Rapsody: Ibtihaj

Named for Ibtihaj Muhammad (the first American to wear a hijab when competing for the USA in the Olympics), new single “Ibtihaj,” from North Carolina rapper Rapsody, heavily samples GZA’s “Liquid Swords” and also features the Wu Tang member. Unlike the 1995 track, this release includes the immediately recognizable vocals of D’Angelo. The infectious groove will appear on Rapsody’s upcoming album EVE, which features songs …

Papa Bear & His Cubs: Sweetest Thing on This Side of Heaven

Founded in 1963 by Eddie Disnute Sr, Papa Bear & His Cubs was a family band—Disnute Sr and his six kids—from Hampton, Arkansas. The group toured, recorded at SugarHill Studios and produced an LP—though only two tracks ever surfaced from those sessions. Our favorite, “Sweetest Thing on This Side of Heaven,” is a rich and soulful gospel-influenced track. Disnute Sr taught the kids to sing …

Listen Up

From dramatic tunes to disco tracks, experimental to electronic, our favorites from the week

Angel Olsen: All Mirrors With a pared-back introduction featuring synths and sporadic percussion that gives way to a 14-piece orchestra and a stirring string-ladened interlude and conclusion, Angel Olsen’s “All Mirrors” is a cinematic ride. The layered melody is at once brooding and elating, with Olsen’s vocals guiding the track. Produced by John Congleton, with arrangements by Jherek Bischoff and Ben Babbitt, the song will …