Legacy Track of the Week: Ab-Soul, Anderson Paak, James Blake - Bloody Waters
“Yes, Lawd, huh, Hail Mary's in the sky (Hail Mary's in the sky), false prophets get buried alive (alive), head on the throne, cause that's where I reside (reside), ways of the world, the weak won't survive, somethin's in the water (the water)” As Marvel continues to do their numbers with the release of their latest blockbuster Black Panther, the soundtrack is honestly rather surprisingly not getting the attention it fully deserves. A 14 track cohesive project that perfectly embodies the spirit of the film without being too deliberate or exhausting, yet instead it promotes a wide array of talent under the TDE banner and it’s affiliates, including this record that showcases Paak & Soulo’s signature sound to favorable results.
Zacari, Babes Wodumo - Redemption
“Aw baby, I want you (yeah), baby, I need you, I wanna see you, baby, I wanna go up again, baby, I wanna go up again” Previously heard from Kendrick’s ‘LOVE.’, Isaiah Rashad’s ‘Wut’s Wrong,’ and Ab-Soul’s ‘RAW (Backwards)’ - a few of my own favorite TDE records - Zacari is back to join Babes Wodumo on this dancehall style record that’s nothing but 🔥🔥🔥 you can’t help but move to this record as this one overall is definitely a certified heater.
Jay Rock ft Kendrick Lamar, Future, & James Blake - King’s Dead
“Red light, green light, red light, green light” I said before listen for Kendrick and keep it moving, but that was before the visuals dropped and now I appreciate the record in full. For the record Kendrick certainly has the crown for visuals and it’s been like that for awhile.
Kendrick Lamar - Black Panther
“King of my city, king of my country, king of my homeland, king of the filthy, king of the fallen, we livin again” The introduction to the Black Panther soundtrack is everything it should be, powerful and poetic with even a slight narration towards the film itself, Kendrick Lamar continues to be groundbreaking with one power move at a time.
ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi - X
“Are you on ten yet? Are you on ten yet? (wait) are you on ten yet? are you on ten yet? I live on ten (wait) but are you on ten yet?” Produced by !llmind & Sounwave this is a vibe from start to finish yet the highlight is indefinitely the Kendrick hook that could stay in your head for days, while ScHoolboy does his numbers as well.
Khalid, Swae Lee - The Ways
“I really want a power girl, you been runnin through my section all day, you been runnin through my mind all day, all day, all day, all day” Produced by Sounwave & BADBADNOTGOOD this is a nice collaboration between two high profile names that carry plenty of hype, and for the most part it doesn’t disappoint. A decent album cut and I’m not mad at this.
Mozzy, Sjava, Reason - Seasons
“Poverty, jealousy, negativity, ngith' ak'nandawo la, go away (far away)” Now this right here is something else entirely, a heartfelt tribute to Africa and it hits on all cylinders. Mozzy & Reason are both from California and they both come correct on their featured verses, yet the performance from South African artist Sjava is what brings this all together. Reminiscent of the Distant Relatives album that was criminally overlooked during it’s time period, this one is a sleeper that should not be ignored.
The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me
“Who gon' pray for me? Take my pain for me? Save my soul for me? cause I'm alone, you see” One of the singles off the soundtrack that actually made it into the film is this uptempo record that’s everything it should be, as even though Kendrick goes light on this The Weeknd definitely comes through with his own memorable performance, and overall this is a strong outro record for one of the best soundtracks to come out in recent memory.
Skyzoo - Sound Like…
“Like stay on and make a seance out of a nuance, and say y'all get in the way of what I been due on, my catalog is like Avon meets brother Mouzone, threw y'all a 3 peat and we bout to part 4 it, you either part for it or parkour it” Crazy wordplay from Skyzoo who continues his dedication to raw lyricism and substance in his music, and I can say with confidence that his latest project is another great addition to his catalogue that’s grown throughout the years.
Skyzoo - Forever In A Day
“Infinitely caught in a weave of, tryna dip around what they breed before you leave or, climbing in and out of a scene they call elite or, lining up whoever's between the world and me or…” Crazy wordplay over a jazz instrumental thus what else could you ask for…
Skyzoo - Hoodie SZN
“All black draping, drawstrings hanging, , bet that it can cover me from all of that awaiting, bet you that it covets me and wants to keep me sacred, everything it does for me is all in correlation” 🔥🔥🔥 see above
Skyzoo ft Kay Cola - The Purpose
“She was looking for what they speak about, becoming such a believer now, the more that she be around, the more that she see a reason to see it out, thinking like ‘how could I be without?’” Produced by !llmind this one is a love story that’s one of the highlights off In Celebration of Us, his seventh studio album not including his countless EP’s & mixtapes.
Skyzoo - Love Is Love
“Or love me like a purchase on 47th and 6th, and the Russian jeweler knock off $100 off what you pick, in the middle of February your sleeves up off your wrist, and you add another $100 when discussing what you spent” Produced by Cardiak this instrumental is crazy and Skyzoo continues to deliver his signature sound with effortless delivery.
Skyzoo - The Stick Up Tape ‘From Menace’
“And all it took to come to life was a stage to live it, shit can happen overnight if you're awake to get it, like aiming before you draw and what it takes to hit it, or Caine and O-Dog, the stick up tape from menace” More lyrics and wordplay from one of Brooklyn’s finest.