Published on August 25th, 2016 | by AWKWORD
0Rap Claps Back: Best of July Mix Showcases New Protest Music
Journalist and Rap Artist AWKWARD (@AWKWORDrap) Curates the Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of July (Free Stream via Audiomack)
July was looking good. I‘d never seen so much Protest Music put out in a one-month period in my whole life –and from apolitical artists (e.g., Hot Boy Turk), too. Hip Hop was/is going back to its roots, with a big middle finger to the Man… But, then, on the last day of the month, the day before my 35th birthday, I lost one of my oldest and best friends, New York City legend Andreis Costa aka GuessWho? aka YME. So, I start this month off by paying tribute to my fallen brother, with a ‘re-release’ of an old record from his group No Question?, also consisting of Whatzisface? and super-producer Harry Fraud. Fittingly, I selected “T&C Surf Design” from the crew’s ‘Nintendo Mixtape’, a song that starts: “These cops is coming / Better start to running / When you see ‘them boys…'” So, the theme persists — about half the songs this month are political, and timely in addressing inequality, injustice, racism and police brutality.
‘Gangster’ rappers Uncle Murda and Maino make waves with “Hands Up”; Jay-Z even gets political, releasing “Spiritual” from the vault; West Coasters Mistah FAB and Fashawn contribute with the touching “6 Shots” and “Mother AmeriKKKa,” respectively; Kemba (fka YC The Cynic) returns for the second month with two more creative Frank Drake-produced socially conscious cuts; Nas/Erykah Badu and Swizz Beatz/Scarface drop iconic collaborations; and newcomer Nick Grant exposes stereotyping on my favorite record of the month, “Black Boy/White Boy.”
Plus, you’ll get your fill of that intelligent hoodlum shit, with new joints from some of my favorites: WestSide Gunn, Conway, Roc Marciano and Planet Asia/DirtyDiggs.
Best playlist yet. Stream below. (The Top 100 Songs of 2016 drops in January!)
#RIPYME. Legends Never Die.
PLAYLIST
- No Question? (Whatzisace?, GuessWho? [RIP] & Harry Fraud) – T&C Surf Design (Them Boys) [prod. by Harry Fraud]
- Uncle Murda ft. Maino & Jay Watts – Hands Up [prod. by Reefa & 12 Keyz]
- Jarren Benton ft. OnCue & Big Rube – Scared [prod. by The Coalition]
- Noochie – Jerome [prod. by RaRa & Mr. Williams]
- Cassidy – Let the Truth be Told
- Mistah FAB – 6 Shots [prod. by The Mekanix]
- Daylyt – Pokemon Lives Matter
- King Dreams – Red & Blue
- Fashawn – Mother AmeriKKKa [prod. by Hecktik & Jukebawks]
- Nas ft. Erykah Badu – This Bitter Land [prod. by JB Bontemps]
- Jay-Z – Spiritual [prod. by Detail]
- Swizz Beatz ft. Scarface – Sad News [prod. by Swizz Beatz]
- Kemba – Brown Skin Jesus [prod. by Frank Drake]
- Kemba – Already [prod. by Frank Drake]
- Nick Grant – Black Boy/White Boy
- Termanology ft. Saigon – We’re Both Wrong [prod. by Q-Tip]
- Golden Age (Do D.A.T. & MaliciousLee) – What’s A Black Life Worth? [prod. by MaliciousLee]
- Joe Budden – Freedom (Freestyle) [prod. by Jonny Coffer, Beyonce & Just Blaze]
- Hot Boy Turk – Justice or Else [prod. by JoeyDidThis]
- Pop Dollarz – Walk With Me
- DJ Greg Street ft. Akon, B.o.B. & Big K.R.I.T. – I Am Somebody
- Sean Brown – Big Dreams [prod. by Crazy T]
- Michael Cobbs ft. KRS-One – More Love (Remix)
- Kosha Dillz ft. Matisyahu – Dodging Bullets [prod. by Yuc Beats]
- Team Bangah (Ray Vegas & Ray Bangah) – Middle of a War [prod. by YBMuzik]
- Jarren Benton – My Word [prod. by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League & Royce Music Group]
- SITES (Canada) ft. Royce da 5’9” & Bowza (UK) – The Pain [prod. by WADE C]
- Rockie Fresh – Lies and Lullabies
- AllttA (Mr. J. Medeiros & 20syl) – The Woods
- Torii Wolf & DJ Premier – Shadows Crawl [prod. by DJ Premier]
- Danny Matos ft. Joie Giordano – Fought the Devil [prod. by Rusty Mack & The Red Walrus]
- SteiN – Oh Well [prod. by Statik Selektah]
- Saint Joe ft. West Philly Freck & Hypnautic – Being Real [prod. by Dialectic]
- Kembe X – Talk Back [prod. by Hippie Sabotage]
- Lupe Fiasco – Pick Up The Phone
- Neef Buck ft. Raheem Devaughn – Pretty Thang [prod. by Jahlil Beats]
- TAO & Eric Heron ft. Christina Carte – Time [prod. by TAO]
- Wil Akogu ft. Mike Wavvs – Fade to Black [prod. by Jabari Rayford, Dougy OGC, Mike Wavvs & Wolfgang]
- Remy Ma – My Shit [prod. by D Stackz]
- Mister Miles – Bars
- Light the Emcee – Live Pro [prod. by DJ Premier]
- SPNDA ft. Guilty Simpson & Chilla Jones – Give N Take [prod. by Hash Gordn]
- The Other Guys ft. Skyzoo – Realer Than Most
- Beanie Sigel & Jadakiss – Dinero [prod. by Buda Da Future & Grandz Muzik]
- Planet Asia – Feliz Navidad [prod. by DirtyDiggs]
- DJ Skizz ft. Roc Marciano & Conway – Bosses [prod. by DJ Skizz & Frank Dukes]
- Bozack Morris ft. Conway & WestSide Gunn – Never Change [prod. by Bozack Morris]
- Benny (Black Soprano Family) ft. WestSide Gunn & Conway – Tom Ford Socks
- WestSide Gunn – Peter Luger [prod. by Daringer]
- Daniel Son – Rum Cake [prod. by Vic Grimes]
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