Quiet week in the way of mixtapes–there wasn’t anything on my radar. The album art for Action Bronson’s project with Harry Fraud, Saab Stories (out June 11th), did surface though, and it’s a fitting follow-up to the epic blaxploitation-esque art of Rare Chandeliers. Apparently, Bronsilino’s yellow fever stays in rotation like his G-pen.
In the world of the Wu, an unexpected single dropped off of Tony Touch’s new project. “Unorthodox” pairs Rae, Ghost and RZA with Canadian curveball JD Era. The sparse break beat gives Ghost the chance to spit some of his more recent quotables. Example: “pyramid thoughts that’s on point like the Luxor.” Tony Touch takes a break from putting out his #50DaysToThe50MCs web series with dope vintage videos to stage a partial Wu reunion. Hopefully the new album sounds as good as this.
Joey Bada$$ had a pretty prolific week. In addition to dropping “Word is Bond,” a Statik Selektah produced joint from his upcoming Summer Knights EP, he dropped some crispy visuals for “Like Water,” a contemplative Statik Selektah produced piano banger from PEEP: The aPROcalypse. As a tribute to the late Capital Steeze, the song gets a proper video tribute (with an ill snapshot of a commemorative mural). When I saw Joey at the Middle East a few months back, he closed with this jam.
Big Boi, on the other hand, had a bummer sideline his week and summer. He’s been touring with Killer Mike in support of his latest album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, but knee surgery has him out of commission. Still, his spirits say “Hootie Hoo.”
Killer Mike also added another sobering reason why it’s best to put the tour on hold.
Guys Big Boi hurt his knee.Surgery today n 6weeks rest. Shows will be moved to Sept. I’m told.Dre3ks Mom passed n Its best we all home
— Killer Mike (@KillerMikeGTO) May 29, 2013
On a more positive note, Big Boi is featured on a new single from El-P and Killer Mike’s collabo Run the Jewels. Over a classic El-P beat that’s best described as frenetic space funk–the paranoid version of the new Daft Punk album. Killer Mike “moves with the elegance of an African elephant,” while Daddy Fat Sacks shows why he’s still keeping Outkast’s legacy of Southern darts alive.
3 Stacks is not exactly holding up his end of the bargain. I feel for his mom–really, I do. But he’s still dropping Cleveland steamers like this monstrosity. “Farrah Fawcett Hair”, a collab with Capital Cities, features narration by Frank Tavares from NPR. At this point, Andre is basically decked in cycling gear drinking smoothies, brunching with YTs.