You can always tell when summer’s around the corner, because some of the cleanest people in music step up to provide the soundtrack. Yesterday, for example, saw the release of a ridiculous amount of quality music, including the latest from The Black Keys, Janelle Monae, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek and Nas & Damian Marley. Some of those hit harder than others, but really, I can’t complain. As usual, there’s plenty of dope shit to throw your way. On a related note, with summer well on the way, we thought it was only appropriate to celebrate in style. Friends, family and good folks, we’d love to have you there next Thursday at The Dime. We’ve got a lot to celebrate. Hit the MORE for some slaps that have been in heavy rotation recently.
A conversation Max, Jesse and I had the other day sparked some interesting thoughts about music. The question was basically, whether there’s an inherent value in keeping up with the new shit. I’m not sure if I really have a good answer to that, aside from the fact that I’m a fiend for any music I can get my hands on. And that, contrary to the impression you might get from the radio, there’s a lot of quality music being made on a regular basis. So if I feel it, I’ll throw it your way. If the artist gets some shine, and you get some slaps to throw in your iTunes, I think that’s worth something. Hit the MORE for the latest from Bobby Ray, jj, Mayer Hawthorne, J. Cole and a handful of other folks. Shit, Chris Breezy even came with a slap.
This might just have to be a summer anthem. And now that, thanks to Dressy Slacks, we have these two coming out to the Jazz Reggae festival at UCLA, we’ll be slapping this on repeat around the end of May. Nas & Damian go in on this one over a Dennis Brown sample, creating what looks to be one of the standout tracks from the upcoming Distant Relatives album. I’d recommend having some trees handy for this one.
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To be real, the DJ Khaled formula has gotten a little played. The messages typically read like a motivational speaker, the beats are generally maximalist and epic, and they tend to lead off with Khaled yelling about something or other. That being said, this one is a heater, and pretty much any song that pairs up Nasir and John Legend is worth the listen off top. Not to mention, we all need our anthems to celebrate to, something Khaled has been consistent with over the last few years. “Victory” is the title track from Khaled’s upcoming fourth album, which of course will feature a star-studded cast including Wayne, Drizzy, Jeezy, Ross & T-Pain, to name a few. But what else is new? Props to the Inkredibles on production.
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The back and forth is something you don’t hear enough of in rap these days. Damian and Nas go in on this one, the second leak from Distant Relatives, due out on 420. The single, “Strong Will Continue” didn’t really blow me away, but I’m still juiced to hear what these two have in store for the album. The preview was just too wet. Not to mention it’s two of the dopest cats of our era on the same record. We’ll keep you posted as the new music comes.
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At just 21 years old, British songstress Joss is a pretty has been doing her thing for a minute. With Saadiq handling production duties on her last album, she seems poised to cement her reputation as one of soul’s most promising young stars. To be real though, she still hadn’t really caught my attention until now. The Nas feature made me peep, but the song was well worth the listen. Honestly I didn’t even know she had this one in her. Plus it’s always nice to hear some thought provoking music. Colour Me Free drops October 20th on our side of the pond.
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“A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions. It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness.”
This shit is borderline hilarious. For one, Nas is just too blown to be doing an interview. Secondly, Nardwuar is constantly entertaining. Worth the watch for the end alone. Jokes. If you’ve never heard of Nardwuar, he’s a good dude to know about. The living definition of a character, and a brilliant if strange interviewer. Just over a year ago, Pharrell was notably blown away by Nardwuar’s expertise, having been quoted as saying he gave “the most impressive interview” of his career. Nirvana, Michael Moore and Jay-Z are part of a long list of people on whom Nardwuar has a made an impression. It’s no coincidence either; the dude absolutely does his research. Or he’s psychic or something. Watch this and you’ll see what I mean.
For months now, rumors have swirled around the idea of a collaborative effort from Nas & Damian Marley. Then, Rock the Bells unveiled the lineup for their summer festival series with the two artists co-headlining the bill, a promotion push for the forthcoming album. This video, directed by the talented Nabil Elderkin, is the preview for Distant Relatives. Not that I’d expect anything less, but this looks to be some pretty powerful shit. The kind of music that starts movements. Watch for yourself.
