Best New Music This Week: Lil Baby, Beyoncé, Maxo Kream, and More

Another week, another list of music drops. This time, we have a lot of first-time collaborations, including those between Beyoncé and Tierra Whack, and Young Thug and Sheck Wes. That’s not all, though. Hip-hop heads have also finally received Nas’ highly-anticipated album, The Lost Tapes 2, so the debates will be extra hot this weekend. And we can’t go without mentioning the projects from exciting up-and-comers, Baby Keem and Maxo Kream. These are the best songs of the week. 

Lil Baby & DaBaby, “Baby”

Two babies on one song? Yes, please. Lil Baby and DaBaby team up for their new single, appropriately titled “Baby.” The Wheezy-produced track marks the duo’s third collaboration, and it serves as a nice teaser as fans wait for QC’s upcoming compilation project, Quality Control: Control The Streets Vol. 2. The song signals a 2019 takeover for both artists. “Baby got the streets on hold, he ain’t drop yet/ I’ve been goin’ hard, it’s gon’ be hard for you to top that/ I make it look easy, but this shit really a process/ I’m really a millionaire, still in the projects,” Lil Baby rhymes.

Beyoncé, Tierra Whack & Nija, “My Power”

It isn’t that often that Beyoncé steps outside of her elite circle to collaborate with up-and-coming artists, but she took the opportunity this week. The Lion King: The Gift, which really just feels like an unofficial Beyonce album, welcomes a rainbow of first-time collaborations. The most notable connection is on “My Power” between Bey, Philly’s rising star Tierra Whack, and 21-year-old Nija. This female-led anthem is a celebratory track that borrows tribal inspirations and pulsating drum patterns. We get to see Beyoncé sing-rap again, and the layering of her vocals with Nija’s on the chorus is electric. But more importantly, Whack absolutely snaps on this. 

Baby Keem, “Honest”

“Honest,” which appears on Baby Keem’s new LP, Die for My Bitch, is an emotionally rich slow-burner with a punchy drum pattern. “Half-past twelve, I was all alone, I can’t be compromised / Fucking on my ex, we ain’t apologize/Because I’m way too young and you always right/Threw it in my face, I’m on another flight,” he spits. Keem’s sincerity as he discusses heartbreak makes the song believable, and it represents a nice break from the more hard-hitting and uptempo tracks on the album. 

Chase B f/ Young Thug & Sheck Wes, “Mayday”

Chase B released his first single from his forthcoming debut album and it is bound to make fans get out of their seats. In an interview with Complex, he suggested both Young Thug and Sheck Wes recorded their best verses yet, and we have to admit both of the features go hard. According to Chase B, it all went down one early morning in the studio. “I was in Atlanta in the studio,” he recalls. “Thug was there. It was 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning. We were just playing a whole bunch of beats for Thug and shit. I really wanted him to get on another song. He was like, ‘Nah.’ So I played [‘MAYDAY’]. He loved it. He probably heard three seconds of it. He loved it, and that’s why his verse is mad baller. At first, Sheck was just on the intro as kind of like a sample almost, and then we turned his verse into a hook.” 

Tory Lanez, “Forever” 

Tory Lanez Is coming with heat. His newest single, “Forever” will be a nice addition to your summer playlist, considering it has excellent car speaker quality. The way Cassius Jay slowly adds in instruments and layers to the dizzying beat provides the perfect build-up and foundation to Lanez’ bars about loyalty and friendship. “If you my dawg, then nigga, my dawg/Then we gon’ get money together/You go through a trial, you duckin’ the law/So fuck it, we duck ‘em together,” he raps. Tory Lanez initially teased this track earlier in the year, and for a while, fans thought it would never arrive. But we’re glad to see he dropped the track before summer ends. 

Lil Durk f/ Meek Mill, “Bougie”

It’s difficult to think of the word “bougie” without thinking of the Migos, but Lil Durk and Meek Mill take the term and make it their own on their new collaboration. On “Bougie,” Meek Mill hits his stride, coming in hot straight out of the gate with tons of energy. The banger was previously previewed on social media ahead of Durk’s forthcoming project, Love Song 4 the Streets 2. The hard-hitting beat produced by The Beat Bully and Jahlil Beats, is the perfect base for both artists’ bars, which focus on hustling and groupie love. And the chorus is intoxicatingly catchy. “Oh, you want some diamonds, you don’t want no bag, you think you’re bougie, huh,” Durk raps. “And you don’t want no Fashion Nova, you want some Gucci, huh?”

Nas f/ RaVaughn, “Beautiful Life”

“Beautiful Life” is one of the highlights of Nas’ long-awaited album, The Lost Tapes 2, in part because of the excellent beat provided by No I.D. Nas also addresses his family life and tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, Kelis. The Queensbridge native covers all the bases: two divorces, custody battles, and even allegations of abuse. “How many been married, divorced, their ex lady wildin’/Hires a lwayer, judge awards ‘em monthly eighty thousand,” he spits. It’s not like Nas hasn’t addressed some of the reports before (he did write a lengthy post about it on social media), but the track sounds more genuine and less reactive. 

Maxo Kream f/ ASAP Ferg,“Murda Blocc”

“It go boom, bitch!” The opening line on Maxo Kream’s “Murda Blocc” perfectly encompasses the aura of this track. The Ryan ESL-produced beat bangs hard and keeps a mean energy. And ASAP Ferg’s contribution on the single feels very appropriate. This is the type of song that serves as the perfect soundtrack for a boxing match or any event where millennials get wasted and mosh.