Nickelus F - Look At The Ice ft. Drake

Here’s a hip-hop koan for you: if bling shines on a rapper’s neck and no one’s around to be dazzled, doesn’t that kinda defeat the purpose of wearing it?  Booth newcomer Nickelus F. seems to think so; on this unreleased cut (recorded for a collabo mixtape with Drake that never materialized), he kindly requests that all within eyeshot Look At The Ice on his wrist, ears, neck… well, pretty much everywhere. It might not be the freshest concept out there, but the colorful imagery the up-and-comer delivers here more than makes up for it—in the craziest diamond-related simile I’ve heard since Weezy bragged about having “red barf on [his] neck,” the Richmond emcee spits “Pink and yellow diamonds got me lookin’ like a grapefruit.” And “I draw eyes like I’m painting a face.” is too dope not to mention.  Though I’d rank Nick as the lyrical MVP on this record, Drake’s Booth-acclaimed flow is sure to earn Look At The Ice a little extra shine, and Best I Ever Had producer Boi-1da’s brassy, bottom-heavy beat couldn’t be more fitting.  If you find this cut as ear-catching as Nick F.‘s chains are eye-catching, check back with us this June for his contribution to our exclusive freestyle series.