burning your own cds is so important actually

Katlyn Conroy is the resident Kate Bush in Lawrence, Kansas. Under her latest creative project, Cheery, she goes full Katlyn as we’re taken on a heartbreaking, dramatic, and extremely fashionable journey of color explosions and dancing. We’re treated to all of Conroy’s strongest traits: songwriting, singing, and all the synth noises one musician can muster. But we’re also treated to her artist capabilities beyond music. Conroy has always been known for her creative eye, illustrating flyers for half the town and even crafting her own costumes for live shows. All of that is on display in full effect for 'Concept of Love.' It leaves the viewer with a volcano of emotions– on the one hand, her voice is so soothing and beautiful… but on the other hand, there are a lot of exciting things to look at in the video. [via iheartlocalmusic]

Cash & Skye, have released their debut single via Third Man Records. The duo is comprised of Henri Cash (founding member and guitarist of LA rockers Starcrawler) and Sophia Skye, daughter of Rilo Kiley bassist Pierre de Reeder. A-side 'No More Candy' is out now digitally, as is B-side 'Sweeping Wet Floors.' “I feel like a lot of people in their early 20s try really hard to act ‘all grown up’ or too cool and it sucks,” says Cash. “‘No More Candy’ is about our love for candy and fun.” [via Northern Transmissions]

Aussie artist Monet’s Pond only just debuted with her hazy, neo-psychedelia/ dream-pop in the form of 'Floating In Air' – an untethered, gravity-defying song that swirls with fuzzy guitars and ethereal vocal production. Monet’s Pond is now pairing that single fittingly with a kaleidoscopic and nostalgic music video. Filled with vibrant psych colours and hypnotising effects, the playful video is an up-close and personal introduction to songstress Brigette Lawrence. Wrapped up in a wonderful dream-pop world, the visuals parallel the sentiments in the lyrics that have Lawrence drawing on her own experiences where she explores the importance of protecting oneself from toxic relationships. [via SPILL Magazine]

At the end of June, Chicago-based musician Squirrel Flower released one of the most interesting albums of 2021. Planet (i) is a map of busted roads and markers of where natural disasters made their marks on this earth. Its expansiveness matched the terrifying power and gorgeous beauty that Mother Nature holds at her fingertips. Now, Squirrel Flower has dropped the stunning video for her single 'Roadkill' that features singer-songwriter Ella Williams lost in shadows, peeling her skin, and lost amongst waves. The video for 'Roadkill' was directed by Lua Borges, produced by Elaine Tunnat, and features director of photography John Jadkowski. Williams detailed how it all came together: “The first night when we shot the indoor footage there was a tornado that swept through Chicago a mile from where we were, and we were stuck inside the studio at 12 a.m. as the wind and rain shook the windows and water spilled from the ceiling,” she said. “When we filmed the outdoor shots at the Indiana Dunes on July 3, I could see Chicago across the lake and it looked like a floating city next to the peach sun. We drove back to the city at night with hundreds of fireworks going off all around us and on the horizon. The folks who made the video are really rare people and cherished collaborators of mine and really captured the essence of the song.” [via FLOOD]

Baby Queen has dropped a video for her new single ‘You Shaped Hole’. The track – the latest in a long line of pop bangers – arrives ahead of her mixtape the Yearbook, out September 3. “I was super heartbroken when I wrote this song,” she says, “and my ex was dating this beautiful supermodel after dumping me in Clissold Park in North East London. I went through a bit of a wild phase, as one does, and was doing everything I could possibly do to feel better. At the time I had this image in my mind of a hole inside my body that was shaped exactly like my ex, and it was as if I was trying to fill that hole in any way I could, but the things I was filling it with never reached the corners or made me feel any better, they just cluttered my life. I really wanted this video to bring the adolescent tumult of the song to life,” she adds of the video. “It’s set in a high school in North East London and follows a solitary journey through heartbreak, pain and the boundless determination to rise above those feelings. I wanted to capture the passion I felt when I wrote it, and there was something about the idea of dancing around empty hallways and yelling the lyrics into the abyss that felt intimate and strangely familiar.” [via Dork]

