On Wax: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Daniel Caesar, + More
ON WAX IS A WEEKLY TAKE UPDATING YOU ON THE POCKET OF CULTURE KNOWN AS HIP-HOP. WE BRING YOU EVERYTHING FROM BREAKING NEWS TO ALBUM DROPS, JAIL TIME AND WHO’S BEEFING WITH WHO.
 |
Freddie Gibbs + Madlib = Bandana
Five years after Freddie Gibbs and Madlib dropped their critically acclaimed album, Piñata, and the two have just released a new project. Bandana is a continuation of the great chemistry seen from Freddie and Madlib in the past, and Gibbs continues to push his conscious street rap over a sample-heavy production. Lyrically, Freddie is on point, while Madlib continues his aesthetic, which is what works so well between the two. Unlike Piñata, this album isn’t feature heavy—yet artists like Pusha T and Yasiin Bey show up. Overall, Bandana is the sequel we wanted and it is amazingly executed. Hopefully, the two artists will give us a trilogy somewhere down the line.
Daniel Caesar’s Case Studies
Toronto’s premiere R&B and soul artist, Daniel Caesar, has dropped another project. Case Study 01 is a collection of songs that can make you feel many of things. Whether it is love or sadness, Daniel is great at exploring human emotions, and the live instrumentals compliment the gorgeously harmonized vocals Daniel gives us. Appearances from Brandy, Pharrell, and John Mayer add outside input to Daniel’s often relatable lyrics. It’s not known yet if Case Study 01 is going to be a series of releases, however, Daniel Caesar is off to a great start if so.
Chance’s Back Catalog is Now on Streaming Services + Vinyl
Once upon a time, you could only listen to Chance The Rapper’s early work on SoundCloud or mixtape sites. Fortunately, that is no longer the case—10 Days and Acid Rap are now available on all major streaming platforms. The reissues come right before an upcoming debut album that is currently titled Owbum and is set for a July release. Alongside the reissues, all three of Chance’s projects can be ordered on vinyl, which includes his last release, Coloring Book. This should excite new fans who may want to explore the artist’s discography, as well as excite old fans who are waiting for Owbum. You can order the vinyl here.
Mustard Proclaims a Perfect 10
West Coast producer titan, (DJ) Mustard, has released a new solo project. Perfect 10 is a collection of tracks with some of Mustard’s biggest friends. While West Coast artists, like YG, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign, and Roddy Ricch, show up, there are other hot artists that appear (like Migos, Future, A$AP Rocky & Ferg, Young Thug, and many more). Each song can stand alone by themselves, yet collectively the project makes for a good listen all together. We even get another posthumous Nipsey Hussle verse, with the West Coast legend ending the album.
Slick Rick Returns
A legend that no one can forget, sir Slick The Ruler gives us some dope nostalgic vibes with rhymes over the De La Soul classic, “Me, Myself, and I,” beat. A two for one bargain in the video for “Can’t Dance To A Track That Ain’t Got No Soul/Midas Touch,” Slick Rick has yet to lose a step.
A Maxo Kream Video
On the path to dropping Brandon Banks, Maxo Kream releases a video for “Still.” The music video confirms Maxo is calmer and has more focused energy as of late. A hard scent of determination of wanting that W, Maxo also announced a recent signing to Roc Nation. Can this be the one? Well, we will have to wait and see on July 19th.
Benny Benassi x Lil Yachty
EDM DJ, Benny Benassi, has teamed up with the king of teens, Lil Yatchy, for a fun EDM banger. While Benny has been busy, he’s most known for his 2002 hit, “Satisfaction.” “LONLEY NIGHTS” morphs both Yachty’s world with Benassi’s, making a very happy EDM track that both artists’ fans can enjoy.
Russ on Joe Budden
On another note, some would probably prefer not to dig into that one person, and that one is Russ. However, these interviews are here because we don’t always get to see the other person’s point of view. With that being said, Joe Budden speaks to Russ…
THOUXANBANFAUNI Reunites with Lil Yachty
The relationship between these two men hasn’t always been the best—one incident involved Thouxanbanfauni getting into a fight with Lil Yachty’s security. Either way, it seems the season of beef has worn itself thin, ushering this era of peace collaborations. Yachty sounds better than he has in about two years, and his chemistry with Fauni is definitely up to par. If this was something you’ve been looking for, don’t forget to check it out now.
Until next time, it’s On Wax.