Lucas Foster spent his holiday fighting union-busters.
Some of the most interesting rap being made in this era expands upon a sub-genre of melodic trap that Chief Keef pioneered in the middle of the decade. Among the most nimble and creative artists working in this lane is ATL Smook. Since 2016 Smook’s music has been relentlessly consistent; often better and more interesting than most artists who hopped out of this niche and into mainstream relevancy. On “Early,” Australian producer Thrillboy threw him the exact sort of beat that he thrives on: sentimental melodies, downtempo percussion, eschewing a kick drum for extra heavy 808s. It is a space that Smook and Atlanta collaborator 10kDunkin thrive in like almost no one else.
