"Clique" Kanye West ft. Big Sean and Jay-Z

I was lukewarm on "Mercy," the first single from G.O.O.D. Music's upcoming Cruel Summer, when it premiered in April, but the hypnotic rap track has slowly grown into one of my favorite songs of the year. Follow-up "Clique," on the other hand, makes an instant impact; its heavy drumbeat, blustering hook and in-your-face swagger form a hip-hop battle cry that should be impossible for enemies (and mixtape emcees) to ignore. Elder statesman Jay-Z doesn't serve up his best work, spending too much time taking roll, but Kanye West throws down enough witty lines to keep things interesting and Big Sean steals the show with his forceful opening verse. Indeed, this is one clique not to be fucked with. B+