The Ones: 5 Best New Rap Songs From Travis Scott, Lil Tjay, and More

A daily roundup of need-to-know rap tracks
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With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily roundup of the best new rap tracks you need to hear curated by the Levels team. We sort through all the new songs—across all the platforms and subgenres—so you don’t have to. Thank us later. –TA


Travis Scott - “Carousel” [ft. Frank Ocean]

Astroworld is Travis Scott stripping Kanye of his title as rap’s best curator and taking it as his own. There aren’t many artists who both have the clout to assemble the marquee names Travis can and the creative vision to know how to unleash them. On “Carousel” Travis manages to not only grab the elusive Frank Ocean but also give some shine to an underutilized Hit-Boy, who has oddly faded into the shadows the last couple of years. Hit-Boy takes advantage of the spotlight lacing Travis with a beat that fits the eccentric feel of Astroworld, but one that’s a bit more grounded than the other tracks. Travis also gets Frank comfortable enough to spit a rap verse hitting some high notes in the process. Leaving Travis with the task of not messing up the vibe, which he doesn’t, allowing Frank and Hit-Boy to carry it home.


Lil Tjay - “None of Your Love”

Lil Tjay has won over New York City teenagers like he’s the Bronx version of Justin Bieber, so it only makes sense that producer CashMoneyAp would flip Bieb’s “Baby” for him on “None of Your Love.” Lil Tjay is in his feelings, talking his shit like any broken-hearted and spiteful teenager would: “You think I’m stupid, bitch then you really a dub/I don’t want none of your love.” The A Boogie influence is strong, but there’s an energy about him, and a youthful pettiness that already makes Tjay feel more of a complete artist with a three-dimensional personality.


Lil Keed - “Big Eye”

Young Thug’s influence is undeniable, just take a look at this family tree: Lil Baby, Gunna, Sahbabii, and now Lil Keed. On “Big Eyes” Lil Keed channels the energy of Slime Season-era Thug with how well he balances melody and straight spitting. Keed doesn’t have the vocal quirks of Thug, but that actually may make “Big Eyes” more accessible and should help his recent tape Trapped On Cleveland 2 find an audience outside of Atlanta.


Chris Crack - “Plair, Nephew, Pleighboi” [ft. Sulaiman and Vic Spencer]

Firstly Being Woke Ain’t Fun is an album title of the year contender, and Chris Crack’s “Plair, Nephew, Pleighboi” lives up to the title. The three Chicagoans are enjoying themselves, because not being woke must be freeing. And the absurd lines that come out of their mouth’s is a surprising offset to the melancholy vibe of the instrumentation: “Her titties was like some oversized onions.”


Starlito - “Where I’ve Been”

The Bobby Caldwell “What You Won’t Do For Love” sample intertwined with D Holt and BandPlay’s booming drums meshes so well, that it reminds me how angry I’m supposed to be at the music industry for effectively pricing most artists out of sampling. Starlito releases a hell of a lot of music and something as small as having a sample breathe adds new life to his tracks. When Starlito picks the right instrumental his conversational styled storytelling thrives and “Where I’ve Been” is no exception: “I’m in a rental hustling, might just fuck it off on a Bentley Truck, nah/Run it up right in front of you, give me a month or two.”


Listen to new rap from Travis Scott, Starlito, Lil Tjay, and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.