Finally, A Concert: A Return to Live Music

One of my favorite moments of 2021 was during Japanese Breakfast’s Crystal Ballroom set. I had recently learned my landlord was also at the show, so I weaseled into the middle of the crowd to avoid that. My small talk skills are still a bit atrophied.

I wasn’t ready to make that connection, so I hid until the set started. As soon as it did, I instantly felt connected with 1500 strangers. Looking back at the shows I went to this fall, that was the community I was looking for this year.

I missed the feeling of collective focus. I wasn’t as interested in the scattered connections of the bar scene. I wanted to feel something with others. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to wanting to join a cult.

There was something special about the return of shows last fall. It had been a year of intense and intimate connections with music new and old. When shows returned, I was ready to share those feelings with others. It’s hard to do that over text. I felt like I was talking into a void when I gushed about my new interest in emo music on the phone. The emotions I associated with pandemic-era music felt too raw to even write about.

Concerts were a chance to share that feeling. Sure, it’s in a slightly more restrained way than in the dark of my room. Dancing to Perfume Genius’ On the Floor didn’t reach the ACL-compromising intensity as it did in the comforts of my home, but there is something beautiful in collective head-bobbing and finger-tapping-on-an-IPA.

Seeing Isaiah Rashad leap around the stage to From the Garden through a haze of weed smoke made me jump and bounce off my neighbors like I was 19 again.

When Michelle Zauner and her band launched into Be Sweet, the euphoria of first hearing that song exploded back into my brain. My hips leaned into a more enthusiastic two-step than I expected. If my landlord saw me, I think it would have been okay.

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Quarantunes: Dancing the Pain Away with Dua Lipa and The Weeknd

During this pandemic, I’ve found my time alone to particularly unstable. I often turn to podcasts to take me out of my day-to-day anxieties, but many of many favorite shows are focusing on the effects of a crisis that is currently affecting us all. Music has provided a much-needed escape from anxiety in a time of overwhelming trauma.

There are a few different types of music that I’ve found helpful, comforting or cathartic. Like any time of anxiety, the emotions we’re feeling are all over the place. In an hour, you can shift from crippling boredom to crippling hip pops. Let’s start with joy.

Almost a month after their release and subsequent chart success, After Hours and Future Nostalgia are no longer sleeper recommendations. The Weeknd and Dua Lipa have released the two most popular albums since we have sheltered-in-place. Each has spawned a TikTok dance craze, a renewed interest in disco/new wave, and broken sales records for each respective artist. It would feel wrong to do a series about quarantine music and not include these two releases.

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Why Do We Ignore British Rap? - Part Two: What To Be Excited About Now

It’s easy to complain about the past, but if British rap is going to have any chance of breaking into mainstream recognition, it needs to be consistent. Luckily, over the past few months, it has been. Some of the biggest names in a new generation of British hip hop are on their second album cycle. Success at this stage is crucial, not just for the artists, but for the country’s respect in general.

British rap could easily become a fad of the late 2010’s, or something that lives on as a legitimate subgenre in what is rapidly becoming the most popular music in the world. Every album I talk about here is a sophomore effort. It’s critical that these big name, high charting artists continue to hold those titles. We saw how long it took for Skepta to break over the Atlantic Ocean, and it seems like that break might have happened too late in his career. Konnichiwa was Skepta’s fourth studio album and came out when he was 34.

In this piece, I’m focusing on rappers who are coming from successful debut albums and working in an element of national fame. We’ve all heard the “fame album” in one version or another, but the struggles these young artists are facing come in a new environment during the rise of British hip hop. Between Boris’ Brexit and enduringly race-fueled press coverage, the ecosystem these artists are working in as both unique and disturbingly familiar.

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Why Do We Ignore British Rap? - Part One: What You’ve Missed

Sunday marked another year of the Grammy awards, and inevitably, controversy ensued. Tyler, the Creator was frustrated with his album IGOR being placed in the rap category. Lana Del Rey fans protested Billie Eilish’s sweep of all the major categories. 7 by Lil Nas X was nominated for album of the year (okay, this may have been a personal controversy).

