Pitchfork’s weekly rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, dances, weird tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches our attention in the world of hip-hop.

The curious case of Playboi Carti’s rampant TikTok leaks

Lately, after a couple of minutes of scrolling through TikTok, I’ll run into a video that features a leaked Playboi Carti song. Soon enough, I’ll come across another video with a Carti leak, and surely another after that—a different song every time. Some artists have intentionally leaked their songs onto the platform with the hope that they catch on, but Carti’s issue is one of a kind: He has an entire project worth of material floating around, and there’s little TikTok appears to be doing about it. (Spotify has a similar issue with Carti leaks.) An argument could be made that the leaks are raising Carti’s visibility as his long-awaited follow-up to Die Lit approaches, but that doesn’t change the fact that these massive companies are benefitting from the brazen piracy, while all Carti and his producers can do is shrug. More can be done.

Kaash Paige: “Frank Ocean”

Kaash Paige songs sound like paragraph-length texts sent to your crush. Her 2019 mixtape Parked Car Convos introduced us to the teenager’s blunt songwriting, and listening to “Frank Ocean,” her first new single of the year, is like eavesdropping on a passionate phone conversation through the wall. The Dallas singer communicates her feelings with a charming directness: “You can grind on my Chanel belt/Cuff me baby with no bail.” Through begging, reminiscing, and confessing, she guides us through a tumultuous relationship in three minutes.

Dreaming up the next stoner hip-hop comedy

This week, I stumbled onto the 2001 stoner comedy How High, starring Method Man and Redman. Directed by Jesse Dylan—who is Bob Dylan’s son—it’s not the best movie. The plot involves the duo smoking a magic batch of weed that summons the ghost of their dead friend, who gives them all the answers to an SAT-like test. They are then admitted to Harvard, where they cause chaos. It’s hard to imagine a major movie studio giving the green light and wide theatrical distribution to an original rapper buddy comedy this dumb in 2020—but what if they did? Who would star in it?

Based on the criteria established in How High, the new duo would have to be 1) 31-years-old or younger 2) part of a successful album in the last three years (Method Man and Redman released Blackout! in 1999) and 3) friends in real life. Given all that, I’ve come up with four potential pairings: Rico Nasty and Doja Cat, Quavo and Offset, A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator, and Lil Baby and Gunna. From the jump I’m eliminating two pairs for not being entertaining enough: Quavo and Offset, and Baby and Gunna. Which leaves us with Rico and Doja and Rocky and Tyler—a close call, but since Rocky made Testing, his duo is disqualified. So if you happen to see a stoner comedy with Rico Nasty and Doja Cat next year, you know where it all started.

Wifigawd and Tony Seltzer: “Official”

Wifigawd and Tony Seltzer laid the foundation for their chemistry with 2018’s Heat Check. Today, the rapper/producer duo released Heat Check Vol. 2, and it feels like a breakthrough. Wifigawd usually sounds like he could put his foot through a wall at any moment, while Seltzer’s production, known for its pounding drums, was made to start mosh pits that make venue managers pull the fire alarm. But on album highlight “Official,” both pull back. The D.C. rapper sounds as if he’s calmly flipping through a stack in a booth, like Cam’ron on Rap City. “Just got a bag I’m gon’ flip it/I’m eating five-star I ain’t trippin’,” he says on the hook. Meanwhile, Seltzer’s beat could complement a glass of wine at a Michelin-starred steakhouse. Even when they relax, Wifigawd and Tony Seltzer are the perfect match.

Common the failed scammer

The second episode of ESPN’s new 10-part Michael Jordan docuseries The Last Dance featured a cameo from Common. The Chicago hip-hop vet told a story about how in the ’90s he once promised a kid he could get MJ’s autograph for him for $5. But when Common asked Jordan for his signature, the legendary Bull laughed and told him to sign the paper himself. When Common returned, the kid realized that “Michael” was misspelled—and got his $5 back.

Roc Marciano’s verse on Westside Gunn’s “$500 Ounces”

Roc Marciano is in a tier of his own, taking full advantage of his feature on Westside Gunn’s new album Pray for Paris. Sounding like he’s rapping with a fat cigar in his mouth, he creates vivid images like no other. A choice sampling: