The Best Songs For The Weekend

Feat. Remy Ma, Jay Z, French Montana and Infared
Producer: Edsclusive
Label: Empire

“All The Way Up (Remix)” is a celebratory uptown anthem full of braggadocious lyrics featuring New York rappers Jay Z, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and French Montana. The term “all the way up” means to be high and excited; at the pinnacle of your emotional spectrum. This is officially Jay Z’s first verse of 2016, if you don’t count the few lines he gave on Drake’s “Pop Style.” Hov’s previous verse as a featured guest was on DJ Khaled’s 2014 single“They Don’t Love You No More.”

Featuring 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne
Produced By BrassTracks
Album: Coloring Book

“No Problem” is Chance’s warning to all the record labels that give him problems while he’s trying to make his music. He’s not having any of it, and he’ll take action if they don’t stop messing with him. The song was originally teased on Chance’s Snapchat in January 2016 and premiered as an exclusive in Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio program due to the anticipation of Coloring Book (then known as Chance 3) being released the next day. It features 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, who recently collaborated on their album, Collegrove.

Feat. Kanye West
Produced By Yung Exclusive, Kanye West, Cubeatz & Cardo
Label: TDE, Interscope

“THat Part” is a braggadocious song influenced by Californian culture. The term “tHat Part” is Cali slang, used to add emphasis or to strongly enforce what you just said—similar to the phrase, “You know what I’m saying?” ScHoolboy Q makes multiple references to his McLaren 12C in the first verse before referring to his drug dealing past later on in the song. Kanye West joins Q for their first collaboration, referencing the famous O.J. Simpson murder trial and Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game.

Featuring Kamaiyah & Drake
Album: Still Krazy
Label: Def Jam

Throughout this song, YG and Drake drop braggadocios bars as they question how anyone could hate on them in spite of all their success. The duo are joined by up and coming Oakland rapper Kamaiyah who performs the hook with YG. This is the second time Drake has featured on a YG single, with the first record being “Who Do You Love?.” The song went platinum 2014, something YG alludes to in his second verse. Drake also made a cameo in YG’s song “I’m A Real 1,” where YG gave Drake a shoutout: I’d rather spend money before I spend time, Ask Drake, he’ll tell you, “no lie”. "Why You Always Hatin'?” is the second official single from YG’s sophomore LP, Still Krazy. The single premiered on OVO Sound Radio Episode 22.

Album: VIEWS
Producer: Noah "40" Shebib
Label: OVO Sound, Young Money

“Weston Road Flows” is a throwback to Drake’s past. As a child, Drake grew up on Weston Road in Toronto. The area which Weston runs from (Keele Street and St. Clair Avenue up to York Region) is known for being a neighbourhood with little money, before moving to Forest Hill using acting money to support his mother, who was often ill and unable to work. Drake samples a classic Mary J. Blige hit, “Mary’s Joint.” If you know Drake then you know the OVO Sound chief has a love for ‘90s R&B, so it should come as no surprise that Drizzy rehashed a record from Mary J. Blige’s classic 1994 album My Life.

Produced By AlunaGeorge & ZHU
Album: I Remember
Label: Interscope

AlunaGeorge’s “My Blood” is the third single off the UK electro-pop duo’s sophomore album I Remember. The R&B inflected song is a collaboration between AlunaGeorge and mysterious LA-based electronic producer ZHU. Aluna Francis told Genius that “My Blood” is the first song she’s written that is overtly political. Francis sings about her ambivalence engaging with certain political movements, while maintaining a fun party energy.

Album: The Colour In Anything
Producer: James Blake, Rick Rubin
Label: Polydor

“I Need a Forest Fire” is all about starting over – something in James' romantic relationship has gone awry and he believes a fresh start is the solution. Like a forest fire, his relationship is out of control, but after it has burned through, he is left with fresh, fertile ground and new beginning. The track features lead singer Justin Vernon of indie rock band Bon Iver and was produced with help from notable producer Rick Rubin. Both collaborators have good relations with James. In an interview with Pitchfork, James explains his creative process with the two collaborators.

Produced By Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé & MeLo-X
Album: LEMONADE
Label: Parkwood, Columbia

“Sorry” is a defiant break-up song about strength and courage. The song takes a “sorry, not sorry” attitude in which Beyoncé insists that she isn’t even thinking about her problematic ex anymore. At this point in the album, Beyoncé seems sure she won’t be accepting any apologies any time soon. MeLo-X, one of the songwriters credited on the track, said that he wrote the lyrics way before Justin Bieber’s song of the same name was released. "It might have been last summer. It was way before that song came out. I mean, it’s funny… But yeah so, that track was kind of like creating a vibe in the studio. We were just working on a lot of stuff and the idea came up pretty simple. It was just some cool keys, drum patterns, and we started putting down vocal ideas and lyric ideas. And throughout the month, ​we added to it and Hit-Boy came in and sprinkled all these different sounds and layers to it and made it come together fully."