Despite all that, this was a pretty good year for the Grammy’s, at least comparatively. Neither Bruno Mars nor Adele won Album of the Year. There was no Kendrick Lamar snub. No one working for the Grammys said anything outrageous about women (at least during the ceremony).

The rap categories have especially improved in the past few years. This is in part due to a review committee being assigned to the genre in 2017. Having a genre-based committee has fended off the Iggy Azalea and Wiz Khalifa nominations that plagued past years.

The nomination process is a bit odd, starting the calendar at the end of the summer instead of following the calendar year (this year’s entry period was only 11 months). This makes it hard to associate traditional album of the year picks with the committee’s choices. Even on the Grammy calendar, this past year was a weak one in terms of rap Grammy mainstays.

Besides IGOR, many of these albums, song-to-song, are very traditional hip-hop albums. I’m sure the committee patted themselves on the back for nominating Tyler’s weirdo work, but the job wasn’t done.

There was no Drake, Kendrick Lamar or Eminem release (yes, they still like him). J Cole dropped a label release of collaborations, but no solo project. This led to many fresh faces in the best rap album category. Tyler won of course, but we saw nominations for 21 Savage, YBN Cordae, Meek Mill (who is becoming a committee favorite), and J Cole’s Dreamville collaborative album. Many of these are good albums, IGOR was a genre-bending work that deserved its win, Lost Boy was a truly impressive debut that followed enough traditional rap conventions to work with this committee, and it was great to see 21 Savage be rewarded for what is definitely his best work to date. Despite the amount of quality on display, there’s a worrying trend here. Besides IGOR, many of these albums, song-to-song, are very traditional hip-hop albums. I’m sure the committee patted themselves on the back for nominating Tyler’s weirdo work, but the job wasn’t done.

In a year where big names surrendered the spotlight, a certain output repeatedly impressed, British rap. We’re a few years past hip hop’s British invasion, led by Skepta’s Konnichiwa and Stormzy’s debut Gang Signs & Prayer. Skepta might be the only artist who’s carved a spot in domestic rap culture, but American rap ears are more aware than ever of the UK’s grime style. It’s an abrasive genre, and many listeners will have already made their decision one way or another on it.

Unfortunately, those decisions can hover over all of Britain’s rap offerings. UK rappers are, by influence, very technically sound. Grime helped shape the skill set of many of the rappers that are appearing in England today, cultivating the ability to rap over high-intensity instrumentals and sharpening rappers’ fast-paced flow to fit those beats. This past year marked a notable success for the post-grime era, and some of the best albums this year brought those honed skills to new soundscapes.

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Music Things To Be Excited About in 2020: A Post List Season Refresh

As 2019 winded down, releases (like my writing) slowed to a near halt. Many looked back at the year as somewhat of a disappointment. Were artists hesitant to drop so close to all decade lists? Are all of our favorite artists bad now? Did managers fear the true arrival of Y2K in 2020 and a wasted tour budget after an apocalypse?

These all seem very conceivable.

Well, the apocalypse didn’t happen, and there’s a whole new end of decade list for artists to try and get on. Below I have some things that I’m intrigued about for the year 2020.

Moses Sumney — Grae

Sumney released his debut album, Aromanticism, in 2017 (which I wrote about here) to much critical — if not commercial — success. I first heard about him during a James Blake interview. Blake described his own anxiety after Sumney would receive a standing ovation from each of his performances as Blake’s opening act on a 2017 tour. After initially falling in love with his singles from Aromanticism, I returned to Sumney after the use of his song Doomed in the new movie, Queen and Slim.

Sumney’s music, at least in the one full-length we’ve heard, display delicate vocals and sparse production. His voice is clearly powerful when needed, but Sumney generally prefers restraint. His hooks stick quite well (Plastic and Don’t Bother Calling specifically), leaving you mumbling them throughout your workday. Make Out in My Car has a title and hook that seem to be destined for a pop hit. However, Sumney’s song writing seems almost determined not to let that happen. That’s not a diss, the pacing of the song is so beautifully meandering, that you find yourself comforted in his romantic pacing.

Sumney seems to sense his pop appeal, specifically in Make Out in My Car, as he turned the song into a four-piece EP. The project is made up of covers of the song, from Pitchfork heavy hitters including Sufjan Stevens and James Blake.

