Gift of Gab: Vice Grip

Rapper Gift of Gab—born Timothy Parker, one half of celebrated hip-hop duo Blackalicious and member of the Quannum Projects collaborative—sadly passed away in June, but was poised to release his fourth solo album, Finding Inspiration Somehow. The record’s lead single “Vice Grip” wholly showcases Gab’s remarkable cadence and style. His immediately recognizable voice bounces meticulously over the jagged beat, made by frequent collaborator Nick Andre. The …

Lotic: Come Unto Me

Otherworldly and genre-bending, “Come Unto Me” by Lotic (aka Berlin-based, Texas-raised artist J’Kerian Morgan) will appear on her upcoming album Water, following her 2018 debut called Power. The tension-filled track invokes elements of countless styles (from industrial techno to R&B and avant-pop) to create something entirely unique. The accompanying video, directed by Matt Lambert, is equally magical. On the visuals, Lotic says, “1.8 million Africans …

Reporters Without Borders’ Uncensored Library in Minecraft

The non-profit Reporters Without Borders and creative advertising agency DDB have assembled a virtual repository for freedom of the press, aptly named The Uncensored Library, inside the game Minecraft. Thanks to blockchain technology, governments are unable to surveil or censor any of the content within, which aims to provide gamers with otherwise banned articles. The entire library can be downloaded as an offline map for …