Some Rap Songs: cashcache!, Drake the Ruler, and more

Tape of the Week: cashcache! – I Love CashCache 2

Listening to a Cashcache mixtape is the equivalent of allowing your mind to enter a silky dream-state. I feel like I’ve entered a candy-coated heaven where cotton candy is part of the main diet, and Code Red Mountain Dew falls out of the sky instead of water. The production itself reminds me of summer days as a child, when I used to walk back from the local convenient store with sticky, taffy-covered hands and a one-dollar soda can.

This type of impression mainly comes from Cashcache’s velvety production aesthetic, courtesy of melodic guitar riffs and subtropical 808 drums. His beats on I Love CashCache 2 are uniquely opportunistic, leaving room for rappers like XanmanShawty to melodize, and Tony Shhnow to experiment with a stop-start flow. It’s easy for someone like him to gather a group of budding artists from Soundcloud to perform over these twinkling instrumentals. His production allows for versatility, which is one of the premier attributes one could have as a curator.

Drakeo the Ruler – “20 Pieces”

One of the great narratives to come out of this godawful year is the fact that Drakeo the Ruler was finally released from prison after dealing with four years of institutional racism and diabolical corruption. I was joyfully emotional when listening to his new tape We Know the Truth, and I’m even happier to know that he was able to celebrate his birthday away from the hellhole that is Men’s Central Jail.

While I need a couple more listens to fully gather my thoughts on the album, “20 Pieces” is an early highlight for me. Drakeo is in his element, rattling off comical references with the same deft hand that made him an LA cult favorite in the first place. A line like, “The DA want to fight me after trial cause I beat him/All 12 jurors, not guilty, n***a beat it” is the type of cunning wizardry that only he could truly encapsulate in music.

Dolo Tonight “Graduation”

Dolo Tonight is a Jersey-born music fanatic who affixed himself with the jazz ensemble band in middle school. From there, he garnered a love for rap music, and decided to work on music full time, after attending the University of Colorado for Music Entertainment.

On this song, Dolo captures the melodic pop-rap with an emphasis on strained auto-tune vocals. The familiarity of the video allows the musical aesthetic to suit him well. For someone who’s just starting to get his feet in the sand professionally, Dolo has an impressive command of his voice. He comes off as very self-aware, which is admirable, considering all of the artists that do take themselves a little too seriously.

Babyxsosa – “Lonely Nights in NY”

Babyxsosa makes the kind of sad, meditative music I tend to enjoy after a tough day at the office. Her whimsical, autotune delivery is tailor-made for long walks during sunset on a cold winter evening.

Curren$y & Harry Fraud – “Seven Sees (Miami Nights Mix)”