Songs I’m Listening To (08/05/2022)
Thessaloniki, Greece. Photo by Yanni Kouiroukidis

Songs I’m Listening To (08/05/2022)

Attention ladies and gentlemen, Rod Wave is dropping an album next Friday. This means one thing and one thing only, YSN is on high alert. Before I start the article can we just talk about what Bad Bunny is doing right now? “Un Verano Sin Ti” is almost double platinum and he is expected to become the second artist ever to hit 50 billion total streams on Spotify. The album is definitely my favorite of his but the fanbase he has is almost unbelievable. He’s now in that category of artists where whatever they drop, it’s going to go #1. Insane. Let’s get into this article now.

1. K-Trap – Warm

The U.K. drill scene is coming to America at full speed and K-Trap is one of the names you need to be on the lookout for. K-Trap is a 26 year-old raper from the Gipsy Hill neighborhood in South London. He gained notoriety for not showing his face the whole time during his come up, but once the mask came off his career took off even more. This song right here made me a K-Trap fan, but this next one made me a fan of another British rapper.

“My football boots been dirty. You can’t rap like that, you ain’t certi”

2. Blade Brown & K-Trap – Xtra Time

The energetic start to the song is what gets you instantly hooked. Off of their collaboration tape, “Joints”, K-Trap and Blade Brown continue to show their ability to run the tracks with ease. Once I heard this song I started to listen through the whole tape and found some gems. Despite it being cloudy and rainy in England for most of the year, some stars are definitely shining in the rap game.

“Trap and Blade, can’t f*** with that combo”

3. Burna Boy – Kilometre , 4. Burna Boy – How Bad Could It Be

Burna Boy is no longer just an “African Giant“, he’s a global superstar now. This album, “Love, Damini” is now officially the highest charting Nigerian album of all time on the Billboard 200. It was my first full album listen for Burna Boy and I can tell you right now it didn’t disappoint.

“Like I just got rich, like my money just come”

It just doesn’t look like Burna Boy can lose any time soon. “Last Last” has been running all over the place on social media and now the album is one of the most successful projects of the year. “Love, Damini” has cemented its place on my favorite albums of the year article for sure.

“When you feel as sad as you can feel. Say, “How bad could it be?”

5. Bossikan & Chico Beatz – XCM , 6. Bossikan & Light – King Kong

Ρε το Bossikan. This Greek linebacker is running the drill scene in Greece and it’s absolute class. I don’t have too much to say on these songs but I just want you to take a listen. Shout out Thessaloniki.

“Tony Montana (Montana) Δεν σ’ εμπιστεύομαι είσαι πουτάνα”

7. Central Cee – Doja

20 million YouTube views in 13 days. Central Cee has landed. I’ve done a lot of talking about Cench on this website but I truly believe he’s going to be the one to bridge the gap between the U.K. and the U.S. He has the pull right now to put Americans on to that U.K. drill sound. When he was doing his press run in LA recently, he was posted up with Polo G in the studio. Big things are on the way for Cench and best believe he’s going to bring that success back to Shepherd’s Bush.

“UK rap or UK drill, gotta mention my name if you talk ’bout the genre”

8. Rod Wave – Stone Rolling

I don’t expect anything Rod Wave to put out to disappoint and so far, he hasn’t missed. “Stone Rolling” is another single off of the St. Petersburg native’s upcoming project, “Beautiful Mind” set to drop next Friday. The winner of my 2020 album of the year, I’m excited to see how Rod does with his one.

“Is there a heaven for a G? Where can I go to get some peace?”

9. Lil Uzi Vert – I KNOW , 10. Lil Uzi Vert – FOR FUN

Lil Uzi Vert’s “RED & WHITE” project is something that I would describe exactly as one of the song titles. “FOR FUN”. And while it wasn’t the craziest musical experiment, Uzi was just vibing on this record.

“Ain’t s*** changed, I know. That money ain’t a thang, I know.”

It was like Uzi put his music in a time capsule and then three or four years after he recorded them, he put them all on an EP. I love Uzi and I hope he is doing what he wants to do creatively. We still waiting on “Forever Young” and “The Pink Tape” though.

“You should enjoy your whole day ’cause I am good, my love”

The sports and music world are both in full swing right now and I’m locked in. The streak always lives on. This is YSN, until next time, signing out.