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2017 Billboard Music Awards - Backstage and Audience

Source: Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017 / Getty

DJ Khaled feat. Drake & Lil Baby — “Staying Alive”

Drake and Lil Baby know how to form a one-two punch. Following collaborations like “Yes Indeed” and “Wants and Needs,” Drizzy and Baby team up once again on DJ Khaled’s newest single, “Staying Alive.”

As the title suggests, “Staying Alive” pulls inspiration from The Bee Gees classic “Stayin Alive.” Drake triumphantly sings on the hook. “Try me a hundred times / Wanted me to lie, wanted me to cry, wanted me to die / But I, I, I, I’m staying alive.”

Meanwhile, the guys trade verses over Nyan’s production. “Baby gon’ hit it and send her to me or I’ma hit it and send her to Baby / That’s how it gets when this life gets too crazy,” Drake sings. Soon after, Baby confirms: “Drizzy hit her and he sent her to me.”

Of course, Aubrey is reinforcing a strong connection with Mr. Khaled on this joint. Over the years, the two have worked on a slew of bangers, including “I’m On One,” “No New Friends,” “Stay Schemin” and more. On his end, Lil Baby has joined the superstar producer on a few songs as well, including “Every Chance I Get,” “Weather the Storm,” and “You Stay.”

The trio also star in the song’s hospital-themed music video. “We represent the future of medicine,” Khaled said in a statement promoting the medical visual. “Our surgical residents are at the top of their class, our highly decorated doctors are at the top of their fields, and our equipment is simply put – state of the art. We are here to ensure that you are always staying alive.”

Listen to “Staying Alive” and watch the medical drama video below.

Eminem — Curtain Call 2

Eminem released his greatest hits compilation Curtain Call back in 2005. That album features some of the biggest songs from Eminem’s albums up to and including 2004’s Encore. Now, Slim Shady returns with the Curtain Call sequel, including work from 2009’s Relapse on, complete with side project tracks, guest spots, and more.

Over the course of two discs, the new CC boasts some heavy hitters like “Rap God,” “Godzilla” featuring Juice World, and “Love The Way You Lie” with Rihanna. Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Dr. Dre, Ed Sheeran, Kehlani, P!nk, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent are also among the compilation’s features. Marshall’s longtime partner-in-rhyme Royce Da 5’9” appears as one half of the Bad Meets Evil duo.

Em spoke about the original Curtain Call’s mission during an interview with MTV back when that album first dropped. “The artist, the performer, goes out onstage after his encore and tries to milk it a little bit more, to get a little bit more out of the crowd,” he said at the time. “We decided to call the album Curtain Call because it’s not just the hits…but a bulk of the greatest hits are on there.”

Stream Curtain Call 2 below.

Calvin Harris — Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2

Calvin Harris surfs back into the scene with Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2. The star-studded LP follows the original, which came to shore five years ago.

Much like the first, this new volume features a slew of rappers including 21 Savage, Young Thug, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Latto, Pusha T, Coi Leray, and more. On the other hand, it also includes powerhouse singers, including Dua Lipa, Justin Timberlake, Charlie Puth, Halsey, Jorja Smith, Chlöe, and Pharrell.

Harris received critical acclaim for the original Funk Wav Bounces, but he wanted to test things out here. “There were a few things I wanted to do differently on this one,” he recently told Apple Music. “With the first one, I feel like the idea was there but I didn’t fully carry it all the way through… t was more like I was making beats. I was like, ‘I’m gonna make beats and try to get some artists on there.’ That’s how I tend to do things with dance music. I was like, ‘I’ll make beats and they’ll sound like this but they’ll still clearly be electronic beats.’ Whereas, with this one, I was like, ‘I wanna have live drums and guitars.’”

He also wanted to approach the mixing of the record differently, he said. “I wanted the original essence,” he went on. “I want the layers, the grit, the dirt. And I don’t want everything to be mixed perfectly. I want things to be too loud.” Stream Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 below.

Benny Blanco feat. Snoop Dogg & BTS — “Bad Decisions”

What happens when Snoop Dogg and BTS join forces? Producer Benny Blanco finds out on his newest single, “Bad Decisions.”

Tha Doggfather opens up the track by welcoming fans to radio station “BTS-N-Double-O-P.” Later, he adds some of his iconic flavor to the joint. “Everybody see me looking fly / And I think I know the reason why,” he raps. “‘Cause I got you right here by my side.”

Snoop goes on with ad-libs behind BTS. Eventually, he comes back around to bless the bridge. “Let me show you around my hood,” he raps. “It’s bad meaning bad like bad meaning good / When it comes to rules, I break ‘em / Let’s make some…bad decisions.”

Snoop recently spoke about the collaboration during an interview with AV Club. “It’s official like a referee with a whistle,” he said. “I love that entertainment world. It’s good music. It’s a vibe. I make good music. They make good music. And we end up doing this. This is what it’s always about, bringing our worlds together.”

Doechii — she / her / black b—h

Before dropping her highly-anticipated album on TDE, the imprint’s new star Doechii unveils her latest EP, she / her / black b—h.

With a running theme in the song titles, the brief project includes “Swamp B—-es” with Rico Nasty, “B—h I’m Nice,” “B—-s Be” with Jst Ray, and “This B—h Matters.” The previously-released “Persuasive” remix with SZA works as the fifth and final song.

Doechii’s currently working on her forthcoming debut album on TDE. Earlier this year, she talked about that project and her connection to Top Dawg Ent. during an interview with NME.

“I always thought I would be independent my entire life, but if I was ever gonna sign to a label, it needed to be TDE,” she said. “That’s what happened. I spent the first night with TDE making ‘Crazy’. It was that type of energy, I was hungry, and I still am.”

During that interview, Doechii also said she was finalizing her debut LP. “This is my last month to finish my album, so I’m really tunnel vision on that,” she said. “The album is in an interesting place right now: I’m in this space where I have great songs, and I could put an album out right now, but in my heart I don’t feel like it’s done yet. I’m still writing new music simultaneously, while tightening up the songs I already have.”

Stream she / her / black b—h below.

 

STREAMED: Drake Channels 1970s Hit On DJ Khaled’s “Staying Alive,” Eminem Drops “Curtain Call 2” & More  was originally published on cassiuslife.com