Tales of Poland, plus other tracks from the past couple weeks

Duwap Kaine-"Poland"

As much as I find Lil Yachty's recent viral hit deliciously droll, I can't help but enjoy Duwap's remix better. It's nice to see Yachty re-enter the spotlight, but outside of the zany chorus, Yachty's version of "Poland" functions better as one of his short-term novelties (think "One Night" or "Minnesota") than something long-lasting.

Yachty's draw has always been his chameleonic tendency to shape-shift between different musical scenes and styles. From the lollipop melodies on songs like "Broccoli" and "One Night," to the ceaseless saber tooth shit-talking with the Michigan squad, to earlier forays into the plugg scene, Boat is typically good, not great, at everything. He's cultivated his own distinct voice while simultaneously paying homage to regional scenes representative of hip hop's continuous lore. The magnetism of "Poland" epitomizes the modern internet music scene at its core, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Still, I think Duwap's "Poland" takes the cake, mainly because it encapsulates his magnetic warble so well. Whereas Yachty's version is carried by the chorus, Duwap flips the switch with about four different flows and three different cadences within a minute-in-a-half. The replay value is through the roof.

Starchild Kayla, Eric Reyes & Martin Andre-"Miss You Here"

Starchild Kayla has slowly built a formidable resume off of a sharply defined voice that falls somewhere between the wispy melodies of Babyxsosa and the ardent crooning of a Kaa$h Paige. The Cincinatti native was recently one of three chosen out of a thousand applications to work with Pi'erre Bourne on an original track as part of a Pepsi Music Lab initiative, which makes sense since Pi'erre's jubilant production is the perfect easel for Kayla's delicate cadence to paint vibrant pastels.

In the past, Kayla encapsulated the euphoric giddiness of love's early stages through a sultry rendition of Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

On "Miss You Here," Kayla glides across a pop instrumental fit for a day trip to the beach. Rather than taking a conventional route, however, Kayla subverts expectations with lyrics about a paranoid premonition she has about a lover who may have cheated ("I kind of miss you here/I started having dreams of you with someone else at night/I hope it isn't true"). The straightforward production, courtesy of Eric Reyes, fits the mold of Calvin Harris's recent dabbles with yacht rock, but Kayla and Martin Andre appear set on creating a more complicated picture about lovelorn relationships.

CAEV - "Glock Walk"

CAEV's febrile autotune makes him one of the more distinct voices out of Massachusetts, to the point where his unremitting cadences can consume most instrumentals.

His searing, and oftentimes pliable vocal runs make him a notable Young Thug disciple with a glacial edge, as evidenced on his autobiographical project BrokeandTalented and heartsick love album LoveGoesFast.

On "Glock Walk," CAEV methodically executes a catchy start-stop flow over a Detroit-style instrumental accompanied by a slick interpolation of Rob Ba$e's immortal "I wanna rock right now" line from 1988's "It Takes Two." CAEV's repetitive use of that line is more frigid and foreboding, reflecting the sinister nature of the beat and inconspicuous background in the music video.

Baby Smoove - "First Date"

Detroit's Baby Smoove raps as if he's unimpressed with everyone in life. His lethargic flow makes his voice sound like his homie forced him into the booth after just waking up from two hours of sleep.

And yet, the best Smoove tracks are always...well...smoove. Take "First Date," as an example, which is a track off of his awesome new tape I'm Still Serious 2, a sequel to 2018's I'm Still Serious.

Smoove reconnects with producer Michigan Meech (who produced most of I'm Still Serious) for a sleek track with low-end funk undertones. Smoove raps in a quasi-conversational tone and speaks candidly to a potential fling about the lifestyle she should expect if she were to pursue a path with him. His tendencies are sometimes paradoxical: he's insensibly late to the first date because he was smoking weed in the car, but he makes up for it by buying the lovely lady a $300 steak. Smoove seems interested in her, but wants to be transparent about his luxurious day-to-day activities. "Yeah, I sip lean, bitch, don't worry about my drank," he raps on the chorus," almost annoyingly.

What makes the tape so great is the collaborations with ENRGY, who hasn't made a timid beat since the dawn of time. But much like with the case of Babyface Ray's "Idols," Smoove operates best next to an instrumental that matches his suave. Meech comes through on this one.

Helluva (feat. Babytron and Dave Fio) - "Money Flow"

Beyond just the awkward collaboration, everything about this song is just tasteless; from the diet Post Malone-type chorus to the idle use of a siren and a saccharine beat that eliminates any edge found in a typical Helluva beat.

It's a shame, because Babytron is definitely one of my rap MVPs of the past couple years for his colorful punchlines filled with relentless pop culture and NBA references. For the past few years, him and his Shittyboyz collective have cultivated a niche by rapidly spitting over 1980s dance rhythms without any sense of conformity.

This past summer, Michigan finally received some mainstream flowers with the inclusion of Babyface Ray and Babytron in the XXL Freshmen list. It was definitely a joyous moment for an underground scene that has been more exciting than any over the past several years.

The recognition does leave me weary of what might happen to the scene. Rappers like Krispylife Kidd, Rio Da Yung OG, and RMC Mike are maintaining the region's ruggedness, and I don't see any of them compromising their sound anytime soon, but one has to wonder what will happen to the styles of others who have crossed over. Even Ray's last project was hit-or-miss due to some instances of sonic triteness. My hope is the above monstrosity is an aberration and not the rule-of-thumb.

Anyways, free Rio!!!