Watch Wu-Tang Clan's New Video for "People Say"
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Best verse you will ever hear that ends with "paypa." That's what Raekwon provides in this new video for Wu-Tang Clan's "People Say", the latest drop from their forthcoming LP, Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues. Method Man, Redman, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa all join Raekwon on "People Say", with each emcee providing quotables - and yet again reminding Hip Hop fans everywhere the under-ratedness of Inspectah Deck.
Wu-Tang's last few releases have been met with a certain skepticism for the last couple years, a skepticism that spans the business and internal dynamics as well as the music. This video has at least somewhat galvanized the fan base and has been met with very positive reviews. I certainly agree it's one of their best outings in a bit.
Smino - Sorbet (Prod. Sango)
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"shout to errbody who ever put somebody on lil ol me.
i love you MUHFUCKAS.
dis me jus havin fun wit it...hope yall enjoy, dance, smile to it. kuz nigga i do."
St. Louis native Smino prefaces his latest song "Sorbet" with this heartfelt message. The overarching message to Smino is carefree. His content is often about the better things in life and Smino as much as any rapper knows how to savor them. He always manages to keep his unique style regardless of the beat, his greatest characteristic. Always working with the finest new age production Sango laces "Sorbet" with a fluttery synth line, rolling hi hats, and a kick pattern that creates the backbone for Smino's unconventional flow. Smino celebrated his birthday yesterday so join us at Ruby Hornet in being grateful that he's in our lives and bump "Sorbet" all day long.
Blu & Exile - Back To Basics
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"I'm a vet like Pat Ewing,
I blaze more Knicks than Reggie Miller"
When I saw Blu & Exile were planning a follow up to "Below The Heavens" I admittedly fan-boyed. For those of you unfamiliar, "Below The Heavens" is arguably the greatest album dropped in the 2000s and is a cohesive masterpiece; regardless of where you rank it amongst the all time great projects. Exile is a producer who's dedicated to preserving Hip-Hops golden era sound. He chops up and loops retro soul samples, pairing them with Blu's poetic diction, creating a match made in music heaven. Blu has always carried a powerful delivery, thanks to his father who was a preacher. Blu adds in a little interview excerpt about this at the end of the song, humbly acknowledging his influences.
"Back To Basics" is clearly a return to what made Blu stand out from the crowd in the first place: old school aesthetics, funky beats, and clean witty rhymes. Longtime fans of Blu looking for a return to his original sound will be happy to hear him sound like he never left.
RH First Look: Musa Reems
A young MC from the West Side of Chicago, Musa Reems is thoughtful beyond his years. Currently attending Columbia College in Chicago's South Loop, he aspires to be a social entrepreneur; giving back knowledge and other resources to his community. He dreams of imitating the career arc of Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf. Wolf started his career as a DJ and used his relationships in the scene to launch one of the most successful indie labels in Hip-Hop. Currently working on his first full length project, Musa is primed for a breakout year.
I first came across his music about a year ago on Soundcloud, I was impressed by his rapid fire flow, not only because of the pure speed of the rhymes, but also because he possesed the measured delivery of a seasoned MC. His songs "Eclipse" & "Colt 45" were my introduction to what Musa had to offer and I was thoroughly impressed. Both songs are incredible displays of lyrical dexterity while maintaining solid song structure and poise.
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"I really focus on punchlines, one –liners, creating different flows, and clever concepts. I take pride in lyricism. I think that I got that from listening to Big L. Listening to golden era hip-hop made me focus on the technicalities of rhyming and it helped my growth. The majority of the time I would sit in my room and listen to beats that sounded good to me".
His origins in Rap are humble, he started rapping with his friends after his teacher Mr. Konny showed him MF Doom on the back of the school bus. From that moment on he was hooked and he started freestyling over Doom’s Special Herbs beat tapes with his friends that summer. From there he privately continued to hone his writing and could no longer contain himself after seeing Asap Rocky at Pitchfork Music Festival in 2012. He confided in his longtime friend that he had been writing, little did he know that within the next few years the two would band together to create their group Children of I.L.L.I.O.S.
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Musa's father played old Soul music in the house while Musa was growing up, his favorites included Minnie Riperton, Ronnie Laws, The Ohio Players, and Roy Ayers. He enjoys rapping over "dirty samples with hard drums" focusing on clever one liners and having an action packed flow.
This is apparent from his influences of anime and comic books.
"My favorite anime is Samurai Champloo. The music on it was mad dope. I found out about hella artists such as Nujabes, Force of Nature, and Fat Jon because of it. I ended up rapping on a lot of their instrumentals too. I even rapped over the theme song for the show. In terms of comics, I was really into Shang-Chi when I was younger. I loved Kung-Fu and I was a big Batman fan too".
Musa is a dynamic individual who brings all of his varied interests into his rhymes. He takes his music seriously and his music business curriculum at school keeps his mind sharp. One thing people might not know about him though is his love for cooking. His west side roots are apparent in his music as well as his palette.
