Valentine’s Day was different for specific artists this year. Instead of showing their devotion to their partners, they decided to put their love for making music on full display. Don Toliver wished a “big valentine’s day” to his better half, while Kash Doll showcased a similar love towards herself through a brand-new mixtape. With that being said, RemixdMag has curated a list of the best new songs this week that’ll move listeners to pour into themselves or a loved one.
1) Latto – “Lottery (feat. LU KALA).”
Latto carried the rap girlies with her pop-stricken single, “Big Energy.” And it seems like “Lottery (feat. LU KALA).” will have the very same effect. After being teased for weeks, Latto has officially dropped this year’s most anticipated single. “Lottery” is about how a suitor has won big! Not necessarily because of the amount of money in his pocket but because of how close he’s gotten to Latto. The musicians add that their hearts are prized possessions, so their lovers should be incredibly gracious. Lyrics like “If I tell you all my dirty fantasies/You won the lottery” take the narrative home. The song also highlights the qualities of her ideal partner. Elsewhere, the versatile musician tells a future partner they must show interest through actions instead of words.
2) Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay – “Trauma.”
Both New York-bred rappers reflect on their rise to fame in their newest single, “Trauma.” Instead of rapping over a drill beat, Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay channel into a gloomy R&B soundscape. As they get lost in their vices, the duo take pride in the fruits of their labor. Elsewhere, the frequent collaborators address the opps and clout chasers, inferring that they’ve “climbed too far to go and fall on this.” This record isn’t the first time Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay have linked up artistically. They’ve worked together on songs like “Zoo York (feat. Pop Smoke),” “Headshot (feat. Polo G),” “World Watching (feat. Yung Bleu),” and “Not In The Mood (feat. Key Flock).”
3) IAMDDB – “Where Did The Love Go?”
In her first record to drop this year, the UK rapstress wonders where she and a lover truly stand. The house meets Jersey Club beat finds IAMDDB doing whatever it takes to win their heart back. Even if that means righting whatever wrong she’s committed. Although she’s hesitant to act on her feelings, the Kare Package curator decides to lay it all on the line. She desires for her better half to also keep it 100. IAMDDB uses a melodic delivery to admit, “Get straight to the point, why do we have to act?/Say what’s on your mind, I reflect it back.” Her last single was “Fucked Uppp,” an aggressive trap offering that tells others to mind their own business respectfully.
4) Don Toliver – “4 Me (feat. Kali Uchis).”
After connecting for their ethereal-styled R&B single, “Drugs N Hella Melodies,” last year, the couple is back for their Valentine’s Day debut record, “4 Me (feat. Kali Uchis).” The song samples Beenie Man and Mya‘s “Girls Dem Sugar.” This isn’t Don Toliver‘s first time sampling records. A few months ago, he drew admiration from The S.O.S Band’s “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” for his song of a similar name. YouTube Music even called it “the perfect love anthem” due to its lyrical context. In “4 Me,” Don Toliver elaborates on why she’s one in a million. No one has captivated his heart the way this woman has. They both vow to weather the storm because “even in the rain, you gotta keep your head up.”
5) Kash Doll, DJ Drama, and Sada Baby – “ON THE FLO.”
“ON THE FLO” derives from Kash Doll‘s DJ Drama-assisted EP, Back On Dexter: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape. The lyrics are encrusted with Kash’s confidence and “take no sh*t” attitude. On the bass-heavy Detroit rap beat, Kash Doll humbles the presumptuous females, saying, “I’m a big stepper, bitches can’t get a toe in.” Sada Baby drops some sensual bars before warning opps about his method of retaliation (in case they want that smoke). Kash Doll spoke about the significance of Back on Dexter: A Gangsta Grillz on Instagram. “My first project after Kashton,” she wrote. “I’m back outside. Back on Dexter means Keisha on this ‘tape, not Kash Doll. I had to go back to my roots after postpartum. I had to find myself again. This ‘tape is straight raw and street! In words of Joe, I can still get on that.”
6) Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg – “Ron Artest.”
Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg give their flowers to former basketball player Ron Artest in just two minutes and thirty-four seconds. As the smooth trap beat drops through the speakers, Babyface Ray uses a woozy flow to speak on his distrust in others, success, and how he bounces back from any setback. Comparing himself to the athletic star, he spits, “Live in the flesh, Ron Artest/Counted me out, came back, I’m a champ.” 42 Dugg matches Babyface Ray’s energy, saying he will continue working around the clock, 24/7 / 365.
7) Beanz – “21 Questions (Freestyle).”
Rhythm and Flow contestant Beanz has caused an uproar in the underground hip-hop scene after facing off against Flawless Real Talk in a rap battle on the series. From her recent single “To Be Real” to “Geekin’,” the Philly femcee proves time and time again how nice she is with the pen. Her freestyle over 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” double backs on this statement as she follows the same lyrical theme. Instead of having a limit on how many questions she and a partner can ask each other, Beanz goes beyond the surface. As she digs deeper into this person’s likes and dislikes, she determines whether they’ll be the perfect match. “I need someone who match my energy and help me while I’m battlin’ my demons/Findin’ inner peace,” she spits.
8) Jai Winter – “ISOLATED.”
Jai Winter seeks to ride solo dolo in his new single, “ISOLATED.” Jaded by negative entities in his life, Jai Winter intends to make a more positive change. Instead of succumbing to the comfortability his peers display, the rapper grinds effortlessly. To break free from this cycle, he relies on himself and puts in the work to elevate. Similarly, Jai Winter takes strides in being better than yesterday. His poetic-fashioned flow and honest rhymes permeate a hunger most have to make their dreams come true. He even spits, “Man, I’m done taking shit from the people ’round me/Many chances come and go/Like the people who claiming they riding but ain’t departed/Please don’t make me go back from where I started/I was tryna find my way back to the water/I been sinking and swimming on different borders/Outta place I’m just tryna get back in order.” The beat is a mesh of boom-bap and jazz.
