D-Nice Brings Club Quarantine to the Hollywood Bowl with Common, Isley Brothers and More

One of the most uplifting events to take root during COVID-19’s stay-at-home mandates was D-Nice’s Club Quarantine. The DJ’s game-changing live sets became a culture-raising fixture on Instagram for celebs and music fans alike over the last year, attracting millions thanks to his masterful curation of R&B, soul and hip-hop classics. Last night (Aug. 29), D-Nice brought his online party to the Hollywood Bowl — and kept the house rocking for three hours.

The first stop in a road show series staged in partnership with Live Nation Urban (next up: Brooklyn, Sept. 2; Atlanta, Sept. 3), Club Quarantine Live at the Bowl co-starred Common, the Isley Brothers, Deborah Cox and Trey Songz, among others. Donnie Wahlberg and Chris Spencer co-hosted the sold-out affair during which D-Nice’s deft spinning coupled with the artists’ lively and passionate performances kept the exuberant crowd on its feet the entire time.

A pre-show video montage featuring comments from Club Quarantine fans not only set the evening’s tone but also paid homage to D-Nice for the relief, hope and fun his trips down memory lane provided as the pandemic and social unrest took their toll. Noted one fan, “I don’t know how I would have made it; [Club Quarantine] was a sanctuary.” Added another, “Club Q gave me a new ideology of what life is … If you stay authentic, humble and true to yourself, good guys will always win.”

Holding court atop a tall platform wearing a white suit and ever-present hat (starting with gray and changing later to red), good guy D-Nice kicked off the show with Sister Sledge’s fitting “Lost in Music.” From there he segued into a medley that had the Bowl audience singing along at the top of their lungs: Stevie Wonder’s “Do I Do,” Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine,” Patrice Rushen’s “Haven’t You Heard” and Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Between his solo spins, D-Nice welcomed special guests into his VIP section: two white couches located on each side of the stage.

Deborah Cox had fans cheering ecstatically during her powerful performance of her hits “Sentimental” and “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here”; surprise performer Tank (previously announced artists Amerie and Carl Thomas didn’t appear) winningly crooned his way through a sexy and grown set featuring “Maybe I Deserve,” “Please Don’t Go” and “When We.” Trey Songz raised that bar to the next level with the sensual and searing “Can’t Help But Wait,” “Can’t Be Friends” and “Neighbors Know My Name.”

Earlier in the show, emerging star Kiana Ledé sang her platinum-certified “Ex” and the vibey “Rather Be.” She’s the featured guest on the latter, D-Nice’s latest singe from his forthcoming album. Giving thanks for surviving a tumultuous year, gospel singers Karima Kibble and Erica Campbell propelled a spirited praise and worship session that included Mary Mary’s 1999 classic “Shackles” (Praise You).”

Letting his spinning and the fervent audience sing-alongs do most of the talking, D-Nice further revved up the crowd with an homage to his New York City stomping grounds (Puff Daddy’s “All About the Benjamins,” JAY-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love You [Give It 2 Me]”) and HBCU’s (E.U’s “Da Butt”). He closed the inaugural Club Quarantine Live with another Sister Sledge track, “Thinking of You (Dimitri From Paris Remix).” Explained D-Nice, “This is the song that got us — the Club Quarantine family — through the last year.”

Among other choice Club Q moments:

Double Icons: Not one but two mighty legends hit the Club Q stage — the Isley Brothers and George Clinton. Garbed in a glittery cape, No. 34 Lakers jersey and silver helmet-type hat, chief of funk Clinton engaged the delighted audience with riffs on verses and choruses from three of Parliament-Funkadelic’s best-known hits: “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” “Flash Light” and “Atomic Dog.” Helping to close out the show’s last hour, brothers Ronnie and Ernie commanded the stage during a too brief, two-song performance: the sultry “Footsteps in the Dark” and seductive “Between the Sheets.” Resplendent in white — Ronnie dressed in a suit accessorized by a matching chapeau and gold-topped black cane in hand; Ernie in a white head scarf, white pants and silver vest — the siblings adeptly showed that age ain’t nothing but a number.

