Clique – Kanye West ft Big Sean & Jay-Z
The Hit-Boy produced song is the latest single from Kanye West’s upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation Cruel Summer. Of course Ye enlisted some of his buddies like Jay-Z and Big Sean to do what they do, rip tracks! The catchy chorus goes, “Ain’t nobody f—ing with my clique, clique, clique, clique, clique,” and most likely you will be wilding out to this at a party…one day soon. I don’t really need to go into detail about what the song is about, right? Exactly. The beat bangs—literally. It’s a frenetic compilation of drums, synths, and samples that are sure to provide an uproarious good time anywhere this song is played. Cruel Summer will be in stores on Sept. 18.
Listen here.
Substantial – Home is Where the Art Is
Amidst all the ignorance and materialism that runs rampant in hip-hop, there are always those other rappers who make sure to keep their content positive. Enter Substantial. The Maryland native has been rapping and releasing music for over a decade and has gained a substantial following—no pun intended—around the world for his wordsmithery and dexterous flow. His latest project, Home is Where the Art Is, doesn’t stray from what Stan is known for. He tapped friends like Tone Def, DJ G.I. Joe and more for this project, which has turned out to be a solid effort. Standout tracks include “Check My Resume,” where he raps over bells and heavy drums about how nice he is and even tosses in a rest in peace line to his late former collaborator Nujabes (read: The Japanese J-Dilla), “Umoja,” where he pays homage to people in his life who helped to raise him, and “Make Up Sex.” I can’t find anything wrong with the album but it’s a shame that Substantial doesn’t get as much recognition as, say, your run of the mill gun-toting teenager. Anyway, you need this in your life if you’re a lover of hip-hop.
‘Home is Where the Art Is’ is available for purchase right now.
Consequence ft. Chazo – “How You Gon be Broke in the Rap Game”
“How You Gon be Broke in the Rap Game” is the latest single from Cons’ forthcoming mixtape, Movies on Demand 4. The beat is nothing to write home about but the music is shade for days. Cons isn’t calling any names but it’s basically about how hip-hop can be a way to get tons of money quickly but buying excessive extravagant things that depreciate in value over time can and has lead to brokenness for quite a few rappers have degrees in Stunting 101 but absolutely no money management skills. I wonder if Cons is speaking from experience, just a curious hunch.
Listen here.
Rough Guide to Ethiopia
This one may seem a little left field but if you’re a music hoarder like I am, you will find a home in your music collection for Rough Guide to Ethiopia. The album is a compilation of Ethio-Jazz musicians like Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete, Getatchew Mekuri, the London-based Krar Collective and more. Sonically, it’s like jazz, Afrobeat, trip-hop and other funky fusions that mesh to create an awesome audio gumbo.
Listen here.
Bunny Rugs – “Land We Love”
In case you didn’t know, Bunny Rugs is the lead singer of Third World—one of the most successful international pop reggae band since 1980s. He’s back on the solo tip with a new studio album TIME, which dropped today. The lead single from the album is “Land We Love,” a reggae ode to his native, Jamaica. Throw this on if you want to fantasize about chilling out on the beach.
Check it out here.
