Back with her unique brand of singing and rapping, Native American rapper Angel Haze sets everyone straight from the beginning to the end line of her new free project titled, “Back To The Woods”. Beautifully, the gender-neutral musician shares remnants of her broken heart, feeling lost and wanting to be anchored to a specific person, place or thing. Listen to the highly-skilled, well-crafted 13-track lyrical treat below. All tracks are produced by the talented Tk Kayembe.

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2013 XXL Freshman, Angel Haze straight murders the track with her latest banger, “Babe Ruthless”. Keeping true to the track’s title, Angel shows no mercy to fellow rappers over hard hitting, Tk Kayembe production with slick lines such as “sonnin’ you n*ggas. But still ain’t no kin to me.” Definitely check it out below and pick up a copy of Back to the Woods, September 14th.

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Since releasing her EP, Neon Nights, Tamara Saul has experienced a wild ride to acclaim. Songs like “Biggie Say My Name (Girls Love Beyonce Bootleg)” and “Pink Skies In Dark Nights” have pushed her to the forefront in a big way, with the listening public clearly willing to embrace a young singer-songwriter with an experimental interest in hip-hop, smooth R&B jams and soulful pop classics.  Tamara spoke with RESPECT. about her musical inspirations, dream collaborations, upcoming projects, and what she hopes to achieve with her music.

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RESPECT: What’s it like in Croatia, and when did you decide to start exploring music?

Croatia is facing some serious issues right now, in terms of corruption, human rights, working class rights, unemployment, but, I don’t know if it’s in spite of all of that, I see some positive changes when it comes to the music scene. There are great people doing wonderful and inspiring things. I didn’t decide to do music, I just had to do it. There were times I felt as an outcast but music was my thing, music made me feel happy and special, music was something that people knew me by. I would record live shows by Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, Usher, R. Kelly, watch them and try to do what they did. Later on, I tried songwriting because I felt I needed to express myself.

Your music is very far removed today’s contemporary sound. How did you develop the sound that you have?

I am still in the process, I am exploring and doing different things and I’ve come to a realization I can do whatever I want to do, so if I want to make R&B, indie pop, hip hop or whatever-you-want-to-call-it, I can do it. Every time I make a new song, I feel it’s a bigger part of me. I never think about labels and genres during the process of making my music. So, the key is exploring, your soul and your sound.

You’ve been described as R&B, but your creativity seems to go beyond that. What kind of music inspires you the most?

What inspires me is that new, fresh, crisp sound that no one has yet done too much of, if you understand me, that new sound that makes you go, ‘Wow I haven’t heard this yet!’ or ‘Wow, you’re really doing this and it’s good!’, and it makes a new path in your heart and brain. Artists like Lizzo, Barnaby, Shy Girls, Tink, ASTR, Javeon, Kelela, Debian Blak,… I also love AlunaGeorge, Fatima, Disclosure, Hudson Mohawke, Jesse Boykins III… Mish Mash. I listen to a lot of new music and artists daily. I even have my secret Youtube channel where I upload music that I like if it’s not already up. As I have less and less time I think I will have to end that love story.

How would you describe the music you make?

In colors, flavors, and scents. Sometimes it’s dark, cold, bitter, and sometimes it’s all about neon colors, tender breezes, pink skies, leopard prints, hot summer nights, sugar and spices. I guess I like to introduce feelings and other senses as a unique new dimension. I mean, it’s not new, it’s always here, but sometimes people just forget it’s there, oversee it.

Your songs seem quite delicate, you write about emotional subjects. How do you sustain a balance when it comes to sharing your life with other people?

I’m very open about my feelings when it comes to my music but when it comes to sharing my life with people on a daily basis, I’m quite cautious. Or shy? Hm, anyway, I keep a lot of things to myself, my friends and family only. I have no problem sharing my love towards cats, tomatoes and Tumblr with other people though [laughs].

What would you like your music to signify or correspond?

That I grew up on R&B, but love to experiment and bring it together with the sounds I’m hearing and feeling today. You always try to push it a bit forward, take on some new steps and bring some new sounds, and what you’re doing by that is creating and representing the sound of your time, and if you’re lucky, future. But again, that’s not really out there when I’m making my music. When I’m in the process, I just do what feels and sounds good. I love melodies and music should be fun, inspiring and interesting.

Do you have any track in particular that speaks most to that notion?

