This Week in Music 

Welcome to this week’s issue of Sound Bite! Recently J. Cole released “Might Delete Later” where he snapped back at Kendrick Lamar for his diss on “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin’s album “WE DON’T TRUST YOU.” Days after the release, J. Cole apologized at his Dreamville Festival in his hometown of North Carolina saying it was some of the lamest stuff he’s ever done because of the respect he has for Kendrick.

This upset much of the rap community, but some fans have stayed loyal and are still there to back up J. Cole. He’s now removed his diss track “7 Minute Drill” from all major streaming services and to the surprise of many, he featured on Future and Metro’s follow-up album “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU” on “Red Leather.”

Aside from J. Cole’s shocking feature, the new album is much more tame than the original from Metro and Future’s repertoire. The first disc of the album is more pop-focused, with the only real upset coming from the multiple Weeknd features in which he takes minor shots at Drake.

The second disc is where the main meat of the album is found, with features by Lil Baby and A$AP Rocky. The inclusion of A$AP Rocky on the track should not be understated, as in recent years he has been releasing less and less music. With J. Cole switching sides, and A$AP Rocky joining the fight, this “civil war” is becoming more of a dog pile against Drake. 

Drake has allegedly had his response leaked. The response, regardless of its validity, has already sparked much controversy online, with SZA and The Weeknd posting reaction images on their respective Instagrams. While Drake has yet to confirm anything regarding the leak, most sources are speculating it is in fact his response. If it is, it is a strong attack toward Kendrick and reaches into personal levels previously unseen in this beef.

Snack Size Samples 

‘TL;DR’ – Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital 

Yeah, this latest Drain Gang track is a heater. Bladee delivers an utterly chilling verse towards the end that’s a huge standout and Ecco brings back his patented “deep voice” that hasn’t seen the light of day for nearly a decade on his own respective verse (exciting stuff!) while a densely layered instrumental from frequent collaborator Whitearmer roars under the performances. Instant classic for me. Drain sweep 2024.

‘2007’ – Ripsquad

“2007” pretty much solely interpolates Tegan and Sara’s “The Con,” sweeping up the intro to the original track with some of the crispest production I’ve ever heard. I’m such a slut for Ripsquad production and this is an absolute earworm that I haven’t stopped humming for days on end. 

‘So What If I’m A Freak’ – Snow Strippers

The electro-pop duo stuns with their brand-new single. The production is otherworldly (gun sounds!), harkening images of grimy, tightly-packed European clubs, and the minimalistic vocals shine when the chorus echoes. I’m real excited for their upcoming album and they just might be an early frontrunner for my Spotify Wrapped top artist.