Sumney announced his second album, Grae, will be released in May this year. The first two singles, Polly and Virile are just a bit higher paced, although he still seems committed to not reaching that pop sound. Polly is driven by an acoustic guitar lick that Sumney vocally dances around, continuing to extend notes and sheepishly dominate his own production. Virile is a significantly more up-tempo, driven by a drum set beat and an electric guitar piece that drop out just enough times to let Sumney’s voice shine.

It seems like I’m not the only who’s been catching on to Sumney’s work recently, and anticipation is deservedly building for Grae. The album could be a chance for Sumney to boost himself into a larger social consciousness and find a fan base with similar solidity to that of his collaborators.

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Sturgill Simpson Breaks Away on Sound & Fury

Despite my new love of the genre, Sturgill Simpson will not be boxed in as a country artist.

In my country music article at the start of the summer, I wrote about how Simpson’s music brought me over to the dark side. The dark side, of course, being the sounds of Ken Burns’ new favorite genre, country music. Those who have been “yee-hawing” for more than a few years have debated with me on the legitimacy of Simpson’s status as a country artist. However, his continued dominance in country music award categories kept my belief.

Three years after the release of his highly acclaimed A Sailor’s Guide to Earth LP (my awakening), comes the final album on his record deal, Sound & Fury. Personally, this was right on time. I was in the middle of my sun-infused, yearly country music phase: I went to a Jason Isbell show, I wrote an article about country music and I even watched three episodes of the Ken Burns Country Music documentary (that’s five hours, btw). I was ready to complete my Americana circle with this new album.

“It may seem now that I was totally oblivious to Simpson’s clues, but tell me, do you think Jesus is King is really going to be a true gospel album?”

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Point Counter-point: Best Rap Feature

t’s unlikely that Pusha T will ever have another moment as viral as his 2018 Age of Adidon diss. That is very unfortunate, especially when you consider that Pusha has been putting out for over 15 years. He doesn’t seem to be losing steam any time soon, his Kanye-produced DAYTONA showed that.

One of my favorite parts of each year in rap is finding out who had the best year in rap as a feature artist. It may seem like a novel accomplishment, but it’s a great way to stay relevant without releasing a full-length project. As I’ve wrote about repeatedly on this blog, that’s becoming a more and more important factor in how artists release their work.

It’s also a great way for an artist to heat check themselves in public before a big album release. In 2014, right before the release of To Pimp a Butterfly, it was Kendrick Lamar. He left memorable verses YG’s Really Be, SZA’s Babylon, Flying Lotus’ Never Catch Me and Pusha T’s Nosetalgia. I even checked out a Chris Brown song just to hear the latest Kendrick verse (those who know me know that’s a huge feat).

“It’s also a great way for an artist to heat check themselves in public before a big album release.”

Last year, much to my chagrin, this award went to J Cole. The exciting part of this was that people were starting to recognize the importance of this kind of feature run. J Cole featured on JID’s Off Deez, Anderson Paak’s Trippy and 6lack’s Pretty Little Fears. I’m trying to keep my feature naming to three, but that doesn’t give enough credit to the sheer volume of features that we got from 2018 Cole. He also worked with Jay Rock, Rapsody, Cozz, Royce, Bas and Ari Lennox. The track that I will always remember from this run was a lot by 21 Savage, the standout verse on an album that cemented 21 Savage as a legitimately good hip hop artist. It’s runs like these that make me excited for his next project, although he did come out with (the very average) KOD that year.

That does leave an interesting finale to Pusha T’s 2019, as he recently went on Ebro’s Beats 1 radio show to promote an album that seems to be coming by the end of the year. He’s already put out two singles for the project, both are Pusha T standard quality. If he puts out an album to that level, he will complete a very rare combination.

It often seems like rappers who win the best feature award are using all their best verses that year for those features. If there’s no album that year, that’s not a big deal, but with KOD it seemed to impact the quality of his solo project. Before we reach that album discussion though, let’s run through some of the best songs Pusha T has been a part of this year.

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Pop Music in August: Three Faces of the Genre and the Antonoff of it All

op music is going through a big shift right now, and some of the biggest releases of the month of August have showed three of its biggest competing subgenres. Brockhampton’s Ginger, Lana Del Rey’s Norman F*cking Rockwell and the behemoth, Taylor Swift’s Lover.

