It feels like an eternity ago now. Somewhere by the middle of last month, I had carefully planned a run of playlists with the fourth slated for Wednesday…two weeks ago. The day I started to execute was on the fateful May 25th. If I had to narrow down the type of hip-hop records I...
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Smoke x Mirrors ’20|05: III
I feel like this playlist is best represented by the song “Magnificent” by JD Era, the third track here. It’s clear, concise lyricism over beats that complement by matching the intensity of the rhyme slayers. These songs made me pay attention to what was being said; the slick shit, the witty lines, capped with...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|05: II
Before we get into this, let me acknowledge all the positive feedback I got for my playlist a couple of days ago. It’s always a pleasure to put people on to the sauce down here. Today, I felt like hightlighting music that treads off the beaten R&B and hip-hop path. Nowadays, where catering to...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|05: I
I don’t know about you, but I still can’t get to this new normal. As challenging as it has been to digest new music without freedom to move about or congregate, it has been a welcome distraction and an efficient coping resource. And with our beloved artists still doing what they know best, I...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|03: II
We shouldn’t have been out for this long; it’s been a rough month trying to process and adapt to the current pandemic we’re enduring. What I’ve taken away so far is that, in dull moments when we lean to catastrophizing, music provides a much needed respite from the avalanche of news updates that have...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|03: I
Welcome to March folks. I hope all of us are taking the necessary precautions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In any case, I’m back with another edition of a much needed Smoke x Mirrors; after all, as 2Baba says, “We must groove“. And with this I’d like to express my enthusiasm for...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|02: III (R.I.P. Pop Smoke)
There’s no silver lining in senseless tragedies. Hip-Hop has (yet again!) been robbed of another talent; I’m talking about Pop Smoke. The kid was only 20! One of my homies was just lamenting about only getting on the Brooklynite’s explosive brand of drill. And a week ago, another one was sadly observing how they...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|02: II
Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday, shall we? I’m sure that by now, with that last Smoke x Mirrors, you are loose and giddy to get the weekend underway. But then, those pesky nerves have found (yet again!) found a way to creep up and got you a little jittery. Don’t sweat...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|02: I
I know a bunch of us are plotting for this Valentine’s weekend ๐๐๐. I’m pretty sure another bunch is agonizing and devising evasion tactics for the same occasion ๐ ๐ ๐ . The homie Yoshi has already laced y’all up with a spectacular playlist to rock for the later hours — add that to your arsenal! So...
Continue readingSmoke x Mirrors ’20|01: II
The plan was to follow-up on a wink and release this last Sunday. But then the notifications on my phone delivered the devastating Kobe news and I’ve been out of sorts ever since. In my grief, I’m trying to honor my idol and the best way to do so might be to key into...
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