It’s the 21st century, and as a civilization, we’ve come a long way. No, there are no flying cars (yet), but we all carry tiny supercomputers in our pockets, can own drones, and can argue with strangers from all around the world as long as they have internet access.

And yet women are still having to ask their partners to help out around the house. What gives?

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Recently, Blogger Constance Hall went on a highly-relatable rant about spouses assuming responsibility for housework, and women everywhere are all, “🙌 🙌 🙌 .”

Recently while bitching about the fact that I do absolutely everything around my house with a bunch of friends all singing “preach Queen”, someone said to me “if you want help you need to be specific… ask for it. People need lists, they aren’t mind readers.”

So I tried that, asking.. specifics..

“Can you take the bin out?”

“Can you get up with the kids? I’m just a little tired after doing it on my own for 329 years”

“Can you go to woolies? I’ve done 3 loads of washing and made breaky, lunch, picked up all the kids school books, dealt with the floating shit in the pond.”

And yeah, she was right… shit got done.But I was exhausted, just keeping the balls in the air.. remembering what needs to be asked to be done, constant nagging..And do you know what happened the minute I stopped asking…?

NOTHING.Again.

And so I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not your job to ask for help, it’s not my job to write fucking lists.

We have enough god dam jobs and teaching someone how to consider me and my ridiculous work load is not one of them.Just do it.Just think about each other, what it takes to run the god dam house.

Is one of you working while the other puts up their feet? Is one of you hanging out with mates while the other peels the thirtieth piece of fruit for the day? Is one of you carrying the weight?

Because when the nagging stops, when the asking dies down, when there are no more lists….All your left with is silent resentment. And that my friends is relationship cancer..It’s not up to anyone else to teach you consideration.

That’s your job.Just do the fucking dishes without being asked once in a while mother fuckers.

Hall’s post touches on the concept of emotional labor, which can be defined as “the process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job.”

In other words, although Hall’s partner may be the one carrying out the tasks she assigns him, it is still Hall’s job to be the “manager” of the household, and keep track of what things need to get done. And anyone who runs a household knows that juggling and keeping track of chores is just as exhausting as executing them.

At time of publication, Hall’s post was shared nearly 100,000 times. That’s a lot of frustrated ladies!

When your girl Far Kew sends you the perfect present. You will find this and more cunty cups on her facebook page 👌🏽
Posted by Constance Hall on Thursday, November 30, 2017

Women in the comments section seemed to overwhelmingly agree with Hall’s post.

Let’s all learn to share the load…laundry and otherwise.

This article originally appeared on 08.27.18

There are many traditional staples of fatherhood—love, support, protection, security, providing an example—but there is, of course, that other not-so-warm-and-fuzzy feeling that dads can provoke in their kids at any given moment … sheer, utter embarrassment.

Usually in a father’s humiliation tool belt is the infamous dad joke. These corny puns have been around since 2003, and let’s face it, they’ll never leave. Of course, no dad needs one to make your eyes roll. They can do that most of the time simply by being themselves.

For his well-known #Hashtags segment, Jimmy Fallon asked his “Tonight Show” audience to share “funny, weird, or embarrassing” stories about their dads. Fallon, a father himself, is no stranger to the cringeworthy power of a dad joke. In a 2020 interview with TODAY, Fallon admitted, “I’m starting to get the eye rolls now where Daddy’s not the funniest person in the world.”

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Don’t worry Fallon! Clearly you’re not alone, because people replied with some truly hilarious comments. Dads might be silly, but we’ll gladly put up with it for the love they give us.

Enjoy 20 of the very best #DadStories. As usual, Fallon went first:

1.

“Instead of buying a smoker my dad just grills in the garage with the door closed.” – @jimmyfallon

2.

“At my aunt’s wedding reception, my dad ran out from the bathroom when he heard You Should Be Dancing by the Bee Gees play, and proceeded to do John Travolta’s routine from Saturday Night Fever.” – @MJ_Rose88

3.

“My Dad will call me sometimes when he wants me to bring him food. He refers to me as ‘GrubDash.'” – @FalPalAMF828

4.

“My dad likes to play a very morbid game called ‘guess who died’, which consists of him gossiping about someone I probably haven’t seen in 20+ years and can’t remember at all, who died recently. Bonus points for guessing the cause of death.” – @jon_jonz

5.

“My dad used to drink his morning coffee with his dentures in his hand while reading the newspaper. When we asked him why, he said his teeth also wanted to read the newspaper.” – @FallonHolic_

6.

