"No End" In Sight For WebsterX's Restless Summer
WebsterX released the second installment of his Restless Summer today with "No End". The track is breathy and melodic, starting out sounding like something Man On The Moon era Kid Cudi would have made. It fits the overall idea of the restless summer, you can imagine yourself lying in bed on a hot night listening to this song. The melancholic beat is contradicted with an optimistic and at times braggadocios lyrics but overall that contradiction feels genuine. It's like being depressed in the summer but still energetic.
https://soundcloud.com/websterx/no-end-prod-q-the-sun-1
"No End" follows up the first release of the Restless Summer two weeks ago, "Feels". You can expect a release every other week for the rest of the summer.
Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers 2 Out Now
Wiz Khalifa has finally dropped Rolling Papers 2 after teasing the album for what feels like years now. The album is 25 songs and contains a long list of features that include Lil Skies, Gucci Mane, Snoop Dogg, and many others. Jimmy Wopo, who was shot and killed in Pittsburgh, PA last month is also featured with fellow Pittsburgh rapper Hardo on the 3rd song "Blue Hunnids".
Wiz's breakthrough album Rolling Papers, that dropped back in 2011, had anthems like “Black & Yellow,” “Roll Up,” and “No Sleep.” The sequel has similar energy that made the first Rolling Papers a classic. The production from TM88, Sledgren, Cardo, and others has Rolling Papers 2 sounding much like the mixtapes that led Wiz to his popularity.
The intro track "Hot Now" trades the typical melodic hook for back to back verses building up the auto tune setting up the album. Listen to the rest of the album below:
Lil House Phone Drops Single Off Upcoming Project
Lil House Phone returns to our pages with his single "X6". This is the first release from his upcoming project Voicemails 2, which is set to come out August 17th. The short catchy track has one verse between two hooks about copping a BMW, while mentioning past relationships.
The track debuted only on SoundCloud and has been added to their "First on SoundCloud" playlist.
https://soundcloud.com/lil-housephone/x6-prod-by-kob-x-noize
Thair Debuts With "Summer Luhh"
You may know Thair as the lead singer from Astro Samurai but today he stepped into a new lane with his debut solo album Summer Luhh. You can stream and download it below.
The album is like the singer, defined by dichotomy that finds a harmony within its differences. At moments it is reticent and poignant, in the opening line of the album he says, "It doesn't make me sad that my roots grew tired seeking relief, in this time I sprouted in many directions". But this sentiment is contradicted with the dance-able if minimal beat underneath his poem, which continues and grows into a powerful poppy album. The standout hit from Summer Luhh is "Thotty Dismorphia", a confident-while-insecure song about internet culture and celebrating while fearing your own body. There's something reminiscent of D'Angelo in Summer Luhh, maybe it's his out of this world vocal range, maybe it's the precision and attention to detail that you can hear in the album. Everything in this album is from Thair, from the album cover to the underlying production and especially the attitude.
When asked what the album was about Thair responded, "It's really just about reflecting on love in different forms. Loss of love. False love. Seeking love. Finding love. Of course the songs aren't in a thematic order because that's not how love is. It all happens randomly and at times you weren't expecting." This is an album for everyone, but it draws from his experience as a gay, black man in 2018 and the authenticity which comes with that is much needed in a such a superficial time.
Contrary to what you would expect from the title, the album isn't actually about summer love. There is a bright positivity throughout it that makes it feel like a summer album, but Thair says it's not really that, "Tricked ya now you're crying in the club" he joked.
Look for new visuals coming from Thair, but until then check out the video he made for an earlier version of Fruitflies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8SpfS4tjYk
Dolly Ave Debuts First Visual "Birds"
Kweku Collins Perfectly Captures The Summer Fling With "Sisko and Kasidy"
Kweku Collins' newest track "Sisko and Kasidy" is a summer love anthem. Linking up for another collaboration with fellow Closed Sessions artist Ajani Jones, this is his first release of 2018 and it perfectly captures the heat of the summer and the uncertainty that comes with a fling. In the chorus Kweku sings "It's been hot, it's the summer, what you expect?" in a thickly layered, Dan Deacon-esque, harmony that adds to the disorienting effect that makes the song feel like the subject.
There's a heat that's captured within the production and combined with the lyrics it creates a summer-in-a-bottle effect that will definitely have you coming back in the middle of the winter. Just like with a fling there is a melancholy underneath the surface, Kweku even asks “What if the sun doesn’t come out tomorrow?”.
"Sisko and Kasidy" is a reference to the two black commanders in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
You can see Kweku and Ajani perform together at their Pitchfork after party at Schubas on July 21st.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1DXlJYboCnmNC35GcLyYtm?si=3EIaZxmFRYOc0B3eLq47DQ
Future Drops Beastmode 2
Future connects with fellow Atlanta producer Zaytoven for a 9 track mixtape Beastmode 2. This is the sequel to Future and Zaytoven's 2015 collaborative mixtape Beastmode.
The glorified lyrics about the wealth and success are balanced with flashbacks of the struggle. On "Red Light" Future says, "Sleepin' on the carpet made a man out me". Then later reflects with, "I finally start to embrace that I'm famous. It's hard for me to erase when I was nameless".
On the closing track, he reminisces about his rough past while detailing his drug use.
"Pouring up in public, damn, I hate the real me
My mama stressing out, she say these drugs got me"
Stream the project below:
Jamila Woods, Tasha & Kevin Coval Team Up With Vinyl For A Cause
Jamila Woods has teamed up with Louder Than A Bomb cofounder Kevin Coval and singer/songwriter Tasha to release a 7" record to benefit Young Chicago Authors via Vinyl For A Cause. When she's not making music Jamila Woods is the associate artistic director for YCA. Young Chicago Authors is arguably the organization that has influenced Chicago's music scene the most. For the past 28 years YCA has mentored and cultivated an impressive number of kids, including Chance The Rapper, Saba, No Name, Mick Jenkins, Jamila Woods and on and on. Nearly every one of todays most successful artists that have been instrumental in the cultural renaissance that has taken place in Chicago has a tie to YCA in some capacity.
Side A of the record is a new track from Jamila Woods called "Muddy" in reference to a Kevin Coval poem entitled "Muddy Waters Goes Electric". The beat is dominated by a sizzling guitar, with Jamila's cool voice creating a sense of harmony. The contrast is heightened by Jamila's lyrics repeating "We can shake the fire off". The B side features Kevin Coval and upcoming R&B singer Tasha in a duet between poem and song.
80% of the proceeds from the record will go directly to YCA. You can buy it here. Check out Jamila's track below.
https://youtu.be/xEzMPwAPVJ4