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The cascading synths remind us of Kraftwerk, while the slow-paced drums exude hip-hop swagger. Paper Route’s MCs do their part, too — spitting clever braggadocio between choruses that call to mind Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em (“Ohhh!”). The result is something you can lean and rock with. If you like the track, check out a capella version.

SLO-O skates over a classic Dr. Dre-style production with his crisp, laid-back flow. The San Francisco newcomer’s hazy tale about grinding on sleepless streets takes on added drama thanks to strings that sweep across a hypnotic keyboard riff. The song’s title references Eldridge Cleaver’s collection of essays and SLO-O proves he too has literary flare: “I walk with my soul on ice, on gasoline blocks, matchbook ready to strike, I’m trying to weave out.”

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Like many of the big club-fillers on M.J.’s Mi Sentimiento, “Lento (Ella Se Mueve)” makes a perfect combination out of M.J.’s sugar-sweet melodies and slick, booming beats. This tune is showered with intergalactic synth patterns that make the thick, chunky rhythm feel like it’s being beamed straight back from the future.

The Cool Kids flex a new rap language, inciting both new and old hip-hop heads to exclaim, “They don’t make songs like this anymore.” With all its golden age signifiers – the knocking beats, the “yes yes y’all” chants, the guitar stabs – the Cool Kids show immense affection for rap’s magical year of 1988. “88″ makes the old school futuristic with Mikey and Chuck going sick over cyborg drum breaks, which brings up the question: “Are they indeed rapping about 1988 or reporting from the future and reflecting back on 2088? Decide for yourself.

Kardinal Offishall comes to use straight out of Canada and this cut is a slick, bouncy club favorite that has been all over the charts up north. It wouldn’t be a chart-topper without an Akon appearance. The Senegalese vocalist with the Midas touch adds a few verses and some production duties on this synth-heavy track.

In the case of Puerto Rico’s Tony Dize, you can definitely judge the man by the company he keeps. Dize has been working closely with reggaeton duo, Wisin & Yandel. The compilation Los Vaqueros that was put out by the dynamic duo featured the track “Quizas”, which was a big hit. Now Dize is out on his own and we’ve got a track from his full-length debut, La Melodia De La Calle.

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