Gang Starr: Bad Name

Unlike many posthumous releases—particularly those within the hip-hop genre—Gang Starr’s One of the Best Yet neither stretches the late Guru’s raps too thinly, nor gives in to sentimentality. The duo (Guru aka Keith Elam, and DJ Premier aka Christopher Martin) was founded in the late ’80s and is widely considered one of the most influential rap groups ever (despite lack of broad commercial success). From the record, “Bad Name” blends Premier’s signature style (using short samples and plenty of boom-bap) with Guru’s effortless vocals. Premier started working on the album (apparently with Guru’s urn in the studio) in 2017, some 14 years after the duo disbanded and seven years after the rapper passed away. The 16-track album is officially released tomorrow.

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Overdue Attention for Overlooked Women Old Masters

Several significant exhibitions of Old Masters have been announced, and while large shows of Renaissance and Baroque paintings aren’t anything new, this recent spate is solely focused on women painters of the eras. From Washington DC’s National Museum of Women in the Arts to London’s National Gallery and Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, shows dedicated to artists including Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, Judith Leyster, Rachel …

Dan Deacon: Sat By A Tree

The lead single from his upcoming Mystic Familiar album, “Sat By A Tree” is almost immediately recognizable as Dan Deacon, through its unbridled energy and organized chaos. The dizzying tune is set to a music video directed by Encyclopedia Pictura’s Daren Rabinovitch and features Aparna Nancherla decomposing among many, many flesh-eating beetles and maggots. This is Deacon’s first new solo record since 2015’s Gliss Riffer and …