Listen to Lunchbox’s “U Could Stay”: New Rap Music Today

Harlem’s Lunchbox produced a handful of the murkiest beats on Sheck Wes’ debut, Mudboy, but when I first realized that he had pivoted to being a rapper in the crowded lane of Yeat and the Opium dudes, I could not have been less interested. Apologies! He is in fact snapping. His take on the popular style slams the accelerator of an already high-energy, blown-out sound. Dive into his SoundCloud page and you will find beats (usually produced by Mowz or Amir) that are spaced the hell out like the freaky “Who Dat Is” and blistering Auto-Tune-aided raps full of pitch-altered chirps and howls. On the Mowz-produced “U Could Stay,” Lunchbox’s melodies zig-zag through a beat that sounds like a security alarm that won’t stop going off. I’m so in.

With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.

Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from Lunchbox and more on our Spotify playlist.