Paper Idol: Seen This All Before

LA-based recording artist Paper Idol (aka Matan KG) returns with the dance-party pop track, “Seen This All Before.” Under its sunny, synth-driven exterior beats the song’s lyrical edge. As for the official visuals, “We shot the video in a single day in 2019 while [keyboardist] Adam’s brother, Sam, was visiting from out of town,” KG explains. “Sam happened to bring his video equipment and was like …

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 …

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 …