ILOVEMAKONNEN is already winning and he comes across as one of the more likable artists in rap these days. He just recently dropped his Drink More Water 5 mixtape and there’s a number of ballads on it that make this project stand out. For That New New this week, I picked out one of my favorites in “Slow It Down”. A simple drum pattern with a playful, yet dissonant melody lay the foundation for ILOVEMAKONNEN to go off. Emotional inflection in his voice is always there even on his club friendly cuts, but it really shines here specifically on this tune in a way that was surprising to me. This whole mixtape is tight and is available for free download as well.