

The rapping isn’t the point of this song really, or at least the words aren’t, the most important element is the energy and the exuberance and the fact that everyone is dancing always and forever – even and especially when they are rapping. This song is pure drip in a quite literal sense, like somebody pours a bottle of water on a watch in the music video before the rapping even starts. Of all the cities that heard Bandmanrill and Project X’s Jersey club and were like “ oh man that’s kinda sick let’s do it too,” Philly was one of the few who got it right, probably because it’s always been putting its own spin on club music and also because Philly has DJ Crazy who is a legitimate musical genius and he produced this song and holy shit it’s so good. It’s a potent pairing, two take-no-shit shit-talkers turning further inward in a culture where conformity pays – taking their stand even with their backs against death’s door. Their bars are equal parts combative and contemplative, making sense of how the trials they’ve conquered have only led to further opportunities to become corrupted. He taps Gabe ‘Nandez, who Slim became a fan of upon hearing the globally-grown rapper’s multilingual single “223,” to apply his own cautionary street talk. Across two uncompromising verses, he locks into an examination of his legacy in the face of mortality. Named after a Slimm Calhoun cut from 2001’s The Skinny, the album marinates in the same psychedelic soul that informed the Dungeon Family’s best work – particularly on the title track, where Slim interpolates a few lines from UGK’s “Heaven” for an introspective hook over an instrumental cut reminiscent of Goodie Mob. Worldly Ways is a love letter to the old Atlanta that the rapper grew up with, rather than the new school that’s since transformed the mainstream. Then the pandemic brought Slim back to Atlanta, where he tapped deeper into his Southern roots and regained the fire that fueled his earlier recordings. He also made a name for being prolific, tapping into an overwhelming creative well that seemingly dried up by the time he moved to LA in 2018. Perhaps the crew’s most lyrically-focused member, Slim is blessed with a knack for immersive storytelling and respect for genre traditions. Gabe ‘Nandez – “Worldly Ways” (Unranked: POW Recordings Release)Īrchibald Slim came up amongst the influential Atlanta-born Awful Records roster of oddballs that included Father, Zach Fox, and ILOVEMAKONNEN. Quelle Chris – “Alive Ain’t Always Living”Īrchibald Slim ft. Drakeo the Ruler x Ralfy the Plug – “Suicide Dawn”ĥ6. Tr3yway6K x YoungThreat x EBK Young Joc x Young Slo-Be – “South Central 2 South East”ĥ7. Duke Deuce ft GloRilla – “JUST SAY THAT”Ħ6. SalahBabyy, Band$, Lil1700Adrian, ABM Spiffy – “No Names”Ħ9. The Koreatown Oddity – “MISOPHONIA LOVE”Ĩ6.

Your favorite song didn’t make the list because we are spiteful and eccentric creatures.

It is the only way we can continue to survive.Īs always, the same rules apply: one song per featured artist, “singles” prioritized over deep cuts, American rap only (sorry), West Coast over everything. Should you value what we do, please consider donating to our Patreon. Three editors and dozens of contributors attempting to capture the spirit of the old weird Internet. This is the result of hundreds of hours of labor.

This list that you’re about to read is a labor of love, inasmuch as anything can be a labor of love in late capitalism.Įven labors of love come at the significant cost of time. We don’t do sponcon, we don’t do clickbait, we don’t have any corporate overlords.
