The Listening: Busta Rhymes, Mick Jenkins, Mac Miller and More

January 17, 2025 403 52 4

Despite being a bit lighter than previous weeks’ new releases, there is still some notable new music, especially albums.

Of course, there’s Mac Miller’s posthumous album, Balloonerism, which has existed as an unofficial release for quite some time but has now gotten an official release courtesy of his estate.

There’s also Busta Rhymes’ Dragon Season… The Awakening EP, which he teased some of during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Also, Mick Jenkins has released an EP titled Type S**t. But what’s most interesting about the project is how he released it: through a platform called Even.Biz, which helps artists have a more direct connection to their fanbase while also making more revenue than they would for their music through streaming.

As for songs, there’s Central Cee’s “GBP,” which features 21 Savage, as well as Cartier and Peezy’s “Bag on Me.”

Each week, Okayplayer will deliver a roundup of all the latest new heat from some of our favorite artists. Check out the latest offerings below.

NEW SONGS

CARTIER AND PEEZY — “BAG ON ME”

The pair make it absolutely clear that they keep that bag on them for any and all occasions over a bouncy beat from Prodbyrahkim.

SY ARI DA KID FEAT. BENNY THE BUTCHER AND CYHI DA PRINCE — “REBELLION”

The trio offers smooth raps over an equally smooth chipmunk soul beat courtesy of Jamar Johnson and Vntg Jag.

CENTRAL CEE FEAT. 21 SAVAGE — “GBP”

21 Savage returns across the pond to rap alongside rising UK rap star Central Cee for Cee’s “GBP,” the third single from the artist’s debut studio album, Can’t Rush Greatness.

NEW ALBUMS

MAC MILLER — ‘Balloonerism’

The latest posthumous Mac Miller album gets a proper release after an unofficial version made its way online years ago. The 14-track album is an ambitious endeavor, ending on the epic, almost 12-minute-long “Tomorrow Will Never Know.”

BUSTA RHYMES — ‘Dragon Season… The Awakening’

After facing a delay from its initial release date in November last year, Busta has released the Dragon Season… The Awakening EP. The six-song release showcases that Busta can not only still rhyme but, most importantly, he’s having fun with it.

LOGIC — ‘Aquarius III’

Primarily a collection of leftover songs from Logic’s 2024 album, Ultra 85, Aquarius III is a nice companion piece to last year’s full-length.

OMB PEEZY — ‘Drifting Away’

Peezy’s 18-track Drifting Away is a sprawling release that includes appearances from Skilla Baby, Mozzy, Montana 700 and GloRilla.

MICK JENKINS — ‘Type S**t’

Jenkins’ latest release also serves as a statement piece. Rather than take the usual route of releasing music on streaming, he opted to make the EP a “pay what you want” release on Even.Biz, a platform dedicated to helping artists have a more direct connection to their fanbase while also making more revenue than they would for their music through streaming.

“This project for me is sort of an ‘it is what it is’ statement,” the artist shared on the EP’s Even.Biz page. “As I enter this next phase of my journey in music, the focus is true independence.”