I think “Pink Skies In Dark Nights” is that song. It’s just really out there, was a bit tricky to do, cross-genre always is, but people recognized what we wanted to do and it always feels good when that happens. It’s electro, it’s R&B, it speaks for itself and I love it because it represents a new take on my music, the new path I’m taking.

Two standout tracks for me that you released this year are “Pink Skies In Dark Nights” and “Biggie Say My Name (Girls Love Beyonce Bootleg).” I think they’re totally different than anything on your Neon Nights EP.

I think that’s because I’m growing and becoming more aware of what I want to do. Neon Nights EP was everything I had to do right at that moment, but I feel that one of the tracks off Neon Nights EP that really stands out and is on that way of this different sound I took on is “Sleep It Off.” Though it’s a bit darker, colder and represents loneliness, it’s actually different than the other tracks off the EP, and shows the early stages of what I’m doing now.

“Biggie Say My Name (Girls Love Beyonce Bootleg)” opens with the line, “Hey Biggie,” which almost sounds like you’re speaking directly to him. The whole song focuses on him.  Do you think that’s why it’s connecting with so many people?

Yes, that could be it. Maybe it’s also because I speak in Biggie‘s lines and track titles, flipping them into something of my own, I guess people love when they come across something like that; it’s worldly and real. Plus, I think you can really feel my respect for him in that song. I love the original track and girls really love Beyonce, that’s a classic, I just had to express what I was thinking when I heard it – we love Biggie too, let’s not forget Biggie.

If you had five minutes with Biggie — how would you spend it?

‘Scrambling, gambling, up in restaurants with mandolins and violins’. [Laughs]

I need to ask you the obvious question, which, of course is do you have a crush on The Notorious B.I.G.?

[laughs] Of course, as any woman who loves hip-hop does, in a way.

Have you ever had any awkward moments onstage? Have you ever blanked?

Forgetting lyrics is my thing from time to time, but it always works out alright. Sometimes the audience helps me by singing along and it just all comes back to me. Sometimes I make other lyrics up right at the spot! But I think it’s really about you being there and enjoying the moment, people will feel that and they’ll forget about these “technical issues.” If it’s on the level, of course.

I saw on your Twitter that you like watching a lot of cookery shows. What’s your favorite meal?

Ha, maybe that was my thing at the time you researched. I definitely love to watch cookery shows, the problem is sometimes I end up hungry and want to eat the exact same thing I saw there. But I love sataraš. You’ll have to Google it, but trust me, it’s yummy. Sataraš is one of the main dishes in the Croatian cuisine, like salsa is to the Latin culture, in fact, it very much resembles salsa.

You spoke about “Pink Skies In Dark Nights” a moment ago. What were you trying to articulate with that?

That sometimes you just have to stay up all night, go to music festivals, enjoy love and life. It might not be everlasting but it makes you feel good at the time and you should enjoy every little moment, hot cocoa and pink skies in dark nights, duh.

Do you plan on working with DZA some more?

Yes, it’s in the plans, hanging up there, would definitely like to make it happen again! We spoke about an EP, hope we’ll manage to make it happen. He is real cool, simple to work with, I love when things go smoothly like that, plus I really love what he does, his sound is trop fresh.

At this point, do you have any dream collaborations?

Hudson Mohawke, Sango, Angel Haze,… I wish I could just have one studio session with HudMo, that would be great. Oh and Disclosure. Have your people call my people, guys [laughs].

What do hope to accomplish as a musician?

Everything I can – I am building my life around my music. I want to grow as a person, inspire other artists, make you feel what I feel, and prove other people that there’s nothing you can’t do, even if you’re ‘just’ a girl from Croatia. So, a lot of plans out there.

What’s coming up for you?

I have a new single coming out soon, with this new producer called New Mantra. As far as early 2014, I have a video in the plans, also want to do festivals again in 2014, summer 2013 was so much fun, neon cocktails and sour sugar!

For more on Tamara Saul, visit her website.

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Regardless of if it’s on your playlist or not, Macklemore’s “Same Love” was a pretty important record for hip-hop. It helped further the notion that the rap world was ready to move past its homophobic nature – at least a little. For the latest installment of her “30 Gold” freestyle series leading up to her Dirty Gold album debut at the top of next year, Angel Haze decided to tackle this record in a very personal way. If you listened to Haze’s mixtape, Classick, you know she excels at reframing and subsequently enhancing songs.

