Smoke x Mirrors '19|09: II

I don’t know if you got my hint earlier, but this is the companion playlist to my previous submission. That’s because I had a few more projects I needed to gush about. I wrote about how surprised I was with Sy’s joint opus with Paxquiao, and I was just as pleasantly astonished with the Berner and Curren$y collaboration (Pheno Grigio). They made all the right choices when it came to production. Then, they gave into the overall nostalgic feel of the beats and fed us with just the right dosage of rhymes to make this album a cruise favorite. It just hits…Right! (By the way, Berner’s been making the right moves this whole year. You might wanna check him out!)

And while we’re on the subject of hitting right — dirty minds, stay with me now! — I don’t think there’s any better soul food special right now than a run Snoh Aalegra’s latest (– Ugh, those feels again) followed by Sir’s Chasing Summer. When you talk about sweet, this is it right here! Are you looking smooth, then look no further! You want to be sated, these are the best meals in town!

But make sure you leave space for a couple more. For starters, SAINt JHN! I mean, SAINt JHN! You know, SAINt JHN! Say it with me: SAINt JHN! I can’t stop playing Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs. It’s a vibe! It’s in your face and defiant and beautiful! The lyrics to the songs are poetic and deep. To surpass Collection One, which was itself an amazing piece of work, in this way says a lot! SAINt JHN has become an artist that I eagerly anticipate. I would LOVE to see him in concert. If you fuck with his music, we should hang out. Call me!

Finally, there’s Rapsody! Why don’t we cut bullshit and readily admit the obvious. Rapsody is one of the most impressive lyricists hip-hop has to offer today. Not a “female” lyricist…just LYRICIST, period. She got bars for eons, and I enjoy how she crafts her songs. After so many plays, I can assert that Eve, just like the preceding Laila’s Wisdom (my favorite Rapsody opus, still), is a dope dope DOPE and great album!

If you’re new to this, every week, I try to put together songs that push the envelope, that are dope and that have lots of replay value. Let these joints make your commute smooth and rock you into reflection and meditation. As always, I’ll be back next week.

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Or listen below:

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01. Jaylon, PsychoYP ILLYTHAGREAT ::: Woah
02. Guapdad 4000 ::: Prada Process (feat. 6LACK)
03. Smino ::: Reverend
04. Sy Ari Da Kid & Paxquiao ::: Two Sides
05. Pusha T ::: Sociopath (feat. Kash Doll)
06. Tulenkey ::: Yard (feat. Ara & Wes7ar 22)
07. Zoey Dollaz ::: Big Plays
08. Rapsody ::: Oprah (feat. Leikeli47)
09. Sy Ari Da Kid & Paxquiao ::: On My Soul (feat. Derez Deshon)
10. Berner & Curren$y ::: Never Change
11. Pusha T ::: Coming Home (feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill)
12. SAINt JHN ::: 5 Thousand Singles
13. G-Eazy ::: All Facts (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
14. SAINt JHN ::: 94 Bentley
15. Burna Boy ::: Destiny
16. SAINt JHN ::: I Can Fvcking Tell
17. SiR ::: You Can’t Save Me
18. Snoh Aaalegra ::: Whoa
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