Best New Tracks: Freddie Gibbs, Pop Smoke, Noname and More
10 music projects to round out February 2021.
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As the week in music comes to a close, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the 10 best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks.
This week’s list includes Freddie Gibbs with a solo single and the deluxe version of his Piñata collab album with Madlib, the late Pop Smoke with the Boogie soundtrack cut “AP” and Noname with her first 2021 release. We also have Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats with The Alchemist and Joey Bada$$ for another UNLOCKED 1.5 cut, James Vickery and the legendary Musiq Soulchild, Jean Dawson, B. Carr, Yeek and Curren$y.
Freddie Gibbs x Madlib - Piñata (Deluxe)
MadGibbs quietly dropped off the deluxe version of their debut studio album Piñata. The four-hour collection spans a whopping 83 tracks comprised of remixes, instrumentals and loose gems — including Gibbs’ previously unreleased take on Kanye West’s “No More Parties in LA” entitled “Cocaine Parties.”
Listen: Spotify
Pop Smoke – “AP”
Pop Smoke posthumously delivered his contribution to the Boogie soundtrack with “AP.” The upcoming Eddie Huang film will also mark the late artist’s acting debut as he portrays the role of Monk, a character that seems to be the protagonist’s rival.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Noname – “Rainforest”
Noname is making her exciting return with “Rainforest.” This marks her first solo release since the Madlib-produced “Song 33” in June 2020, and will hopefully appear on her upcoming sophomore studio effort Factory Baby.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Denzel Curry x Kenny Beats x The Alchemist x Joey Bada$$ – “Cosmic.m4a (Alchemist Version)”
Following the previous week’s collab with Robert Glasper and Smino, Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats have now teamed up with The Alchemist and Joey Bada$$ for a new version of “Cosmic.m4a.” The track is set to appear on their upcoming UNLOCKED 1.5 remix project, dropping March 5.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Yeek – “Valencia”
Filipino-American artist Yeek has announced his brand new album Valencia, releasing the title track alongside the exciting news. The upcoming record, which is set to drop March 19, will mark his first studio release since 2017’s Sebastian.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Curren$y - Collection Agency
Jet Life’s Curren$y have shared his first project of 2021, Collection Agency. The 10-track project features intricate rhymes and hazy production from the likes of Harry Fraud, DJ.Fresh and Trauma Tone, delivering a smooth sound that takes cues from ’80s electrofunk and quiet storm R&B.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Jean Dawson - BURNOUT
Experimental pop polymath Jean Dawson dropped off his striking documentary, BURNOUT. The seven-and-a-half-minute piece is an intimate self-portrait that chronicles his life and the world he’s created, and is complete with Blade Runner-esque visuals and a music score from Zach Fogarty. Directed and conceived by Dawson himself, BURNOUT sees a more vulnerable side of him as he expresses his doubts, fears and hopes.
Listen: YouTube
Freddie Gibbs - ”Winter In America”
Freddie Gibbs is commemorating Black History Month with “Winter in America,” a cover of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s 1975 track. The solemn rendition takes listeners by surprise as they hear the artist step out of his comfort zone and beautifully sing throughout the three-and-a-half-minute track — a skill he’ll hopefully incorporate more of in his future material.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
James Vickery x Musiq Soulchild - ”Come To Me”
James Vickery and the legendary Musiq Soulchild have teamed for the collab “Come To Me,” set to appear on the British R&B artist’s upcoming album. “My goal for my debut album is to create a timeless body of work. In order to do that I need to pay homage to the greats,” Vickers said in a statement. “I would not be the singer or artist I am today had it not been for Musiq Soulchild. Having him help share my story of my own fleeting and desperate short-lived romance almost feels like a dream. I am honoured beyond words.”
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
B. CaRR - ”Slide”
Following his contributions to the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack, B. CaRR has shared his brand new single “Slide.” The self-produced street savvy anthem from the Hit-Boy associate highlights the authenticity and substance in his lyricism, meeting the demand for street-driven and high octane cuts in the game.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