“When my dad took my sister to her first Jr. HS dance, she asked to be dropped off a block before the school. My dad proceeded to take her all the way up to the main entrance, got out of the car and loudly announced her arrival!” – @77BroncosFan

7.

“Asked my dad if he knew who Taylor Swift was…he said, I don’t care who he is!” – @JessyKrupa

8.

“My dad whistles really loud. He sticks his head out the window and whistles back to birds. But when the lady next door heard him, she called 911. The cops told her, ‘Lady, he didn’t whistle at you. He only flirts with birds.'” – @tostianascripts

9.

“When my dad would leave a message on my answering machine, he would end the message saying, ‘This is dad signing off.'” – @RealRobFindor

10.

“We were on vacation and the gift shops selling fudge called plain fudge ‘chocolate no nuts.’ A guy walked up to my dad with some samples and offered him some saying ‘chocolate no nuts?’ And my dad said ‘what did you just call me?'” – @lauraceciliaOT

11.

“My Dad laid a new floor in my brother’s house. It was all finished so we couldn’t understand why he was taking up the boards again. Turns out he had seen a spider run underneath and was worried it would be trapped.” – @Sohnzie

12.

“Whenever my dad would try to talk us into trying something new to eat he’d state, ‘It’s so good it’ll put hair on your chest.’ He had 3 daughters.” – @Bookelew

13.

“My mom once bought a 6 ft Santa statue at a yard sale without telling dad. When he got home and parked, we heard banging, crashing and swearing. We went to look and the Santa was laying face down on the curb. Dad thought someone was trying to jump him.” – @dknessfalls

14.

“My dad couldn’t decide if he wanted to be called ‘grandpa’ or ‘papa’ so he just told all of us to call him ‘Coach.’ He’s not a coach.” – @iPopEditor

15.

“My father went to the McDonalds drive thru and asked for a whopper. When they said ‘they didn’t have whoppers’, He just drove off without placing an order.” – @Marisa_Rosie22

16.

“One day we went out to eat at Pizza Hut and sat in front of an empty table with some pizza left on it. My dad, being the penny pincher he is, grabbed some and started eating it. A few minutes later the couple comes back from the bathroom asking ‘where’s our pizza?'” – @Alex_Erickson3

17.

“My dad let a bee land on his hand and watched it closely as it stung him because he ‘wanted to see the process up close.'” – @TrippyPsycholo1

18.

“My dad once tried to tell a lady she had a Big Bug on her, but accidentally told her she had a Really Big Butt. She was not amused.” – @Sallyjo25

19.

“My dad thinks it’s funny to introduce my mom as his ‘first wife’….my parents have been married for 58 years and are in their late 80’s.” – @annMcD87

20.

“My dad entered Canada by swimming across the Niagara from the US under the cover of night.” – @albertduic

This story originally appeared on 06.17.22

If you’ve never heard of the Cat Distribution System, then you probably don’t own a cat, or you do, but you acquired your cat in a normal, non-weird way. You know, like at an animal shelter or from some nice lady on social media who had a box of kittens. Some people do get cats that way, and it’s one thousand percent a valid way to attain cat parent status.

But some lucky folks get cats through the Cat Distribution System (or CDS for short). Is this system real? The only people who know this are cats. They’re also the ones that run the system, so the rules and the way in which you attain your purr machine may be a bit wonky. You may wake up with an unknown cat in your bed even though all of your windows are closed, or you just may be like this delivery driver.

The driver was out picking up orders when a cat came out of the CDS and jumped on the man’s leg as he attempted to get back to his car. Thanks to his dash cam, you get to see CDS at work, and so did his mom. The video currently has over 2.8 million views on TikTok.

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When the driver asked his mom if he could keep the cat, at first she said no. Then she saw the footage of the cat aggressively and desperately choosing her son to be its new cat dad—and that’s how you get a cat through the CDS. Once the cat realized she made the right choice, she snuggled up on her dad’s lap as he drove her home.

“We are not cat people,” reads the text overlay. “My youngest son was out making deliveries last night. A cat kept following him. Then jumped on his leg and would not let go.”

I have news for you, Mom, you’re cat people now. It’s how the Cat Distribution System works. They train their recruits to turn non-cat people into cat people, one unsuspecting human at a time. If you don’t make it to the end of the video, yes, they kept the cat and her name is Venus. That’s how the system is designed.

