Heaters: Pa Salieu, Lava La Rue & NAYANA IZ

NYC-born, London-based rapper Goya Gumbani and UK producer Oliver Palfreyman teamed up on the thought-provoking Truth Be Sold.

Spinning meditative examinations on fallacies surrounding materialism, Goya’s careful delivery and wise lyrical content is a welcome breather in the midst of the storm that is 2020.

For fans of Earlsweatshirt, sLums etc.

Latest single from the English spitter Jeshi. Tustling with lazy characterisations over a trademark dark instrumental from Kwes Darko.

Put simply, the link up between West London UK Garage producer Conducta and neo-soul trailblazer JGrrey is a match made in heaven.

Gliding over infectious percussion, JGrrey cuts no corners on the breezy anthem.

Send Them To Coventry is the debut project from the UK’s most exciting new comer – Pa Salieu.

Lacing his cut-throat delivery with hammering production, Pa creates a soundscape that reflects an unforgiving lifestyle.

Kiwi singer BENEE has shared an impressive debut album that is littered with high-profile features.

Featuring Gus Dapperton, Kenny Beats, Bakar, Grimes and Flo Milli, Hey u x is a huge statement of intent from an artist comfortable weaving mammoth hooks among a myriad of styles.

This month, NiNE8 Collective founder and hyphenate Lava La Rue shared news of her forthcoming EP Butter-Fly. It came with a dreamy new single ‘Angel’ featuring Deb Never.

‘Angel’ is a thoroughly transatlantic collaboration that also features trippy production from Isom Inis of Foster The People.

Versatile North london artist NAYANA IZ followed up her debut EP, ‘SMOKE & FLY‘ with a head-nodding effort in ‘partner in crime’.

Speaking on the track she said ‘partner in crime’ “is about that person you trust most even if that person might be yourself. It’s my appreciation for the love we’ve shared and a reminder to them that I always got their back. We’ve been betrayed and hurt before but we know we always got each other through all the pains and all the wins. This is a celebration of us and how far we’ve come, we did it.”

Though existing in a cosmic soundscape not too dissimilar to the likes of OSHUN, Amaarae touches on a number of styles throughout The Angel You Don’t Know.

Inviting contributions from a number of heavy hitters including  Cruel Santino and Kojey Radical, the Ghanian shapeshifter has delivered a project that is as danceable as it is thought-provoking.

Floating Points’ reworking of Thundercat’s ‘Fair Chance’ grounds the track in an entirely different realm.

The high-octave cut takes on a different meaning and coupleld Ty Dolla $ign’s emotive vocals it feels like the sonic iteration of yearning for clubs again.

Landing with a video of Billie parading through an empty mall with a pretzel in hand, ‘Therefore I Am’  has fans digging through Genius for clues to the lyrics.

The track is a reminder that Billie has been creating waves whilst others have been surfing in them.

Singing on the chorus “I’m not your friend or anything / Damn, you think that you’re the man” she’s seeing through the fake love.

Hailing from the north west of England, Blackhaine’s debut project Armour channels visceral emotions into a sharp monochrome offering.

Born out of a dark period spent drinking and abusing pharmaceuticals, Armour is indebted to the often unforgiving rhythm of the inner city.

Released through Fixed Abode, producer Rainy Miller weaves elements of jazz, drill and ambient sounds into a spellbinding and hazy sonic palette.

Sly Moon, defies conventional wisdom. While long regarded a legend of the underground UK,  Why Am I So Sly is actually his debut album.

Having featured as part of the iconic Children of the Damned, Sly rarely dips from the shadows nowadays, save for a few feature contributions.

However, in his latest effort the rapper shows his most vulnerable self. The record uses no samples and features a slew of stream of consciousness bars straight from the soul.

Released as part of the Future Bubblers 4.0 compilation, Manchester’s KinKai came through with a cut reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s Untitled Unmastered on ‘Scatty Brain Dump‘.

Featuring snappy wordplay and warm horns it’s the standout track on an impressive release.