The Detroit-born rapper details some of the hardships and insecurities she faced growing up while dealing with her own sexuality. She expands on the topic, noting that many bisexual or gay children face bullying and violence on a daily basis and that some may eventually take their life due to it. The most poignant aspect of the song, however, comes in the form of the uplifting message of assuring those kids that it’s okay to be themselves and that things will get better. If you listen to or pass along one song today, it should probably be this one.

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Rappers beware: Angel Haze is coming for the jugular. Aggressively spitting on the first single from her upcoming debut album, Dirty Gold, Haze makes a statement.

“This situation is below me I’m your fuckin’ motivation, bitch you owe me.”

A video for the track has already been shot and is slated to drop next Tuesday. Check out the cut below.

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Each year, before the XXL Freshman get a chance to brandish their bars side by side in the Cypher, they are each tasked with handling business on a brief (written) Freestyle. The Freestyles are always a-capella, giving us a chance to see the Freshmen vulnerable, without any instrumental, crew, or well-cut video to hide behind. They say a man is only as good as his word; let’s see how these MCs stacked up. Here are the 2013 XXL Freshman Freestyles, ranked from worst to best.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely of the writer and not necessarily those of RESPECT. or its staff.

10. Trinidad Jame$

It’s worth noting that Jame$ is not known or loved as a lyricist–that’s simply not his draw–so placing him dead last is a little bit like calling out a QB for being a shitty fry cook. With that in mind though, the Jame$ could have spit more than nine and a half bars and tried to pace them out so he didn’t sound so much the last guy at the bar trying to overcompensate. Still, as Trinidad rambles, mumbles, pauses, and repeats, he’s fun to watch: he’s got personality. It’s a good sign for the 2013 Freshmen that even #10 on this list isn’t all bad.

Best Line: “These gold chains got you bitter? / These gold chains got me bitches!”

9. Logic

Logic does not have the same excuse as Trinidad James–he’s supposed to bring it lyrically. Instead, the Maryland MC gets his flippity-dippity on and just speaks on how lyrical he is using a bunch of trite, multi-syllabic flows, all of which sound like he’s a subpar guest on Def Poetry rather than a rapper. If he didn’t have a couple punchlines and a sort of noteworthy double time, Logic would have rode the ten spot. That being said, the line below is hot, and comes as a clever surprise after he almost devolves into the average end-of-video shout-out barrage.

Best Line: “Conceal the image behind the flow like a murder weapon.”

8. Kirko Bangz

Bangz doesn’t do badly. He also doesn’t do well. He keeps a steady flow throughout, and his voice sounds good and smooth all by itself. He also happens to rhyme “Lamborghini” and “Lamborghini.” He loses points for being bland, he gains them for not fucking up. He loses points for only rhyming for about thirty seconds–barely longer than Jame$–and he gains them for a little Southern wordplay: “holding it down” and  “young don” don’t always rhyme. He loses points for “All this fucking gold on, what the fuck you mean,” because there’s no way to know who or why he’s asking that. His best line is pretty cool though.

Best Line: “Fuck around and put a flounder on the corner / with a niner that’ll hit you faster than a 49er / wearing number seven.”

7. Travi$ Scott

While this isn’t in the top tier, there isn’t much to hold against this Freestyle. Scott brings a variety of interesting flows that feel like a song in the making. The clip lacks any true quotables or *wow* moments, and both Scott’s bandana and his rigid devotion to sounding poised rob us of the vulnerability almost every other Freestyle reveals. Scott brings a solid verse but he could have added some more flash and let us further into his world.

Best Line: “Left jelly all over her biscuits.”

6. Action Bronson

Bronsoliño brought most of his go-to ingredients: an unmatched reference game, (“The Beamer color of Danny Glover’s neck”) vulgar humor, (“Now you stick drugs inside your poop shoot,”) gourmet descriptions, (“Capers on the veal piccata,”) and hyperbolic tales of his imaginary grace/strength/good looks (“Pull the limo on the lawn, jump out, I’m just hallucinating,” and “All year–tan.”) These hilarious bits of unmistakable Bronson zaniness are dragged way down, however, by an asleep-or-too-baked-at-the-wheel flow and a few lines that fall flat (“Had to grow up fast because I had to feed my daughter right” and “Damn Bronson, why you gotta be that way?”) He seems somehow winded and pulls the energy out of his mostly well crafted bars.

Best Line: “Capers on the veal piccata. / Lost paper ’cause Prince Fielder couldn’t field a fucking pop up.”

