Summer is now in full swing and the pressure is officially on for artists to deliver music worthy of being dubbed the ultimate anthem soundtracking our BBQs, road trips and outdoor happy hours. 

This week, the likes of Slim Thug, Vic Mensa, Blood Orange, Rae Sremmurd, Prodigy and Curren$y stepped up to the plate with new releases that are helping to welcome in the long weekend ahead.

Check out what our staff had to say below.

Prodigy Featuring Mark the Beast – 'Beast With It'

Fans of Mobb Deep be prepared, this is not the sound you're used to hearing from The Infamous. Prodigy goes EDM on this high voltage cut from the Black Panther soundtrack. One thing that's not different is P's white hot bars, which have kept him relevant for longer than many of you reading this have been alive. — Jake Rohn

Curren$y Featuring Wiz Khalifa – 'Speedboat'

Spitta Andretti's been, in his own words, "dropping records after records like them b*****s slippery," and most recently he's offering us his Stoned on the Ocean mixtape. "Speedboat," one of the lead singles, is Curren$y at his jiggiest. Produced by the legendary duo of Cool & Dre, the vibes off this thing are perfect for your summer afternoon kick back. Someone fetch me a mojito. — Paul Meara

Rae Sremmurd – 'Do Yoga'

I think we can all agree that this song doesn't have much to it besides a trippy fire beat and the chanting of "all my girls do yoga." Maybe that's why I was drawn to it, since I do in fact do yoga (or at least I pretend to in select ashrams and gyms scattered across the tri-state area) and enjoy trippy fire beats. And while the Ear Drummer guys are obviously talking less about having peace of mind and more about their girls being able to put their legs over their heads, I will still unapologetically make this my pick for the week. You never know, if yoga actually entered their Sremm Lives, they may like it. For now, let's all bump this...possibly when doing yoga. — Kathy Iandoli

Vic Mensa Featuring Le1f, Lil B, Halsey and Malik Yusef – 'Free Love'

Vic Mensa has been making a conscious decision to weave his advocacy into his music, and his decision to do so is resulting in some of his best music to date. In his most recent single, “Free Love,” the 23-year-old recruits Le1f, Lil B, Halsey and Malik Yusef to create a new anthem soundtracking the fight for LGBT equality. This culturally important track was released on June 26, the one-year anniversary of the decision to legalize same-sex marriage statewide across the U.S. Throughout its almost six-minute duration, each guest artist questions the lack of unity our country has experienced (especially in light of the tragedy in Orlando), and acts as a call to action promoting positive change within our communities. Hopefully this track is the first of many to help change hip-hop’s dialogue about accepting people of all shades, sizes, gender identities and sexual orientations. Mensa took to Twitter to share a detailed note about how much the track means to him personally, sharing how it wasn’t until a member of his own family came out to Mensa as gay that it hit him this is also his battle to fight. — KC Orcutt 

Blood Orange – 'St. Augustine'

Ever since Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) teamed up with Solange and delivered her True EP, I was pretty much had — you can’t deny “Losing You” is one of the decade’s best records. His newest album, Freetown Sound, kicks off perfectly with “St. Augustine” as the first single, which is equal parts '80s R&B and pop, which basically describes Dev’s undeniable appeal. — Jon Reyes

Slim Thug – 'Peaceful'

In time for Independence Day weekend, Slim Thug releases the first single off American King, the fourth installment in his Hogg Life series. Thugga shares that he's over any kind of drama and slows it down with "Peaceful." — Janice Llamoca