In my last article, I wrote about how we’ve had a relatively disappointing summer in terms of big-name music releases. The weeks since then have done their best to blow that article into irrelevance.

These, of course, aren’t the biggest sales weeks of the these three weeks. I’d be ignoring Young Thug’s new album and the new Tool album (wtf…). But these different albums and artists all have a very clear idea, and goal, of making music that doesn’t appeal to fans of just one genre. Brockhampton have thrived on their blend of hip hop with all of the sounds of the 2000’s; pop rock, R&B, etc.… Lana Del Rey has been well known for her hand in popularizing the “dream pop” sound, and Taylor Swift is well, Taylor Swift.

Let’s start with Brockhampton, the clear third is this popularity race. Their backstory is now well known. Formed on an internet forum, gained popularity releasing three albums in the second half of 2017, kicked out cover star Ameer Vann after sexual assault accusations, and went #1 with their 2018 album, iridescence. The group has built a fan base that rivals the tenacity of boy bands of the 90’s and 2000’s, a defining sound in the history of pop music.

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Summer on Smash? A Mid-Season Look at What Albums You May Have Missed

It’s about halfway through the summer, the heat is settling in and BBQ playlists are just about set. At this point last year, we were still recovering from a huge release weekend (Astroworld, Swimming and Stay Dangerous) and had found stability after the barrage of takes surrounding Kanye’s five albums in five weeks campaign. Some people were still even playing songs on Scorpion.

This year doesn’t feel quite as momentous as that, at least so far. Releases from Brockhampton, Vince Staples and J̶i̶d̶e̶n̶n̶a̶ could potentially bring some more hype toward the end of the season, but those could very well become back to school classics.

In my research around this summer’s hip hop releases, a lot of the lukewarm feeling comes from some notable disappointments. Even with such a large fanbase, Chance the Rapper’s The Big Day fell short upon release and already seems to have lost listeners’ attention. The album lost the #1 album spot to NF, an artist’s whose top image on Google is a picture of Logic.

After some initial hype, Nas’ Lost Tapes sequel was even more disappointing. Maybe this shouldn’t have been a surprise, it was a B-Sides album after NASIR… J Cole and Dreamville’s put out the Revenge of the Dreamers IIIproject. However, the project gained more traction as a testament to collaboration than it did musically.

And Iggy Azalea released an album that people ignored because of a seven-foot pig.

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Mixtapes are Dead: What Did We Lose and What Is Replacing It?

This week, Drake dropped a collection of previously released songs onto major streaming services. The project, Care Package, is just the latest example of artists merging their past “mixtape” discography with their major studio releases. Chance the Rapper recently brought back his Acid Rap and 10 Day mixtapes to help promote his new album, Joey Bada$$ offered his 1999 project, and that’s only a fraction. Fans of these artists have been thrilled with the re-releases, making it even easier to access projects they already love. As these projects become available on major platforms, it marks another milestone in the extinction of the mixtape.

Many of these projects dropped years ago, before paid streaming became the single dominant force in music consumption. Since the end of the SoundCloud era, mixtapes have been blended into the classic project release. Coloring Book, Chance’s 2016 project, comes to mind.

Chance did his best to market the project as a mixtape, including wearing and selling a “3” hat in reference to his third mixtape and a song on the project literally called Mixtape. Despite the classification, the project went on to reach the top ten of Billboard album charts as well as winning the “best rap album” Grammy. Coloring Book marked another milestone in the death of the mixtape.

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Finding Your Yee-Haw: A Skeptic’s Guide to Country Music

“What kind of music do you listen to?”

“Pretty much everything except for country”

This was a refrain I heard many a time when I was in high school, mostly among my fellow city folk. We were all rap kids. “Good” music was boom bap NY-style rap. It took us a long while to even begin to accept someone as “outlandish” as Young Thug.

Times have changed. This week, Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road broke the record for most consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard top 100. Old Town Road is considered by many to be a “country rap” song. The “country” half of that title was boosted by the addition of Billy Ray Cyrus on the remix.

