There’s something about Tuesdays that are so disorienting; it’s a day after the start of the week and yet the weekends still seem so far away. Nevertheless, here’s a mix that will set you in place and help you stay on the grind.
Everyone and their friends have been hopping on this track by Young M.A for the past week, adding their own verses in for good measure. A$AP Ferg jumped on the game as well and added some bars over the thumping instruments, showcasing his flow that’s clearly on a different level than the rest who have attempted this freestyle. He makes references to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Rick Ross and even gave a shout out to Wilhelmina, a model agency. We’re not sure if all the existing remixes will be compiled into a full track, but we’ll be hitting the replay on this one all day anyway.
R&B singer Raye is here to stay for good. Not letting her age hinder her, she’s been hard at work with recording, writing, and co-producing. Her debut EP, titled Welcome To The Winter, was released last year when she was just 17 years old. A month ago, she released another EP, Second, featuring a track with acclaimed grime rapper Stormzy as well as “I, U, Us” which was co-written by Charli XCX. This track is heavy on the synth, with lyrics pointing to giving relationships a kick out of the door and a hook that we can all get to. Check the visuals (also co-directed by Charli XCX) which show Raye just hanging with her friends at a skating rink; something all 18 year olds can relate to.
Lion Babe’s rework of the Tom Jones’ classic, “She’s A Lady” was used in the latest campaign for H&M, with the aim of redefining the term “lady”. Lion Babe’s vocalist, Jillian Hervey, herself was featured in the campaign, alongside powerful, independent figures like Adwoa Aboah and Hari Nef. The old-school 70s vibe of the track has been updated to suit modern times, with an electronic arrangement to match the original melody, topped with Jillian’s sultry vocals that match the campaign’s video perfectly.
Hip-hop can always use another posse cut and Danny Brown delivered a fire line-up of K-Dot, Ab-Soul and Earl Sweatshirt to be featured on his upcoming album, Atrocity Exhibition. Each MC delivered icy bars over the hard-hitting production and Danny Brown himself rapped over a drum beat. Now that’s a way to make an impression.
Two genres from completely different ends of the music spectrum come together on this Amtrac remix of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós’ track off their fourth studio album, Takk. Amtrac’s remix retains the progressive, abstract nature of the original, while mixing in his signature electronic vibe that adds excitement to the overall track. Also peep this, Sigur Rós fans, y’all will be glad to know that they’re coming down for Neon Lights next month!
Tira Lee is Straatosphere’s resident aux cord heaux. She’s in-charge of pulling together nifty mixes each week to spread dope tracks and good vibes to the public. In her free time, she partakes in something distressingly referred to as academia and often experiences an existential crisis of sorts. She’s also paid to put pretty clothes on pretty people sometimes.
Read More: 5 Tracks for This Week’s Grind, 13 September 2016