Ok, enough TV coverage. Time to talk a little hip hop, otherwise known 90% of my iTunes library. 2014 has had a good start, with albums from Kid Ink, Kid Cudi, Schoolboy Q, Rick Ross, Young Money, and YG already dropping and topping the charts. While you’ve definitely heard “My Ni**a,” “Show Me,” “Sanctified,” and “Man of the Year” bumpin on the radio or from someone’s speakers at a house party, some of the best songs that have come out this year are getting way less hype. From the depths of bigger albums to the Hulkshared files of mixtapes, here are my picks for best tracks you haven’t heard yet this year (in order from least ratchet to most ratchet). Click on each song title for the Youtube link.

Drunk in Love (Remix)- The Weeknd: Despite the complete lack of “surfborts,” The Weeknd’s take on Beyonce’s smash hit is definitely worth a listen. Great song to put on when you’re hooking up (if your girl/guy is into that kind of thing), but definitely keep this off the party playlist if you don’t want weird looks from your bros. Highlights include The Weekend referring to oral sex as “hat” in the first verse and the very real possibility that he hits a few notes higher than even Beyonce attempted.

Ratchet Rating: Hat/10

Don’t Wait (feat. Chance the Rapper)- Mapei: Another soft song, hence its placement at the “least ratchet” end of the spectrum. Most of the track is dedicated to Mapei’s heartfelt singing over a simple but catchy drum and snap beat. My initial reason for checking out this song was mixtape hero Chance the Rapper’s verse (which is stellar and fits the song perfectly), but Mapei’s soulful and catchy vocals made the track worth a download.

Ratchet Rating: Igh!/10

Days in the East- Drake: In what some would call a shocking move, Drake has decided to make a song singing sadly about his trouble with women. Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t even do this shit in the studio, he just records himself rapping and singing as he drives his Bugatti morosely around downtown Toronto with tears streaming down his face. All joking aside, this is a chill song and definitely worth checking out, especially since Drake released it for free just a few months after Nothing Was the Same.

Ratchet Rating: Beta/10

In Vein (feat. The Weeknd)- Rick Ross: What a cool song. While it might not count as fully under the radar due to Ross’s Mastermind being one of the best selling rap albums this year, “In Vein” was mostly overshadowed by the album’s bigger singles. With its unique minimalist beat and the Weeknd’s killer hook (plus a half decent verse from ROZAY!!!!), “In Vein” ended up being one of my favorite songs on the album.

Ratchet Rating: Kickback Pussy/10

Fast Life (feat. Vic Mensa)- Asher Roth: Between the acoustic guitar and both Asher Roth and Vic Mensa’s breezy deliveries, “Fast Life” is a prime premature summer jam. While Roth’s lyrics on a girl who has sex too soon seem like an inauthentic departure from his “I Love College” days (sorry, no Grammys for pretend Macklemores), this song upped my expectations for his upcoming album, RetroHash.

Ratchet Rating: Bud Light Lime/10

Heavenly Father- Isaiah Rashad: Rashad (pictured above) is the newest and least-hyped member of Kendrick Lamar’s Top Dawg Entertainment, but his Civilia Demo is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2014. “Heavenly Father” matches Rashad’s laid back flow with an equally relaxed beat (love the steel drums) to form a song perfect for coolin out in the sun.

Ratchet Rating: Real Talk/10

Draft Day- Drake: Is it awkward that Drake kind of obviously has a thing for Johnny Manziel? Probably. It doesn’t stop “Draft Day” from being one of Drake’s flossiest overall tracks, albums included. The beat is 90s-inspired nirvana, and I loved Drizzy talking shit about wannabe rappers stealing it by looping the end. Stay cocky Wheelchair Jimmy. We may not buy it (and please no more half-assed shots at Chance), but it sure makes for good music.

Ratchet Rating: Man Crush Thuggin/10

1st Quarter Freestyle- Big Sean: Wait, Big Sean can go in? I still can’t believe I have this song this high on the ratchet scale. The beat goes fucking hard (reminded me a lot of “Clique”), and Sean spits fire for five and a half straight minutes. I guess Kendrick lighting him up on “Control” finally forced Sean to stop boring the shit out of me.

Ratchet Rating: You Mad Bro?!?/10

Harold’s- Freddie Gibbs: I hadn’t listened to any Gibbs until about a week ago, and I feel like an idiot. His album, Piñata, is filled with fresh songs, none more so than “Harold’s.” The smooth electric guitar and addictive hook have me rapping along to Gibbs’s order of “six wings, mild sauce” all day.

Ratchet Rating: Smooth Ratchetry/10

Californication (feat. A$AP Rocky)- Schoolboy Q– After collaborating on the Kid Cudi-sampling banger “Hands on the Wheel,” I couldn’t wait to hear Q feature Rocky again on Oxymoron. Due to sample copyright issues, fans had to wait until the Target-only version of the album leaked online to listen to “Californication,” killing any buzz the song should have earned. Between the grimey beat, Rocky’s dope verse, and Q playfully biting the immortal “Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy, this track deserved better.

Ratchet Rating: Turn My Ratchet On/10

We Made It (feat. Jay Z(!))- Jay Electronica: Holy shit. If you had told me that Jay Electronica was going to pair up with Jay Z to go in on a beat from Soulja Boy’s mixtape, I would’ve thought it was a shitty April Fool’s joke. Nope. Electronica’s verse is legit, but Hov wakes up from his Magna Carta Holy Coma and crushes it, responding to “Mrs. Drizzy’s” call out to boot. Do this on an album again Jay!!!

Ratchet Rating: Sorry Mrs. Drizzy/10

YRH (feat. Rich Homie Quan)- Migos: After the overwhelming success of “Versace,” I was pretty sure we’d heard the last of Migos. It appears that the group may have had the same concerns, as their No Label 2 mixtape released just as they were starting to fade from the scene. The tape’s best song, YRH, brings a beat that slaps and a Future-like hook from Rich Homie Quan that definitely makes me feel some type of way. (Sorry, I had to).

Ratchet Rating: Young Ratchet Homies/10

Bang Like Chop (feat. Chief Keef and Lil Reese)- Young Chop: Ok, real talk. I love Chief Keef’s Finally Rich. When I heard he had a falling out with producer Young Chop, I was legitimately upset. So when I saw they had reunited for this song, and added Lil Reese, I was fucking hyped. Something about Sosa whispering “bang” over Chop’s sinister-ass beats makes me want to go commit crimes in the best possible way.

Ratchet Rating: Literally Too Ratchet To Understand/10

Have any songs you think I missed? Are white people killing the word “ratchet?” Let me know in the comments!