With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily roundup of the best new rap tracks you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later.
IAMDDB - “Kurr£ncy”
Manchester, England’s IAMDDB has her own style which she calls “urban jazz” and it’s an appropriate description when her full skillset is on display like it is on “Kurr£ncy.” IAMDDB’s take on the sing-rap subgenre is refreshing. When she raps her flow is laid-back—sometimes so much so that she slurs her words—but when she sings her range is surprising, as she hits notes reserved for the R&B elite. It’s served over production that will make people sway, bounce, and revel in her unique “urban jazz.”
$not - “Gosha”
“Fuck school, I don’t fuck with rules.” $not is the next rebellious rapper on his way to the top of the South Florida hip-hop scene. The Southern spitter is mysterious—whenever he appears in videos or on IG he has his hoodie tightened around his face like Kenny from “South Park.” “Gosha” echoes that strangeness with a haunting vocal sample and a bassline made to rattle trunks and eardrums. $not’s mystique and eerie music are why he is becoming a cult phenomenon in South Florida.
BlazeYL - “Boss”
BlazeYL takes hold of some light and pretty keys to spit rude London bars: “She like when you free, I’m like ‘Never, bitch!’ I cost.” BlazeYL’s music is all about the feel, capturing a swag that’s natural, not forced. He can flow as well as any of his London peers (think: Sam Wise, Octavian, etc.) and he’s got lines that’ll make everyone rush to their Netflix and run back that last season of “Top Boy”: “I got a whole lot of top men round me, bunch of sinners (mad men).”
Ida'ye - “Red Dye No. 2”
Los Angeles-based and Chicago-raised rapper Ida'ye drops a teaser with “Red Dye No. 2” to prepare for her upcoming debut EP, Worm. Ida'ye has flows for days: she can speed it up, slow it down, and keep it steady. The production on the song is energetic and it calls for Ida'ye to raise her enthusiasm level, but she doesn't, refusing to ever leave her comfort zone. It’s why her music resonates so well with a calm West Coast vibe.
FMB Dz - “Certified”
Detroit rap is like the Royal Rumble right now. When one rapper looks to finally take the crown another sneaks up from behind and tosses him over the ropes. FMB Dz has quietly emerged at the top of the scene with a coolly menacing attitude shown on tracks like “Certified.” The production is distinctly Detroit funk and every sinister word that comes out of his mouth is said with a smirk: “Bitch, you gonna laugh about it, I’m the real Joker.”
Check out yesterday’s Ones, and listen to new rap from IAMDDB, BlazeYL, FMB Dz, and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