Watch the CDS at work below:

@dretontheborder

#catrescue #catrescueroftiktok I am not a #catperson but maybe now I will be after today. I #Love my #son has a #huge #compassionate #heart #momsoftiktok #rescate #gato

This article originally appeared on 4.12.23

No matter how long you’ve skied or snowboarded or how much of an expert you are, there’s one nemesis on the mountain that poses an underappreciated threat—the tree well.

People may think the main danger of skiing through trees is the risk of running into one. But falling into a tree well is a less obvious, but still potentially deadly risk due to the possibility of snow immersion suffocation (SIS). Essentially, the area around the base of a tree creates snow conditions that are quite different than those out in the open. Air pockets in the snow combined with water vapor rising from the tree base turns the snow into a quicksand-like texture that is nearly impossible to escape from—the more you struggle, the deeper in you fall. Skiers and snowboarders die every year from SIS due to falling into tree wells and not being found in time.

That could easily have been snowboarder Ian Steger’s fate in March 2023 if not for the eagle eye and quick thinking of backcountry skier Francis Zuber.

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Zuber had just begun a backcountry ski run with a buddy on Mount Baker in Washington State when a flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Zuber’s GoPro footage shows him stopping and turning to see a colorful snowboard upside-down next to a tree.

“I knew there was somebody attached to it, and obviously they were still alive,” Zuber told Vancouver’s City News. “I shout out to the guy…he can’t hear me, he’s five and a half to six feet into the snow at that point.” Zuber knew he had to work fast.

As the video shows him struggling to make his way back toward the tree through the deep snow, we can hear him muttering expletives to himself and calling out to the snowboarder. At first, we can’t see how Steger is positioned, but as Zuber gets closer and starts digging, it becomes clear that the snowboarder is completely upside-down, with his face buried deep in the snow.

Watch the harrowing GoPro footage Zuber shared on YouTube:

[Warning: This video contains strong language.]

Zuber told the CBC that they estimated Steger had been buried between five and seven minutes, “probably at either a third or just the halfway point of his possible survival time in there,” when he found him. Zuber said Steger hadn’t been snowboarding alone—he was with a group of three other riders who were carrying safety equipment including shovels, beacons and two-way radios—but as we could see in Zuber’s GoPro, getting back up a mountain when you realize someone in your group isn’t behind you anymore is no small or quick task.

Steger and Zuber have since become friends since the March 3 rescue and have even gone skiing together on Mount Baker.

Steger told the CBC he just wants to “enjoy being alive.” Indeed, after a close-call experience like that, every moment you have would feel like a gift.

This article originally appeared on 4.6.23

As we know, baby name trends are constantly changing. One generation’s Barbara is another generation’s Bethany. But it doesn’t make it any less odd when you suddenly realize that your very own name has suddenly made it into the “old and unhip” pile. And for many of us 80s babies…that time is now.

In a now-viral TikTok post, baby name consultant Colleen Slagen went through the top 100 girl names from 1986 to find which ones “did not age well” and were no longer ranked top 1,000 today. Such a descent from popularity would mark them as what she calls “timestamp names.”

Spoiler alert: what might be even more surprising than the names now considered old school are the names that are still going strong.

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The first name that Slagen says is “officially out” is Heather. That’s right, not even cult movie fame could help it keep its ranking.

via GIPHY

Other extinct names include Erica, Courtney, Lindsay, Tara, Crystal, Shannon, Brandy and Dana. Tiffany, Brittany and Casey are also heading very much in that direction.

“My name is Brandy. The Gen Z hostess at Olive Garden told me that she’d never heard my name before and it was so unique,” one viewer wrote.

However, Andrea ranks “surprisingly high,” and Jessica, Ashley and Stephanie have survived…so far.

Gobsmacked, one person asked “How is Stephanie still in there? I don’t think I’ve met a Stephanie younger than myself at 34.”

But the biggest holdout still belongs to Jennifer. “She was a top 100 name all the way up until 2008. Round of applause for Jennifer,” Slagen says in the clip.

@namingbebe Sorry Lindsay, Heather, and Courtney. #babynames #nametok #nameconsultant #girlnames #80skid #1986 #nametrend ♬ original sound – Colleen

If your name has found its way into relic of a bygone era status, fret not. Slagen, whose name also ranks out of the top 1000, assures it just means “we are creatures of the 80’s.”

Of course, while we still have baby names that become incredibly common for extended periods of time (looking at you, little Liam and Olivia), the real contemporary trend is going for uniqueness. As an article in The Atlantic notes, for most of American history families tended to name their children after a previous family member, with the goal of blending in, rather than standing out. But now, things have changed.

