STAY WOKE: What To Listen To While You’re Waiting For Jai Paul Pt. 2: The Relapse

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Last time, I hit everyone with 12 different artists they can listen to in order to stave off any cravings for new Jai Paul music. I’m back offering six more alternatives in case of a relapse or a backslide. Keep in mind that James Blake and Sam Smith STILL aren’t going to be included until the weather changes and we officially enter Cuffing Season (October 15th) which will require another DON’T SLEEP or STAY WOKE post altogether. If you listen to these 6 artist’s back catalogs or specific albums in addition to my previously prescribed 12 step program you should be good well into Winter 2014-15. When that time comes we will definitely revisit this subject once again. It was only three weeks ago that I originally outlined this program, now I just need to give you folks this extra supplement so it sticks. Ready? Of course you are…

 

NABUMA

Little Dragon “Nabuma Rubberband”

To be perfectly honest Little Dragon’s “Nabuma Rubberband” should’ve been in the last post. It’s a case of something being so obvious that you totally take it for granted or overlook it, like how in romantic comedies a dude can miss the fahn ass, funny, smart, cool girl he kicks it with all the time who drops hints all over the place like NY Jets wide receivers drop passes. I looked at the total number of plays for this album in my iTunes and there’s no way it should’ve been left off. I’m pretty sure I was playing the shit out of “Klapp Klapp” & “Paris” during a fair amount of the time I was writing the first jawn. If you don’t have “Nabuma Rubberband” yet cop it on iTunes, Amazon or Google Play.

 

MABEL2

Lil Silva “Mabel EP”

I spend a considerable amount of time on Soundcloud (is there a Gen X/Millennial music journalist that doesn’t?) and one of my favorite Soundcloud pages belongs to UK producer Lil Silva. Between last Summer’s “Distance EP”, this Summer’s “Mabel EP and his production of Banks’ upcoming “Goddess” LP there’s no way you shouldn’t be playing the hell out of Lil Silva’s music to offset the absence of Jai “I’m Not There” Paul. Besides, Lil Silva is one of the few people on Earth whose production I like to hear Sampha sing on besides his own. That will land you on a Dart Adams list easily. I need a full album from this dude, though. A producer’s album with features from Banks, Sampha, Rosie Lowe and some other guests plus instrumentals would be great in early 2015. Let’s make that happen…

 

ANDERSONPAAK

Anderson.Paak

Anderson Paak is a part of the Hellfyre Club, a collective spearheaded by Nocando which counts Producers I Know regulars Taurus Scott, Open Mike Eagle & VerBS amongst it’s membership. I was first put onto his material by DJ Lean Rock when I heard him play a brilliant cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” at an event in Boston earlier on this month. I asked what it was on Twitter then I found the original project it was on called “Cover Art” on the Hellfyre Club Bandcamp & checked out his Soundcloud. His jawns with Lo_Def “Might Be (High)” & “Drugs” are clearly just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t be up on everything, the wisest man knows that knowledge is acquired and then shared. Each one teach one. I learned that from Hip Hop…the culture, that is…

 

RAURY

Raury “Indigo Child”

The Cult Of Raury is very real. College students are returning to campus soon and freshmen are moving in all over in what is the city with the highest concentration of colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning and I’m not only hearing his music all over but I’m also seeing young people dress like him. Same kind of hats. Same boots. It’s SUMMER. If you’re outchea dressing like Raury I’m gonna notice. If you try to holler at a girl using his lyrics it’ll be obvious. I think Raury is extremely talented & his music comes from a soul far older than his physical age. The audio from the arguments with his mom over his choice of pursuing a career in entertainment help tie the project together even more for me. Just do me a favor people…don’t try to turn him into the Second Coming Of Andre 3000. That never turns out the way music fans hope it will. Let Raury be Raury, dammit. Listen to the 13 track opus “Indigo Child” here if you’re unfamiliar…

 

BANKS

Banks “Goddess”

One of my favorite songs right now is Banks’ “This Is What It Feels Like”. It’s the kind of song I play late at night or early in the morning, during my most creative hours. The hours where most people are asleep and I’m planning out my day in my head. Banks’ Soundcloud was a bit of a secret for a minute but in the age of real time media and social networks there was no way she was going to stay under the radar making music that sounds this damb good. Her ability to make great songs with numerous producers raised anticipation for her album. Her jawns with Lil Silva further excited music fans but when her album “Goddess” drops on September 9th you’ll all hear just how good it is. This is some Grade A official Cuffing Season soundtrack material rightchea…

 

MNEK

MNEK

The one thing that gets me about UK producer/singer/songwriter MNEK is that folks tend to try to compare him to Sampha which is entirely unfair. Sampha generally makes more somber and subdued songs even though there are some similarities between the two. For instance, while MNEK’s vocals on “Wrote A Song About You” might be reminiscent of Sampha’s LISTEN TO THE DAMB SONG. Songs like “Don’t Call This Love” and “Every Little Word” make MNEK sound more like the 2014 version of the marriage of late 80’s vocal House x New Jack Swing filtered through the UK urban music continuum from 1991 to today. He is an in demand producer and songwriter who is simultaneously working on his debut solo project, if it sounds anything like his promo single “In Your Clouds” then it will definitely be one of the best R&B LP’s of 2014/2015. The as-of-yet untitled project is currently in the works while Jai Paul continues to be the Dark Night Of Modern R&B. Skulking in the shadows n’ shit…

So there you go… Six more artists to listen to so you don’t feel bad that Jai Paul & his brother A.K. Paul are potentially hoarding a ton of amazing music and we have to sit on our hands and wait for it. FINE. We’ll wait. But while we’re waiting we’ll keep ourselves busy and we might even forget that we were waiting on y’all in the first place. Hopefully. Prolly not…but it can happen.

One.