After a list dominated by Eminem’s latest album last week, this week’s top 10 is is a more diverse affair with appearances from Hopsin, Tech N9ne, Crooked I, Jeezy, and more. Still, Em’s “Love Game” single manages to just barely stay on the list for another consecutive week while Los Angeles singer Jhene Aiko claims the top spot with a separate feature from Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar on “Stay Ready.” Drake’s latest set of visuals from Nothing Was The Same peaks at number two and J. Cole’s third single from Born Sinner lands itself in the top three. The rest of the list includes a new music from The Weeknd, Eminem’s acceptance speech at the EMA Awards alongside an in-character Will Ferrell, and Jeezy’s latest from “It’s Tha World Vol. 2.” Busta Rhyme’s single featuring Q-Tip, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West sees another week in the top 10 with the number seven spot and Hopsin has an aggressive anthem with a prominent appearance from Tech N9ne at number nine.
Jhene Aiko Enlists Kendrick Lamar For “Stay Ready”
With her new EP Sail Out released digitally and on CD November 12, Jhene Aiko’s Kendrick Lamar assisted lead single, “Stay Ready,” crowns our top 10 list this week. Aiko’s proper debut EP was unveiled with a lead single, “3:16AM,” more than a year ago after being signed by Chicago producer No I.D. to his Def Jam imprint Artium Records. The EP also boasts a Childish Gambino featuring single and video in “Bed Peace,” released late last month.
The Kendrick Lamar featuring “Stay Ready” is more than six minutes long and anchored by Aiko’s recurrent hook and Lamar’s second verse. The Compton emcee also drops off a bridge before the track delves into a spacey second act and outro portion. On his verse, Lamar fits into the track’s mellow vibe with a focus on his muse. “Tell me find your spot with the warning that I might slip / And when you climb on top that’s the ultimate road trip / Ride on me like your Pac got me thinkin’ it’s ‘96.”
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“Stay Ready” marks another collaboration for Aiko and Lamar after the singer featured on the emcee’s early mixtape Overly Dedicated more than three years ago. In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX last November, Aiko talked about the motivation to continue working with TDE artists. “I’ll always work with them because not only are they extremely talented, but [because of] the movement that they represent,” she said. “With Ab-Soul especially, I love the message in the music. It’s not just nonsense.”
Drake Releases “Worst Behavior” Video From “Nothing Was The Same”
With Nothing Was The Same officially bearing the platinum album stamp after selling more than a million cumulative copies last week, Drake’s latest video from the record was released earlier this week on Monday (November 11). The more than ten-minute long video features a prominent appearance from the Toronto emcee’s father in the beginning and brothers Project Pat and Juicy J from the Three 6 Mafia also make cameos in a video set in both Atlanta and Memphis. “Worst Behavior” can be viewed below.
J. Cole Releases “She Knows” As Third Single From “Born Sinner”
After initially outselling Kanye West’s Yeezus album in the weeks after their release, J. Cole released a third single from his sophomore album Born Sinner this week. Released back in June of this year, Born Sinner had sold nearly 600,000 units by the beginning of October. The latest offering, featuring primarily indie and experimental singer Amber Coffman, finds Cole struggling with his identity as a person and artist. “Now I’m sure you done heard about me / A Black Star, Mos Def, Kweli,” he raps. “Good so them bad hoes try me, they try me / This is Martin Luther King in the club / Getting dubs with a bad bitch / In his ear sayin’ that she down for whatever / In the back of his mind is Coretta.”
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Speaking earlier this year about criticisms leveraged towards his music and nascent career, Cole spoke at length about the need to distance himself. “I just gotta disconnect from it,” he said. “You can’t be a commentator and a player at the same time. I don’t have the energy anymore to care about the small talk. It’s cool that people care, because five years ago, nobody cared, but I don’t care about the chattering. It’s becoming more and more like noise to me.”
This Week’s Top 10
1. Jhene Aiko f. Kendrick Lamar – “Stay Ready”
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3. J. Cole f. Amber Coffman – “She Knows”
4. The Weeknd – “Devil May Cry”
5. Eminem – Meets Ron Burgundy At 2013 MTV EMA
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7. Busta Rhymes f. Q-Tip, Lil Wayne & Kanye West – “Thank You”
8. Crooked I – “Beautiful Murder”
9. Hopsin f. Tech N9ne – “Rip Your Heart Out”
10. Eminem f. Kendrick Lamar – “Love Game”
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