Venerable Atlanta producer Mike WiLL Made It's had something of an interesting year, stocking the bulk of his 2018 beats on albums by Eardrummaz artists Rae Sremmurd and Trouble, while releasing very little in the way of piecemeal work for other artists (save for two tracks on Eminem's Kamikaze). It's an approach that's yielded undeniable chemistry and (in the case of his and Trouble's Edgewood) consistent full-lengths, but it's undoubtedly left some of his fans missing hearing a rotating cast of all-star talent tackle Mike Will's beats. That much is apparent in this week's top ten, as it's dominated by cuts from Mike's first multi-collaborative effort of the year, the Creed II soundtrack.
Mike WiLL tops all artists with four appearances to his name, while Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and Kevin Gates all clock in with two apiece. New tracks barely missing out on spots this week include 2 Chainz's "Hot Wings" (#11), 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla $ign's "Girl's Best Friend" (#16), Kodak Black's "Take One" (#17), and Anderson .Paak and J. Cole's "Trippy" (#18).
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10. Lil Durk Feat. Juice WRLD & Gunna - Don't Talk to Me
Two Fridays ago, Lil Durk dropped off his long-awaited Signed to the Streets III project, which included "Don't Talk to Me," but only featuring Gunna. A few days afterward, Durk uploaded a new version that added his fellow Chicagoan Juice WRLD onto the track. The latter version debuts at #10.
9. Lil Wayne Feat. Gucci Mane - In This House
The only repeat from last week's top ten, Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane's "In This House" was one of three bonus tracks added onto Tha Carter V after its release. While the Post Malone-assisted "What About Me" dropped out of the top ten this week, "In This House" remains at #9 for a second consecutive week.
8. Kevin Gates & Moneybagg Yo - Federal Pressure
Kevin Gates and Moneybagg Yo may have each dropped solo projects within the past two months, but it would appear that the fast friends also have something a little more collaborative in the works. "Federal Pressure" is the first official track with both credited as lead artists, and it debuts at #8.
7. WizKid Feat. Slimcase - Gucci Snake
WizKid's been a big deal internationally for a few years now, but never really cracked the top ten as a lead artist (usually it's been thanks to Drake). His stature seems to have grown since being featured twice on Metro Boomin's recently-released album Not All Heroes Wear Capes. His new single, "Gucci Snake," which features Slimecase, debuts at #7.
6. Mike WiLL Made It, J. Cole & Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby
The first of the Creed II cuts to clock in is the one that contains possibly the rarest guest verse on the album (though it may not seem that way amid a two-week span in which the usually-elusive J. Cole has also appeared on Moneybagg Yo and Anderson .Paak's albums). "Shea Butter Baby" also features Ari Lennox, and it debuts at #6.
5. Mike WiLL Made It, Nas & Rick Ross - Check
The second of three consecutive Mike WiLL cuts smack-dab in the middle of the top ten is the Nas and Rick Ross-featuring "Check." It debuts at #5.
4. Mike Will Made It, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg & Nicki Minaj - Runnin'
Mike Will may hail from the South, but he's more than capable of heading up posse cuts featuring rappers from other regions. For "Runnin'," he brought together two A$AP Mob members and Nicki Minaj, who all hail from New York City. This one debuts at #4.
3. Gucci Mane Feat. Kevin Gates - I'm Not Goin'
Gucci Mane's been uncharacteristically quiet this year for someone who made a career out of rapidly releasing mixtapes. The drought will end on December 7th with the release of Evil Genius, which he's been teasing for the past few months. The latest offering from it is the Kevin Gates-assisted "I'm Not Goin'," which debuts at #3.
2. Ace Hood Feat. Lil Wayne - 2 Mollys
New track? Probably not (after all, who raps about molly anymore?), but nevertheless, a mysterious, previously-unreleased collab between Ace Hood and Lil Wayne is enough to pique people's attention. "2 Mollys" debuts at #2.
1. Mike WiLL Made It, Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell - The Mantra
Arriving a few days before the rest of the Creed II soundtrack, "The Mantra" had a leg up on its competition in Top Tracks— not to mention, the presence of Kendrick Lamar. This one easily debuts at #1.