'Cuban Heel' was a highlight amongst highlights on CLEWS' new record Loveluck Omens, capturing the infatuation central to the EP's core themes as well as the rich indie-rock sonics that underpin much of their sound. "'Cuban Heel' came out of a strange short story I wrote about a girl finding her life’s companion," says Lily, drawing meaning out of the vocals that dance amongst the hazy, yet indulgent production. "This song is about infatuation, so it suits that it came from a fictional story. I imagine a young girl falling in love with an older man but not knowing what to do with all her feelings." Directed by Maya Luana, the video hints at the soft, care-free romanticism that underpins much of the EP's meaning, doubling down on the single's rich sound through a visual lens, while also presenting the core idea of Cuban Heel through a different light. "'Cuban Heel' is more of an imaginary story of young love than it is autobiographical, so we wanted the video to match this strange and surreal feeling," the duo say on the video. "Our director Maya Luana's take on the video was inspired by nights out in Sydney, running around the city young and carefree. This song is about the power love, lust and infatuation can have over you so Maya gave us magical powers in the video." [via Pilerats]

Sunmi has finally dropped the action-packed music video for her new single, ‘You Can’t Sit With Us’. In the video, Sunmi declines calls and messages from a persistent ex-lover. “I hate you,” she later screams at him through the phone when he calls repeatedly. Things take a deadly turn when she throws a flowerpot at him, which hits him in the head, when he appears outside her window. Sunmi later heads to in a retro-themed DVD rental store, where she and her friends browse through the shelves before being interrupted by her ex, now back as a zombie. The group then engage in an thrilling gunfight against a horde of zombies. “Don’t call me, ‘honey’ / ‘Cause I ain’t gon’ be no sweet girl,” she raps in English on the second verse. The synthwave-inspired ‘You Can’t Sit With Us’ is the title track of Sunmi’s latest mini-album, 1/6. The six-track project also include album cuts such as the summer-inspired song ‘SUNNY’ and the laid-back ‘1/6’. [via NME]

PVRIS have released a video for their new single, ‘Monster’. The track follows on from the band’s latest album Use Me, released last year. “‘Monster’ is a song about reckoning with outside opinions and expectations put upon oneself,” frontwoman Lynn Gunn explains. “It can be easy to take on the weight of negative situations/opinions, this is about the struggle of releasing those inhibitions and internalizations and returning back to yourself.” [via Dork]

MAY-A has dropped a new video for ‘Central Station’. The clip arrives alongside her exceptional debut EP Don’t Kiss Your Friends, out now via Atlantic Records. “Don’t Kiss Ur Friends follows the course of a relationship, a journey of queer discovery, and the growth from an adolescent to a young adult,” she explains. “Each song is a piece of the last four or five years of my life, the most recent track having been written last year and the earliest at 16. As the music developed, so did I. You can listen to me grow up, gain confidence and understand myself through the way I approach my relationships.” [via Dork]

Leeds based alt-pop artist Ruby Duff drops her sugary pop track 'Party,' focusing on the aftermath of partying a bit too hard. The playful track shines a spotlight on the versatility of Duff’s vocals that shift seamlessly from syrupy to sultry, the energy swinging between childish delight and adult world weariness. The relatable message of the production is offset by the fantastical elements brought alive by the visuals, reflective what Duff describes as “the vast extremities” that lay between the highs and lows in life. Pushing the confines of pop music in an experimental fusion of soundscapes, Duff has built a global fanbase for her ability to bring stories alive through her craft - often with her fluid song writing process led by melodies that take root in her mind as dreams. Paired with an Alice in Wonderland inspired music video, directed by Alma Rosaz, the track reflects Duff’s signature style of drawing inspiration from her own life. “Ever partied too hard? Yup me too" states Duff. "‘Party’ is about the anticipation of a single moment in life to then the great downfall. Working with Alma Rosaz on our video helped me to portray the vast extremities of exactly this yet in a playful way - just as the track does! But also who wouldn’t like puppies, glitter hot dogs and snow globe martinis right?” Balancing a quirky youthfulness with a talent for penning thoughtful lyrics, Duff’s music can be best described in her own words as “A picture that we are all part of. A story we can all tell. A lullaby we can all hum,” and 'Party,' with its delicate yet bold soundscape is the perfect representation of this one-of-a-kind artistry that Duff has quietly developed over her career. [via Line Of Best Fit]

