Skrizzly Adams “Rattle Your Cage”
It’s fitting Skrizzly Adams hails from The Garden State, because Adams’ grizzly voice can’t help but evoke memories of another New Jersey rocker, Bruce Springsteen. Having said that, Adams has also been likened to Kanye West, so it’s clear he has a distinct sound that’s his own. In “Rattle Your Cage”, Adams howls about a lover and all the pitfalls associated between the two, but the irrevocable pull of attraction. “Rattle Your Cage” is already resonating with gentlemen’s club audiences as well, having charted in the Top 20 Strip Club Rock Songs, a weekly chart courtesy of Concrete Marketing and StripJoints.
Kash Doll “Doin’ Too Much”
With a sick bass, Kash Doll‘s track “Doin’ Too Much” is a banging anthem of Kash Doll’s self-declarations littered with fun pop culture references:”Twenty-inch heels, like I’m Lady Gaga/Might get Chanel tatted right here on my cha cha/Big ass titties like I’m Dolly Parton/Living La Vida Loca, like I’m Ricky Martin.” Essentially, Kash Doll is saying her success is a byproduct of her aspirations and endless grind, and challenges women to do more. All the while, Kash Doll is rapping ruthlessly. For a rapper who was an entertainer in a gentlemen’s club and leveraged social media to build her reputation, Kash Doll—who has opened for the likes of Beyonce and Drake—is simply saying success is attainable if you “like doing too much.”
Fat Joe “Yes” (feat. Cardi B & Anuel AA)
Even nearing 30 years in the game, Fat Joe has not slowed down. In fact, current acts are too happy to work with the New York-based rap legend that first tasted mainstream success with “Flow Joe” in 1993. With “Yes”, Fat Joe enlists the aid of Cardi B and Anuel AA of Latin trap fame. This song, through its hook, and verses from every party involved, are truly a reflection of a master in touch with his senses and how musical tastes evolve. Even more exciting than the track is Fat Joe’s mention at the end of the song of “Family Ties”, a hint to his upcoming collaborative album with Dre of Cool & Dre.
Major Lazer, J Balvin “Que Calor (Remix) [feat. Saweetie]”
We reviewed a previous version of this song in Vol. 81 of StripJoints, and this time the song features a vocal contribution from Saweetie. Saweetie, a California-based rapper has received millions of views over several platforms. Her rapping in “Que Calor” reminds this listener of Lil Kim in peak form, spitting quickly, expertly and being as raunchy as possible in the process “Pull up to the club/that’s how I get my rent paid/pussy excellente/so he eat me all day.” Did someone turn up the thermostat?
Yelawolf “Opie Taylor”
Yelawolf (aka Michael Wayne Atha) just dropped his sixth studio album, “Ghetto Cowboy”, and I can’t think of a better title after listening to this song. The ironic thing is the title is a reference to the character from the Andy Griffith Show, a popular sitcom of the 1960s. “Opie Taylor” starts off innocently enough, with a light beat and synth and then it ratchets up with an infectious whistling before opening the door for Yelawolf’s raps. In his rapping and the neck-turning ingenuity of meshing rap with beats not typically associated with the genre, it’s no surprise why Eminem snatched Yelawolf up for the former’s Shady Records for a time. Interestingly enough, “Ghetto Cowboy” is Yelawolf’s first under his own independent label, Slumerican.
Highly Suspect “16”
Based out of Cape Cod, Mass., Highly Suspect started as a cover band playing in bars and has since ascended to heights that include two Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album. Having released their third album “MCID” on Nov. 1, Highly Suspect shows the musical evolution of this band. Think of this: a rock band with a guitar-free song. That’s exactly what the band achieves in “16”, a ballad that is an introspection on the part of frontman Johnny Stevens “It took me sixteen years to find ya/One second to love ya/Seven years to hold ya/One minute to lose ya.” Despite the more mainstream appeal of this song, it’s clear the lyrics convey a deeper message—Stevens is as vulnerable as any artist in this song “Do you remember/When you told me you were holding my future kid? Ay/And all the joy that that would bring/Well I thought I was the father/But baby, it’s not my daughter.” Revelations as poignant as this usually don’t sound this good.