Freddie Gibbs + Madlib feat. Yasiin Bey and Black Thought: Education

From Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s collaborative album, Bandana, “Education” is a star-studded track that harkens back to the golden era of hip-hop. Gibbs, Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Black Thought (frontman of The Roots) lend verses, with Bey taking lead and setting the tone. He speaks of justice, the perils of wealth, the private prison system, gun violence and much more. And, as expected …

Friendly Fires: Silhouettes

Their third release this year, “Silhouettes” solidifies the very welcome return of UK band Friendly Fires—aka Ed Macfarlane, Edd Gibson and Jack Savidge. The song, from their upcoming LP Inflorescent (their first in eight years), is upbeat and full of tropical vibes. With bongoes and a nod to Brazilian disco, this is a summery jam that will surely incite sweaty, poolside dance parties.

serpentwithfeet feat. Ty Dolla $ign: Receipts

serpentwithfeet (aka Josiah Wise) and Ty Dolla $ign (Tyrone William Griffin Jr) team up for “Receipts,” a sparse and stirring song—which consists of plucked strings, piano, deep bass and delicate vocals. The result is a glorious fusion of serpentwithfeet’s mystical gospel-inflected style and Ty Dolla $ign’s caramel, contemporary R&B. Minimal, but richly layered with emotion, it’s a song that begs to be played over and …