Serena Isioma: HUH?

A delightfully genre-defying bop, “HUH?” by Serena Isioma (who garnered a bunch of attention for their music on TikTok) combines R&B, pop, funk and more for a glorious celebration of authenticity, self-love and identity. With nostalgic elements and Isioma’s melodic raps, the song feels undeniably triumphant. “I will not stop this gay shit / haters mad cause I’m young, Black, and famous,” they rhyme, with …

Tiny Community Forests Emerge in Cities

Across Europe, as well as in India and other countries, communities—and organizations like IVN Nature Education in The Netherlands—have been developing basketball-court-sized native forests. On a small scale, these are “hyperlocal responses to large-scale environmental challenges,” according to National Geographic. But these areas also provide a patch of peace and serenity that bring nature closer to children in cities. They offer shade and even attract …

MIKE: Leaders of Tomorrow (Intro)

With the new full-length album Disco!, prolific NYC “loop rapper” MIKE once again affirms his position as a present-day hip-hop pioneer. “Leaders of Tomorrow (Intro),” a collage-like track stylistically split down the middle finds MIKE delivering potent lyrics atop soulful guitars, which are frequently punctured by horns. On the LP, which MIKE self-produced under his DJ BlackPower pseudonym, this track follows up the previously released single and …