2016’s biggest moments. Over production inspired by Audio Two’s classic “Top Billin’,” the Virginia rapper breaks down the year’s triumphs and blunders.   “Warriors went on a streak and then they got served,” he raps. “‘Panda’ was a hit but we couldn’t understand the words / And Khaled kept snappin’ / These young’ns keep mumblin’ / I guess y’all call that rappin’.” Of course, he also rhymes about success, specifically detailing Queen Bey’s successful year. “The world stopped when Beyoncé dropped LEMONADE ,” he raps. “She slayed and overshared / And y’all still trying to find out ’bout Becky with the good hair / As far as question, I got one / Hey Hov and Bey, is y’all finished or is y’all done?” He also brings up Lil Wayne and Birdman’s ongoing Cash Money dispute. “Birdman ran up on Charlamagne,” he raps. “And Lil Wayne’s st...

12.30.2016 New Music Delivering his 12th mixtape of the year, Curren$y unleashes his latest effort, Andretti 12/30 . The 12-track project lands just before the new year, marking a prolific and productive year for Spitta, who’s dropped a project every month leading up to this finale. So, what does his last installment sound like? “It’s like lounge trap music,” he says on the intro. “Lounge room trap music that could be toured at the casino with Wayne Newton.” Like much of the music Spitta dropped this year, 12/30 features plenty of weed talk. “Hotbox the box Chevy, shit look like an explosion,” Andretti raps on the 2 Chainz-assisted “Pound.” “Two of the coldest ni**as smokin’, rollin’ / Millionaires and we homies / That’s dangerous, you know it.” With production by 808 Mafia, A$AP Ty, Drumma Boy, Cool & Dre, and Harry Fraud, the tape also boasts gue...

Nick Cannon bares all in his new “Ncredible Freestyle,” a track about his recent hospitalization due to a Lupus flare up. Over a sample of Chance the Rapper’s Francis and the Lights and Jeremih-assisted “Summer Friends,” Nick compares this song to Kanye West’s “Through the Wire” and 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ . “Fresh up out the hospital, I feel so incredible,” raps Cannon. “Real close to death and the feeling so ill, yo.” Later, he complains: “Obama Care so reckless yo / Got us by the testicles / But President Obama was on point like a decimal.” Outside of rapping about his recent hospitalization, where he underwent five blood transfusions, Cannon also addresses his ex-wife Mariah Carey’s E! docu-series “Mariah’s World.” “Turn up and snatched my kids from my wife house,” he rhymes. “Outside screaming ’bout ‘never needed your money!’ / Seen the TV show, now that shit ain’t that funny.” Last month, Nick released his mixtape, The G...

Lloyd Banks is capping off the year with “Champagne and Caviar,” the latest release in his ongoing Blue Friday series. Produced by Mr. Authentic, “Champagne and Caviar” allows Blue Hefner to get deep about a girl who’s been through her share of bad relationships. “You’re sick of crying, heart broke, look what you get for trying / Rather have a friend than to be with a ni**a lyin’,” raps the Punchline King. “Now you feel alive from the reason that things were dying / Now you realize you reached a new low, bring on the highs / Your last guy only put a ring on your eyes.” “Champagne and Caviar” is the fifth Blue Friday-released cut, and follows last week’s Snoop Dogg-inspired “Remain Calm,” which featured dark piano keys and potent drums. Prior to that, Lloyd also dropped “Change Lanes” with assistance from Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. But more than music, Banks is celebrating life. Just one week ago, he welcomed his daughter Christina Ryann...

  Uncle Murda provides his own “Rap Up” for 2016. Saying this should be played for Skillz, who’s long held the “Rap Up” tradition , the new G-Unit signee recaps the year that was in a no-holds-barred rhyme about everything from Kim Kardashian’s robbery to Kanye West’s beef with Jay Z. “Ni**as in Paris, Kanye/Jay Z,” raps Murda. “Ni**as in Paris robbed Kim K, B / ‘Ye mad he ain’t got a call from Jay Z / Jay like, ‘Ni**as get robbed every day, B’ / J. Cole kicked you while you was down / He knows controversy sells, he got an album out now / Damn ‘Ye, the people don’t trust you / Bush don’t like black people, but you think Donald Trump do / Don’t meet with Donald Trump and talk about us, ‘Ye / You ain’t got the answers just like you told Sway.”  From there, Murda goes in on RiRi’s relationships. “Rihanna ain’t rocking with Travis,” he raps. “Somebody should’ve told him that she was a savage / He like ‘Pick up the phone, baby / I know you home, baby’ / ...

  Tyga rings in the new year with new music. Fresh off signing to G.O.O.D. Music , T-Raww and his new label boss Kanye West team up on the ballers’ anthem “Feel Me.” Over the Kanye and Sound M.O.B.-produced beat, Tyga boasts about stuntin’ to the “highest level,” which includes python, private jets, Bel-Air estates, and his boss chick (“Kylie Jenner thick, you gotta feel me”). He even shouts out his former label (“I need my Cash Money, a milli, a milli, a milli”). Yeezy kicks off the track with a PSA: “This shit gotta be club, car, and pussy at the highest level.” He also references Usher’s U-chain (“Usher Raymond chain is too chilly”) and his wife (“Kim K. thick, you gotta feel me”). Look out for more music from Tyga in 2017. He is readying Bitch I’m the Shit 2 , the sequel to 2011’s Bitch I’m the Shit , which is set for release on G.O.O.D. Music/Interscope Records.