For a solid 2-3 during high school, I developed the biggest fucking puppy-love crush on this guy. High school crushes are of a complex nature, you can’t tell whether you actually think someone’s cute or whether you’ll lose interest as soon as they come to roll call with a new haircut.
This guy was a total hypebeast. I’m talking Supreme bogo hat on mufti day just to remind everyone he’s the shit. Apparently, year 10 me found this super, super hot.
So we started talking (aka I annoyed him until he agreed to go out with me). We decided to go hang out at the city and loiter, like the kids you scoff at because they just look totally moronic heading into Gucci with the $5 note their mum gave them.
I was totally freaking out about this date; I got all my friends’ opinions on what I should wear and what would be the most impressive. I even made a playlist for us to listen to on the bus, filled with songs I thought he’d like (that I didn’t).
All was going well, playlist was hitting heavy and I was totally like girl, you’ve snagged yourself a boyfriend. Then I try to change the song, and I accidentally change it to my other playlist which starts playing straight up KPOP. I was so mortified, because what 15 year old guy finds out a girl likes KPOP and is like yeah, I like her. He was so confused and so weirded out that he didn’t talk to me for the first 10 minutes we got off the bus.
3 years later and now we’re dating; I’m never making a playlist for him again.
Track 1. | Ghost – Jaden Smith feat. Christian Rich
Jaden makes a strong comeback from Syre with this single; both the track and the music video bang so hard aesthetically and audibly. Big call, but this track is even better than Will Smith’s version of Icon.
Track 2. | Talk To Me – Tory Lanez feat. Rich The Kid
Tory brings out his typical rap-sing flow over a melodic trap backing. Rich The Kid takes over after Lanez with bars of his usual nature – rhyming ‘head’ with ‘cornbread’ comes as no shock to us now. Lanez teased an upcoming project after releasing the track on Zane Lowe Beats 1 Radio, with features from Chris Brown, 2 Chainz, Bryson Tiller and more.
Track 3. | Gelato – Tyler, The Creator
Tyler comes out with a quick 2 minute piece to remind us that he will never disappoint. The track is a remix over Jacquees’ No Validation, and features Tyler’s usual poetic lyrics which always give me a whoozy blush. Gelato is no exception, especially when he makes a Call Me By Your Name reference.
Track 4. | By Chance – Lecrae & Zaytoven featuring Verse Simmonds
Lecrae and Zaytoven recently released their first collaborative album titled Let The Trap Say Amen. This track has the perfect balance between Simmonds’ smooth vocals and Lecrae & Zaytoven’s heavy bars as they rap about God’s plan. This comes in as one of our personal favourites of the week.
Track 5. | Summer – The Carters
This track honestly feels like summer, something we need most when freezing our asses off at the bus stop. This is track 1/9 of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s collaborative album Everything Is Love. Seriously, this track is a must for your weekly rotation, as is the whole album.
Track 6. | Hey Up There – Buddy feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Buddy and Ty pay homage to their home town of Compton. They show their day ones and their roots some love with hard bars over bouncy melodies and Ty’s honeyed vocals. This track compelled us to save it to our weekly playlist, as well as add Buddy’s upcoming album Harlan and Alondra to our calendars.
Track 7. | Stay Woke – Meek Mill feat. Miguel
Stay Woke marks Meek’s first track since being released from prison. The stage replicated a street corner and criminal kids to tie in with the deep lyrics reflecting the sad realities of our world; gun violence, racial discrimination and oppression. Meek also sported a hoodie featuring XXXTentacion on the front and Jimmy Wopo on the back; both shot dead earlier in the week. Kudos to Meek for not only the message, but the tune itself, which is audibly very impressive.
Cover image: Instagram | @beyonce
