Second Acts and Shapeshifters
A lo-fi study beats producer grows up, a hip-hop widow grabs the mic, plus sex, money, and grime
Hello and welcome to the latest installment of Five Albums, the weekly feature for paid Hearing Things subscribers in which we recommend you the new records from across genres that you need to hear. As music journalists, the question we get most often from friends is how to stay on top of what’s new and cool. This is our attempt to provide a practical answer.
This week’s entry is full of transformations and second acts. There’s the widow of a legendary underground New York rapper making her own fearsome debut on the mic. A kingpin of old-school London grime reclaiming his throne. A Nigerien guitar hero’s killer backing band striking out on their own. A producer who made his name on lo-fi study beats growing into a much more complex singer-songwriter. And a North Carolina folkie now making synth-and-sound-effect-laden indie rock about sex and money. Let’s get wet.