Laura Wattenberg, the founder of Namerology, told the outlet that “Parents are thinking about naming kids more like how companies think about naming products, which is a kind of competitive marketplace where you need to be able to get attention to succeed.”

But again, even with a keen eye on individualism, patterns pop up. “The same thing we see in fashion trend cycles, we see in names,” Jessie Paquette, another professional baby namer, told Vox. “We’re seeing Eleanor, Maude, Edith—cool-girl grandma names.”

So who knows…give it time (or maybe just a pop song) and one of these 80s names could make a comeback.

This article originally appeared on 5.9.24

When Rocky Kanaka first met Katie, a scruffy beige Australian Shepherd mix, he thought she was a senior dog. As it turned out, the shelter pup was only about a year old. She had just been found by a good samaritan as a stray, her fur and skin in terrible shape, her paws swollen and her spirit muted. She didn’t even want to look at Kanaka when he first entered the kennel to sit with her.

That all changed as he took the time to sit with her and earn her trust. Kanaka has gained a huge following on YouTube with his videos sitting with shelter dogs, and his way with them is truly inspiring. He brings his own home-baked treats and a huge amount of patience and compassion, helping abandoned animals learn that humans can be kind and caring companions.

Katie is one of many dogs Kanaka has visited, and her behavior in the kennel showed him that she hadn’t had much of a chance in her short life to learn how to be a dog.

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For instance, when Kanaka offered her a stuffed unicorn to play with, she didn’t know what to do with it. He tried a squeaky toy, which she also didn’t know what to do with and found overwhelming after a few squeaks. She took Kanaka’s treats, but not immediately and not in the way a dog who understands the concept of treats would.

But throughout the video, the stray pup responded to Kanaka’s affection and love by melting right into it. She even wanted to sit in his lap toward the end, but didn’t seem to know how. Kanaka scooped her up, despite the foul smell her skin condition created, and it’s clear that this pupper just loves being loved.

Watch:

It’s hard for animals with obvious health issues, especially something as visible as a skin condition that makes them look and smell bad, to attract people looking to adopt. But by taking half an hour to get to know her, Kanaka helped us all look past all that and see Katie’s sweet spirit shine through.

So many people fell in head over heels for Katie through this video:

“OMG, The person who gets her will have the best dog as she is so obviously starved for affection and so willing to give it back ten fold.”

“That dog doesn’t have an aggressive bone in her body. she was instantly ready for you to pet her.”

“Her little tail wag broke my heart for what’s she’s been through but also lifted my spirits that she has a strength to survive and become a loved family member.”

“It’s shocking how neglected she looks but her desire to be loved is so strong. She’s going to bring such joy to her forever home.”

“I consider myself somewhat of a tough guy…. I’m from the streets, had a crazy hard life, i did 9 yrs in prison, seen it all, done it all and ain’t scared of nothing… I’m telling you that because in spite all that, when i see videos like this, i start crying like a 5 yr old girl…Goes to show you that what life has done to them, we can relate, and we see it in animals that have been hurt by others and part if me wants to knock out someone that would hurt a dog or kitty like that. Animals bring out the love and compassion we’ve forgotten because we know they’re teaching us what we definitely need to learn. What is truly considered, unconditional love….”

Rocky Kanaka’s work with dogs is both inspiring and informative, and he’s succeeded in helping so many dogs find forever homes instead of languishing in shelters because they don’t make the best first impression. Not long after this video aired, Katie was rescued and will hopefully continue to get the tender care and kindness she deserves.

Follow Katie’s journey on Kanaka’s website here. You can also follow Rocky Kanaka’s channels on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on 5.9.24

Anthony Edwards has endeared himself to basketball fans over the years for one main reason: The dude is perpetually confident in his ability to do anything. Through hell or high water, whenever Edwards is asked about his ability on the basketball court or in any other sport, he backs himself to rise to the occasion. (The one exception to this is when he gets compared to Michael Jordan.)

Anyway, we got a wonderful example of this while Team USA was on its boat for the Olympic Opening Ceremony on Friday. Edwards was simply minding his own business when Steph Curry decided to instigate, saying “they say they’d smack you, 21-0.” The catch is that this had nothing to do with basketball, and instead, Curry was talking about the American table tennis team, who he then introduced to Edwards.

“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it,” Edwards told the Olympic athletes about how they would do in their sport against him. “I don’t believe it. I’m not having it, I’m not having it. 11-0? I’m scoring one point. One point, I’m scoring.”

