Ed Sheeran – Small Bump (video)

Ed Sheeran’s sound can sometimes be a little too radio friendly for some, but every so often he puts out something that strikes a chord. Small Bump sees him in full on singing mode as he tells the story of a baby that was tragically never born. Accompanied by a guitar and drums, this is something that should be a big mainstream hit.

Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2 (mixtape)

I’ll never be able to accept that this reached 2.5 million downloads on Datpiff in a matter of days (So Far Gone and Kush & OJ have half that combined), but the fact that I’m even posting it at all does say something about the progress Meek Mill has made.

His subject matter is still far too limited to make him someone I’ll listen to regularly, but he does show a different side on the Fugees sampled Ready or Not, and Burn and A1 Everything are just too lively to ignore.

Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2

Ab-Soul feat. Kendrick Lamar – ILLuminate

With Soul’s Control System dropping tonight this seems like the perfect time to share the last track from the project. Illuminate more or less follows the tried and tested TDE formula, so if you’re usually a fan of their work there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one too. Soul and Jay Rock are good rappers, but it’s still Kendrick and Q one and two for me.

Big Sean x Meek Mill – Burn

Two birds, one heat rock. Mill’s Dreamchasers 2 drops this monday, whilst Big Sean’s yet to be named mixtape is coming soon.

Brother Ali – Not a Day Goes By (video)

If you don’t love yourself, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Miguel – Art Dealer Chic Vol. 3

Miguel’s Art Dealer Chic projects are always solid but until now they’ve been filled with songs that I enjoy for the first week and then forget about soon after. Anchored by the infectious Party Life, Volume 3 delivers something more substantial that delivers again and again.

Ooh Ahh! is a more typical, albeit moody, rnb track, whilst Candles in the Sun, Blowin’ in the Wind pays homage to some hip-hop classics. Stream and download below.

Art Dealer Chic Vol. 3

Ab-Soul feat. Alori Joh & JaVonte – Empathy (video)

Everyone who’s surprised by Soul’s singing on this track needs to go back and listen to Longterm 2 again. I guess My Dream Girl wasn’t a single, but he didn’t drop a single bar on that track. Expect to hear more of Ab’s vocals in the future because this is getting good reviews across the board.

Big K.R.I.T – I Heard It All

So at what point will the Big K.R.I.T backlash begin, before or after the debut album? He’s still fresh enough for the hipsters to like, but he was on 106 & Park a couple of weeks ago and everyone knows that’s not cool. I give it three months until youtube warriors start reminiscing about his early mixtapes in comment sections.

Honestly his music is as brilliant as ever, but that’s just the way it goes. Head over to Nature Sounds to pick up a physical copy of K.R.I.T Wuz Here, which includes this bonus track.

Rome Clientel – Warzone (prod. Just Blaze)

When Rome Clientel released the tracklist for The Empire a few weeks ago this is the track that stood out for most people. Don’t overlook Rome’s verses here, he rides the beat well, but the real highlight is the production.

This predates Just Blazes’ Roc-a-fella days and the New Jersey producer appears to be channeling his inner J Dilla with work that isn’t in keeping with his overall catalogue but is nonetheless worthy of the superlatives it is drawing.

The ILLZ – Faded (video)

Kristopher Rey-Telley has done a phenomenal job in bringing The Pursuit LP to life. It’s been a while since chapter three, so follow the links below to refresh your memory, or watch the first three episodes for the first time.

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3