South London riser Cat Burns has shared her soulful new bop 'Into You'. The Streatham songwriter uses technology to her advantage, amassing an army of fans on TikTok. But there's raw talent there, as well; she's a natural vocalist, while the twist and turn of her lyricism shows real insight. Take new song 'Into You'. It's about falling in love, the thrills and insecurities that are part of immersing yourself in someone else's life. The soulful vocal is interrupted by a voicemail in the middle eight, demolishing the line between life and art. She explains... “For the song I really wanted to talk about the first stages of getting to know someone, it’s exciting, it's nerve racking and you put a lot of pressure on yourself so I wanted the song to represent that. I wanted to showcase how pure black queer love is, how gentle and tender it is, and i think the video accurately shows that.” [via Clash]

Aimee Mann has announced her new album Queens Of The Summer Hotel, her follow-up to 2017’s excellent Mental Illness. She’s got a new song for us, too. Three years ago, Mann announced that she was writing music for a stage musical version of Girl, Interrupted. In working on the songs Mann tapped into her own mental health struggles, and when the pandemic put the musical plans on hold, Mann turned those songs into her own record. That’s what Queens Of The Summer Hotel is. Mann has shared the video for first single 'Suicide Is Murder,' a dark and detached and lovely song. Mann sings about the “motive, means, and opportunity” needed to plan out the end of your life, as if it’s a crime scene. Talking about 'Suicide Is Murder,' Mann says: "I started to write this song because I’ve known people who committed suicide and friends who’ve had loved ones die from suicide. I think the phrase “suicide is murder” took on a meaning for me as it’s the worst thing to have to deal with in the aftermath. It’s just terrible. Because every person who knows the person who committed suicide will blame themselves in some way for not noticing or stepping in or doing something. They’ll till the end of their days, say, “Was there something I could have done?” Mann’s regular collaborators Rob Hatch-Miller and Puloma Basu directed the 'Suicide Is Murder' video, and it stars the character actor and Hal Hartley favorite James Urbaniak as a man who is considering ending things, using a game of Clue to imagine how me might do it. It’s pretty heavy. [via Stereogum]

NAHLI’s talent precedes her; her unique raw and sparkling approach to her music, style and life as an artist has been highlighted in depth via her features on tracks such as Professor Green’s ‘Bad Decisions’, Rude Kid’s ‘Please Don’t’, Crystal Fighters ‘Costa Rica’ and Conducta’s ‘Only U’ but as she flies solo on her new single ‘Something’s Gotta Change’, NAHLI’s level of talent can really be admired in its glory. In a thought-provoking statement, ‘Something’s Gotta Change’ epitomises who NAHLI is as an artist. It’s not just a single, it’s more than that, just as NAHLI isn’t just an artist. A spokesperson, an activist, a colourful array of talent, thought and lyricism, NAHLI is using her craft for purpose and ‘Something’s Gotta Change’ marks the start of that. Understanding the catalyst of the creation, NAHLI explains, “The world is starting to allow triggering messages in film and TV series, more and more every day. We’re seeing more understanding of LGBTQIA+. We’re seeing more representation of race and colour. We’re broadening our minds. We’re no longer brushing topics like rape and racism and discrimination under the rug. The media is no longer turning their backs on women claiming to be a ‘victim’ or for ‘asking for it’ or ‘she wore provocative clothing’. NOW is the time for change. I want people to feel empowered by this track. You’re not alone anymore. This is a movement. This is my absolute proudest work.”

