Top Ten Tracks: Saba, Earl Sweatshirt, Freddie Gibbs & more 19/11/21
Welcome to ‘Top 10 Tracks’, the essential weekly round-up of the best new music.
At the end of each week, we count down the ten essential new tracks you need in your rotation. Ranging from rappers in the Emerald Isle to boundary-pushing, experimental producers and everything in between, it’s all hits, no filler.
This week, Earl Sweatshirt makes his return, while Kaytranada joins forces with fellow Haitian Mach-Hommy.
Photo credit: C.T. Robert
1000 Beasts I Wish Feat. Carrie
Freddie Gibbs Black Illuminati Feat. Jadakiss
Earlier this week, Freddie Gibbs took to Twitter to reveal that Kaytranada, Kenny Beats, The Alchemist and just about every relevant producer right now is on his forthcoming album. We may have just got the first track from that yet unnamed project in ‘Black Illuminati’ with Jadakiss. Predictably grim and dark, the cut marks their first collaboration since 2012’s ‘Krazy’.
Wulu Broken Homes
South London vocalist Wulu announced his signing to Warp Records with the release of ‘Broken Homes’, another in a long line of cuts featuring sharp commentary and his trademark distorted sound.
Saba Stop That
If the negative voice in our head was a person in the physical world, we’d straight up stop hanging out with them. It’s fair to say we’re all guilty of giving our negative thoughts too much leverage in our daily lives and Chicago rapper Saba is challenging his inhibitions in a no nonsense track ahead of his third studio album.
KAYTRANADA $prayforHaiti
Two proud Haitians join forces on $prayforHaiti with the enigmatic Mach-Hommy rapping in Creole.
Kai Kwasi Cracks
Sometimes chaos can feel comforting if it’s what you are familiar with and Kai Kwasi captures this notion perfectly both sonically and lyrically in ‘Cracks’.
Ibeyi Made of Gold Feat. Pa Salieu
Afro-Cuban French twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz AKA Ibeyi are connecting with their ancestors on the transcendent ‘Made of Gold’.
It sees Pa Salieu come through with the magic touch on a track that channels centuries of generational wisdom.
Kanye West Life of the Party Feat. André 3000
Is it really a Ye release if it doesn’t land with controversy or intrigue?
‘Life of the Party’ was omitted from Donda on André 3000’s request because Ye censored the explicit lyrics. However, they appeared to make a compromise with the single version left untouched and the deluxe album version having additional edits. We’re just glad it’s here now.
Just Mustard I Am You
Dundalk five piece Just Mustard are masters of showcasing slow building tension. The kind that once released can have you in the same type of head rush standing up too quickly brings. ‘I Am You’ taps into that noisy ambiguity in the best possible way.
Earl Sweatshirt 2010
Though he’s appeared on projects with Armand Hammer, The Alchemist, Mike and Wiki in 2021, it’s been a minute since Earl dropped a solo cut. The Black Noi$e-produced ‘2010’ makes up for lost time, reflecting on his come up and nods to a switch up in style towards a more energetic palette.