The Audience: It was difficult to discern who was having the most fun — the artists or the audience. But the audience perhaps had the edge. After 18 months of a forced hiatus, the party-starved crowd was ready to let loose, especially after co-hosts Wahlberg and Spencer hit the stage tot he opening beats of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode.” From there it was all systems go as candid shots of fans going to town dancing and singing flashed across the giant video screens flanking the stage. One such fan: This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown during D-Nice’s homage to his New York City stomping grounds with Puff Daddy’s “It’s All About the Benjamins” and JAY-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).”

Star Trio: “This is the party of all parties, right?” declared Common who took the stage after Clinton for a strong set that included him breakdancing and performing his timeless mantra “The Light.” Then the rapper and the funk guru returned to sing along with the ever-fierce Sheila E. during her riveting take on “The Glamorous Life,” which she wrapped with a compelling, standing ovation-earning drum solo.

Salute to Biz Markie: One of the night’s most touching and ethereal moments occurred during D-Nice’s tribute to hip-hop pioneer Biz Markie. Requesting a minute of silence, the DJ/rapper proclaimed that “without Biz, I wouldn’t be on this stage right now. He inspired me to come back. So shine a light right now for Biz Markie.” The sea of camera phone lights shining across the entire venue as the crowd chanted the hook to Markie’s “Just a Friend” spoke volumes.

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Rain Causes Bonnaroo Organizers To Reduce Camping Capacity

As music lovers gear up for Bonnaroo 2021 on Sept. 2-5 at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenn., the event’s organizers are reducing the festival’s camping capacity, in anticipation of “significant rain” from Hurricane Ida.

Organizers posted an update on Bonnaroo’s official social media accounts Monday evening (Aug. 30), stating, “Due to the expectation of significant rain on The Farm from Hurricane Ida, and the knowledge that areas of our campgrounds will be rendered unusable, Mother Nature has forced us to reduce our camping capacity.”

Previously, Bonnaroo delayed the opening of its campground area from Tuesday until Wednesday. Those who no longer wish to attend Bonnaroo this year can request a full refund, from now until Tuesday (Aug. 31) at 8 p.m. CT. All current ticket holders will receive an email from Front Gate Tickets with information on how to request a refund.

Among this year’s Bonnaroo performers are Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, My Morning Jacket, Run The Jewels, Young Thug and Tyler, The Creator.

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Lil Nas X & Tony Hawk Confirm There’s No Bad Blood With New Skate Tutorial

There wasn’t any bad blood between Lil Nas X and Tony Hawk when the two met up and filmed a skate tutorial following the debacle about Hawk’s blood-infused skateboard.

The rapper shared photos of their positive meetup on Monday (Aug. 30), with LNX proudly holding up the sold-out Hawk Blood Deck that has two vials of the legendary athlete’s blood infused with red paint. Last Tuesday, the canned mountain water company Liquid Death revealed the limited-edition product in a graphic video announcement, where Hawk claimed part of the proceeds from the board would go toward “killing plastic pollution and to building skate parks in underserved communities.” He also told Forbes that the inspiration behind the blood-infused deck came from a 1977 Kiss comic book that had real blood in the ink.

Nas took it to the skate park to help out struggling skateboarders on how to perform vert tricks in a TikTok tutorial. But the real trick is spotting Hawk actually performing them as his stunt double. “Nah WE tweakin,” Lil Nas X captioned the moment, a clever play on his previous, ultra-viral “nah he tweakin” comment under Rap’s original Instagram post. On his Instagram Story, Nas shared a picture of the back of the board, which not only contains Hawk’s blood but also his signature. “Montero – we tweakin,” read the short message.

In the spring, to promote his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” LNX partnered with the New York-based design company MSCHF to launch 666 pairs of limited-edition Satan Sneakers that may or may not have contained human blood in the midsole. Nike followed up with a lawsuit against MSCHF for trademark infringement, claiming the studio materially altered the sportswear brand’s popular Air Max 97 design without permission, which has since been settled.

“Now that tony hawk has released skateboards with his blood painted on them, and there was no public outrage, are y’all ready to admit y’all were never actually upset over the blood in the shoes? and maybe u were mad for some other reason?” the Grammy-winning rapper tweeted last Wednesday in his defense.

See the dynamic duo’s skatepark meet-up below.

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Kanye West Claims Universal Music Group Released ‘Donda’ Without His Approval

Kanye West doesn’t seem pleased with the rollout of his latest album, Donda.

