New Music: Mykki Blanco - "Moshin In The Front" feat. Cities Aviv - RESPECT.

Lesser-known queer and experimental rapper Mykki Blanco has teamed up with Memphis-based rapper Cities Aviv on his latest release, “Moshin In The Front,” which became available for download via souncloud yesterday. Blanco is generally known for his raw, un-polished rap beats and visuals that include dual-versions of himself as a masculine grime-rapper and also as an ultra-feminine temptress in drag. The contrasting themes of masculinity/femininity are a duality that persists throughout Blanco’s music. Blanco constantly questions the hyper-masculinity of the rap industry and weasels his non gender-binary persona into the game.

This latest track, “Moshin In The Front,” is an especially jarring one. Grating synths sound like electronica chainsaws intermixed with high hats and quieter drum hits. The song slogs through til Cities Aviv’s verse, where the listener has a moment of reprieve from the massive weight of the beat so far. Aviv’s slow, effortless verse complements Blanco’s woozy, intoxicated “pass me the blunt” type lyrics.

While at first this track takes a few listens to really get behind, the more it plays, the more it makes sense. By the end of your second listen, this track will have you slow-head banging in front of your computer. It’s deeply hypnotic in a semi-unsettling way. By the time Blanco demands, “all the white boys in the pit scream!” You might even be tempted to.