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Ab-Soul — HERBERT
Ab-Soul steps back into the game by analyzing the man in the mirror with his long-awaited self-titled album, HERBERT.
Soul enlisted some skilled emcees for his guest spots. That list includes Big Sean, Joey Bada$$, Russ, and Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrence “Punch” Henderson. Speaking of TDE, label mates SiR, Zacari and Lance Skiiiwalker all make appearances on the vulnerable project.
Jhené Aiko also comes through for Soul. Fans may recall the duo worked together on “Terrorist Threats” and “Soulo Ho3” off Ab’s fan-loved Control System project. They also teamed up on cuts like “WTH” and “One Way St.” Now, they’re joining forces again on “The Wild Side” where they layer their vocals together once more.
Ab-Soul recently spoke about the album during an interview with Rolling Stone. “I dropped the arrogance for this album,” he said. “I wanted to challenge myself to just craft freely — I didn’t want to go in with a theme or a concept. It was difficult.”
He spoke more about the album during an interview with Vulture. “I was just trying to restore the feeling of Hip-Hop in this climate,” he added. “I intentionally tried not to listen to much music during this process so I didn’t have too much external influence, I wanted it to sound like me. You could easily just get influenced by what you’re hearing, cadences and flows. I just wanted it to all come from me as naturally as possible.”
Listen to HERBERT below.
The Weeknd — “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”
What happens when one of music’s biggest names collaborates with one of the year’s most anticipated blockbuster franchises? The Weeknd helps answer that question with “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” off Avatar: The Way of Water’s official soundtrack.
In line with the movie, the song begins with cinematic drums and chants. “I thought I could protect you from paying for my sins,” Abel sings in the opening. As the production rises towards the hook, The Weeknd croons: “No matter what they say, my love for you is greater than their powers and their armies / From above, you bring me strength / I’m with you either way.”
Swedish House Mafia produced this song alongside famed composer Simon Franglen. The latter produced a bulk of the soundtrack and was involved in the film. He also worked on the original Avatar back in 2009 and since then, he’s worked on movies like 2015’s Southpaw and 2012’s Skyfall. Listen to “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” below.
ROSALÍA f. Cardi B — “DESPECHÁ RMX”
ROSALÍA is having quite a year. After rereleasing her critically acclaimed MOTOMAMI LP and its subsequent deluxe version, the Grammy-winning sensation joins forces with Cardi B for the remix to her “DESPECHÁ” single.
Cardi uses the song to rap and sing with confidence. “Baby, please don’t call me / Why you on my line? ‘Cause I got a new body,” she sings in one of two new verses. “I have decided que voy pa la calle / With all my Motomamis y no hay quien me pare.” The final line translated: “I’ve decided to hit the streets with all my Motomamis and no one can stop me.”
The original song has been one of ROSALÍA’s most celebrated from a lauded album. It’s already amassed more than 200 million YouTube views and 450 million Spotify streams to date. She also performed it at the NRJ Music Awards and at the Latin Grammys this year.
ROSALÍA, who is currently on tour overseas, teased the track as having a mystery guest. Soon, she announced Bardi was the featured star and the Bronx emcee shared her gratitude. “Thank you @rosalia,” she wrote on Twitter. “I love that we were able to work together on this.” Listen to “DESPECHÁ RMX” below.
Only the Family — Lil Durk Presents Loyal Bros 2
Lil Durk keeps a prolific run rolling on with the release of his newest OTF compilation, Only The Family: Lil Durk Presents: Loyal Bros 2.
Durkio leads the way on the project, but he of course isn’t alone. The 23-song project features Future, Kodak Black, King Von and Trippie Redd among others. Rising rappers like PGF Nuk, Icewear Vezzo and more join the fun here.
But as the title suggests, the project’s focus lies on OTF signees. Doodie Lo, Booka600, C3 and Chief Wuk all appear on the album, as well. The Voice dropped 7220 and its deluxe version earlier this year. Now he’s back with some friends on the OTF LP. Listen to Loyal Bros 2 below.
Latto — “Another Nasty Song”
After having her most successful year yet, Latto releases “Another Nasty Song” as a gift to her fans. The track was reportedly leaked earlier this year and has been one of her most requested in recent months.
“This here another nasty song,” she sings on the Yak Beats-produced cut. “He love it when I pull up with no panties on.” She later adds: “You know that I’m a freak / You know I like it slow / I’m trying to make a movie / I’m giving you the code.”
“’Another Nasty Song’ is out right now. That’s my lil’ Christmas gift, my birthday gift to y’all. I scrapped that song but since y’all wanted it, I gave it to y’all,” she said in an Instagram Live.
However, Latto claims this won’t be a focus track. “I’m on set for a whole ‘nother song. We workin’ and 2023 is gonna be crazy; it’s really gonna be a bad year for my haters,” she added. “Anybody who don’t like me, 2023 is gonna be a bad year for you. New song coming.”
Prior to the song’s release, Cardi B played the leak on social media. “She needs to put that song out. I cannot stop singing it, I sing it all the time,” she said. The track is finally out. Listen to “Another Nasty Song” below.
STREAMED: Ab-Soul Drops Long-Awaited ‘HERBERT’ Album, The Weeknd Unleashes “Nothing Is Lost” From ‘Avatar’ Soundtrack, & More was originally published on cassiuslife.com
