Bump To This is BE’s monthly curated playlist of the tracks that we’ve had on heavy rotation. This month we are getting pumped and ready for Listen Out! We’ve selected tracks from the Listen Out artists for your perfect pre-festival playlist. Scroll through the additions including 6lack, Doja Cat, Leikeli47, ScHoolboy Q and Diplo. Link up to our Spotify to hear more!
6lack is known for his brooding R&B harmonies and Atlanta trap style. ‘Pretty Little Fears’ was a standout track from his second studio album East Atlanta Love Letterswith a guest verse from the talented J. Cole. The lyrics expose a vulnerability in both men, depicting contrasting perspectives from each of their relationships. While Cole serenades his wife with stunning lyrics about how he’d hold her pain to see her smile, 6lack expresses his concern about deep-diving into a new relationship. He wants his love interest to open up and tell him all her fears but he fears that if he is open with her, she might leave and break his heart. The verses, while differing, complement each other beautifully for this slow-paced record.
Catch me in the mosh at Listen Out twerking to ‘Juicy’. At first, I really didn’t like Doja Cat’s first viral ‘Moo’ track. It just seemed stupid. But now that I’ve learned a little more about her and just how hilarious she is, I can really appreciate it for how meme-worthy it is. As I am a big fan of body positivity, Doja absolutely hooked me with her latest hit ‘Juicy’. She raps about her natural booty, how she eats her lunch and that she’s “fit and fat”. For the music video, she flaunts her body au naturel, cellulite and all, and we love to see it! She wears some super colourful fits including a watermelon jumpsuit (with a disappearing waist), a red latex bodysuit with a cherry headband and a yellow combo consisting of a bikini, furry hat, see-through jacket and sunnies. Tyga hopped on the remix and delivered some classic ass lines half-submerged in a pile of lemons. Are you seeing the theme here? It’s fruit.
I’m going to be honest. I only got into this song because of ZaZa. If you don’t know who she is, let me introduce you. She is a gorgeous 4 year old who loves to dance to rap music and she’s really, really good! Her adorable dance to ‘Water’ went viral and blew up her Instagram and she has since been interviewed on radio stations, photographed for magazines and even did a Puma shoot. Oh, and she was on Ellen. Ok so, back to the actual song. A classic theme for rap, ScHoolboy boasts about his drip with a laidback delivery that suits the trap beat well. Lil Baby comes in hard but mellows out towards the end of his lengthy verse. There are a few lines and adlibs in the song that seem like small shots at Migos, such as Lil Baby’s opener, “I got that water, no raindrop” but I guess we’ll never know.
Leikeli47 is a Brooklyn rapper that started making music in the early 2000s. She has never revealed her real name, age or face, wearing a ski mask whenever she performs. She told Vibe it was a privacy thing, “The mask, it represents freedom. I'm free with it on" but stated it also has a cultural significance, telling Culture Magazine, “Being black, we gotta learn how to wear a mask early.” She released three mixtapes before signing to RCA in 2015 and one month later, Jay-Z named a Tidal playlist after her track ‘F**k The Summer Up’. She dropped her first album Wash & Set in 2017 which features my favourite song, ‘Money’. The track is simple and funky yet so infectious. All about a positive mindset and work ethic, it’s hard to not be in a confident, boss mood when you hear it. She told Vibe, “I like to speak things into existence,” which you can totally pick up on in this song. As soon as I heard it I knew I’d use it as a money affirmation – “I’m money/I’ve got money.” $$$ say it loud and proud people $$$
The fiery beat of ‘Que Calor’ is perfect for a festival mosh pit. Major Lazer, which Diplo makes up 1/3 of, linked up with Colombian J Balvin and Dominican El Alfa to create this Latin dance hit. This track, which translates to “What Heat” has been released quite late for America’s summer but perfect timing for things to heat up on this side of the globe (no pun intended, S.O.S climate change). Even though most of us won’t understand the lyrics, the beat and Latin influence are enough to get the crowds moving. Apparently, this music video is one of the most expensive music videos of 2019 with a massive budget of 1 million dollars. I also believe Diplo was channelling Doja Cat with his cow print cowboy ensemble.