Source: Joseph Okpako / Getty
Young Stoner Life — Slime Language 2
Three years after their original compilation, Young Thug’s YSL camp links up for the sequel. This time around, the crew that includes Gunna, Lil Keed, and more are joined by some superstars for the 23-song project.
The star-studded affair includes Drake, who shows up on “Solid” and Travis Scott, who pops up on “Diamonds Dancing.” Elsewhere, Kid Cudi, Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Big Sean, Future, Skepta, Rowdy Rebel, and Coi Leray, are among the lengthy LP’s guests.
Thugger bragged about the project in a trailer for the album. “I’ve got the best family,” he said in the short clip. “We’re really the best family in the whole wide world. Ain’t nobody really just like us, nobody. And we adding more and more real loyal shit into our shit, bro. We just adding more shit.”
Stream Slime Language 2 below.
Saweetie — Pretty Summer Playlist
Fresh off collaborations with Gwen Stefani, Demi Lovato, and Doja Cat, Saweetie comes through with a new 7-song EP, Pretty Summer Playlist.
The new project features Drakeo The Ruler (“Risky”), Kendra Jae (“See Saw”), Bbyafricka (“Baby Mama Coochie”), Lourdiz (“Back Seat”), and Loui (“Talkin’ Bout”). Dirty Sosa, T Nyce, Ryan OG, Mike Crook, B Ham, and Business Boi are among the producers behind the boards.
This is a special side project for Saweetie and she says it’s only the beginning. “Every summer I’m sharing my platform and dropping a fly ass playlist featuring artists who are up next,” she wrote on social media. “This is season 1.”
Saweetie teamed up with Drakeo for the project’s first video. Directed by Fakedell and Saweetie herself, the new visual features palm trees, dollar bills, dance moves, sunshine, and a hot pink car.
While she’s releasing new music, the Icy Girl continues to soar on the Billboard Hot 100 with her Doja Cat-assisted “Best Friend,” which is currently sitting at its peak position, No. 14.
Stream Pretty Summer Playlist below.
Conway The Machine — La Maquina
Conway The Machine keeps the Griselda train running with a new release. Shortly after drops from Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, Conway unveils his newest project, La Maquina.
The 11-song effort features familiar faces Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, of course, further solidifying the Griselda union. 2 Chainz, JID, Ludacris, and more lend their voices to the project.
Frequent collaborators The Alchemist and Daringer provide beats. Elsewhere, Bangladesh, Cardiak, Don Cannon, Murda Beatz, and many more help behind the boards.
Conway celebrates his resilience on the album. “I’m still gonna win even when the odds is against me, even when they stack the deck, even when all the obstacles is thrown my way,” he says on “Bruiser Body.” “I’ll still come out victorious. This shit about to get real spooky.”
The Machine prepped this while working on his long-awaited album, God Don’t Make Mistakes, which is slated to arrive on Eminem’s Shady Records imprint. “I know I promised my Shady Records debut God Don’t Make Mistakes next, but as I was executive producing upcoming projects from my Drumwork label artists Jae Skeese and 7xvethegenius, I got into a really creative zone and I just couldn’t hold back” Conway said in a statement to press.
“I love the material on La Maquina and I know fans will as well,” he added. “I feel like I am the best doing it right now! Griselda dominated 2020 and we are going to dominate 2021. So, after Benny hit you in the head with The Plugs I Met 2, it’s my turn. Surprise!”
Stream La Maquina below.
Talib Kweli & Diamond D — Gotham
Talib Kweli and Diamond D are teaming up to represent Gotham. After teasing their joint project with singles, the veteran duo joined forces on this 10-song album.
Diamond D mans the boards for this entire release. Meanwhile, Talib Kweli gets some assists from Busta Rhymes, John Forté, and Skyzoo, among others like Niré Alldai and NIKO IS.
“In real life, the Gotham from the Batman comics is 100% based in New York City,” Kweli explained in a press release. “New York City was nicknamed Gotham before Batman was created, and this Gotham project is dedicated to Old New York. This documentation is necessary, especially in these pandemic lockdown times.
“The great cities of the world will never be the same after what we are currently experiencing,” Kweli added. “It’s the duty of those who actually lived it to tell these stories. New York will never not be great, but the New York we are talking about in Gotham is not for everybody. If it’s for you, then you are down by law.”
Visit Gotham below.
Queen Naija — missunderstood…still
A year after releasing her Missunderstood LP, Queen Naija doubles up with the deluxe edition. Dubbed missunderstood…still, the project features seven new tracks, including the most recent single, “Set Him Up.”
Aside from Ari Lennox, the new tracks include J.I. the Prince of N.Y. and Wale. Guests from the original include Kiana Ledé, Lil Durk, Lucky Daye, Mulatto, Toosii, Jacquees, and Russ.
Naija beamed about the original project during an interview with Apple Music. “It’s a classic album,” she said of the offering at the time. “Here’s this body of work for you to listen to, for me to show you that I’ve actually been working this whole time, just trying to give you guys a good project.”
The title, in some ways, may stem from Naija’s YouTube popularity and social media fame. “The transition is a little tough because you got people that still want to put me in the YouTube box and not an artist,” she said during that same interview. “I don’t even care if people say ‘YouTube artist’ but to just call me a YouTuber who sings or is trying to do music is a little disrespectful. This is what I wanted to do. This is what my purpose was, to make good music.”
Young Thug’s YSL Crew Drop “Slime Language 2,” Saweetie Unleashes “Pretty Summer Playlist,” & More was originally published on cassiuslife.com