Pop singer-songwriter Eves Karydas has announced a new EP, Reruns, arriving next month. Karydas’ six-track EP will be released on September 24 through Dew Process. To mark the announcement, the artist released a new single, ‘Lemonade’. The upbeat track was co-written with Plested and collective The 23rd, and describes a break-up with a former partner. An accompanying music video, directed by Natalie Sim, depicts Karydas and a number of dancers in a lemon orchard and on the coast. “I wrote this in the midst of a breakup about the delicate balance between playing it cool and moving on but also allowing myself to feel let down. I hope you loooooveeee it,” Karydas said in an Instagram post. The singer elaborated further in a press statement, saying, “‘Well I didn’t want to write an FU song…‘ pretty much sums up ‘Lemonade’. It’s about reaching the end of my limit and being super frustrated with how a relationship panned out. “I wanted to explore the delicate feeling of playing it cool and moving on but also allowing myself to feel let down. That, plus I just really like lemonade.” [via NME]

Los Angeles based rock duo Dead Posey is back with a vengeance in their new track 'Russian Roulette'. Not only that, but fans can also look forward to Dead Posey’s debut album in early 2022. Speaking on the new release, the band shares: “Between the plague shutting down the world, poisonous politics, and the battle with our own demons, this song is the first shot against it all. 'Russian Roulette' is the nagging black rabbit hole in your head that can make you go insane and doubt everything you’re doing. It’s our ‘fuck you’ rage that’s been boiling beneath the surface begging to get out." [via Outburn]

Bedroom pop act Solo Career, the project of Dharawal / Illawarra artist Annabel Blackman (also known as singer/lead guitarist in acclaimed rock group, Body Type), shares her first official single ‘Movie’, alongside news of her debut EP The Sentimentalist, due September 17 via Dinosaur City Records. Written, recorded, produced and mixed by Blackman at her DIY home studio, ‘Movie’ features an icy guitar line, motorik drums and a driving bassline, with Annabel’s brusque vocals floating listlessly in the thick of the mix. On the story behind the track, Blackman reveals: “I wrote ‘Movie’ after seeing ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. It was an idyllic afternoon; I walked into the old movie theatre at Bulimba in QLD with my family looking forward to an enthralling experience. We left the cinema an age later. Grandpa looked wiped, everyone was quiet, and then the bickering started and didn’t stop till we settled down at home and watched a movie starring Beyonce. The whole experience sent me into a doom spiral and made me question the integrity of my family unit.” Talking about the songwriting process, Blackman adds: “I started writing this song a couple of years ago. I had an idea for the guitar line when I was walking home from work and tried to make it work for ages. It wasn’t until I wrote the lyrics that I was able to mash it together into something I was happy with.” [via The Partae]

‘The Human Condition’ is a new track from the recently formed Stina Marie Claire, a musical project from established Glaswegian artist Honeyblood (AKA Stina Tweeddale). Founded after the pandemic saw her supporting tour slot with Foo Fighters postponed, the development of the project was a Patreon-exclusive creative venture over lockdown. Her latest song is a departure from her usual sound, opening with buzzing, stuttering synths and melting into a delightfully fuzzy chorus. There is an undeniably 90s feel. “2020 was a strange year. Trying to navigate the challenges of COVID-19, I set up a wonderful online community, inviting those who love my music to come on a unique journey with me,” Tweedale says of the experience. “These fans were able to be a part of my creative process every step of the way; an eye-opening experience not just for them but for me. We made this release together, collaborating directly from artist to fan. If anything, this experience has been a shining beacon of creativity in a time where keeping the embers of inspiration has been so difficult.” Stina Marie Claire will release of A Souvenir of a Terrible Year EP in October on Iceblink Luck, a label co-founded with her friend Robert Kilpatrick from the Scottish Music Industry Association. [via the Indiependent]

Kito returns with 'Steal My Clothes' ft. Bea Miller – a highly relatable tale about being irresistibly drawn to someone despite their capacity for wrecking your life and raiding your closet. Kito creates an effervescent dance-pop track with her signature production elements and distinct distorted vocal chops as Miller wryly lays out a sequence of chaotic situations. The official video mirrors the song’s playfulness. Miller performs for a sparse crowd at a community centre. Working the room, she finds a unique way of connecting with her audience, which includes Kito. As she stops at each table, Miller morphs into the apparel of whomever she is singing to. The video was directed by GIZELLA (Dillon Francis, Seinabo Sey), who has helmed many of Miller’s videos. [via the Music Essentials]

