Yet again another new series on this site, 3×3 Monday’s. Every week or two I plan to release my 3×3 chart of what I listened to each previous week along with an explanation of each choice. I hope my music suggestions can open you up to new genres, sounds, and artists as I highlight my favorite listens of the week.

Shoota – Playboi Carti ft. Lil Uzi Vert

Previously, I wasn’t a huge fan of Playboi Carti, however, this changed when he released “Shoota” on his album Die Lit. With an incredible introduction by Lil Uzi Vert followed by a memorable verse by Carti, “Shoota” has become one of my favorite songs of 2018 already. The iconic line of “Woke up with my toolie, what it do?” has been one I look forward to hearing every time I listen to this song. With this song’s release I am willing to look more into Playboi Carti and what else he has to offer assuming “Shoota” isn’t his best song out there.

This Is America – Childish Gambino

Donald Glover has always been a person that I’ve been inspired by whether it’s from his acting career or music career, he simply is one of the best in both of these categories. His comedy performances aren’t even that bad either. However, it’s his work under Childish Gambino that has been a standout from me over the past seven years with his debut album Camp. Seven years later and two albums later we have a new single from Gambino titled “This Is America”. The release of “This Is America” was accompanied by the release of a stellar music video that highlights everything wrong in America. “This Is America” is not only a strong political statement, it’s also a celebration of freedom of speech and how Gambino’s connections in the music industry can come to life. With supporting lyrics by Young Thug, 21 Savage, and Quavo intertwined with others, Gambino really is in charge of the industry in this single. If “This Is America” is the new sound that Gambino is going after since his latest album Awaken! My Love, I for one cannot wait to see what this new album is going to offer.

Watch ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Kanye West – Travis Scott

With the release of AstroWorld seemingly being any day now, the first single from the album is monumental. “Watch” is an anthem in every aspect of the word. Travis Scott links up with Lil Uzi Vert and Kanye West to produce one of the most fun and hype singles of this year so far. With clever features by Uzi and Kanye, “Watch” feels like just a hint of what we will be hearing on the upcoming AstroWorld. “Watch” not only makes me excited for AstroWorld, it also makes me excited to see what else Lil Uzi Vert plans to do this year along with Kanye West’s two albums due in June.

Bubblin – Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak is one of the greatest working musicians currently, and “Bubblin” is a testament to this statement. “Bubblin” is fun, fast, and inventive as Anderson .Paak seemingly glides over the beat with playful and intuitive rhymes. Since his work on Dr. Dre’s album Compton, I’ve been a huge fan of .Paak and this song only reaffirm my love for this artist. One of the greatest and most hardworking musicians, Anderson .Paak absolutely earns my praise and recommendation for “Bubblin”.  I cannot say this enough, but if you haven’t already, listen to his second album Malibu especially if you enjoyed “Bubblin”.

Reckless (Album) – NAV

The year is 2016, Travis Scott just released Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight and one song, in particular, stands out to me more than the rest. “Beibs in the Trap” is that song. However, NAV is the main reason why that song works so well. Fast-forward to 2017 and NAV releases two projects, NAV & Perfect Timing which both became favorites of mine very quickly. Now we’re in 2018 and NAV releases yet another project called Reckless. While not my favorite of the three, Reckless proves once again that NAV knows how to be entertaining. Songs like “Champion”, “Wanted You”, and “Faith” explore NAV’s synergy with feature rappers such as Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and Quavo while songs such as “Never Change”, “Hold Your Hand”, and “Freshman List” show his versatility on his own. The XO artist continues to impress me every release, and I am looking forward to hearing from NAV again this year.

In Da Club – 50 Cent

Earlier this month I decided to make a Spotify playlist filled with songs that reminded me of the Summer season. “In Da Club” by 50 Cent fits the category of Summer music quite well. While 2003 50 Cent is one of my favorite artists, Get Rich Or Die Tryin isn’t one of my favorite albums. Regardless, however, “In Da Club” is the definition of a hit single from this era. Arguably, “In Da Club” is a timeless single that still holds up to this day and is almost if not better now than it was then. 50 Cent puts his talent on display while Dr. Dre’s production ascends this song into a whole different tier of excellence. This rap song is one of the greatest songs of all time and I look forward to listening to it often.

Midnight Crusade – Dance Gavin Dance

I got into Dance Gavin Dance last year, and I hate myself for not getting into them sooner. “Midnight Crusade” is perhaps on my list of favorite songs of all time, and with that, it has a very high replay value. Since it’s release in April, I’ve listened to this song at least once a day and plan to continue doing so until the end of time. “Midnight Crusade” is such a fantastic song that I’ve recommended it to at least 15 people this month alone. Tilian Pearson brings this song to life with his dynamic synergy with the rest of the band as they escalate my expectations for their new album Artificial Selection. I’m very happy to call myself a Dance Gavin Dance fan now as the release of “Midnight Crusade” only further exemplifies my love for this band.

Lost Y’all Mind – Kilo Ali

While creating my Summer playlist I came across an artist named Kilo Ali, to which I’m quite happy I came across him. Kilo Ali makes bass music and more specifically makes bass music similar to Miami bass which has quickly become one of my favorite genres recently. While not the most successful or popular artist of this genre, Kilo Ali holds his own on “Lost Y’all Mind”. This 1997 song from his album Organized Bass makes me thankful for discovering him while searching for Miami bass songs to add to my playlist. With a song that’s 21 years old, it holds up surprisingly well and the production and bass are still very well constructed even to this day. I hope to find other lesser-known artists in the Miami bass genre, but Kilo Ali is definitely a highlight of the genre in my opinion.

Audio – LSD

LSD is a collaborative group that consists of Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo. Their first release “Genius” is a very fun and rhythmic song, however, their second release “Audio” is what really got my attention. “Audio” is perhaps my favorite Summer-oriented release of this year so far and for good reason too. Sia’s voice is the perfect choice for this super-group as she simply makes every electronic-pop song stand out from the rest. Combined with Diplo’s production and Labrinth’s lyrics, “Audio” is the recipe for a successful pop song in 2018. There is nothing bad about this song, and every listen makes me like it even more than the last. If I can say anything, it’s that I will be playing this song in my car on every drive and trip this Summer.