This week’s free music includes an EP from Curren$y, who is currently sitting at No. 13 on Billboard’s Trending 140 chart, a mixtape from Drake‘s friend P. Reign and Lil Bibby‘s follow-up to his acclaimed mixtape Free Crack.
Curren$y, Saturday Night Car Tunes (EP)
In the rapidly evolving world of rap, Curren$y prefers to stay constant. Saturday Night Car Tunes sticks with the throwback southern sound that Curren$y loves, full of easy grooves that link back to ’70s R&B. He raps unhurriedly, stretching and slurring his syllables but not employing weird vocal stylings. “House Shoes” revolves around a loose beat that might’ve been played live; “Just Might Be” loops old soul; horns appear on almost every track to give the EP a luxurious, elegant feel. For the remix of “10 G’s,” Curren$y pulls in Birdman. Wiz Khalifa helps out on “Dojo” — who else would you ask for a feature on a song about weed? “No time for the stress, I just keep goin,'” raps Curren$y, and you believe him.
P. Reign, Dear America (Mixtape)
P. Reign gained attention for his song “DnF,” which features verses from Drake and the signature croons of Future. The rapper predicts that his single will go No. 1, though it isn’t on this free tape — you can find it on the Dear America EP, coming Sept. 9. Both “In This Cup/Cry For You” and “You Know/It’s You” are extended tracks that change form mid-song. “Cry For You” samples the Jodeci tune of the same name.) “Pay Day” is full of menace, and “Pon Tour” gains power from the contrast between the calm beat and the frantic keyboards. On top of that, you probably won’t find another mixtape this year which contains songs named after President Obama and Rihanna.
Lil Bibby, Free Crack 2 (Mixtape)
Chicago’s Lil Bibby released Free Crack 2, the sequel to his breakout Free Crack, at the end of last week. Bibby told The Fader last December that he wanted the first volume to “keep it in the city,” but these days, that’s a lot harder to do because everyone wants to work with him. The new volume has features from Juicy J, T.I., Kevin Gates — even R&B singer Anthony Hamilton wants in, showing up to add a hook to a bonus track. P-Lo, a member of the Bay Area’s HBK Gang, produces “Boy,” which channels the spare, driving production common on the West Coast. Most surprising of all: “We Are Strong” includes a sample of Pat Benatar‘s ’80s hit “Love Is A Battlefield.”