After previewing the Song of the Summer contenders in the Hipster Cookout and Steamroll Pop divisions, we make our way to hip-hop. What songs will you hear blasting out of car stereos at eardrum-shattering volumes all summer long? Three of the top contenders are listed below but, again, nothing is set in stone: Could Lloyd Banks’s appropriately themed “Beamer, Bens, or Bentley” enjoy a second life thanks to its new star-studded remix? Could Big Boi’s “Shutterbug” fulfill its God-given mission to rattle every speaker on earth? Could Dr. Dre actually release his Jay-Z single?
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Unsurprisingly, Eminem’s new single — a sappy motivational number with a big pop hook handled by Em himself — is already the No. 1 song in the country. Still, the subject matter means longevity is a question for the sunny season: Yeah, SOTS Hall of Famer “Umbrella” hit many of the same inspirational notes, but Rihanna never had a highly publicized drug habit.