After high school, I moved to rural Oregon for college and was surrounded by country-loving freaks. That may be a strong term, as many of them became my best friends, but the idea of enjoying the country genre was actively discomforting to me. After about a year of forced ignorance, I started experimenting in hillbilly. Initially I was unconvinced. Much like frat parties, something I introduced to around the same time, I tried it and didn’t like it. I had confirmed my previous beliefs.

Then something happened, I found my country music lane. The wall began to come down, thanks to Sturgill Simpson. His 2016 album A Sailor’s Guide to the Earth was my entry point. I found a friend that also appreciated Simpson’s music and all of a sudden I was a part of it.

“After about a year of forced ignorance, I started experimenting in hillbilly.”

During Old Town Road’s uprising, a “yee haw” energy has infected the youth. Social media sites like TikTok have been flooded by cowboy hats and tucked in flannels. Country music is no longer the ignored hick cousin of popular city kids.

Will the success of Old Town Road lead to a greater acceptance of country music among popular music consumers? It will depend on the individual listener and their curiosity of the genre. Since I was introduced to Sturgill, that curiosity grew in me. I will take my still somewhat limited knowledge of the country landscape and guide those like me into previously unexplored territory.

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Stranger Things 3 Set Itself Up for a Great Fourth Season. Will it Commit?

I watched all of Stranger Things in a week and a half. I did what Netflix wanted, I went through the “super-binge” and I’m tired. This piece is in three parts, first is a bunch of my reactions to the show after three episodes into the third season, second is a collection of my post season thoughts. *SPOILERS AHEAD*

I’m Stranger Things’d out. I committed to the binging model that made Netflix so popular. I’m more fatigued than addicted. I watched the first two seasons in about a week. During that time, I spent a lot of energy avoiding spoilers for both the early seasons and the new. As anyone who has completed a similar binge knows, this is hard to do. Once you commit to the show and fall in love with the characters, it’s hard not to Google them. I have been hurt too many times from Googling [insert character name here] and getting the suggestion [character’s name] death.

My favorite thing about television, and a lot of culture, is sharing it with other people in real-time. Netflix’s model makes this much harder. There aren’t weekly episodes, everything comes out at once. There’s no collective anticipation of what the next episode will entail, because it’s right there to be watched. I tracked down old podcast episodes from when the past seasons come out and listened to them like I was a part of the cultural conversation.

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Dreamville’s Revenge: How Showing your Work Became the Best Way to Build Hype

In January, the hype began for a new project from J. Cole’s label, Dreamville. Having recently softened my stance as a resound J Cole hater, my interest was piqued. As fellow Reddit-based rap nerds will tell you, however, the initial hype for this project had little to do with J Cole himself, instead it was the artists he was sharing the studio with.

About a year before this album roll-out, I had started to gain a lot of interest in Dreamville and the artists coming out of it. One of my more “J Cole-appreciative” friends would always turn me on the latest Dreamville release. His recommendations were often greeted with a lukewarm response. The first was J.I.D, an Atlanta rapper quickly gaining popularity in the underground internet community. My friend had sent me The Never Story earlier in the year, and I dismissed it after one listen. After some more recommendations later in the year, I returned to it and found the project and artist deserved a lot more credit than I had previously given. He had a knack for melody, a killer flow, and filled short songs with a lot of personality and charisma.

My J.I.D awakening quickly turned into something bigger. I bought tickets to his upcoming Seattle show featuring EARTHGANG (another Dreamville artist). I looked into their work, and I was hooked. Then came Bas and Cozz. Soon I was a legitimate Dreamville fan. I would’ve worn a free T shirt!

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Album Discussion Podcast: Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways

We have a very special guest on this episode of the album discussion podcast, Linfield music professor and professional concert pianist, Dr Johnandrew Slominski. On the pod, Sam and Dr. Slominski discuss the Foo Fighter’s 2014 album, Sonic Highways, the documentary series that came along with it, and the unique features of recording and performing.

Defining Pop Music: Locating a genre in the era of trap, indie and Ariana

The word pop is an abbreviation of popular. Does the term “pop music” follow the same expansion?