Upon being told that there is only one way to find out if this is true, Edwards made clear that he would like to play against them to get an answer. With great respect to Ant, I am not confident that this would end well for him, but kudos to him for believing in himself — and, of course, kudos to Curry for understanding that he can get his USA Basketball teammate going whenever he wants.

There are some people that are more directionally aware than others and that’s fine. Others of us, not so much. North, south, east and west—what are those words outside of the names of one of Kim Kardashian’s kids and an airline? They certainly aren’t directions for people in the 21st century.

Taryn Delanie Smith took to Instagram to ask people to stop with the madness. Smith is not lost in the woods looking for what side of the tree moss is growing on to hopefully lead her to the nearest stream. The woman needs landmarks, and she’s letting everyone know that they need to get with the directionally challenged program.

“If I’m trying to meet up with you, do not tell me that you are north, south, east or west of something. Respectfully, I don’t know what that is and I’m tired of being ashamed that I don’t have…I have spent no time in a crow’s nest of a pirate ship,” Smith jokes.

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It may be hard to believe, but there is a portion of the population that has no idea what those words mean while standing on a sidewalk trying to meet a friend for lunch. Are you north of the interstate or south? Is this some sort of grown up quiz everyone is supposed to pass because it seems to have skipped a few folks.

In the caption of the video, Smith reiterated that she is not aware of these directional words, “I do not own a compass. Before y’all say ‘use the compass app on your phone!’ Literally why would I do that, I refuse.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taryn Delanie (@taryndelaniesmith)

Maybe a public service announcement of television would reach a wider audience, because other commenters were in agreement with her rant.

“I’ve never felt so seen,” one person says.

“LOL!!!!!! AND DONT TALK TO ME IN ARMY TIME EITHER LOL TALKIN BOUT ILL BE THERE IN 1800 hours,” another writes.

“Ma’am I’ve never related to something as much as I have this,” a commenter reveals.

“I missed that lesson in grade 5 and to this day I believe North is directly in front of me no matter what,” someone else shares.

Smith is clearly not alone in her aimless wandering as she looks for a flag with skull and crossbones to locate friends. Not everyone can be a pirate. It probably takes some sort of special training that involves parrot talk and making a compass out of sea water and a leaf. Be kind to the directionally challenged folks in your life and just include landmarks that are hard to miss.

There are some people that are more directionally aware than others and that’s fine. Others of us, not so much. North, south, east and west—what are those words outside of the names of one of Kim Kardashian’s kids and an airline? They certainly aren’t directions for people in the 21st century.

Taryn Delanie Smith took to Instagram to ask people to stop with the madness. Smith is not lost in the woods looking for what side of the tree moss is growing on to hopefully lead her to the nearest stream. The woman needs landmarks, and she’s letting everyone know that they need to get with the directionally challenged program.

“If I’m trying to meet up with you, do not tell me that you are north, south, east or west of something. Respectfully, I don’t know what that is and I’m tired of being ashamed that I don’t have…I have spent no time in a crow’s nest of a pirate ship,” Smith jokes.

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It may be hard to believe, but there is a portion of the population that has no idea what those words mean while standing on a sidewalk trying to meet a friend for lunch. Are you north of the interstate or south? Is this some sort of grown up quiz everyone is supposed to pass because it seems to have skipped a few folks.

In the caption of the video, Smith reiterated that she is not aware of these directional words, “I do not own a compass. Before y’all say ‘use the compass app on your phone!’ Literally why would I do that, I refuse.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taryn Delanie (@taryndelaniesmith)

Maybe a public service announcement of television would reach a wider audience, because other commenters were in agreement with her rant.

“I’ve never felt so seen,” one person says.

“LOL!!!!!! AND DONT TALK TO ME IN ARMY TIME EITHER LOL TALKIN BOUT ILL BE THERE IN 1800 hours,” another writes.

“Ma’am I’ve never related to something as much as I have this,” a commenter reveals.

“I missed that lesson in grade 5 and to this day I believe North is directly in front of me no matter what,” someone else shares.

Smith is clearly not alone in her aimless wandering as she looks for a flag with skull and crossbones to locate friends. Not everyone can be a pirate. It probably takes some sort of special training that involves parrot talk and making a compass out of sea water and a leaf. Be kind to the directionally challenged folks in your life and just include landmarks that are hard to miss.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from Ice Spice, Mustard, and Rakim.