Just hours after Donda arrived on streaming services Sunday morning (Aug. 29), the 44-year-old rapper and fashion mogul claimed on social media that the oft-delayed album was released without his approval by Universal Music Group, the parent company of Def Jam Recordings.

“UNIVERSAL PUT MY ALBUM OUT WITHOUT MY APPROVAL AND THEY BLOCKED JAIL 2 FROM BEING ON THE ALBUM,” West wrote in all caps on Instagram.

Billboard has reached out to Def Jam for comment.

The Donda track “Jail pt 2,” featuring DaBaby, was originally unavailable when the album first appeared on streaming services Sunday morning, but became available later in the afternoon. In a now-deleted Instagram post from early Sunday, West shared screenshots of text messages saying the track was being held up because of clearance issues from DaBaby.

During Ye’s third large-scale listening event for Donda at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Aug. 26, it was revealed that Jay-Z’s verse on “Jail” had been replaced by a new one from DaBaby, who has been under fire for making homophobic and misogynistic comments at Rolling Loud Miami in July. Fans were pleased to learn Sunday that Jay’s verse had been reinstated on the original “Jail.”

Donda, Kanye’s 10th album, was first due on July 23 via G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam following his first large-scale listening event inside Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, but then the project experienced multiple delays. Named after the rapper’s mom who died in 2007, Donda comes nearly two years after his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

In addition to Jay-Z and DaBaby, Donda also features numerous high-profile collaborations, including The Weeknd and Lil Baby (“Hurricane”), Travis Scott (“Praise God”), Young Thug and Pop Smoke (“Tell the Vision”), Kid Cudi (“Moon”), Pusha T, Roddy Ricch and Ariana Grande (“Donda”), and more.

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Fans Choose BTS & Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Butter’ Remix as This Week’s Favorite New Music

The remix of BTS’ summer smash “Butter,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 27) on Billboard, choosing the team-up between the K-pop boy band and Houston rapper as their favorite new music release of the past week.

The “Butter” remix brought in 76% of the vote, beating out new music by Halsey (If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power), Selena Gomez and Camilo (“999″), Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar (“Family Ties”), Kacey Musgraves (“Justified”), and others.

BTS, who recently graced the cover of Billboard, and Megan Thee Stallion’s remix arrived days after the rapper filed an emergency temporary restraining order against 1501 Certified Entertainment, alleging that her label was blocking her from appearing on a remix of BTS’ Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Butter.” On Tuesday (Aug. 24), a Texas judge ruled in favor of the Megan’s request to extend the TRO that permitted her to release the remix. The following day, both acts announced the remix.

“Butter” has been sticking to the top of Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart, where it remains in the week dated Aug. 28. The song, which ruled the Hot 100 for nine weeks and became the longest-running No. 1 of 2021 (so far), is currently in the No. 8 slot of the all-genre tally.

Placing second on the past week’s tally with nearly 11% of the vote was Halsey’s fourth album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. The new set, executive produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, explores themes of pregnancy and motherhood.

Halsey has described the 13-track project as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth. It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months.”

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

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Beastie Boys’ Mike D, Flying Lotus, Lupe Fiasco & Others Mourn Death of Reggae Legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

Musicians around the world are mourning the loss of legendary Jamaican producer and a dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry, who died Sunday (Aug. 29) at the age of 85.

Artists like the Beastie Boys’ Mike D, Flying Lotus, Lupe Fiasco and many others took to social media to pay their respects to Perry, whose pioneering accomplishments made him of of reggae’s most eccentric producer-vocalist.

“We send the most love and respect we can to Lee Perry who passed today, to his family and loved ones and the many he influenced with his pioneering spirit and work,” Mike D tweeted. “We are truly grateful to have been inspired by and collaborated with this true legend.”

“Blessed journey into the infinite,” Flying Lotus, whose real name is Steven Ellison, wrote on Twitter. “RIP Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.”

Rapper Fiasco also remembered Perry, tweeting, “AFRICAN BLOOD IS FLOWING THROUGH I VEINS SO I AND I SHALL NEVER FADE AWAY!!!!”