Album: Skin
Producer: Flume
Label: Mom+Pop

“Say It” is about sex and temptation. Flume told BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac how the track came together: I was in L.A. doing some writing and I went to see Kanye at the Hollywood Bowl. On our way back, we stopped off at a bar. I heard a track that she did, I think it was “Habits”—I wasn’t really familiar with her stuff but I really, really liked it. I was like “who is this, I need to figure it out ”, so I Shazam’d it. Basically, my manager hit her up the day after and she happened to be in L.A too and she was down to write. So, all within about two days, we got together and wrote that track. It just happened, it was easy, it was natural.

Album: Indigo
Producer: Kaytranada, Doc McKinney
Label: Red Bull Sound Select

River Tiber—Toronto musician/producer Tommy Paxton-Beesley—will release his new single "Illusions" on April 8 via Red Bull Sound Select. It features Pusha T and was co-produced with Kaytranada and Weeknd collaborator Doc McKinney. It premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show today. Listen to it below, and also check out River Tiber's tour dates. His debut album, Indigo, will be released this spring.

“Go Flex” is a retrospective look at Post Malone’s rise to fame. The song blends several genres into one, featuring Malone’s raps, along with an acoustic guitar. Malone also mentions drama with his girlfriend and alludes to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the record.

Featuring Lil Yachty
Produced By Karl Rubin, Roget Chahayed & J Gramm Beats

Virginia’s own D.R.A.M. teams up with Atlanta-via-the Internet sensation Lil Yachty for this upbeat ode to the lord of the vegetable kingdom: weed. The duo flexed their viral muscle by releasing the single on SoundCloud originally, where it became a sleeper hit and migrated to the big streaming services.

Album: N/A
Producer: DZL
Label: Atlantic

I was just back in March when we heard that singer Kehlani had allegedly attempted suicide. She shortly updated her social status by announcing on Instagram that she was ok. Now she’s back in full force with a new record that bluntly addresses mental health, the lyrics and sounds on “24/7″ are amazing and may be one of her best records to date.

Album: SremmLife 2
Producer: Mike WiLL Made-It
Label: Eardruma, Interscope

Rae Sremmurd premiered this track on Beats 1 with Zane Lowe on April 14, 2016. The duo called on Mike WiLL Made It for production (the producer behind Sremmurd’s previous hits “No Flex Zone” and “No Type“). “Look Alive“ is slated to be on their sophomore album, SremmLife 2, which is set to drop on June 24.

Album: Dangerous Woman
Produced By Twice as Nice & Tommy Brown
Label: Republic

“Be Alright” is a light, upbeat marimba-backed track. Ariana reassures her listeners that although we face challenges in life, eventually we’ll overcome our obstacles and “everything will be alright.” This song first appeared on June 17, 2015, when Ariana released two separate snippets of the song on her Snapchat account, “moonlightbae,” hinting at the song for nearly a year up to its eventual release.

Album: Slime Season 3
Producer: London On Da Track
Label: 300

“Digits” is a cut off of Slime Season 3—one of the four tracks on the album produced by London On Da Track. Leading up to the song’s release, snippets of the song were stitched together. This song was officially premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats Radio, on March 24, 2016.

Featuring Pusha T & Rick Ross
Produced By Mr. Porter
Album: Layers

Royce da 5'9 teams up with G.O.O.D Music recording artist Pusha T, and MMG leader Rick Ross. All three emcees allude to the same idea that there are different layers to the hip hop industry, and it’s tougher than it may seem from an outsider’s point of view.

Featuring Lil B
Produced By Jae Marley

This is a song put together by Ilovemakonnen and Lil B, both known for their very specific style, complaining about people stealing their flow.

Release Date: March 30, 2016
Album: N/A
Producer: Syk Sense
Label: RCA

This song is a remix of “Rambo” by Bryson Tiller. Using Tiller’s “Rambo” hook as a stepping stone, The Weeknd takes aim at his enemies, addressing his 2015 arrest in Las Vegas, and claiming other artists owe him for making their careers. In true Abel fashion, there’s also plenty of allusions to beautiful women.

Produced By Lex Luger
Album: Always Strive and Prosper

“Let It Bang” is the follow-up to another banger, Ferg’s Future-assisted single “New Level,” Both tracks appear on his sophomore album, Always Strive And Prosper. On “Let It Bang,” Ferg details the life and times of his uncle Psycho, a reckless troublemaker and one-time role model.