Last year, I wrote a piece about how hip hop has ascended into the most popular music of the now. I used some Billboard numbers to point to how hip hop has had most of the recent number one albums. After another survey of the Billboard 200 (with six months of data) 14 of the last 26 (weekly) Billboard charts had a hip-hop album in the number one spot. There was no true outlier taking up most of those spots either, only a three-time topper, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s Hoodie SZN. This seems to solidify my point from my previous post that hip hop has taken over the pop genre. Specifically, the subgenre of “trap” rap has asserted dominance at the top of charts.

So, if there’s a type of music that, in its relatively short existence, is now being made in ways that capitalize its chances of charting, is it pop music?

Recent releases from more classic pop artists say no. In my research, I found four traditional pop artists with number one albums; Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, P!nk and Backstreet Boys. Three of those artists released their albums in the last three months.

Even with this recent push from pop artists, trap still rules. This is where we come to the question that presides over the entire debate. Is pop a sound or statistical quality?

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“What are we listening to right now?” – A Swalsh Playlist

Steve Lacy - N Side

It’s a good time to be a Steve Lacy fan right now. While it’s been over two years since the release of his Demo, his star has not dulled. He has produced for Kendrick Lamar (won a Grammy for it) and Solange, sang hooks with Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis and was even featured on a recent Vampire Weekend single ahead of their long-awaited fourth album. He also toured the country with The Internet in support of their Hive Mind album and produced Ravyn Lenae’s 2018 EP, Crush. What makes fans so excited about this output, is Lacy has not even turned 21 yet.

However, with N Side, Lacy fans are approaching what they have really been waiting for, a debut studio album. The single is the perfect transition song for Lacy going into his debut album. Steve Lacy’s Demo had a lot of appeal because of its simplicity and strong hooks, as well as Lacy’s beautiful instrumentation. Lacy’s output has been pure gold up to this point, and in many different lanes. N Side brings all these elements together, great guitar work, smooth production, and a repetitive hook that sticks flawlessly to your summer stroll.

Anderson .Paak - Make It Better (feat. Smokey Robinson)

Anderson Paak has taken up a lot of my content creation energy recently, but I can’t really get away from this song. Make It Better was the headlining single for Ventura and set the tone for an album that put Paak back in the hearts of his rap-skeptical fans. It’s a funky slow jam about mending a relationship on the rocks. The theme and sound of the song go directly against the braggadocious, horny energy that filled up much of Oxnard, Paak’s previous album release.

My favorite part of this song is the inflection in Paak’s voice in the last hook, when he accents the word “memories”, I immediately knew Ventura was going to be the return to form I and many others were looking for. That may be a slight exaggeration, that moment of realization happens about 20 seconds later with the string quartet outro to finish the song. The whole structure of Make It Better is an example of the originality that brought fans to Paak in the first place. If you’re looking for some new Anderson Paak songs for these beautiful spring afternoons, Make It Better is your best bet.

Lizzo - Cuz I Love You

This song is the closest I’ve ever got to being punched in the face. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Lizzo going into this new project. I had heard her name come up plenty of times, and I saw that she was headlining Capitol Hill Block Party, a Seattle summer music festival I have frequented in the past. On a walk to go re-up on some supplies for my skin care resolution, I heard Tempo with Missy Elliott. With just the impression of that song, I thought she was a rapper that knew how to harmonize.

After hearing the opener to her new album, I knew that wasn’t the case. The song begins with a half-sing/half-scream “I’m CRYIIIIIIN!” before she sings the titular lyric and introduces the resounding horn and bass instrumental that pushing forward her wonderful vocals throughout the track. I have listened to this song at least five times a day since it came out, and still feel the need to fist pump every time the chorus comes on. The song structure pays off again at the end of the song, when she sings the “Cuz I love you” one final time, but instead of being boosted by those horns and drums, she holds her own, as her voice rises to a level more powerful than it’s been up to that point.

Smino - Coupe Se Yern

I think I’m addicted to Smino. Since his album NOIR came out in November, he is my go-to artist when I just need one or two songs to play on a ride to class. This is weird, because I never really listen to his albums front to back (which is my favorite way to listen to artists). I was introduced to Smino after his BlkSwn album. Anita was the song that stuck out to me and kept me around the album until NOIR. He came out of the Chicago scene, and that influences his sound, but he also has more of the southern sound than his Chicago contemporaries (Saba, Noname). He sings a little more than them, and just seems to be less weighed down by the social justice themes common in Chicago rap (this could be because of Smino’s true hometown, St. Louis).

