After presenting to you our favourite tracks from recent weeks with GRM Staff Picks [001] and GRM Staff Picks [002], we return once again with GRM Staff Picks [003] in which our writers round up our favourite tracks of the past week or so.
GRM had our brand new Daily Duppy released – a very sick freestyle from Giggs going over a Show N Prove instrumental – which can be viewed and downloaded here. Novelist kept it grimey with the brand new, self-produced, “Ignorant and Wot“. Monkstar even rejoined Newham Generals for a brand new freestyle, in “Frontline 2015“.
Along with brand new content from Kwabs, Rae Sremmurd, Danny Seth, Ghetts, and Big Narstie, it was once again a big week for music. Yet another week that proved difficult to select a single choice for GRM Staff Picks of the Week.
You can get a brief round up of the Hottest UK Tunes from this week, too, in #GRMFreshestOut with tracks from Tinie Tempah, Jesse James, Chip & more, as well as the Hottest US Tunes too.
Check below to see our writers’ picks for this week.
Vidal
The Producer & MC gives us a taste of his forthcoming release on Local Action Records. The nostalgic vocal samples bouncing against his firing lyrics definitely meets the bar set by his previous release Hit Then Run. Take a listen below
Hendrix
My choice for GRM Staff Picks this week is the brand new instalment of NANG SELECTION from Ralph Hardy. To celebrate it being NANG SELECTION 040, Ralph kicks it off with some brand new 140BPM before taking us into some of the smoothest tracks around. Ralph finishes with some of my favourite tracks from the New Generation. Honourable mention goes to “Carolina”, the track I’ve been playing almost non-stop this week.
Rene
This week’s pick for me comes from French Montana’s new mixtape ‘Casino Life 2: Brown Paper Bag’. I was bumping the tape before the Chinx Drugs’ shooting and I was tempted to put the track “Coke Boy Money” which is another personal favourite from ‘CL2:PBP’ and also features the recently deceased Coke Boy member. However, I’m sticking with my original choice “In The Sun” which features New Orleans veteran Curren$y. While I’m one of the first to say French is not one of the most lyrical, he carries the chorus off well with real raps about the come up. Spitta also does his thing kicking off the track, complementing each other’s style of rap. Produced by Cool & Dre and with the pair adding to the list of bangers they’ve done, the only thing missing for me on this track was ‘The Boss Don’ and original Coke Boy, Max B.
Elle
There seems to be a summer smash being dropped every week at the moment, after picking “Freak Of The Week” last week I wasn’t sure if there would be another track to match the levels… and then Tinie dropped “Not Letting Go” with Jess Glynne, which quickly became my next guilty pleasure. This song just oozes summertime, one of those ones that makes you feel like the sun’s shining out of your face when you’re singing along to the catchy hook (I don’t know the verse- word to Tinie). I’d also been reloading “Peak” again after watching that very impressive interview from Tinie this week and felt it deserved another shout because those man all just went off differently. I think it’s great to see Tinie using his platform to showcase our next gen too, Stormz and Bugzy killed it. It’s certainly set to be a very good summer. Good vibes all round.
Caroline
This week it had to be Yung Reeks’ Fire In The Booth. Reeks has been going hard since dropping his mixtape ‘Ambition’ just a month back, with new visuals and now a brand new Fire In The Booth. There’s something about the pain in his tone and delivery which is getting the streets talking and it’s not hard to see why. You only need to watch this freestyle to know that Yung Reeks will be the UK’s take on Meek Mill, mark my words. Word on road is he has another mixtape ready and it’s crazy.
Alex
After going grimey last week, I’ve decided to slow things down a little. Tink is straight up one of the dopest female MC’s I’ve heard in a long while, who’s got a great singing voice to match her barring ability. Her latest track “Million” has me feeling a type of way, coming off as one of the best homages to the late and great Aaliyah in recent memory. Tink’s vocals are beautiful and Timbaland’s production is next level, proving this dynamic duo can come along way. She really does bring the best out of one of hip-hop’s finest producers.
Bernie Mac (aka The Oracle)
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