The new rap language: Recent and notable hip-hop downloads from Fiend, Danny Brown, Killer Mike and more

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The following records reflect a few of the worthwhile rap releases let loose over the last week. Be forewarned: Most, if not all of these songs contain foul langugage.

Fiend -- ‘Tennis Shoes & Tuxedos’

Best known to the masses as one of the No Limit mercenaries on ‘Make ‘Em Say Uhh!,’ the New Orleans veteran born Ricky Jones has seen a serious resurgence over the last year. Fiend has cannily aligned himself with former labelmate Curren$y’s J.E.T.S. crew. Displaying a newly found Barry White baritone, the so-called International Jones has made arguably the first great rap record of the New Year. With guest appearances from fellow crew members, Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T. and Smoke DZA, Fiend carves out his own space: Laid-back and lecherous smokers’ music so smooth and soulful that it makes Rick Ross seem like Mystikal. Best of all, it’s free -- meaning you’ll have to pay for only one type of green.

Via Jets Fool

ZIP: Fiend -- ‘Tennis Shoes & Tuxedos’ (left click)

Schoolboy Q -- ‘Setbacks’

‘Black Hippy,’ Schoolboy Q’s official debut album, makes the effect of California’s medical marijuana policy quite clear. Between Madlib, Best Coast and the reformed Cypress Hill, it’s evident that strange things are afoot at the Circle K (dispensary). Song titles on ‘Setbacks’ include ‘iBETIGOTSUMWEED’ and ‘Druggy’s Wit Hoes.’ The result is a hazy ride through Schoolboy’s Los Angeles, complete with guest spots from his fellow hippies -- a West Coast version of Fiend’s Southern hospitality. The biggest potential setback at this point is if the City Council attempts to put a moratorium on this record.

(Via 2DopeBoyz)

MP3: Schoolboy Q ft. Kendrick Lamar -- ‘Birds and the Beez’ (left click)

Danny Brown -- ‘Radio Head’

Since his interview with The Times last fall, Danny Brown has rapidly increased his notoriety, turning in a dynamic turn on Black Milk’s big-ticket underground record and booking shows cross-country. Over a shimmering beat from Low End Theory beat linchpin Samiyam, the Detroit rapper unfurls a two-minute torrent of punchlines, including but not restricting to a comparison between the worthlessness of buying Birkin bags and cursive handwriting.

Via Droptops & Stacey Lattisaw Tapes

MP3: Danny Brown -- ‘Radio Head’ (left click)

Killer Mike -- ‘Burn’

Grind Time boss Killer Mike inveighs against lying pastors, corrupt police offers, the Oscar Grant case and economic uncertainty, and if he seems perpetually aggrieved, it’s because he is. The former Dungeon Family member has spent the last half-decade carving out a niche as hip-hop’s conscience, while avoiding the strident didacticism that such a post normally entails. Instead, he’s able to capture the irrepressible fury of antecents such as Ice Cube and Public Enemy while ensuring that his music matches his rage. In an unlikely but completely logical pairing, he and El-P plan to release a full-length later this year, which is certain to leave both former Def Jux diehards and Southern strategists with splintered brain scaffolding. In the interim, this is the auspicious first single from March’s ‘PL3DGE.’

(Via The Smoking Section)

MP3: Killer Mike -- ‘Burn’ (left click)

-- Jeff Weiss