Here are our top 5 songs to stream this week.
Jay Rock – Vice City (ft. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul)
Black Hippy is one of the best hip hop collectives out there, but the group’s members have gotten so big individually that they rarely find time to come together. The group — consisting of big hitters Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock — was constructed after the members all found themselves on the independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment. Lamar and Schoolboy Q have already released critically acclaimed records of their own, and next up is Jay Rock.
To kick off his upcoming record 90059 the right way, Jay Rock got the group back together on crew jam Vice City. The posse cut lets each member shine, though as he tends to do, Kendrick Lamar steals the spotlight. The laid back track lets the collaborators bounce off one another to showcase their unique skills, and will be a welcome listen for fans of the collective, which started in 2009, but haven’t appeared together on a song since 2012.
Empress Of – Kitty Kat
Empress Of, otherwise known as Lorely Rodriguez, sounds like she has already found her voice as an artist — an impressive feat, considering her first full-length album didn’t debut until this week. Me, the studio debut for the young artist, is a polished and powerful effort, especially when you get to a cut like Kitty Kat. It’s a driven piece of synth-pop that stems from Rodriquez’s personal experience of being cat-called.
Raury – Friends feat. Tom Morello
Atlanta singer and rapper Raury made quite the scene when he dropped his mixtape Indigo Child last year, a record that has had the indie world anticipating what he could do with a studio release. We’ll all find out next month what a full-length Raury project sounds like, but for now, Friends serves as a sampler. Raury has recruited Rage Against the Machine alumnus Tom Morello for the epic ballad, which features a chorus that will stick with you for days.
Angel Haze – Moonrise Kingdom
https://soundcloud.com/angxlhxze/moonrise-kingdom
Angel Haze has been the underground’s favorite for a while now, but with a new record on the way in the form of Back to the Woods, Haze is proving she has chops to play with a more pop-friendly sound as well. That’s the area Moonrise Kingdom exists to serve. The track shares its name with a Wes Anderson flick, and definitely captures some of the same vibes. The generally aggressive emcee sets aside some of her machine gun-style delivery to tell a simple love story with more singing than rapping.
The Japanese House – Clean
Amber Bain, the 19-year-old behind the Japanese House, already impressed with her first EP Pools to Bathe In. Now she’s gearing up for a follow-up release due out later this year, and the elusive singer-songwriter has released a glimpse at what’s to come. Clean, the title track from the anticipated second EP, lives up to its name with a flawless production quality that showcases Bain’s voice, vulnerable as it has ever been.
That’s it for now, but check back every week for more new tunes to stream!
