ML Hammer95

ayzAJ9yjnX8 Well, it's not hard to see why this is #1 on Spotify's New Music Friday playlist... sounds like a potential Top 10 hit to me!

Sounds like rap made especially for commercial radio.

That Lil Dicky song is a real earworm despite it's lack of quality. :lol:

Yeah go ahead!

VelBmp8Pxqo Straight up banger, can see this doing well in the coming months! Very instant chorus.

Intrigued.. His last song with Mr Eazi didn't do much, I hope its not another version of 'Bestie' although that wouldn't surprise me. I really liked Jess Glynne's feature on 'Not Letting Go', so hoping for another summer smash.

Cruzin' is excellent, music for the soul! The production sounds timeless.

More stanning of urban artists please everyone!

It was #8 on the Shazam chart too last time I checked. I do like the song, but I don't know what makes it more popular than similar songs released over the last 18 months.

Exactly. 'Barking' wouldn't have charted so highly if released in January 2017 and wouldn't chart as highly in January 2019. It was the current popularity of the genre in the charts that enabled such an unknown artist to chart so highly.

BBC Radio 1Xtra Playlist | 09/03/2018 A List B Young - Jumanji [C-B-A-A-A-A-A-A] BlocBoy JB feat. Drake, Skepta & Suspect - Look Alive (Remix) [A] ^Calvin Harris feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR - Nuh Ready Nuh Ready [C-B-B-A] Drake - God's Plan [A-A-A-A-A-A] Fredo - Rapping & Trappin' [A-A-A-A] Jorja Smith feat. Stormzy - Let Me Down [C-B-A-A-A-A-A-A] Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All The Stars [C-B-B-B-A-A-A-A-A] Kendrick Lamar feat. Travis Scott - Big Shot [A-A-A-A] Kojo Funds feat. RAYE - Check [A-A-A-A-A-A] M.O. feat. Lotto Boyzz & Mr. Eazi - Bad Vibe [C-B-B-A-A-A] Mabel feat. Not3s - Fine Line [C-B-A-A-A-A-A] Mahalia feat. Little Simz - Proud Of Me [A-A] MIST - Game Changer [C-B-A-A-A-A-A] ^MoStack - What I Wanna [b-A] One Acen feat. WSTRN - Vice Versa [A-A-A-A-A-A-A] ^Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign - Psycho [C-B-A] The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me [A-A-A-A-A-A] Young T & Bugsey - Greenlight [A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A] B List Avelino feat. Dave - U Can Stand Up [C-B-B-B-B-B] CASisDEAD - Pat Earrings [C-C-C-B-B-B-B] ^Col3trane feat. Ebenezer - Language [C-B] Ding Dong - Fling Yuh Shoulda [C-B-B] H.E.R - 2 [C-C-B-B-B] ^Headie One - Golden Boot [C-C-B] IAMDDB - Conjuring [C-B-B] Jhené Aiko feat. Swae Lee - Sativa [C-B-B-B-B-B] Lil Xan - Betrayed [C-C-B-B-B-B-B-B-B] Migos - Stir Fry [b-B-B-B-B] Migos feat. Drake - Walk It Talk It [C-B-B-B-B-B] Ms Banks - Come Thru [C-B-B-B-B] ^Ocean Wisdom feat. Dizzee Rascal - Revvin' [C-B] Octavian - Patry Here [C-C-B-B-B] ^RAYE feat. Mabel & Stefflon Don - Cigarette [C-B] ^Tinashe feat. Offset - No Drama [C-C-C-B] C List *Afro B - Drogba (Joanna) [C] *Da Beatfreakz feat. Giggs - Swingin In Da Whip [C] Damian Marley feat. Ghetts - Here We Go (Remix) [C-C-C] *Dave - Hangman [C] *DJ Khaled feat. JAY-Z, Future & Beyoncé - Top Off [C] *Hardy Caprio - Rapper [C] *Khalid & Normani Kordei - Love Lies [C] Lily Allen feat. Giggs - Trigger Bang [C-C-C] *Loski - Cool Kid [C] Stylo G feat. Beenie Man - 10 Metric Ton [C-C-C-C] BBC Introducing Tiana Major9 - Levee (Let It Break) Out Burna Boy feat J Hus - Sekkle Down [C-C-B-B] Giggs feat. Popcaan - Times Tickin' [C-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-A-A-A] Kritz93 feat. E.Mak - Woah [bBC Introducing] Khalid feat. Jorja Smith & Wretch 32 - Location [Remix] [C-B-B-A] MC Fioti feat. Future, J Balvin, Stefflon Don & Juan Magán - Bum Bum Tam Tam [C-C-C-B-B-B-B-B-B] MHD feat. Major Lazer - Afro Trap Part. 7 (La Puissance) (Major Lazer Remix) [C-C-C-C-C] Tom Misch feat Loyle Carner - Water Baby [C-C-C-C] Yxng Bane feat. Maleek Berry - Corner [A-A-A]

Charts aren't the only way to determine the popularity of a song... Not3s didn't just come out of nowhere with 'My Lover'.