I love Saba and Noname, and I think the cultural context of Chicago violence and corruption adds to their work, but the fun that Smino has in his raps makes him incredibly charming. For example, on Coupe Se Yern, he raps “Fuck it I'm hungry, let's cook sum' / Asparagus make my piss stink, but it's good for 'em.” This is line doesn’t even crack his top ten. I don’t even know if he is a clever lyricist half the time, but he raps with more charisma than 95 percent of rappers.

J Hus - Did You See

This is not a new song. Did You See is the lead single J Hus’ 2017 album, Common Sense. However, it needs to be noted that J Hus is now free. After a stay in jail for a 2018 knife charge, J Hus returned to the stage just a few weeks ago, with who else but “London’s own” Drake. Just hours after his release, Drake helped put J Hus back into the public eye.

Did You See is a track that puts J Hus’ famous hip hop/afro swing hybrid sound on display. In what might become a theme for these playlists, the song has an incredibly sticky hook. “Did you see what I’ve done? / Came in the black Benz, left in the white one” is a motivational phrase that deserves nothing less than unlimited replays. This rings true for much of the Common Sense album, and makes his next album one of the most anticipated releases of the next seven decades.

Album Discussion Podcast: Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love

This week I have noted Childish Gambino enthusiast, Brandon Armosino on to talk about the last Gambino album in wake of his headlining Coachella performance, and where we have been with Donald Glover before and after the release of the genre-bending 2016 album.

Anderson Paak's Oxnard + Ventura: A Roundtable

Sam talks with Graeme and Ty about Anderson .Paak and how we got to his new album, Ventura. What brought the excitement around Paak’s most recent releases, and what do we think of them.

Sam goes into more depth on the album in his latest Medium piece here.

Leaving Oxnard/Ventura: Was This the Album Cycle We Wanted From Anderson Paak?

Last Friday marked the release of Anderson Paak’s fourth solo album, Ventura. The project comes just six months after the release of Oxnard, his third album. While the albums were recorded in the same time frame and under the tutelage of executive producer Dr. Dre, the sounds clearly define two different sounds from Paak. Oxnard’s sound brings back memories of Dre’s signature west coast sound with Paak handling the vocals, while Ventura plants itself firmly in the R&B and soul category that helped set Paak apart with his breakthrough album, Malibu.

Unlike its successors, Malibu blends Paak’s rap and soul sound through the album with impressively few awkward transitions. As mentioned above, that blend helped bring the critical acclaim that progressed Paak into a star. His rise was helped by an impressive run of tours, including his own, a run opening for J Cole, and a European trip opening for Bruno Mars. With a reputation as one of the best performers in hip hop and having a breakthrough album under his belt (plus an underrated collaboration album with producer Knxwledge, Yes Lawd!) expectations and excitement were abound for Paak’s follow up.

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Listen to Sam, Graeme and Ty have roundtable about Paak and Ventura below.

On “Assume Form,” James Blake Shows us an Important Step in Recovering from Depression

James Blake has grown. That’s something that Blake would want us to think about both his music and him after listening to Assume Form. The album is his first since 2016’s The Colour in Anything, which saw him at his most anxious, and occasionally unfocused because of it. Anxiety and depression have always been a big part of his music and those themes led to his own suicidal thoughts during some of his touring. Assume Form does not stray from these themes, but this time he captures a healthy and underappreciated part of moving on from depressive episodes.

While past projects have seen Blake near drowning from self-isolation, Assume Form is an example of his grappling with the happiness from a healthy relationship. This may seem like an easy battle, but anyone who has been through a deep depression will tell you about the paranoia and over protectiveness that they’ve had to overcome. Blake’s music seemed to be an almost self-fulfilling prophecy. His music was sad, about loss and self-loathing. His fans related to that, and the themes in his music seemed to overwhelm his own being. He fell into, what he describes on this album as “the ether.”

“In Assume Form, [Blake] details the final steps of his recovery process as it pertains to his new relationship.”

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