Vic Mensa Shares Revealing "10K" Problems

Just days after his LA Leakers freestyle, Vic Mensa has released a new song, "10K Problems". The track, which appeared shortly ago on soundcloud, is a bare-your-soul style record, and ends very dark with Vic imagining sitting in first class with a plane going down. Vic has worn his heart on his sleeve throughout his music career, and also carries the weight of deep concern for social issues and social justice on his soul.

On "10K Problems", Vic shares his struggle with staying sober, pressures from the music industry, friends double-crossing him, relationships, and his father's health. This one gets deep. I hope that putting it all out in the music has served as some kind of comfort for Vic.

https://soundcloud.com/vicsavemoney/10k-problems-vic-mensa

 

by Alexander Fruchter

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

by Stephen Kaplan

Watch Chance The Rapper Drop Some Gems in New Interview with Peter Rosenberg

"If you care about humans, if you care about people, you just got to be on some real shit."

Last night, Chance The Rapper joined Peter Rosenberg for the season finale of Complex's Open Late. Speaking from CRC, wearing a Chicago Native hoodie, and fresh from a trip to the water park with is KOK campers, Chance spoke about a wide range of topics from new music to his social activism. Among the gems that Chance dropped, we have the knowledge that he's going to work on a 7-song album with Kanye West next month, his long-awaited collab with Childish Gambino will be a proper full-length LP, and he's most fascinated with how to release music in 2018.

Chance also spoke about police brutality, and the way in which institutionalized racism treats people unequally using an easy to understand analogy to the popular game Uno. "It's easy to say 'I love America,' if you think of it like Uno. I could say, 'I love Uno,' but it depends on how I'm playing. If it's easier for me, I don't have to play by all the rules, then of course, I love Uno. But then when you start getting smacked with, 'oh, you can only put down one card. You can't stack a draw four, or you can't skip me... When you actually have to play by all the rules and every tax and tariff applies to you, then... You don't have any choice to play the game, but you feel differently about it."

It's a nice interview from Chance. Watch the full clip below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbhlv9XbbIQ&index=1&list=PLNE967m3_UeTvZgxvxj7a2gMA_i4iVYUP

by Alexander Fruchter