Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre’s rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, weird tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches his attention.

Generally underwhelming records by megawatt stars like Future, Jack Harlow, and Lil Durk have taken up most of the oxygen in rap this year, but below that surface there are plenty of exciting mixtapes just waiting to be discovered. From West Coast party romps to underground East Coast gloom, here are seven recent tapes that are well worth checking out.

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In a just world, five different tracks on 2 Slizzy 2 Sexy would be serious song of the summer contenders. The entire mixtape puts Cash Cobain and Chow Lee’s airy melodies over some of the year’s breeziest sample-spinning club drill beats Cash has cooked up yet. (Among the reimagined hits are the Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah” and J Holiday’s “Suffocate.”) You won’t find too many lyrics that will blow you away—this New York duo is more focused on getting laid than the American Pie dudes. It’s about the humid dance-party vibes, and especially around this time of year, that’s more than good enough.

D.C. rapper ANKHLEJOHN’s airtight rhymes are a little slower, quieter, and darker on The Four Knights Game. The beats sound like they could soundtrack a sad-ass Western, and lyrically he weaves together East Coast fly shit, slice-of-life raps, and heavy-hearted memories: “I used to watch moms get hands put on her, but she fight back/She the one taught me how to fight scrap, this ain’t ’bout no nice raps.” Despite this bleakness, I find it to be a fairly optimistic record. On “The Sunrise,” his fears feel like afterthoughts compared to the fleeting moments that make life special, like getting called downstairs by his grandmother to switch the TV channel or chasing his son around the house to change his diaper.

The washed-out self-produced beats on Vayda’s VV make me think of everything from Metro Zu to early Kilo Kish to Divine Council. And her vapor light vocals just melt right into them; the tape is so wispy and soft and soothing. She stretches her production arsenal throughout while maintaining a consistent sense of longing. “This Ain’t No Rihanna” is dancey; the drums on “Taste (outro)” are dim, and the 808s are fuzzy; “Wanna Be Me” is sort of spacey, emphasized by the most friendly-sounding shit talk. It’s a mood.

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Kamaiyah is a summer anthem machine. On Divine Timing the Oakland mainstay has a whole new pack of lighthearted singsongy jams that pay homage to her hometown, spruced up with outside touches that add to the freewheeling feel. A highlight is “Oakland Steppin in Detroit,” which merges the longtime relationship between the Bay and Michigan rap. Then “Brand New Rolex” is so hummable that it’s been popping in and out of my mind for weeks. The best song is “F.W.I.,” though, where Kamaiyah and fellow Northern California summer anthem expert DaBoii provide the soundtrack for countless beach days.

I treat new Jah-Monte mixtapes like a new season of my favorite sitcom. It just feels nice to be back in the North Carolina rapper’s world of slick rhymes threaded together with vignettes about falling in and out of love and two-timing up-and-down the Eastern Seaboard. “Me and my baby had a great thing going until we lost it/Now she shop at Plato’s Closet, I pray it’s gossip,” he raps on “Paparazzi Posse,” over a hazy Chuck Strangers instrumental. Armed with frequent flow switch-ups and one-liners that catch you off-guard with their absurd specificity, he glides on this collection of mellow and soulful beats by producers like Ohbliv, Fly Anakin, Roper Williams, and more.

Last summer, Southeast L.A. crew Baby Stone Gorillas introduced themselves to the rap world with a run of singles so hot that I had to start following them with the urgency that Woj and Shams cover NBA free agency. The four rappers—P4k, Topfivee, 5Much, and EKillaOffDaBlockk—bounce hardened street tales off each other with a chillness that screams L.A. At 23 songs, with a minimum of three rappers on each track and maximum of what feels like 30, their debut group tape Babyst5xne Gorillas is overwhelming. But there is so much good rapping up-and-down the tape, from E Killa’s gloriously offbeat flow on the funky “Soldier Musik” to pretty much every single P4k verse.

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Window Service 2 isn’t quite as good as the original, which is one of my favorite mixtapes of the year, but it might be more interesting. Throughout the tape, MarijuanaXO and Joe Pablo mix together the straightforward punchline raps about living by the bro code that dominated Window Service with melodies that range from naturalistic wailing to sing-raps assisted by Auto-Tune turned up to extreme levels. It’s important to note that, despite the billing, Window Service 2 is not just a joint tape, but also a showcase for all their friends in and around the Milwaukee area. Of the 18 songs, “Opp Dropper” is the wildest one—the Auto-Tune is so out of control that their guests Big Haulin and Trapbaby sound like they’re trying to rap underwater. As far as MarijuanaXO and Joe Pablo go, their best singing is on “Fire Brings Ice,” where they both go so hard that their voices crack and shake.

This week I got around to watching The Greatest Mixtape Ever, ESPN’s latest 30 for 30 doc, which follows how sneaker company AND1’s fusion of basketball and hip-hop led to their rise. It’s fine—clocking in at around 42 minutes, it’s more like watching a PowerPoint presentation on the brand than anything else. Really, the only reason to give the documentary a shot is for Jadakiss’ narration.

The film peaks in the opening two minutes: As jazz music plays in the background, ball dribbling wizard Skip 2 My Lou highlights flash across the screen, and Jadakiss sets the tone with his smokiest voice: “Just so you get it straight from the jump, this is a story about sight and sound. Ball and beats. The street and the speakers.” It’s not exactly the most poetic thing you’ll ever hear, but when Jadakiss starts a story, you just want to hear the whole thing. It got me incredibly hyped for what was to come, though the rest didn’t live up to that opener. Disappointingly, the documentary doesn’t use Jada enough, at least not until the end, when he gets a similarly reflective monologue that wraps things up on a strong note. Move over Morgan Freeman. Hang it up David Attenborough. Jadakiss is on your corner.

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Maryland producer Osyris Israel cooks up beats full of peaks and valleys. One of my favorites is “Awakee,” a drum ’n’ bass single that gets increasingly tripped out as it goes on. The beatmaker’s warped and trancey instrumentals are solid canvases for rappers who stretch their vocals to extreme lengths. This has included Nolanberollin, javi, and a constantly evolving musical relationship with St. Paul, Minnesota’s Lerado. On “=Right,” Osyris’ mellow yet mesmerizing loop forms the perfect backdrop for Lerado’s deadened delivery. Lately Lerado has rapped over tons of distortion and noise, but Osyris’ beat allows him to open up, giving you the ability to parse his words. But the song is more about immediate sensations than lyrics, and it really feels like experiencing a two-and-a-half-minute blackout.

Thanks Joey, next time I call out “sick” from Pitchfork, I know what to say.

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Damedot and Peezy are the old souls of Detroit rap. Their catalogs go back to when they were both members of the Team Eastside crew over a decade ago. On “In the Mob,” they reminisce over Whodini’s 1984 classic “Friends.” The piercing synths and drum machine rhythms don’t feel far off from a beat they might tackle on the regular. Both verses are good, too. True to the theme of Damedot’s mixtape Fuck Yo Summer, where this song lands, Dame raps like he’s in the mood to disrespect everyone—aptly comparing himself to Joe Pesci’s unhinged persona in Goodfellas. Peezy is more chill, casually describing the details of his outfit and reflecting on where their run began: “It all started in the basement/Skip a couple years now we got money by the cases.” It’s fun to hear these former teammates talk shit.

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