The Weekly Dip 12/10

We can’t be the only ones annoyed by this stuffy weather we’ve been having in what is supposed to be the coldest month but we believe it’s because all of this heat that’s been dropping! We don’t see things cooling down anytime soon so, what could be more refreshing than another dip? So don’t fret about this wretched weather we’re having, instead, come take a dive in this week’s waters!

Earl Sweatshirt, Armand Hammer - Tabula Rasa

After releasing his single titled “2011” back in November, Earl Sweatshirt decided to follow it up with a new track titled “Tabula Rasa” featuring Armand Hammer. At the same time of the release, Earl announced that his upcoming album titled “Sick!” is slated to drop on January 14th in 2022. From the record that’s accompanied by a visual, it showcases the musical duo in two different settings dishing out lyrical warfare. At the same time, Earl is seen posted in the studio with Boldy James, The Alchemist & a few others sitting by him while he’s spitting venomous rhymes in a barrage setting that mimics his sound during the “Doris” years. If this is any indication of what’s to come from Earl, then best believe we’re here to stay to see & hear the outcome of his content following his hiatus and the hard work we know he put in to perfect this piece of art.

GAWF x Swanny Ivy - WIENER

Chains glistening like some Aquafina, Gawf & Swanny Ivy are trying to meet your chick to show her the number 6 at Sonic that’s in their pants. Seen in the corners of hallucinations in a visual directed by Loki Loveless is their latest collaborative record titled “Weiner.” A catchy chorus with a comical title, but it’s far from any jokes whenever these two enter the booth. Swanny begins to dish out drug-fuel lines with some harmonies connected to how sophisticated his playerism is. GAWF is in the background of the video with his vocals playing the same part on the Duvin-produce hit. I’m sure this record is the start of the sound we will come to expect from these two in the future, so be prepared to hear more like it in the new year.

Baby Bash, Coast, Bunz, GT Garza, Krystall Poppin - Krystal Blue Skies (Remix)

Back in June, Baby Bash dropped a new single with Coast, Bunz & GT Garza titled “Krystal Blue Skies,” a melodic joint built with a lot of west coast vibes & down south cadence. Yet it felt like something was missing in the record; it could be that it needed a bit more Krystall in it. Krystall Poppin, that is, which is precisely what it got at the beginning of December. The El Paso beauty found herself on the remix of the track with a video to accompany the release. It has her anchoring the record with harmonious vocals that sit pretty amongst the verses already featured on the record. The vibes are strong on this joint, and with the success of the remix, the video is already seeing its fair share of love and praise. Let’s hope we can expect more collaboration like this in the new year but show appreciation for what we have with this record.

Angel Cintron - Blue Lights (Reimagined)

I miss those Maxi CD singles, where they had the original song & like 2 other versions of it, a remix & an acoustic version, I still have a few of those in my collection. Angel’s latest “Blue Lights” instantly reminded me of that when I first heard it but I had no idea that she was actually gonna go ahead & give us an alternate version of an already gorgeous record & somehow make it more poignant than it’s predecessor. It’s one of my personal favorites of the year for it has resonated with me deeply & what better way to cap off another great year for herself. Be sure to go to her YouTube channel by the way cause there’s a beautiful breakdown of this record on there & there’s nothing like hearing the process directly from the source.

Kevin McGee - Highstrung - Get It

San Antonio, stand the fuck up & let’s follow our fearless leaders Kevin McGee & Highstrung & march down these streets with them & fucking “Get It”. You gotta love these records where artists just pop their shit off, a bonafide lyrical flexercise that is anthemic as they come, this is some Pep Rally type shit these gentlemen got going on here, I can see this hyping up everything from a school game to a major league game. Each bar Kevin is administering here is like basketballs just continuously swishing through that net, nothing but! Then Highstrung comes through absolutely breaking ankles only to dunk on the competitors at the end & by then, the glass from the backboard is crashing down on yet another banger from McGee!

Krizz Kaliko, Shoo Shoo - Gifted

Kali Baby, the most electrifying man in show business is back with another massive release under his label Earhouse, which we’ll never stop plugging cause it’s beautiful seeing him step fully into his own, he was always a boss & always “Gifted” when it came to the music so to see him crushing it at being his own boss as well is incredible to witness. I don’t believe I’ve heard a more killer Christmas record where Kali is on his Spider K shit, which makes sense cause that sample reminds me of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” but then we get introduced to Shoo Shoo, which is the rap alter ego of his wife, Crystal Watson, who absolutely steals the show here with a fiery verse & I hope it’s not the last time we hear her kill shit & not just alongside her husband either cause she clearly can hold her own!

xoDEADHOMIE - Lights Out Lets Go!

If you’ve been following the ironically named plzgounfollowme on Instagram then you’re aware that everyone’s favorite $inik transformed into the AwkwardLowlife but has now transformed into another version of himself, under the moniker xoDEADHOMIE & has just unleashed his first record under that name & let’s just say that, the man continues to elevate his sound with his fearlessness when it comes to experimentation, his musicality continues to move up on that inclination it’s been on since I first caught wind of him when he still went by $inik with his “Middle Class Burnout” record, which is a must hear but on “Lights Out Lets Go!”, we get more of that alternative side of him, which is the sound he does best in my opinion, I mean don’t get me wrong, he’s a great rapper but he feels much more in his element doing records like this & I hope when we get the 1st project from him under this new alias, that it’s nothing but indie alternative pop punk madness like this record here, which is a great teaser of what’s to come!

Em George - The In Between

Em George has has had one helluva start to her career & I won’t get into specifics but just know that since bursting onto the scene back in 2014, she’s been absolutely crushing it, I’d do your research before jumping into her impeccable music, which only continues to improve with her latest single here. On “The In Between”, which was written during 2020’s lockdown, which affected damn near all of us in one way or another, be it good or bad. It affected her career greatly, between having gigs cancelled, losing a job, she like many of us began to question our futures, that fear that the unknown, the fear which uncertainty brings is so powerful & she really captures that in this crushing single.

Treylen - Tha Block Party PT. 1 feat Highstrung

Highstrung on this dip twice & both times, he’s assisting two of our city’s greats, this time around though, he’s linked with Treylen to add a scathing verse to my personal favorite off Treylen’s latest EP, “Woop”. I have a feeling we’re gonna get visuals for all of the records on the EP & since this is part 1, it’ll all play out like a movie, a glimpse into the life of Treylen if you will. The track is an energetic, paranoia inducing anthem about dodging those pesky pigs that just love to stick their snouts in other people’s business when they’re simply minding their own. I mean c’mon, he & Strung weren’t bothering a soul, just kicking back, smoking & vibing, what’s the crime there? So of course, he gets run down by the officer, hilariously portrayed by comedian Don Kennedy, he executed that shit, super funny, I had to run it back a few times cause shit had me rolling, his posture & everything as he’s chasing him down. The addition of Highstrung to an already standout record was a brilliant surprise & just goes to show the many surprises Treylen has up his sleeve, who knows what other new things he may add to these records as we continue this Block Party of his but we can’t wait to watch & put ourselves in his position.