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Rap Song of the Week: Lil Uzi Vert Heads to the Club on “Just Wanna Rock”

Plus, essential tracks from Ab-Soul, Armani Caesar, and Connie Diiamond

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Rap Song of the Week: Lil Uzi Vert Heads to the Club on “Just Wanna Rock”
Lil Uzi Vert, photo courtesy of Atlantic Records

    Rap Song of the Week breaks down all the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Lil Uzi Vert hops on a Jersey club beat with “Just Wanna Rock.”


    Lil Uzi Vert takes pride in acknowledging their roots in North Philadephia’s Francisville neighborhood. With Jersey club recently breaking out from its origins in Newark — just an hour or two away from where the rapper, who uses they/them pronouns, was born and raised — it was inevitable that the always-experimental artist would dip a toe into the genre.

    The result is “Just Wanna Rock,” an uptempo dance track with gothic keys that Uzi Vert dropped after it went viral on TikTok. Co-produced by MCVertt, a frequent collaborator with Jersey drill pioneer Bandmanrill, and Synthetic, who is known for working with SoundCloud revivalist Yeat, Uzi made a clear effort to pay proper homage to Jersey club.

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    Sparse by design, the song only features a single verse in an Auto-Tuned warble. Still, Uzi shouts out Philly’s 1600 block and makes another reference to raising their height by standing on their stacks of money. “How the fuck you gon’ kill my vibe?,” Uzi spits. “Stand on my money, don’t know my size.”

    “Just Wanna Rock” is hardly Uzi’s first foray into mixing dance music with hip-hop. Ahead of their most recent album, 2020’s Eternal Atake, Uzi dropped the EDM synth-driven hit “Futsal Shuffle 2020.” The track put them ahead of the curve on the, ahem, mainstream renaissance in house and dance music driven by Beyoncé’s latest album and Drake’s Honestly Nevermind.

    Now, Uzi’s back at it again, but Jersey club is likely only a pit stop ahead of The Pink Tape, though the project should feature plenty of other experimentation. “This time I went experimental with the music and traditional on the mixing,” they recently told HipHopDX.

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    Given the history between Uzi and their label, it could be a while before Pink Tape actually hits streaming, but “Just Wanna Rock” offers a promising preview of what’s to come.


    Honorable Mentions:

    Ab-Soul feat. Zacari – “Do Better”

    After dropping a pair of loosies earlier this year, Ab-Soul has begun the proper push for his long-awaited follow-up to Do What Thou Wilt. “Do Better” paints a picture of resilience while giving a glimpse into the TDE rapper’s freefall into depression and addiction with self-motivational lyrics like, “Look the man in the mirror in the eye and be honest/ Slow down time, get back in line with my chakras.”

    Armani Caesar – “Survival of the Littest”

    First Lady of Griselda Armani Caesar is a force all on her own — the Buffalo collective just gave her a platform and “turned me into a monster,” as she explains on “Survival of the Littest.” Laser-focused on what matters (“I want a mil’, you want a millions likes”), Armani says she’s here to show biters how it’s done before exiting the game gracefully. Hopefully, that’s just bluster because her presence alone pushes her crew to elevate their rhymes.

    Connie Diiamond – “Started”

    Coming off her sample drill track “Toot That (Nene Bomba),” Bronx native Connie Diiamond takes a sidestep with the sparse piano stabs of “Started.” The barebones production puts a focus on her unrelenting delivery and chilly lyrics (“Cold in the field, hittin’ shit I’m like Pete Rose/ I was punchin’ the shit ’til the piece froze/ Man, these n****s know I got the cheat code”), proving why the recent Def Jam signee is one to watch.

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    Mike Dimes – “247”

    The average person wouldn’t want their phone ringing off the hook 24/7, but San Antonio’s Mike Dimes knows it comes with the territory when you come from nothing. Over a trunk-rattling beat, the rising rapper embraces the challenge and staves off the complacency that could lead to his downfall. Fully confident in maintaining his cash flow, Dimes knows what it takes to make the industry “my bitch.”

    Monaleo – “Body Bag”

    One of the first honorable mentions in this column with last year’s “Suck It Up,” Houston rapper Monaleo reels off brash, unapologetic rhymes on “Body Bag.” Living up to the song’s title, she threatens haters with savage lines about letting “my cousin do a TikTok on yo’ grave” and calling out keyboard warriors. Though Monaleo knows “it’s a marathon, not a race,” she’s already gaining on the opposition.


    Best Rap Songs Playlist:

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