During his decades-long career, Perry built his legendary Black Ark studio in Kingston, which became the birthplace for many classic reggae and dub recordings by Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Congos, Max Romeo and Junior Murvin. Perry’s work on Romeo’s War Ina Babylon, The Heptones’ Party Time, The Congos’ Heart of the Congos and Murvin’s Police & Thieves helped push reggae to new international levels in the late 1970s.

Romeo remembered the late producer as a “genius in the truest sense of the word.”

“The first thing is, he was truly a producer; he didn’t just a sit in a chair in the studio and listen to what you got and record it. He joined in in the building of the thing,” Romeo told Rolling Stone after Perry’s passing. “He’s a genius in the truest sense of the word. Of course he was ahead of his time. His creations actually contributed to rap music, Protoje and Buju Banton’s music. He’s the best I ever worked with in my 55 years in the business.”

Mad Professor, a longtime collaborator of Perry, also remembered him in a lengthy tribute on Facebook.

“The end of an era! We first worked in the early eighties, recording several tracks and doing [several] tours, having many laughs, sharing many dreams… we spoke together with his wife a week ago…,” the dub producer wrote. “What a character! Totally ageless! Extremely creative, with a memory as sharp as a tape machine! A brain as accurate as a computer! We travelled the world together… Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, All over the USA and Canada… and many more places. Never a dull moment! All the Bob Marley stories… all the Coxone Dodd stories!! And many more…”

See more tributes to Perry below.

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Every Song on Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ Album, Ranked: Critic’s Pick

Only Kanye West could rent out Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for weeks at a time and also live there in the process of making an album. After pump-faking the release of Donda twice, Kanye returned on Aug. 26 by rebuilding his childhood home at midfield of Soldier Field in his hometown of Chicago for another listening event.

After yet another delay, the elusive Donda album finally made its way onto streaming services Sunday morning (Aug. 29). Ye’s 10th LP boasts star-studded features that include Jay-Z, Baby Keem, Pusha T, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Lil Durk, Young Thug, Jay Electronica and many more collaborators helping execute Yeezy’s latest vision on what he’s dubbed the “album of the life.”

Bringing the best out of a phalanx of collaborators and special guests has always been a gift of Kanye’s throughout his career, and he puts it on display once again with the superstar cast bridging multiple generations across 27 total tracks.

After sifting through the censored CDQ version of Donda on streaming services, check out our song rankings for the LP below.

26. “Tell the Vision” (feat. Pop Smoke)

A different version of “Tell the Vision” originally landed on Pop Smoke’s posthumous Faith album. Here, Pusha T’s verse is cut out and Pop’s vocals are altered along with Kanye tweaking the beat. Yeezy gives a salute to Pop, which serves as more of an interlude or bridge than a legit track from the fallen Brooklyn drill soldier.

25. “No Child Left Behind” (feat. Vory)

This is the proper album closer. Anyone that watched the stream or was on social media during the second Atlanta listening party will have to associate “No Child Left Behind” with the sight of Kanye — or a Kanye stunt double — ascending into the heavens on an ultralight beam through the open roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

24. “God Breathed” (feat. Vory)

One of the more gospel-leaning records on Donda. “GBOT” is a forgettable deep cut in the long run of the project as it gets swallowed up by other glossier records and colossal stars lending their talents to the LP. Although, it is funny to hear Kanye compare God being the father to an episode of Maury.

23. “24” (Feat. Vory)

By this point on the album, Donda is transitioning into a more peaceful finish. Kanye is repeatedly letting the listeners know everything is going to be okay and he’s going to keep conquering the obstacles life has thrown his way, whether it’s the loss of his mother, relationship troubles with Kim Kardashian or something else. As he rapped on “Reborn,” keep moving forward.

22. “Ok Ok, Pt. 2″ (feat. Fivio Foreign, Rooga & Shenseea)

In another part two edition, Kanye enlists his first female collaborator on the record with rising dancehall star Shenseea. But it’s the original that won’t be topped, thanks to a standout feature from Lil Yachty.

21. “Jonah” (feat. Vory & Lil Durk)

After missing the private jet to put his melodic rhymes on Donda in July, Lil Durk made up for it in a major way by making the final cut for his first collaboration with the Chicago legend on “Jonah.” Vory’s croon pops up on another track as Kanye basically turned the Houston artist’s voice into another instrument for him to deploy throughout the project. It’s probably no coincidence to hear Kanye condemning “smoking on an opp’s pack” around the same time Durk said he would stop name-dropping the dead in his music.