People are underestimating the cultural impact of 'Addison Lee'. But I agree that Not3s would not necessarily score instant hits. This new one hasn't been played on the radio or pushed anywhere as far as I know. Does sound like a hit though.

It's just not the same anymore. Leaving Upton Park, which I accepted at the time, has not resulted in the investment in the team the fans were promised. The problems with the stadium itself are well documented - I've only been to one home game this year and generally go to the away games instead. Even something small like changing the badge and shoehorning 'London' onto it. The club are trying to go upmarket and ignore our roots - West Ham are not Arsenal or Chelsea. Fans would have been happy staying at Upton Park. Ironically, the team remain as useless as ever. While angry, I honestly believe we would not have seen scenes like yesterday's at the old stadium. I totally understand the fans frustrations, and while not condoning what happened yesterday, I'm not surprised the fans are not sitting back and taking what is happening.

I feel like I am losing my club and it breaks my heart.

The above point is very true - urban music has always had a presence in the pop charts and the type of urban music charting is the thing that changes. For example, remember the mid 10's when it seemed every urban hit had a DJ Mustard/Nic Nac beat? Even UK artists like Krept & Konan and Yungen have had their big pop hits with Americanised beats. These comments make me realise how big 'Did You See' actually was - would go as far to say it captured the zeitgeist of 2017. It wasn't as obviously pop as something like 'My Lover' or 'Check' but the hook was huge and it stuck around longer than other big UK hits like 'Big For Your Boots'.

I've heard the next Ramz single and it doesn't sound like a hit - I was actually slightly disappointed with it. He'll be a one hit wonder I reckon. Yeah it's worth noting the big names like Stormzy and J Hus will have more chance of sticking around once this saturation is over than the likes of B Young or Ramz. I do think we are at the peak of this trend now though, I can't see it getting much bigger. As for what will replace it, I really think a 00s revival is overdue (but not rip-offs like RAYE).

I think the big story of 2018 in the UK Charts has been the takeover of urban music. Carrying on from the latter half of 2017, this year has seen numerous artists get their first Top 40 hits and urban music continues to be the main beneficiary of Spotify streams. The question is how long will this domination last? Will the nature of streaming ensure this lasts longer than the deep house proliferation of 2014 or the tropical saturation of 2016. For what it's worth, I'm slightly unsatisfied by the current situation. If you had told me this time last year that the likes of Hardy Caprio, Kojo Funds and MoStack would be sitting pretty in the Top 40 for the first time I would be thrilled - but it's currently only 'What I Wanna' that I'm really enjoying. I find it annoying that songs like 'Jumanji' are Top 15 despite it's averageness while the likes of No Don, Addison Lee, Samantha and Unsigned missed out. Also, I quite enjoyed it when urban music was the underdog in the charts and it made any underground anthem (e.g. German Whip, IN2) crossing over a massive event. But I feel by July time that urban music will have peaked and will slowly start making way for the next big thing. I think it'll be similar to the deep house phase so by the start of next year the 'Jumanji/Barking/Rapper' sound will be a bit stale. Feel free to discuss!

The start of Disc 2, from about 1-12... :wub: There won't be so much urban crossover music on a NOW again I'd have thought.

Every record MoStack has been on recently has been gold! Really upbeat feature, elevates the track.

Everything about 'Fine Line' just makes sense: an artist building upon their previous smash hit by releasing something poppier, but retaining an R&B sound. The song itself sounds fresh, on-trend and very accessible while the choice of featured artist is astute as Not3s is pretty ubiquitous right now and they have great musical chemistry together as evidence on 'My Lover'. It's probably a perfect pop song for 2018.

Think about the type of people who would actually write in to complain about a TV show though...

'What I Wanna' straight on the B-List!

This is still very good, strong comeback from them. With a little push, this could easily go Top 40 and it'd deserve too.

This is good - less poppy than 'My Lover' but the hook is just as effective. Great choice of feature too.