Column: Favorite Rap Mixtapes of July 2017

With a cascade of releases spewing from the likes of DatPiff, LiveMixtapes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, it can be difficult to keep up with the overbearing yet increasingly vital mixtape game. In this column, we aim to immerse ourselves in this hyper-prolific world and share our favorite releases each month. The focus will primarily be on rap mixtapes — loosely defined here as free (or sometimes free-to-stream) digital releases — but we’ll keep things loose enough to branch out if/when we feel it necessary. (Check out last month’s installment here.) --- VIK - Facts of Life [stream/download] There are a thousand Soundcloud users out there who want to be the next All These Fingers, YungMorgpheus, or Theravada, but like the Highlander, there can be only one. Anybody can fuck up a beat, you see? But it takes a measure of ingenuity to fuck up, in, out, on, and off that beat simultaneously. VIK does these things, and he raps under the name Comfy God. Look, I’m just telling you facts here. Facts of Life is everyman rap as a mostly wordless psychogeography, an anti-happening happening to occur on tape, that type of spontaneity so dope it makes you believe in destiny… and rewind. –Samuel Diamond --- Jonatan Leandoer127 - Katla [stream] Looks like someone’s been hitting the books lately. Ditching the Yung Lean moniker for his government name, Jonatan Leandoer127 opens his sophomore effort with an excerpt from Milton’s Paradise Lost. “Immediate are the acts of God, more swift Than time or motion,” he recites, stumbling over a few words. Producer Palmistry washes the missteps with swells muted strings — no drums needed. Save for the occasional flourish of cyborgian autotune, Katla bears little resemblance to Yung Lean’s back catalogue. You’d have better luck shelving tracks like “Hell Rain” and “Cathedral” in a playlist alongside Julee Cruise and Lust For Youth than you would next to cuts from Unknown Death or Warlord. Leandoer’s Swedish spoken-word poems are chanted with liturgical weight atop misty ambience, then strained through a compression filter as tinny as a Nokia Tracfone’s speaker. Imagine This Mortal Coil remixed by Moby or Oneohtrix Point Never grabbing hold of some Sinead O’Connor stems. File this one under “Future Folk.” –Jude Noel --- Truman Snow - TRUIYASHA [stream/download] I don’t know why Truman Snow isn’t Tiny Mix Tapes’ favorite rapper, but I can only assume it’s because I’m the one championing him thus far. Sorry, Tru. Let me put it like this, though: If you like Young Thug and Future, you should love Truman Snow. If you love Young Thug and Future, you should move to Norfolk, Connecticut, find Truman Snow and volunteer to mule drugs for him or something. He probably doesn’t even need that service, but it’s the thought that counts. And the drugs count too, so buy Truman Snow ALL the drugs, mule them to him, then buy them back from him. Don’t lend him your ears. Give them to him, like Van Gogh. He may have only released two mixtapes so far this year, but he deserves 10 spots on all our lists. –Samuel Diamond --- Godbody Jones - IN GOD WE TRUST [stream] Godbody Jones is an MC/photographer, from Memphis, Tennessee, but his art contains little of the grim aesthetic that have brought horrorcore rappers like Tommy Wright’s 10 Wanted Men and Geto Boys back into the underground spotlight. His lyrics may be typically nihilistic, the product of young frustration directed a crippled nation, but they soar over uniquely melodic beats on “Intro” and “Face It.” Jones has a confident, expressive voice with good range, which is practically a requirement for a successful 2017-era MC. On “Brightness Down,” he puts it all on display, gliding effortlessly between deadpan drawl and slurring vocoder runs. When Jones sings, “Are you down for a ride, or you down for a roll?,” dragging out the “roll” like a he’s skating a steezy rock to fakie, the head instinctually bobs along with him. “Coraline” is a standout — evidence that the Godbody has hitmaker potential alongside being a harbinger of doom. –al ghul --- Scallops Hotel - Over the Carnage Rose a Voice Prophetic [stream/download] If DJ Escrow’s Universal Soulja is the logical extreme of noise rap, a kind of “Coke La Rock