This weeks 5 for Friday is filled with as much variety as the pick-n-mix section at a confectionery stand. Two storms down and a couple singles later, it seems like things are starting to pick up with new music and an album coming from Thundercat with ‘It Is What It Is’. Now, more than ever, feels like the best time to dig through your favourite artists discography, and while you’re at it throw a couple of these new songs in.
Rema – Beamer
The calibre of music coming out of the African continent is sky-rocketing and firmly planted beyond the motherland. The face of Fader’s magazine, Rema shares ‘Beamer’ – one of two new singles – which finds him charming his girl to sleek flamenco strings. Rema makes work of his winning formula and plots ahead like a wacky professor, launching his 2020 campaign with a new joint.
Rema hops on board a smokey trail of hollow croons and searing guitar strings, igniting the sultry kind of melody akin to a compelling Spanish romance. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, the lovestruck singer is ready to go all out for his African sweetheart. “I go chop am’ like say na semovita,” he sings on the tail end of the chorus, before ascending down a riveting row of spunky drums.
Thundercat – Dragonball Durag
Following a frosty winter spell, Thundercat casts us into a summery mood and waves us in with a crafty soulful cut. The durag donned R&B crusader makes light out of a romantic scenario and weaves his love for Akira Toriyama’s legendary anime series Dragon Ball Z.
Lined up on the forefront of what looks like a durag cover, Thundercat models a new range of anime styled durags. It plays like a comical advert and features a melting bass groove swirling in rare patterns to a chilled drum beat. With a characteristic falsetto that makes this mellow outfit a must to zone out to.
Knucks – Home
Hip-hop started out as an outlet for rappers to paint a real picture of what was going on in their communities. On this compelling offering, Knucks grabs his pen and fulfils the vision of yesterday with a music video for ‘Home.’
The sound of the streets come to life through the gloomy keys and choppy drum patterns crunched up by rigid 808s. The wordsmith turns novelist and builds his storyline from start to finish like a game of Tetris, plugging up plot holes as it all unfolds. With Ray Fiasco behind the motion picture, ‘Home’ cuts through a sequence of candid shots of the rapper on his stomping ground and a re-enactment which you wouldn’t be able to find on the news.
Aitch – Mice
Manchester’s own Aitch takes a trip to the Swiss alps to share a new cut entitled ‘Mice.’ The young rapper shows no sign of slowing down and picks up from where he left off, hopping on a stylish percussive score.
Fun, spirited and as swank as ever, Aitch dazzles with a mouthful of rhymes broken down into a stylish cadence. Riding on a wave of rough drums and short-winded flutes dotted into the WhyJay production, which he bombards with accolades and tongue-in-cheek lines. Featuring direction from Kelvin Jones (Kartix), the visual captures Aitch and co. in the fore of the mountain tops.
Jordan Rakei – Signs feat. Common
Jordan Rakei tries to solve a life-long mystery and takes a look inwards to uncover his true identity. He teams up with Common on a futuristic jazzy set-up brimming with hallowed harmonies and deep toned keys.
When you press play on ‘Signs’ it feels like you’ve been launched into a ethereal space wavering with keys blended into a trippy minefield of bright frequencies. Rakei’s soft-sung vocals are calming and contrast against the abstract textures infused with chill-hop drum patterns. Common
adds on to the journey of self-discovery with an introspective verse in which he strives towards some peace of mind.
