Earlier this year, Memphis rapper Don Trip and Detroit caterwauler Danny Brown both featured in XXL magazine’s ever-interesting/ever-controversial 2012 Freshmen list of the brightest emerging rap talents.

As hip-hop blogger Noz’s essential annual deconstruction of the list observed, Trip and Brown stood out as the two sharpest rappers on a fairly insipid list.

Brown, of course, is a regular fixture around these parts, but Don Trip has remained more of a niche proposition. It’s a shame: his street rap tales are often ingeniously structured, and his rhymes are shot through with an impressive confessional streak. Although signed to Interscope, he’s remained fairly quiet, releasing the The Best Of The Best Vol. 3 tape back in Spring and teaming up with Wale and Starlito on the ‘I’m A Mess’ single.

Plucked from Trip’s just-released mixtape Help Is On The Way, the groggy ‘Gold’ sees the XXL class stars facing off. Brown, as per, steals the show, his elastic voice stretching in all sorts of unlikely directions. Trip puts in a fine performance, and Starlito also makes a worthwhile appearance.

The Help Is On The Way tape is available to download in full over at DatPiff. [via Potholes In My Blog]