meets Merzbow” alpha-omega point, then Scallops Hotel’s Over the Carnage Rose a Voice Prophetic could be described as alt rap on a similar trajectory; however, the tape’s loose assemblage of experimental one-offs, classic remixes, obscure collabos, and instrumental interludes has such a kid-in-a-sandbox vibe that such microgenre descriptors miss the point. If you want to hear a young mastermind at work, you listen to Milo, but if you want to hear that mastermind at play, working things out and having what sounds like an awesome time doing it, you listen to Milo’s side project Scallops Hotel. This is what a mixtape is supposed to be, but better. –Samuel Diamond --- DJ Escrow - Universal Soulja Vol. 1 [stream] “Lifted up.” Overdrive, reverb, and more overdrive, in layers like the roll of tinfoil I accidentally peeled unevenly and fucked up even worse trying to fix. Adlibs hollered as if over a heavy wind. A steady, violent burn. “Dipping T-shirts in blood and that.” The “fucking exclusive” WeTransfer link already expired; “you’ve got to get a new connect, find a new plug.” A PROLIFIC DEAMON with nothing to prove, Escrow lacks the easygoing temperament of a Blue Iverson, though I think some of the latter’s cheaply synthesized strings are hiding somewhere, flayed beyond recognition, in his jagged brush. Clearly the spark to balance the cool of right-hand-man Babyfather, his gift to the melting world this July was a mixtape with texture to match the brain-baking heat. The long, empty days of summer can grow around you like a husk; stay alert. “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” –Will Neibergall [pagebreak] --- Knxwledge - HEX.10.8_ [stream] The L.A. producer Knxwledge slips a new set of beats onto his bandcamp page on a rigorous schedule (just in time for our Monthly Mixtape Roundup, it would seem). Each of these tapes — about 15-20 minutes in length — sells for $10.88, so artists claiming there’s no money in purchasing music should hit this dude up for some tips, because his beats are hotter and come in more flavors than LaCroix nice-smelling carbonated water. They are not, however, simply nice-smelling water. There’s a delightful crate-digging, compilation quality to them. Knxwledge sorts his beats into different series, the names of which often change (HEX used to be “Hexual_Sealing”). Some songs on HEX.10.8_ end abruptly, others, like “dordie_” and “issaparty_,” are simply heavily side-chained early Millennium R&B. It’s usual Knxwledge fair, the sort that has made him a superstar in the lofi beats scene. When Soundcloud goes to the great silicon server in the sky, taking all its 2-cent producers running circles around “Blue in Green,” at least we can safely hold onto the knowledge that this Stones Throw schxlar will keep us supplied with the essentials. –al ghul --- MIKE - May God Bless Your Hustle [stream/download] I hesitate to even include May God Bless Your Hustle in this column, because although we should be well beyond that whole album vs. mixtape / high vs. low art bullshit, I fear it remains embedded in the back of our minds, but since I’m going in hard this month anyway, let’s get it. MIKE’s is a young voice and an old soul helping each other make the most of each day and night. May God Bless Your Hustle, easily his most complete, cohesive, coalescing project to date by my summation, might well be called a new kind of hustle altogether if it didn’t feel so damn familiar. Not derivative nor redundant, but well-informed and engaged, it’s like natural syndicalism. It just makes sense. –Samuel Diamond --- Ski Mask the Slump God - YouWillRegret [stream] “I’m not lyrical, but I’m lyrical,” said Ski Mask the Slump God in an interview with Power 105.1’s DJ Self. “I just like saying stuff to make people say ‘wow.’” You’d be hard pressed to find a better quote that could serve as the Broward County emcee’s artist’s statement — like Lil Uzi Vert admitted to his fellow XXL Freshman Class panelists in 2016, he eschews narrative to focus entirely on “getting in the booth and making it sound good.” On his official debut LP, Ski Mask trades in his usual samples of cartoon theme songs for gothic compositions trimmed with church organ and detuned synths. Despite sharing a blown-out bass tone with fellow members of Florida’s