Nicki Minaj Rounds The Soldiers, Nas And DJ Chief Rejoin, And Rick Ross Gets His Lick Back On New Music Friday

Nas And DJ Premier – “Define My Name”

2024 Mass Appeal

Some pairings are just too good to give up on, regardless of the patience, sacrifice, and headaches required. And for the better part of the past three decades, rap fans have been left pounding their heads out of frustration due to the absence of a full-length collaborative album featuring Nas and DJ Premier. While the two craftsmen have collided on multiple occasions since Premo laced two joints on Nas’ Illmatic album, those teases have only increased our yearning for what we’ve all been waiting for.

Alas, on the 30th anniversary of their first meeting on wax, Nas and Premo dropped “Define My Name,” the first domino to fall in the rollout of their long-awaited joint album. Featuring signature scratches by Premier, and pointed lyrical spills for Nas, “Define My Name’s” title borrows from Esco’s opening bars on their 1999 classic “Nas Is Like” and gives listeners a preview of what’s (hopefully) to come.

Sometimes, good things actually do come to those who wait. Long enough, that is. – Preezy Brown

Rick Ross – “Champagne Moments”

Photo Credit: 2024 Maybach Music Group under exclusive license to gamma.

Did anyone ever expect Rick Ross to release a fully dedicated diss track about Drake? That is where we are in 2024. On “Champagne Moments,” Rozay calls out the 6 God for leaking his own diss record, calls him “white boy,” doubts his ability to tussle, accuses him of getting plastic surgery, and much more. It isn’t a scorching diss song by any means, but Ross does rap well. The production is right in his wheelhouse, and the fact he put it out three hours after “Push Ups” leaked was crazy. We’ll see if this back-and-forth continues. – AS

Nicki Minaj Feat. Chris Brown, Travis Scott, Sexyy Red – “FTCU (Sleezemix)”

2024 Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Nicki Minaj’s “FTCU” was already among the popular records from Pink Friday II and the all-star roster she assembled for the remix has taken it to another level. Travis Scott appears first, repeatedly asking a woman if she flirts and if she squirts. Chris Brown gets into his rap bag, spitting about being in Italy with a local woman who eats him like a cannoli. Sexyy Red has a deceptively short verse but appears later for a brief back-and-forth with Nicki. ATL Jacob and Southside had some fun with the scratches at the end, capping off a solid remix that helped all four artists. – AS

Mozzy – Children of the Slums

2024 Mozzy Records, Inc.

West Coast mainstay Mozzy released another collection of testimonials from the trenches with Children of the Slums, the rapper’s first since touching down from a prison bid last year.

With nearly a year having passed since his due date, Mozzy either has had time to reacclimate himself or didn’t lose a step, as his penchant for delivering visceral accounts of his triumph and pain is present throughout the album’s 17 tracks. Opening up the album with “Damn,” the Sacramento rep speaks to the character of men. “F**k about your love, ni**a, where your loyalty lie/ It’s unquestionable, I’m loyal to mine,” he spouts, before deeming himself the hood’s “sacrificial lamb” on the project’s title track.

Appearances by Fridayy, Celly Ru, E Mozzy, Eric Bellinger, and Afira make for solid contributors, while standouts such as “Traumatized,” “Lost In My Thoughts,” “If I Were To Die Right Now,” and “Better Without You” maximizing the album’s backend. “Nobody 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in the slums has a choice,” Mozzy said in a statement coinciding with Children of the Slums‘ release.

