Purrple-Tide (ft. Term K)

Prepare yourself, summer is coming. Everyday the weather is getting warmer and artists are releasing the music they've been saving for the season, and "Tide" by Purrple is a great track to kick it off. It starts off with a cut of "Mr. Sandman" but quickly turns into a great pop song. The song stays fresh thanks to Term K's rap verse that wouldn't work on its own but fits in perfectly with the track.

Alison Wonderland-I Want U

I was first drawn to press play on "I Want U" because of how awesome the name Alison Wonderland is, but I was surprised by the level of talent I heard in the song. "I Want U" is the best trap song I've heard in a while, it doesn't get carried away with jersey club sounds like so many songs have recently and makes a creative, intriguing, and hard drop that never gets old.

GoldLink-Sober Thoughts (prod. Kaytranada)

GoldLink shows no sign of slowing down. It was only a month ago that the rapper released his debut tape The God Complex and then his hit single "Wassup", produced by Sango. Now, he has another great track produced by incredible Montreal producer Kaytranada. The result is a mellow electronic beat combined with GoldLink's crisp flow and a catchy hook.

ProbCause-Chicago Style (ft. Twista)

ProbCause dropped his mixtape Waves a couple of days ago and unfortunately it wasn't as strong as I had hoped. I've come to the conclusion that he's better in small doses, really shining in songs that have guest verses. His verses seem more thought out and energetic in songs like "Three Course Meal", "LSD", and more recently, "Chicago Style." The standout track features an incredible beat and good verses from both ProbCause and Twista.

JMR-Closer

I realize it's been a full week since I've made a new post but it's not due to laziness, there's a music drought. May isn't really a month for music, everyone is busy with finals and it's not quite time for summer music. However, I have found a few gems, one being Joshua Michael Robinson's second single "Closer." The song begins with hardly any instrumental, giving the vocals a chilling sound. As the song progresses and the instruments start to come in, the impressive vocals turn into some arresting verses. "Closer" will be featured on JMR's upcoming album, American Hell.

Vic Mensa-Down On My Luck

I'm not sure if Vic Mensa is planning on dropping a project any time soon but that hasn't stopped him from releasing fresh songs at a pretty constant rate. It seems as if he, like his often collaborator Chance, is experimenting with different sounds. First with the freestyle "When The Fire Starts To Burn" and the more rap than hip-hop "Feel That", and now the club track "Down On My Luck." Even over techno-esque production, which most rappers could never lay good bars over, Vic Mensa owns the track with his energy.

Dirty Heads-My Sweet Summer

SoCal band Dirty Heads are back with their new single "My Sweet Summer." The track is off their upcoming album Sound of Change, out July 8. "My Sweet Summer" seems to show DH reverting back to their old style, circa-Any Port In The Storm, a little more punk-infused reggae than Cabin In The Sea.