REASON: Something More

Rapper REASON (aka Robert Lee Gill Jr) released his first-ever studio album New Beginnings this week. Introductory track “Something More” begins with vocals from singer Zacari that set the stage for REASON’s origin story—from former relationships with lovers, friends and foes, to getting signed by Top Dawg Entertainment, up to the day his debut album dropped. When REASON steps in, he unleashes all the talent …

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Jubilant jazz, tantalizing Yoruba Tech Soul, experimental music and a farewell to Eddie Van Halen

Eli Fola: Midnight Fall Nigeria-born, NYC-based artist Eli Fola champions Yoruba Tech Soul—a genre that fuses “traditional Nigerian sounds, electronic, jazz, house and classical music”—through his self-produced music, saxophone performances, DJ sets and beyond. Most recently, he dropped Soundscape To Freedom, a five-track EP that comprises “soundscapes for a Black person living in America,” he explains. A groovy, hypnotic single, “Midnight Fall” embodies all of the …

Xavier Omär feat. Mereba: Like I Feel

The third single from R&B recording artist Xavier Omär’s forthcoming LP if You Feel (out 23 October on RCA Records), “Like I Feel” burns slowly. The D’Mile-produced beat offers a classic, percussion-driven foundation for Omär and Mereba (full name Marian Mereba) to flourish atop. Their vocals float in harmony: airy and breathy, but impactful. By the end, the two trade crescendos, circling in the instrumental …