One of the beauties of the darkness of the corona epidemic is that it’s bringing a creative influx as I discussed on Benji Armstrong’s podcast (linked below).

Baltimore’s Chris Cassius gave his fans and enemies alike a two-pack on Saturday entitled “DBS/Karl Malone.”

The compilation plays like an old-school single, with its A-Side/B-Side approach. “DBS” is the more (strip) club-ready song, with its heavy bass, synths and “she a bad bitch energy.” It’s a fun song that’s dope in its own right. The second song is where things go off.

“Karl Malone” is the darker track, where Cassius uses his melodies to display some realities of being a young Black man. As Black boys turning into men, we’re often given few options, usually regardless of upbringing. Either we ball, we trap, or we rap (or we use those to create something even greater). We lose childhood friends to the streets among other facets. Chris Cassius is making music for people who’ve been through it but still press on. He’s not becoming a victim of any of his circumstances and it’s wondrous.

Check out the tracks below via Bandcamp and remember to support dope music in all its forms.