20. “Donda”

Kanye looks inward and mixes in an inspirational speech from the late Donda West, as Kanye reflects on his parents’ relationship and his origin story with help from the Sunday Service choir. Erasing the assist from G.O.O.D. Music president Pusha T ends up lowering the track’s ceiling.

19. “Remote Control” (feat. Young Thug)

Another unexpected treat for listeners has Young Thug reuniting with Kanye on a record. Thugger steals the show, gliding through the smooth production without a worry in the world, boasting about his riches while Yeezy mocks how futuristic the world has become with remote controls and hoverboards. With that said, “Remote” is mildly disappointing, as it won’t be one of Donda’s most memorable cuts.

18. “New Again” (feat. Chris Brown)

Kanye brings listeners on an uptempo psychedelic trip throughout “New Again.” With all Yeezy and Chris Brown have been through, they know a thing or two about shedding their skin and feeling new again. The house-influenced “New Again” would’ve been a hidden gem on Donda that was sure to get your head-bobbing if Yeezy left alone the edition fans heard in Atlanta with help from Ty Dolla $ign.

17. “Heaven and Hell” 

Kicked off with a Jennifer Lopez “Jenny From the Block” sample, “Heaven and Hell” is rare solo Kanye cut on Donda. Yeezy rides the thunderous production which provides one of the most exhilarating drops shortly after the one-minute mark. If only Kanye channeled his “No More Parties in L.A.” flow, this could’ve easily been a classic cut.

16. “Junya, Pt. 2″ (feat. Playboi Carti & Ty Dolla $ign)

This serves as a breath of fresh air with Ty Dolla $ign tapping into his rapping bag with ease. While Ty, unfortunately, got cut off from “New Again,” he gets his shine here.

15. “Jesus Lord, Pt. 2″ (feat. Jay Electronica & The LOX)

The final track of what could’ve been a double-disc effort from Yeezy. This version was played at the second Atlanta listening session as The LOX continued their hot streak coming off of their dominating Verzuz victory over Dipset. Kanye just couldn’t cut them off altogether, it just wouldn’t have been right.

14. “Keep My Spirit Alive” (feat. Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine & KayCyy)

Griselda and Kanye West is an unlikely combination, but he once again made it all work. “Keep My Spirit Alive” is tied together by the tuneful singing of YZY Sound artist KayCyy. The track most likely stems from when Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny The Butcher paid Kanye’s Wyoming ranch a visit in 2020.

13. “Jesus Lord” (feat. Jay Electronica)

One of the most powerful tracks on the entire album. Kanye opens up about the pain he’s gone through with his divorce and the never-healing wound of the loss of his mother. Bars like “Suicidal thoughts got you wondering what’s up there” or “If I die tonight, will I see her in the afterlife” are sure to pierce any listener’s soul. And that was just part one, as elusive rap superhero Jay Electronica provides reinforcements in the second half of the nine-minute marathon. The cut is capped off by a message from Larry Hoover Jr., who thanked Kanye for trying to help his incarcerated father and pleaded for his freedom.

12. “Jail” (feat. Jay-Z & Francis and the Lights)

“This might be the return of The Throne,” Jay-Z raps. The most anticipated reunion in all of hip-hop takes place on Donda as Kanye reconnects with big brother Hov. “Hova and Yeezus, like Moses and Jesus,” Jay continues to add to the hype of the former Roc-A-Fella running mates teaming up. While Watch the Throne remains the gold standard, there could be more in store as social media personality turned Donda insider Justin LaBoy claimed a sequel project from Ye and Jay was on the way for later in 2021.

11. “Lord I Need You”

One of the tracks with stronger religious themes with Kanye being a man of God. The softer track features co-production from Wheezy and serves as an angelic transition into the final chapter of Donda. This won’t be anyone’s favorite, but also not anyone’s least favorite.

10. “Moon” (feat. Don Toliver & Kid Cudi)

After publicly saying he wasn’t on the original version of Donda, Kanye gave his close friend Kid Cudi a call to have him fly into Atlanta and contribute to multiple tracks on the finished album. Cudder and Cactus Jack’s Don Toliver trade croons as “Moon” carries the middle portion of Donda.

