WILTLW: Jul 13, 2025

3300GRIM - D1BALLER

Tape of the year? Admittedly I’m not as deep in the mixtape game as I once was, but I think this is pretty solid contender. Originally hailing from St. Louis, 3300GRIM is an LA-based rapper who's been dropping projects since 2019. D1BALLER is his latest and largest to date and it brings big energy throughout: booming 808s, nightmarish synths, militant horns and stand on business performances. Chief Keef is the most obvious comp but there's a distinct ATL theatricality to GRIM's vocals and the production has traces of early Working On Dying tread as well. Entertaining from front to back.

Clipse - Let God Sort em Out

Why is the cover art by Kaws? Why is John Legend singing on the opener? Why is Pusha T beefing with Travis Scott? Why do I still kinda like this? I don’t have an answer to the first three questions, but the last one is simple, Clipse are good at rapping, very good. 16 years has done little to diminish the duo’s knack for conjuring specific and vivid imagery of life as drug dealing Virginia Beach kingpins. It almost makes up for the rest of the record sounding like it came out in 2016.

Nervous Cop - Nervous Cop

Nervous Cop is (at least in its original configuration) Greg Saunier, Zach Hill and Joanna Newsom. The album is a total fever dream, it sits between a sort of manic free jazz and musique concrete, purposefully obtuse and nearly impossible to grab hold of. The textures are cool though, and the drumming is expectedly insane, a good listen if you can let go of any ideas about what a song is supposed to be

SOTW: Feng - "When I met you"

Part of Feng’s appeal is the childlike sincerity of his lyrics, a feature that becomes most apparent when he’s talking about girls, especially ones he likes. On “When I Met You” Feng meets someone that helps reestablish his faith in the human race. She “shines a light in the room,” “makes him blush so rare,” is like his tutor “cuz she helps him excel.” It’s puppy love at it’s most endearing.