Everything is a surprise these days. Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Electronica, and Ratking all dropped music out of the blue in March. Some were planning on releasing new tunes, others not so much. We're not complaining, though—we're all for good music in abundance. Curren$y is looking to add to his Pilot Talk series with its third installment, and he let loose "Alert" featuring the veteran Styles P who delivers one of March's best showings. Ratking associate Princess Nokia popped up on the group's free 700 Fill EP and raised some eyebrows with her "Steep Tech" verse, earning her a spot on this month's list. Meanwhile, Earl and Kendrick made it difficult to pick bars from their respective LPs.
And of course, if you know me, I had to put my guy Jay Elect on here. Honestly, it was either him or Roc Marciano (a.k.a. the greatest rapper of our time). But I went with Jay because who knows when we'll be hearing another song from him. Here are my picks for the five best rap verses of the month.
Angel Diaz is a staff writer for Complex Media. Follow him @ADiaz456.
8. Jay Electronica "Road to Perdition"
Date: March 6, 2015
"I got that black on black skin tone, actual-fact syndrome
That's why I dropped the jewel on every verse you heard me shit on
Okay, it's a Slumdog opera
The tale of a king whose name wasn't on the roster
My road to glory was Road To Perdition
And Act II: The Turn is just the memoirs with no omissions
We came a mighty long way from standing near the stove
In the cold, the greatest story ever told
The realest niggas see the pain in my story boards
The true believers say, "Wallahi, I support the boy"
My life feel like a highlight reel
This is lightning striking, feel how the Zeitgeist feel
Get a slight chill"
Wallahi, I support the boy. Drop that shit, Jay. Stop playing.
6. Ratking f/ Despot and Princess Nokia "Steep Tech"
Date: March 4, 2014
“Yo, it's cold outside, imma call you back
I'm on vacation now but I'll be right back
I told Wiki first and then Sporting last
I'm gonna rip this shit real quick and fast
Naomi Campbell at the 2
My skill is cold
I'm bitchy, a la Dominique Deveraux
An Eskimo
Play in the snow
A pretty ho
Ala Brigitte Bardot
Flight is delayed so I'm stuck here in Paris
Come for my head I will leave you embarrassed
Watch us play side and I'm always in barrage
Like my career and you stuck with the carriage
I go so dumb I rip heads like a savage
Indian, Black and a little bit Spanish
It's a no flex do you know who my man is?
Cover to cover we living so lavish
Flex
I don't ever stress
Always like the best, cause I only sign checks
Throw the check up for the sex
His new bitch vexed
I still got a picture on his gram, go check
Only chick that RATKING know that actually got the Steep Tech on" —Princess Nokia
Formerly known as Wavy Spice, the Ratking first lady delivers an exceptional verse here. She channels Kim and Foxy to stunt about trips to Paris and salutes famous "bitchy" divas like Naomi Campbell and Dynasty's Dominique Deveraux. Stop sleeping on the Princess. Sidebar: This beat is stupid.
4. Kendrick Lamar “Hood Politics”
Date: March 16, 2015
"Everybody want to talk about who this and who that
Who the realest and who wack, or who white or who black
Critics want to mention that they miss when hip-hop was rappin’
Motherfucker if you did, then Killer Mike would be platinum
Y’all priorities fucked up, put energy in wrong shit
Hennessy and Crown Vic, my memory been gone since
Don’t ask me ‘bout no camera blocking at award shows
No, don’t ask about my bitch, no, don’t ask about my foes
'Less you askin' me about power, yeah, I got a lot of it
I’m the only nigga next to Snoop that can push the button
Had the Coast on standby
“K. Dot, what up? I heard they opened up Pandora’s box”
I box ‘em all in, by a landslide
Nah homie, we too sensitive, it spill out to the streets
I make the call and get the coast involved then history repeats
But I resolved inside that private hall while sitting down with Jay
He said 'it's funny how one verse could fuck up the game'
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo boo"
This new generation of rappers is careful with how it handles rap "beef." They try not to get too personal when sending subliminals. But let me not sound like a Rap Genius annotator. K-Dot is sitting on the West Coast throne and knows it. He can push the button but chooses to use rap's platform to send a message, not compete with his peers.
3. Curren$y f/ Styles P “Alert”
Date: March 2, 2015
“Boss playa I'll ask what it cost later
Throw it in the cut like fuck it I’ll floss later
In the mix like a cross fader
No DJ, givin' em' no leeway
We be everywhere from the mansion to the PJs
Crown on the wrist, pound of the piff
Get around in the 6, ask the town, I'm the shit
But who’s the niggas I’m shittin' on?
Come to money, you gettin' off or gettin' on?
You see that fly shit Spitta on
You see that fly shit Ghost on
The money and the weed, the guns and the Nikes
And the cars and the ice just might form Voltron
Or should I Transform on 'em? They was goin ham on 'em
I was blowin' grams on 'em
They was showin' swag
I was blowin' bags full of strains that niggas didn't ever know they had
It's Jet Life, I except life
It’s not life until you come through livin' block life
Carbon fiber stock pipes
I’m talkin' marble on the kitchen counter
You gon' smell like Reserve if you sit around us
Should I keep goin' or quiet up?
If you got fire, then fire up” —Styles P
The OG Styles came through with a heat rock. He has nothing to prove but will still murk your favorite rapper. Transform on 'em, Pinero.
2. Earl Sweatshirt “Grief”
Date: March 23, 2015
"Good grief, I been reaping what I sowed
Nigga, I ain't been outside in a minute
I been living what I wrote
And all I see is snakes in the eyes of these niggas
Momma taught me how to read 'em when I look
Miss me at the precinct getting booked
Fishy niggas stick to eating off of hooks
Say you eating, but we see you getting cooked, nigga
I don't act hard, I'm a hard act to follow, nigga
Like it or not, when it drop, bet he gotta listen
Chasing dragons, tryna make it happen, on a mission
Step into the shadows, we could talk addiction
When it's harmful where you going and the part of you that know it
Don't give a fuck, pardon me for going into details
3-7-6 was a brothel
We had females come in every hour on the dot
And this shit sound like a gavel when it knock
Focus on my chatter, ain't as frantic as my thoughts
Lately I've been panicking a lot
Feeling like I'm stranded in a mob
Scrambling for Xanax out the canister to pop
Never getting out of hand, steady handling my job
Time damaging my ties
Who turn to get up? Get dude turned to dinner quick
You circus niggas, you turning into tricks
I was making waves, you was surfing in 'em
Dealing with the stomach pains just from birthing niggas' shit
Cut the grass off the surface
Pray the lawnmower blade catch the back of a serpent, nigga, shit
Bitch"
You better stop playing with this man. Earl can rap his ass off, especially when he's angry. He's depressed and tired of cats trying to ride that Odd Future wave to further their status and/or career. Good grief, this verse is too fucking good.