“Born into those kinds of circumstances, it’s hard to imagine a way to get out. They don’t have anyone to look out for them or to show them a better way. I’m still looking out for all the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren of the slums. I am there for them because I know if the situation was flipped, they would do the same for me.” – PB

YNW Melly – Young New Wave

2024 YNW4L LLC

Incarcerated rap star YNW Melly remains behind bars as he awaits a second trial on the double homicide he and crewmate YNW Bortlen are accused of, but he’s gifted his fans with some new tunes in his latest release Young New Wave. While Melly appears on all 11 songs on the album, with Bortlen popping up on two, the tape is largely a showcase of other YNW members YNW BSlime, Ynw4L, YNW SmokeDaLoc, Jit4 Stan and others. The most noteworthy moments on Young New Wave include “Fix That,” “In The Benzy,” “Save Me,” and “3 Pointer.” – PB

Cash Cobain, Bay Swag, Ice Spice – “Fisherrr (Remix)”

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Cash Cobain and Bay Swag’s “Fisherrr” is already a force. With the movement taking over NYC, it made sense to stay close to home and tap Ice Spice for the remix. Per usual, the Bronx baddie raps about how fly she is, what she eats to keep herself thick, and more. The 𝓈ℯ𝓍y drill pocket is great for all of them, but especially Spice who hadn’t released a song or feature in some time. If the “song of the summer” talk wasn’t strong before, adding the “Munch” artist into the mix might have solidified. – Armon Sadler

03 Greedo & Maxo Kream – “R.I.C.O”

2024 Alamo Records, LLC/Sony Music Entertainment

03 Greedo and Maxo Kream rap like the rent is due on “R.I.C.O.” Greedo shows he can do the trap records in the first half of the song while Maxo handles the hook. Halfway into the track, the production transitions into a more upbeat West Coast production. Maxo got the opportunity to show he, too, can rap on anything, and Greedo came in for another spirited verse. The song is packed with face-scrunching punchlines, humorous bars, and impressive wordplay. On paper, this collaboration may have seemed weird but their chemistry is great all throughout the four minutes. – AS

Yah Sin – Sirius Sin

2024 Grain Music

Staten Island exports its latest standout prospect in Yah Sin, who continues his upward trajectory with Sirius Sin, an album steeped in traditionalist Big Apple rap ethos without coming off as a stale retread. Coming out of the gate swinging on “Voodoo Child,” the Wu-Tang affiliate spins a visceral first-person tale of discovering and harnessing his lyrical guile amid the crime-ridden backdrop of his habitat.

While occasional lulls such as the lackadaisical “Too Much Green” keep Sirius Sin from being a flawless effort, bombs like “No More Coke Rap” more than atone for those middling moments. Bolstered by guest spots by Staten Island royalty like Ghostface Killah (“Bikini Wax”), Shyheim (“Never Get It”), and capable costars such as Passport General and Ty-Poe, Sirius Sin is a solid outing from Yah Sin, with enough replay value to keep a watchful eye and ear on his subsequent moves. – PB

JasonMartin & DJ Quick Feat. Lil Jon And Rodney O – “Workout”

Two of Compton’s finest connect on this explosive offering, as JasonMartin and DJ Quick cause a ruckus on their latest offering “Workout.” The track, which features Lil Jon and Rodney O, is a festive one, with JM, formerly known as Problem, urging listeners to relax their minds and allow people to be and live as they please. “We all make mistakes, correct yourself/ If you don’t like their style, address yourself,” the veteran spitter rhymes over production by Quik. “Workout,” the first single from the duo’s forthcoming Chupacabra album, not only gets the ball rolling until their follow-up to Rosecrans arrives but earned them a partnership with ESPN to sync the record throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs. – PB

RealestK – “Let Me Go”

2024 D2R Records, under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment

RealestK is a loverboy to the fullest on “Let Me Go.” On this trap&B record, he asks his lover to hold him close and not let go. He owns the fact that he and his partner are toxic, but they can’t let each other go. The downtempo, somber nature of the song allows RealestK to flaunt a fine-tuned autotune delivery. The urgency of the drums also makes this record feel life-or-death, a real feeling when it comes to matters of the heart. The franticness, delusion, and investment often make a toxic love like the one described here feel like one that can’t be walked away from. RealestK does his best to fight it, but he can’t. – AS

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