13 Beats of the Week: 2/12/2021

Miller Downer, Managing Editor|February 12, 2021

  1. “Columbia,” by AG Club — Up-and-coming rap collective AG Club continues to impress with their incredibly hard-hitting beats and technical know-how, emulating BROCKHAMPTON’s edgier sounds and capitalizing on their current DIY image.
  2. “fuego (feat. Tyler, The Creator),” by Channel Tres & Tyler, The Creator — The formation of dynamic duo Channel Tres and Tyler, according to many fans, was an inevitability that would result in something incredible. “fuego,” a club-beat driven masterpiece, only proves everyone’s suspicions.
  3. “Rhymes Like Dimes,” by MF DOOM, DJ Cucumber Slice — The late MF DOOM’s discography is as expansive as it is mind-blowingly complex. “Rhymes Like Dimes” serves as an entry point to DOOM’s ample repertoire, familiarizing the listener with many of the common themes found throughout his discography.
  4. “The People,” by Photay—Woodstock native Evan “Photay” Shornstein exercises his turntablism authority on “The People,” a track that emphasizes above-all his proficiency in drumming, sampling, and progressing.
  5. “Pac Blood,” by Danny Brown — Danny Brown takes an opportunity on the track “Pac Blood” to flex his metaphorical muscle and purport that he is the continuation of the past great names of the hip-hop scene.
  6. “Birdland,” by Buddy Rich — Regularly lauded as “the best drummer ever” by critics and casual listeners alike, Buddy Rich is simply untouchable in terms of his impeccable timing and speed.
  7. “Suspicions,” by Larry Lovestein & The Velvet Revival — The late Mac Miller’s alter ego Larry Lovestein approached music much differently than his Blue Slide Park producing identity. In some ways, Lovestein was a teaser for Mac’s later works like his 2018 album Swimming.
  8. “Part 2,” by Lukah — Lukah raps of a true and distant experience of living on the edge of society, refusing to shy away from the gruesome and violent grit once took rap by storm in the form of albums like Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80 and billy woods’ Hiding Places.
  9. “How U Make Me Feel,” by DJ Seinfeld — Deep house DJ Armand Jakobsson revolutionizes the genre by dipping in and out of neighboring genres, such as jungle or breakbeat. The intention here is to think less and dance more.
  10. “The Magic Of Ju-Ju,” by Archie Shepp — Legendary musician Archie Shepp once rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane and Gil Evans to name a few. His avant-garde approach to the genre as well as his evident mastery of multiple instruments allowed for his truly free experimentation, one displayed front-and-center in “The Magic Of Ju-Ju.”
  11. “6-77AR-36K (Opus 23B),” by Anthony Braxton — Anthony Braxton, for the duration of his career, has continuously challenged and pushed the boundaries of what could be considered jazz — so much so that many consider his music not to be jazz at all. While he clearly respects the old forms of Coltrane and Desmond among others, Braxton shines in his ability to incorporate contemporary elements into what he sees as a stagnant art form.
  12. “Buttcheeks,” by 6 Dogs — The passing of 6 Dogs shook the entirety of the Soundcloud-era hip-hop scene with many remembering his humorous lines and melancholic beats.
  13. “E36,” by Jordan Alexander — Alexander’s lo-fi production backs his droning and noisy vocalization, in some ways resembling a much more modern attempt of Bon Iver.