Earl Sweatshirt is back once again with new music, three weeks after releasing “Balance” as a part of the Adult Swim Singles program. His latest track, “Death Whistles,” was premiered on the rapper’s own monthly RMBA radio show Stay Inside yesterday. The roughly two minute song is characteristically Earl, with somber lyrics, lazy flow, and an almost off-putting beat. Towards the beginning of the song, Earl’s frequent collaborator Knxwledge gives a shout out to someone named Edgar, presumably King Krule’s alter-ego Edgar the Beatmaker.
Hopefully this new song will tide over Earl’s fans until September 30th, where he is slated to appear alongside Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul on a track off of Danny Brown’s latest album Atrocity Exhibition. You can listen to “Death Whistles” in it’s entirety above and Earl’s full radio show down below.

Suggested Articles:

The Muppets Cover OutKast’s “Miss Jackson”

Video: Andre 3000 Talks OutKast Reunion on Ellen Degeneres Show

The post Earl Sweatshirt Shares New Track “Death Whistles” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Besides the minute long instrumental track “Pelicula” Earl Sweatshirt dropped quietly on Apple Music earlier this month, the 22-year-old has been fairly quiet this past year. The last time we heard the Odd Future frontman rap a verse was on the soulful “Wind in My Sails” six months ago. Thankfully, he’s back, and today he released a new single “Balance” courtesy of the Adult Swim Singles program. Although the track is short, only just over a minute long, the Knxwledge-produced beat is wonderfully jazzy and showcases Earl’s classic flow at it’s best. It’s dreary, introspective, lazily delivered, but an absolute pleasure on the ears. In short, it’s everything you would expect from a new Earl drop. You can listen to the new release below.

https://soundcloud.com/adultswimsingles/earl-sweatshirt-feat-knxwledge

Suggested Articles: 

Watch Chance the Rapper Buy Music & Give it All Away in the Streets of Chicago

Who the Fuck is Marc E. Bassy?

The post New Music: Earl Sweatshirt – “Balance” (Prod. by Knxwledge) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The saying goes, “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” and very rarely does one get all of that and more in a single package, much less a single album. But here I am, in the living room of my West Philadelphia apartment, receiving a gift fit for someone entering a long term commitment. And I suppose I am, in some ways, committing to this music. This album is loving me back or, at least, I like to think it is. Whether it’s the way he marries lighthearted pimpin’ with a coarse, sultry tenor, or the funky bass riddled boom bap that has become a hallmark of his brand of hip hop, it’s safe to say that Anderson .Paak is making his own lane in an industry that has become altogether cut-and-paste.

If Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is the album that urged hip hop back to its jazz and soul roots, then Malibu is the album to solidify this new era with an unmatched accessibility. The culprit’s name is Anderson .Paak, formerly known as Breezy Lovejoy, who is often cited as the grooviest man in the room. Malibu has dropped after a year marked by a relentless campaign of releases and collaborations with the likes of Knxwledge, Tokimonsta, and most notably Dr. Dre. His prominence on Compton, from tracks like “Animals” and “All In A Day’s Work”, brought him a considerable amount of attention and set the stage for a breakout release in this most recent LP.

On Malibu, .Paak delivers a unique mix of grit and longing in his vocals that helps elevate the album from fitting neatly into a single genre. The matrimony of singing and rapping intertwined with incredibly refreshing production from the likes of 9th Wonder, Madlib, Hi-Tek, and many others creates a soundscape that travels back and forth in time without missing a beat. On the tracks “Am I Wrong” featuring Schoolboy Q, and Lightweight, we find ourselves in a disco laden groove with .Paak giving us his best McFadden & Whitehead impression. On the slower, more sensual cuts (i.e. The Waters, Room In Here ft. The Game, and Waterfall), we receive an irresistibly smooth, sly voice that’s convincing us to stay for awhile. But what is most distinct about this album is the mastery of Anderson’s cadence–the shift from rapid fire rhyming to swaying phrases to all out singing creates textures that are a delight for anyone with an open mind and a love of hip hop.

2016 is already on pace to be a phenomenal year in music. Malibu is out of the gate bright and early, on bended knee, asking for your affection, if only for the moments until another album whisks you away on another love affair. But that’s just it–it doesn’t take much convincing when the music loves you back. RE

Malibu is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music, and if you dig it, slide the man $9.99. Consider it a gift to yourself, you deserve it.

The post REVIEW: Anderson .Paak Delivers with “Malibu” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The post New Music: SiR – “In the Sky” ft. Fat Ron appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Joey Bada$$ has made it clear that he can’t sit back and let Kendrick Lamar get away with claiming the title “King of New York.” Teaming up with Knxwledge for the production, Joey  adopts his gritty “95 Til’ Infinity” flow and goes straight for Kendrick’s head:

“My set told me to light you up so this that propane/It’s Nathan all I gotta do is spit this flame/No escaping, you in a room full of champagne/You set yourself up for that one mane/The king of New York?/Ha! we ain’t just gonna let that one hang/Last nigga got dethroned and you ain’t from my zone/The rest of the real niggas is dead and gone.”

It’s a short track, and hopefully the last Kendrick response from now til infinity, but it’s definitely one of the stronger approaches. Listen below.

The post New Music: Joey Bada$$ – “Killuminati Pt. 2” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

An album, LP, EP, mixtape? I think this remixed project in whatever format you wanna call it perfectly symbolizes Blu’s nature of releasing new music. You gotta love it. It sounds very rough around the edges, but if you love Blu, you know it’s worth the listen.

The project is a remix of last year’s No York and includes features by Knxwledge, Suzi Analogue, P.U.D.G.E., Hezekiah, God Lee Barnes (Blu), Thavius Beck, Von Pea, and Playa Haze.

The post New Album: Blu – “no york e more work (rmx z 1.3)” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.