Soundcloud scene, he bears more of a resemblance to early-80s minimal wave acts like Oppenheimer Analysis and Solid Space than his geographical neighbors. The drastic timbral shift pays off: with more room to breathe, Ski Mask’s zig-zagging, triple-knotted flows are clearly on display from all angles. The long-awaited “Bird Is The Word” is queasily dissonant, pairing a heaved delivery with creeping chords. “Gone” is ethereal enough to fit next to BeeDeeGee and Holly Herndon on a 4AD compilation. “Adventure Time” still sounds as ahead of its time as it did when dropped on Boxing Day, seven months ago. Even at his least gimmicky, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who sounds as fresh as Ski Mask the Slump God does on YouWillRegret. Don’t sleep. –Jude Noel --- Dizzy SenZe - Hueman Vertigo [stream] The problem with nostalgia and novelties is that they can get old quick. I’m not naming names, but maybe, just maybe, there are more than a few throwback rappers du jure who wouldn’t have been given the time du jure when their style was actually hot. Plus, this being New York, I could literally walk down the street, point to a person, and get a verse doper than most of what’s sent my way by the PR goons who flood my inbox daily, but I digress. To America, Dizzy SenZe may be New York to a fault, but it’s no fault of her own. When you’re this good at what you do, it’d be foolish to do otherwise. Dizzy does the Bronx justice simply by doing herself. This is how it’s done. –Samuel Diamond --- Trouble - 16 [stream/download] Like a thief in the night, Trouble has seized the next spot in line. Finally. Since 2011, he’s been perpetually on the verge of a breakthrough, a walking renegade whose show-stealing features simply couldn’t translate to sustained popularity when it came time to drop his own shit. Starting with last year’s Skoobzilla, that might finally be changing. Trouble’s greatest strength is his versatility, and he’s wasted no time adapting his style to the ever-evolving rap zeitgeist. Remarkably, 16 is just a teaser, collecting a handful of tracks that evidently won’t make Trouble’s forthcoming album EdgeWood. Given the quality of 16, that’s a very good sign. EdgeWood will be entirely produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, with Drake and The Weeknd headlining an already impressive list of features. Fool me once, etc., but if 16 is any indication, then Trouble’s coming for real this time. –Corrigan B --- Warhol.SS - 3200 [stream] Warhol.SS arrived at his namesake through Basquiat, the genius artist/celebrity who practically invented the nature of hype, rising in the public eye at a Migos pace, before dying from a heroin overdose with Cobain expediency. His paintings now sell for eye-watering suitcases of money. We’re talking over 550 lbs in $100 bills. Basquiat was admittedly with Andy, or maybe, like many of the King of Pop-Art’s hangers on, he sees the association as a conduit to success. 3200 is compiled of Soundcloud tracks (probably a smart move, considering the platform’s uncertain future). Warhol’s flow is amusing off-kilter on “Mac Up” and “In The Field,” as if the dude is jumping around in the booth while he records. He sounds like a less nihilistic Chief Keef, riding explosive sub bass like he held the engineer at gun point and made him turn it the fuck up, levels be damned. “Bag it 2” pairs this King Kong kick to some bouncy 8-bit synths — it’s by far the standout on a tape that shows progress. –al ghul --- Secret Museum of Mankind - The Masculine Dignity of Mountain Tribesmen [stream/download] Das Racist was a delusion of grandeur turned actually grandiose. Kool AD’s solo work, on the other hand, is more like a grand delusion. Dude is rapping so much and recording so many of those raps, his catalog basically amounts to a transient’s travelogue, if that travelogue was the direct transcript of an inner-monologue. Long story short, the man is logging some serious time in booths. Secret Museum of Mankind finds that wanderer work ethic in a kind of supergroup setting, with freestyles so hifalutin they ought to be engraved in metal slabs and stuck on walls for future passersby. Kool AD + Quelle Chris + these other dudes x Steel Tipped Dove = historic bruh. –Samuel Diamond http://j.mp/2h9ujGs