Issue 51
Summer is coming along well and I’m off on vacation. There’s usually a ”summer album” being released that have a lot of feel good vibes but can’t say I’ve found that one this year.
What I’ve found though, is one of my new favourite up and coming artist: Octavian. This british MC has really made his way into the scene with a lot of attention this year. If not for winning the prestigious award ”BBC Sound 2019”, then for his groundbreaking sound of a mix of american rap, hip hop, R&B, experimental, dancehall, house and grime. I love it from start to finish.
I feel he are on his way to set a new kind of sound for the british islands and taking it international.
I hope you’ll have a nice summer!
King Essie
Octavian, as mentioned in the intro, is this newsletters featured artist. His latest album Endorphins takes on multiple sounds and combine it beautifully. If you have time, check out his previous album SPACEMAN as well. He’s got a great brand building around him as well, which I love on another level.
Bitchuary
Shordie Shordie – former member of Peso Da Mafia, a rap trio who I’ve listened to once or twice, are the reason I found Shordie Shordie. He’s a young kid from Baltimore who might be the first potential star from the city in a decade. It’s rough rap and slow but also brutal in a great combination.
Lost Files
I can’t stop listening to Polo G. What an album. It has everything – and also something that I truly value with an artist: playing the album from start to finish in one go and hear it connect flawlessly.
Buttered Up
Young Gravy is not trying to be 2Pac or Kendrick Lamar. He wants to do that college party music, and sometimes it works. Like this silly but fun and happy sounding track where he brought Juicy J along. I can’t not enjoy it.
Practice
Freddie Gibbs and Madlibs album that I featured last time is another album I can’t get enough of. This track might be the duo in their prime. Another album that is just epic to sit and listen through, cover to cover.