MADLIB & FREDDIE GIBBS - SHAME

Right, so- simply, this is the best song I’ve heard this summer. It’s making me so happy. The sample- The Manhattans’ 1973 ‘Wish That You Were Mine’ combines with Freddie Gibbs’ rapping to make this an epic track from Madgibbs’ Shame EP (that being the second collaboration between workaholic machine producer Madlib and Freddie Gibbs). The first was Thuggin’ and can be found here.

For those who don’t know, Madlib’s behind some of the rawest soul slash mashup hip hop shit to grace physical formats since J Dilla. Part of Jaylib with the late J Dilla and a prolific producer, you should check out Madlib Medicine Show which runs to over a dozen volumes of beats, spits, spats and crazy if you don’t already know him.  

Meanwhile, BJ The Chicago Kid sings beautifully on ‘Shame’. Smashed together with Gibbs’ majorly explicit, uncompromising rapping, he punctures that machismo one night stand posturing and turns it into something tender, smooth and sexy. After 40 listens, I can confirm that the BJ The Chicago Kid’s hook may have been sent from god.     

Lenny Williams- Cause I Love You

I don’t know most of Lenny Williams’ output but this track 'Cause I Love You' is truly stunning. This, I know. You can’t help but see why: this is over seven minutes of sheer, unadulterated love song, lifting off with smooth soul and strings, hitting an emotional crescendo and tumbling into shamelessly over the top but really, really expressive, unrestrained vocal gymnastics. As though you were to look at an art work, it is an objectively beautiful piece to admire, even if you aren’t feeling so connected with Lenny’s extravagant style of romanticising too.