Author Archives
Roach Gigz and IamSu!, “Ain’t a Thing” MP3
Preeminent Bay Area rappers Roach Gigz and IamSu! have teamed up again for their latest single “Ain’t a Thing,” a laid-back track meant to brush aside bandwagon groupies and critics alike. Over breezy strings and … read more »
Interview: Snoop Dogg
Saying that Snoop Dogg is currently undergoing an artistic renaissance largely overlooks the fact that he has, since the early ’90s, always been a versatile pop fixture. Instead, Snoop is experiencing a reinvention—or as his … read more »
Stream Raymond Byron & the White Freighter’s Album Little Death Shaker
Whenever you travel 50 miles outside of any major urban hub, metropolitan concerns and anxieties begin to wilt and inevitably become irrelevant. Ray Raposa’s new bluesy outfit, Raymond Byron & the White Freighter, offers the … read more »
Stream: Machel Montano f. Busta Rhymes, Olivia and Fatman Scoop, “Make It Shake”
Soca superstar Machel Montano returned this week with the dance-floor obliterator, “Make It Shake.” The track has all the elements of a crossover club banger—a guest spot from Busta Rhymes channeling his inner Snoop Lion, … read more »
Stream: ForteBowie, “Check”
Releasing ForteBowie’s “Check” on a Monday might seem like the wrong end of the week to drop a frenetic, hooky track about payday. Over taut snare rolls that sound like twitchy finger taps on the … read more »
Video: JJ Doom, “Guv’nor”
Earlier today, JJ DOOM, the collaboration between DOOM and producer/rapper Jneiro Jarel, premiered the mind-boggling video for their single, “Guv’nor.” The split screen concept looks like how someone with a lazy eye might theoretically be … read more »
Stream: Roc Marciano, “76″
With “76,” Roc Marciano has reemerged, yet again, to remind us that since his early days with Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad, he has been one of the most consistent MC/producers around. Over brushes of piano … read more »
Stream: OMBRE, “Tormentas”
“Tormentas,” the latest single from Julianna Barwick and Helado Negro’s collaboration OMBRE, is a dose of whirring, celestial tropicalia. Over timid arpeggios and modest filters, Negro mutters sweetly in his native tongue. But if you … read more »
Video: Denitia and Sene, “Blah Blah Blah”
R&B duo Denitia and Sene’s video debut for “Blah Blah Blah” is a bit of a downer, but it is an apt visual rendering of the smoldering slow jam whose momentum is the result of … read more »
Video: The xx, “Angels” (Live in Tokyo)
Inspired by the view from Romy Madley Croft’s 33rd-floor hotel room in downtown Tokyo, The xx have recorded this pristine live version of their single “Angels.” The band’s The FADER #81 cover story is on … read more »
