DMX: Who We Be

After suffering a heart attack, DMX—considered to be one of the most influential rappers of all time—passed away last week, at 50 years old. Born Earl Simmons, and part of the Ruff Ryders collective, DMX balanced a gruff machismo with sincere vulnerability during a hyper-masculine era of hip-hop. His lyrics traced his struggles and spirituality, he spoke candidly about addiction, and he often cried during …

Sonder feat. Jorja Smith: Nobody But You

Sonder (aka vocalist Brent Faiyaz with producers Dpat and Atu) enlists singer-songwriter Jorja Smith for an emotional, acoustic duet about a dramatic breakup. Faiyaz and Smith trade verses and then go back-and-forth on the chorus: “Don’t think you cared about me / Oh girl, I care about you / But you don’t care ’bout nobody / Nobody but you.” The track will appear on Sonder’s …

Listen Up

A nine-movement jazz piece, Moroccan blues, a complex collage of sounds and more musical delights

Zo! + Tall Black Guy feat. Phonte, Darien Brockington + Muhsinah: Hold My Hand Musicians and producers Zo! (aka Lorenzo Ferguson) and Tall Black Guy (aka Terrel Wallace) joined forces for the recently released Abstractions and from it comes the breezy “Hold My Hand.” The duo is responsible for all production and instrumentation, while the honeyed vocals come courtesy of Muhsinah, Darien Brockington and Phonte. The …