I’ll go ahead and get it out the way now. Scooty reminds me of a mix between Jhene Aiko and Noname, in how she blends her lyricism and her voice together, using them as an entire instrument. Produced by TOPE, another SOTBMusic mainstay, “The Difference” is a great introduction to the Houston-born artist. The track displays […]
Read moreSOTBMusic: Discussing Lupe Fiasco’s DROGAS Wave
Lupe Fiasco walked in a game of shady dealings, label execs, and fan demands so other artists could fly. Take any “conscious” rapper that’s come out strong over the past ten or so years since Lupe’s Food & Liquor dropped and you’ll see Lupe’s fingerprints all on their DNA. Yes, that includes down to Kendrick […]
Read moreNew SOTBMusic: Abby Diamond Drifts Away on "Irrelevant"
I’ll be frank. I’d never heard of Abby Diamond before stumbling upon this release via the timeline. However, with the audio and visual dope I just consumed, I’ll be sure to be on the lookout for the New Orleans-born, Brooklyn-residing artist. She’s got a kind of Janet-esque vibe to her, in that “Irrelevant” is sexy, […]
Read moreNew SOTBMusic: Ghostface Killah Drops The Lost Tapes
A little-known Speed on the Beat fact: my fiancée bought me a copy of The Big Doe Rehab in 2007 after it dropped because she knew that I loved lyrical hip-hop and I rocked heavy with Ghostface Killah’s music. It was one of the first gifts she gave me and I treasure that album for everything it […]
Read moreNew SOTBMusic: Jay Wonder Channels Radiohead on "Tunnel Vision"
Jay Wonder found an instrumental loop of the backwards version of Radiohead’s “Like Spinning Plates,” and he let his soul spill for a bit. Equal parts “spooky szn” and contemplative bar barrage, Wonder leaves no stone untouched in this short track about some of the darkness he’s dealing with right now. “Tunnel Vision” may not […]
Read moreNew SOTBMusic: Jaden Smith Feels Super Saiyan on "GOKU"
Comparing yourself to one of the most-recognizable characters this side of Mickey Mouse is something that deserves an equally boisterous track. You’ve either got to come hard or don’t come at all and keep it an inside joke or something. Enter Jaden Smith with “GOKU,” a kind of EDM-meets-lyrical-miracle-vibe track which features Smith flexing his […]
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