A jam-packed week of new hip-hop releases included not only the returns of a number of our faves, but also the promise of even more new music. Latto shared the trailer for her new album Sugar Honey Iced Tea (I NEED that “24’s” remake, yesterday), while many of the following artists dropped new songs.

Cordae kicked things off with “Saturday Mornings,” his latest collaboration with Lil Wayne.

Then, the Culture Jam crew returned, recruiting Flau’jae, BIA, and Lakeyah for “Can’t Get Enough.”

Will Smith started his return to the world of hip-hop, assisted by Russ and Jaden, with “Work Of Art.”

Lil Yachty doubled down on his support of buzzing newcomer Ian on “Hate Me.”

And DJ Premier called on Big Sean, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross to put on a rappity rap showcase with “Ya Don’t Stop.”

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending Friday, June 26.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Ice Spice — Y2K!

The Bronx native has proven her ability to make hits thanks to a string of catchy smashes assisted by everyone from Nicki Minaj and PinkPantheress to Taylor Swift. Y2K! is her first chance to prove that she can make an album that’s just as successful — although whether she can or can’t, she remains a huge star, as shown by upcoming Funko Pop figurine.

Mustard — Faith Of A Mustard Seed

Apart from being his official rap debut, the Los Angeles producer’s latest is a star-studded showcase of his prodigious beatmaking prowess. Although you might be expecting more deconstructed G-funk bangers like “Not Like Us,” instead, Mustard offers a broad-ranging survey of hip-hop’s regional sounds through the prism of his unique West Coast perspective. Guests include fellow Angelenos Blxst, Schoolboy Q, Ty Dolla Sign, and Vince Staples, as well as reps from every genre from drill and trap to gospel and soul.

Rakim — G.O.Ds Network — Reb7rth

Unlike its oddly complicated title, the rap pioneer’s first album in 15 years is a short and simple showcase of his production skills in addition to his still-sharp rhyme gifts. He does rap on every track, but each track is also heavily supported with features from a truly stunning collection of hip-hop who’s-whos, ranging from lates superstars DMX and Nipsey Hussle to underground vets like Canibus, Chino XL, and Skyzoo.

Singles/Videos

Babyface Ray — “Rubberband Man”

Detroit native Babyface Ray makes his return for 2024 with his first single of the year, suggesting a new project could be right around the corner. He treads familiar territory here with his signature, laid-back flow. The video is filled with cameos of fellow Detroit scam-rap mainstays like Boldy James and Peezy.

Connie Diiamond — “Jodeci” Feat. Vontee The Singer

The “sexy drill” trend has turned out to be a godsend for the subgenre, expanding it outside its relatively tiny fanbase of New York gangsters and allowing its popularity to flourish. That can only benefit artists like Connie Diiamond, who has taken up the torch wholeheartedly, spending the duration of this track talking love rather than war.

Larry June — “Like a Mack”

The Bay Area baller has been releasing new singles fairly consistently this year, which means he might just have a new album coming. His latest, “Like A Mack,” features his usual laconic flow, pairing it with a beat straight from the early ’90s — all bassline and saw wave synth lead. Perfect for the summer.

Luh Tyler — “2 Slippery” Feat. Bossman Dlow

Bossman Dlow is the breakout rapper of the year, so it makes perfect sense for him to team up with Luh Tyler, one of 2023’s big favorites. They show off a flashy, yin-yang chemistry here, with Dlow’s high-energy delivery offset by Tyler’s sleepier delivery, tied together with a shared love of off-kilter punchlines.

Navy Blue — “Low Threshold”

Bars, bars, bars. The skater-turned-rapper, who released his last album, Ways Of Knowing, under Def Jam last year, is back independent and comes back exactly how you’d expect, embracing a backpackerish flow over a chill, nearly drumless piano loop to spit some heady, introspective, and technically complex rhymes.

Ray Vaughn — “Supposed To Die”

Interpolating a 50 Cent classic, the TDE standout from Long Beach recounts his rough-and-tumble upbringing. His gift for storytelling shines here, and his use of the sample is eerie and engaging.

Young Nudy — “John Wayne” Feat. Metro Boomin

I’m beginning to wonder if there are two Metro Boomins. Like, have you ever seen The Prestige? That’s just about the only way I can think of for him to somehow be keeping up this insane release schedule. Nudy offers a fun balance of flows here, sounding alternately like a caffeinated Lil Baby or an emotional Young Thug, and it remains a wonder that he hasn’t yet reached the heights seen by his Atlanta compatriots.