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billy has been my favorite rapper / music artist in general over the past four years, with a depth of intelligent lyrics documenting topics from neocolonialism to the haunting nature of drug trafficking to chaotic loves and the artist’s journey itself, with an album output averaging at least 2 a year (including with his group Armand Hammer with ELUCID). All this over perfectly picked exotic beats and African cinema samples, dappled with brilliant hip hop intertextuality.
Definitely a known artist at this point, I figured I should share this rec after I gushed to some friends about him last night.
Jan 28, 2024
Related Recs
If you’ve never listened to Aesop Rock, it’ll most likely sound like harsh noise to you the first few listens, but boy does his music reward you the more you listen.
This isn’t background music, listening is WORK- rewarding work. Once your ear gets used to it you’re in for a treat. “Black Snow” is my current favorite on this album.
I recommend patiently making your way through all his work if you’re a rap/poetry/word fan… you will get stuck on specific songs for a while since there is SO much being said in every.single.word.
Best lyricist of our generation and I don’t think anyone disputes that.
And an added bonus- his vast vocabulary will make you smarter as you listen🤓
Mar 3, 2024
You know that one friend who just has a more sophisticated aural palate than anyone else you know?
Someone with "good ears?"
That someone for me is Joe Kay, a former Long Beach State undergrad who started a low-key musical empire from essentially out of his dorm room (Apple 1 radio show, independent music label, world-touring concert team [they have sold-out 14th anniversary shows in Los Angeles, SF, New York and Houston this month], clothing line, etc.). They think of themselves as a "borderless, genre-bending musical movement" -- think, music from South Africa, Jamaica, U.S., Brazil and UK all in a single set, often directly adjacent to each other -- and were early in on artists like Sango, Brent Faiyaz, Bryson Tiller, GoldLink, and Anderson .Paak, among others. And nobody does a better Sade flip than my boy.
Joe is up to 670 archived shows now and the link here gives a good sense of just what "eclectic soul and future beats" means -- he's put me on to SO MUCH music over the years and their Discord is particularly active.
Here's to the cats who just hear it all differently.
And tyler I think Joe would make one helluva great interview/feature for PI.FYI. Just sayin'.
Feb 16, 2025
I think this guy may be my new favorite artist. Talented as hell. I appreciate when an artist is involved with every step of the music-making process, down to the visuals even. Produced, mixed, mastered and performed all by one person. Huge fan of his production and how it blends elements of WWE entrance theme style rock music, 80s hip hop, obscure samples from the internet, grimy ass drums, R&B, etc. The list goes on. Anytime a new song or album drops I can expect nothing but pure ear candy that scratches that hard to reach itch in my brain. The only other artist that really does that for me is Death Grips but they can be a bit overstimulating and hard to listen to at times I won’t lie. His merch goes hard and his website design is cool as hell too.
He dropped a “Valentine’s Day ‘25 Freestyle” that’s been in constant rotation for me, and I recently treated myself to the Director’s Cut Vinyl of his last release for my birthday. Good shit!
Feb 16, 2025
Top Recs from @tomsarabok
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Though obviously not accessible to everyone, having a car in NYC is incredibly underrated.
The road rage, the drives to the airport, the cross-borough transfers with umprecented ease, the loaning your cars to friends for a nice weekend. also sort of your own little sanctuary if you ever need it. nothing like ripping through the center of the universe in your own motorized avatar
Jan 28, 2024
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Going to a cheap gym filled with real people from every background on their grind to be better…makes you think
Jan 12, 2024
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All the cool people are still asleep
Feb 4, 2024