9. “Junya” (feat. Playboi Carti)

An incredible three-song stretch of Donda is capped off with “Junya.” Yeezy joins forces with one of the leaders of the new school in Playboi Carti and doesn’t flinch. Kanye gives Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee bucks a shout-out for winning the championship and has smoke for anyone (possibly Drake or Nas) who wanted to invade his release day. “Move out the way of my release,” he raps.

8. “Jail, Pt. 2″ (feat. DaBaby)

The Chicago-bred millionaire sent shockwaves through the industry when DaBaby and Marilyn Manson joined him on the remake of his childhood home’s porch at Soldier field for the third public Donda listening party. Baby replaces and Jay-Z, which is usually an impossible task, but gives an A+ effort with a hard-hitting verse addressing the public thrashing he’s received in recent weeks. The Charlotte native’s assist is one of the album’s premier guest appearances and it’s over a beat he would never rap on if it wasn’t for Kanye.

7. “Come to Life”

Kanye warms up his vocal cords and puts his singing voice to use while getting introspective with a look inward. Sadness sets in as Yeezy expresses regret with possible love notes to his wife Kim Kardashian West and fades into the distance with an inspiring piano solo letting everyone know he’s finally free.

6. “Praise God” (feat. Travis Scott & Baby Keem)

Kanye reunites with Travis Scott for the first time since “Wash Us in the Blood” for the spacey track. Baby Keem, who was an Atlanta mainstay the past two weeks, lets us know he’s still outside pandemic be damned over the ominous organ-laden production.

5. “Ok Ok” (feat. Lil Yachty & Rooga)

A bonafide Donda standout track. The Chicago-bred mogul looks inward and professes he’s not okay at the moment. Yeezy examines the rap game admitting he’s inspired again and recognizes those trying to copy his blueprint all the while calling out artists for following trends and not standing out.

Lil Yachty provides a welcomed feature, which makes for a full-circle moment, as he got his start modeling Kanye’s Yeezy Season 3 during The Life of Pablo’s Madison Square Garden listening party in 2016 when he wasn’t yet a known commodity in rap. Lil Boat pays tribute to the late Juice WRLD over muffled 808s and hands the baton to underground Chicago native Rooga, who takes aim at those who don’t want to see him winning.

4. “Believe What I Say”

Lauryn Hill and her label come through in the clutch with the “Doo Wop” sample clearance. Kanye actually teased “Believe What I Say” in 2020 while enjoying a boat ride. The soulful cut makes for a welcomed addition to the Donda fold and might be a slight jab at Drake who used a similar “Doo Wop” sample on 2014’s “Draft Day.”

3. “Pure Souls” (feat. Roddy Ricch & Shenseea)

Another track, another five-star collaboration. Kanye connects with one of Compton’s finest in Roddy Ricch and emerging dancehall singer Shenseea for “Pure Souls.” While production has been crisp on recent Kanye projects, his songwriting has been where he’s faltered in the latter part of his career. “Pure Souls” features some quality writing from Yeezy as he spars with friendly enemy Drake by weaving “Mob Ties” and “God’s Plan” into his rhymes, which is sure to grab the 6 God’s attention heading into CLB.

2. “Hurricane” (feat. Lil Baby & The Weeknd)

A fan-favorite from the shelved Yandhi era in 2018. “Hurricane” has gone through a series of evolutions and reached close to its final form in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Kanye showed off the track polished with The Weeknd’s intoxicating tenor on the chorus instead of himself, which takes the nearly three-year-old song to another level on the Richter scale.

1. “Off the Grid” (feat. Playboi Carti & Fivio Foreign)

Whoever thought there would be a Kanye West, Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign collaboration in 2021 should probably play the lottery too. Fivio helps make it one of Donda’s best efforts. He pours his soul into this verse and doesn’t leave a bar unaccounted for.

It’s almost as if he knew how important this verse could be in catapulting him to rap’s mainstream, which is something a Kanye feature was powerful enough to do at one point. As one of the torchbearers of Brooklyn’s drill scene following Pop Smoke’s death, Fivio Foreign didn’t take this moment for granted and it showed in the final product.

A reinvigorated Kanye taps into another frequency and ends up adding his best rapping verse since The Life of Pablo to take the track to a superior fan-favorite level.

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