"Seriously though, I love cooking food and creating new dishes. It's stress relieving and relaxing for me. Every time I travel I try to eat a meal that is unique to the city that I'm visiting. Chicago has a lot of fye food in general. If we’re talking about mild sauce, you already know I'm going to go with Uncle Remus. Jerk Taco Man is always on point and I love MacArthur's. West side all day."
Prepare for his debut "Where The Sun Never Rises", I have a feeling it will turn a lot of heads when it impacts. Until then get familiar with Musas catalogue and follow him @musareems on Twitter for updates on his music.
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Loren Hits Restart On New Project - Fake Deep
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Hear the First 3 Songs from IDK's Anticipated IWASVERYBAD
IDK, formerly known as Jay IDK, inked a unique deal with Adult Swim in spring of 2017. October 12th, the Maryland native will release his new project, IWASVERYBAD, via a first listening experience on Adultswim.com, followed by a worldwide release on October 13th. The pairing with Adult Swim makes more sense as you dive into the release strategy and IDK's purpose with the music. Billed as a soundtrack, the project will drop in 3 installments of 3 songs releasing every Thursday and meant to be viewed as episodes in IDK's life growing up middle-class in Maryland.
The first drop includes "Mrs. Lynch, Your Son Is The Devil", "Maryland Ass N***a" feat Swizz Beatz, and "Pizza Shop" feat Young Gleesh, DOOM, and Del Tha Funky Homosapien.
The songs all speak to a story of a kid growing up being exposed to both, as IDK spits on the intro track, "spelling bee winners and them PG killers" and never fully committing to either. The tone is urgent, narrative, and always with a hint of something going wrong. Much like setting up a movie or show, these first tracks definitely set a scene and an impending problem. "Maryland Ass N***a" is my standout on first listen, although I would probably prefer another IDK verse over the Swizz vocals.
You can pre-order IWASVERYBAD here.
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Closed Sessions Photographers Past + Present Share Their Favorite CS Photos
On September 29th, Closed Sessions hosted an intimate photo gallery chronicling the indie label's movement from 2012-2017. The private gallery was hosted at Soho House Chicago, and served as a soft launch before the exhibition makes its way to a public space in the coming months. Here, we highlight the 4 photographers at the center of the exhibit, Jack Olevitch, Cooper Fox, Jameel Bridgewater, and Andrew Zeiter.
Jack Olevitch:
Years Active with CS: 2015-present
First photo you took for Closed Sessions: Yes, it was an Alex Wiley single artwork called “Feast”. We went to Fatso’s last stand and got some fries and spelled out feast with them, then I wrote his name in ketchup and we took a photo. Wasn’t a good photo but it was the first for sure.
Most memorable CS photo or art: Spicy Caliente was my most memorable because I was told to “make the viewers eyes explode” or something along those lines. I gave myself no boundaries and allowed myself to really create whatever was going to burn your eyes.
What do you want people to know about you after seeing this exhibit?: I am actually more of an illustrator/artists than a graphic designer. I have my own personal art that I hope one day everyone can see and enjoy, but I am really happy to be working with CS and I am glad people get to come see this sect of work that I am equally proud of.
Cooper Fox:
Years Active with CS: 2016-present
First photo you took for Closed Sessions: The first photos I took for Closed Sessions was at Jamila Wood's sold out album release show at Double Door. I remember Nico Segal came out and I got a great shot of the both of them.
Most memorable CS photo or Art: To this day my favorite photo is still the one I did for Kwe and oC before they left for their Euro tour. It's the shot where Kweku is jumping over oC on his skateboard and from the angle I was at and lens I was using, it makes it look like he's super high in the air. We all went into that shoot knowing we wanted an epic shot and that's exactly what we did.
What do you want people to know about you after seeing this exhibit?: Closed Sessions gave me the platform and opportunities to do what I love and trusted me with ideas I wanted to execute. They've allowed me to use my camera as my ticket to travel around the country and for that I am always grateful. I have made life long friends at Closed Sessions, and because of that I've been able to make my best and most honest work to date.
Jameel Bridgewater
Saba - Where Ideas Sing (Feat. Daoud)
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“Art scene like a renaissance”
Saba returns with his latest energetic track to show us "Where Ideas Sing". Saba is back in peak form with his signature double-time flow and fiery delivery. The production features a soft piano and clap that invoke the spirit of Chicago Hip-Hop; determined but playful. To this sentiment, Saba praises Chicagos current artistic boom, recalling the open mics he attended every Tuesday that nurtured his budding talent. His raps are often nostalgic in nature, giving his music a personal touch that only emboldens his connection to the city that raised him. Daoud joins him on the hook with a House inspired chorus that sends the song into a dancy crescendo. Listen now above and join Saba in his love for the community.