5. Angel Haze

Some will disagree that Angel Haze should be in the top five over Bronson, but her energy is undeniable. For sixty seconds, she pummels the listener with boasts and quotables packaged in rapid, captivating flows–what else could you ask for? One thing: no more corny punchlines. When Haze raps “Perfected my craft–Nabisco, Cool Whip,” I wince. Further, using the “#hashtag” style only gives repetitive critics who compare every female rapper to Nicki Minaj some legitimate ammo to dismiss her. However, if she sticks to that smoother, more understated style–like when she pauses between “Whipping niggas’ asses, they finna call me ‘massa’,” and “Yo, my flow so massive”–and sharper punches like the line below, she’ll be set.

Best Line: “The point is that I’m on point and appointed / to flex on you bitches like I’m fucking double jointed.”

4. Joey Bada$$

Joey has been criticized for lacking originality in the past, so it’s a treat to see his Freestyle is one of the stranger entries. This is one of the trickiest, most unorthodox flows he’s ever produced, and the rasta breakdown about halfway through is a welcome left turn. The scene that the verse opens with is only half-painted but still gripping to the extent that I hoped he would keep going in that direction. The only criticism I can muster is that the verse almost entirely lacks hard-hitting quotables, but for the most part, Joey compensates stylistically and with an entertaining personality. This is clearly among the best Freestyles, but it would have been ranked higher if Joey were to provide a water-cooler moment. (Side note: this verse sounds dope over a beat.)

Best Line: “I hisses at your misses. / Slid it down her throat, spit it up–mm delicious.”

3. Ab-Soul

Soulo rips it. From the lines where he near-seamlessly name drops Section.80, Habits & Contradictions, and Control System to the ultra-cool of “Soulo ho / well known from Del Amo to SoHo ho/ don’t stop, roll mo’ dro ’till you comatose” to his Best Line below, which is also the best line of the entire cypher. In it, Soul wards off voices he and his Black Hippy brethren hear boxing them in as “conscious rap” and shows he’s far more multi-faceted, provocative, and clever than those voices could ever be. Soul came prepared and comfortable, but perhaps too much so. He’s so damn sure of his lines that he doesn’t give much thought to his presentation–this isn’t the “Terrorist Threats” video, move! Also, the last lines are pretty whack. “What’s the difference between a person and a human?” Come on, Soul, get off the stoned 10th grader tip and get back to the fire, which there is plenty of in this clip, but you’ll miss it if you can’t get past Soul’s catatonic vibe.

Best Line: “Top Dawg Entertainment / They’re saying we saviors like this ain’t dope we’re slanging.”

2. Dizzy Wright

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Dizzy Wright has steez and he shows it off well here. The great Kansan hope has possibly the most clearly defined, catchy, and exciting flows out of all ten Freestyle videos. I’ve had the first eight bars of this verse on a loop for a good while now. It’s infectious, it’s smooth, it shows potential, not only as an underground force but for star power–getting up close and personal we get to see how genuine and genuinely calm Dizzy Wright is. It’s a sight to see. Balancing the tight flows from the first half are some slowed down, more blatant lines in the second half. It’s a clear choice that pays off and shows Dizzy came prepared to win. This Freestyle just missed out on the top spot because Dizzy’s writing, while 100% rhythmically on point, sometimes approaches generic on the content and phrasing fronts.

Best Line: “You ain’t a Nigga With a Attitude, nigga you just ignorant.”

1. ScHoolboy Q

ScHoolboy Q has been called the fists of Black Hippy, so it’s appropriate he powered his way to the number one spot. Q took it by force. He comes equipped with a plethora of tricky flows and inflections that aren’t just intriguing and suspenseful to listen to, but are unlike any flow in recent memory. Q has stated in interviews that he is always looking for strange new ways to change up his formula–be it changing verse lengths to, say, twelve or twenty-six bars, or messing with his cadence–and this Freestyle definitely brings something new to the table. Also, props for the hilarious admission that he is “kinda chubby and fat” at the end. The only detractor from Q’s victorious Freestyle is that it is, like those of Travi$ Scott, and Joey Bada$$, too heavily focused on style instead of making time for the occasional crowd-pleasing punchline. But the flows are golden, Quincy. Wear that bucket hat like a crown, and carry this dominance over into the Cypher.

Best Line: “Your sign language fuck up your voice / in tune to your throat and your boys / and amigos I seek and destroy.”

Who do you think came hardest? Let us know in the comment section below.

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