Cover art from Cayan’s Jungle Gems EP This one is nostalgic AF, as Cayan and Obii Say had glorious runs during the early blog-rap era. They linked up for this one and, for a brief second, I was transported to UMD, writing this on the long-defunct site JDotSpeed.com. However, that’s where the old school feels […]
Read moreSOTBMusic: Sinitus Tempo Recruits an All-Star Roster for "Pathways"
Sinitus Tempo has been one of my favorite artists for a minute. Last week, he dropped “Pathways,” a track featuring Mick Jenkins, Don, and Add-2. A hopeful-but-real track, “Pathways” discusses ways to make it out of the rut we find ourselves in during our lives. However, it also talks about getting stuck in those ruts, […]
Read moreSOTBMusic: Dre Wave$ Talks "Sugar" with Kyle Clark and AA
D.C. hip-hop artist Dre Wave$ hit my inbox with this one with a pretty humble introduction. He mentioned his streams numbers (that’s good) and requested I check the track out instead of saying “yo you have to post me” (that’s also good). So, I’m sitting here like… And then the track hit. He described it as […]
Read moreAn SOTBInterview with Bria Celest
We can find inspiration in anything. From the graffiti on the side of an abandoned building to our favorite films, the wondrous thing about humanity is that we can turn anything into art. The wondrous thing about art itself is that it’s a direct reflection of self. When I had the chance to link up […]
Read moreSOTBMusic: Just Plain Jones Channels Gil-Scott Heron on "Find Your Peace"
I’ve followed Just Plain Jones for the better part of the past decade, back when he dropped his mixtape Freshman 15. It’s amazing to see an artist’s growth over a long period of time, and Jones’ latest project Foie Gras is definitely impressive considering Jones, while always a sound artist, came from just dropping bars […]
Read moreSOTBMusic: Latrell James is "One Call" Away on New Song
Latrell James has been on a roll these past few months. Fresh off his amazing anti-gentrification track “Tracphone,” he returns to SOTBMusic with the powerful song “One Call.” The song deals with checking in on folks, something we all should do more. This one hits me harder than a lot of songs because of some […]
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