S.U.S.H.I represents a new beginning, a genesis, an insight into the music that gets me through everyday life on a bi-weekly basis.
I’m inviting you to take this journey with me.
I want to combat the algorithms and radio music that make playlists boring.
THIS IS RAW. THIS IS SUSHI
THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD HEAR IMMEDIATELY.
MOVEMENT 1 (Songs 1-5) “Good Vibes Only”
“Good things are happening after a bit of a stormy period.
To appreciate their light, you must know how to survive in the dark.”
These first few tracks here pay homage to my time spent in London. I’ve been following Octavian for years, and as BBC’s Sound of 2019, hes’ the first rapper to win the award since 50 Cent back in 2003. So if you think about that… all of the UK rappers who have been big (Stormzy, Skepta, Giggs, etc)… this kid is something much more than that. Octavian has a hell of a lot to offer and I would say the sky’s the limit, but in reality it’s much higher than that. I mean, just look at the kid.
Palmistry is a bit more of a mysterious figure. He tends to stay out of the limelight, barely ever showing his face. His blend of electronic music with dance/house and dancehall seems to always get me moving. Be on the lookout for his new album, Afterlife, dropping next Friday (5/17). Every song will be amazing. I’m talking 4.97/5. His last album, PAGAN, came out back in 2017 and I own it on vinyl. It gives me shivers.
MOVEMENT 2 (Songs 6-10) “Bops”
Dance music has always made me feel some type of way. As a lover of old blues, Jonas Blue’s remix of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” had to be the first choice. A fresh take on an absolute classic. Supporting tracks include “SOS” by Avicii (R.I.P), and “Love You Down,” yet another remix of an old school R&B banger.
MOVEMENT 3 (Songs 10-19) “Incessant Bangers*”
I’m gonna be honest with y’all, when I heard Young Thug croon on “Proud Of Me” it was reminiscent of 2014/15 Thugger. Not to say he’s fallen off, but this was mmmmm something we haven’t heard from Thugger in a while. Something to move to. (Queue “Good Times”). To anyone that says Young Thug didn’t pave the way >75% of rappers today fight me. @champagnejlaw on Twitter.
“You and Me Both” has one of the hardest beats I’ve heard in years…and with Valee’s unique delivery…it just hits different. Valee doesn’t even need to say much, if anything.
It seems as if Jaden is really embracing this whole new punk rock/rap wave…and to be honest I kinda like it. Let’s see where it goes.
WHO THE F*** CLEARED THIS JAY-Z SAMPLE???
“KENNNNNYYYYYYY.” Kenny Beats has been absolutely murdering everything he’s been on recently. Someone stop this man.
Rico is also in her bag, I Stan. Watch the two of them cook up an insane, hilariously HARD freestyle on Kenny Beats’ “The Cave” series.
Big S/o to J Hus, who just got out the slammer. One of the most promising artists from the UK and his first freestyle/track since freedom does not disappoint. If you haven’t heard “Did You See,” educate yourself. “Big Bundes, She in the Bundesliga”
Movement 4 (Songs 20-27) “Let Me Love U”
I be in my feels sometimes… I’m sure y’all are too.
Roy Woods is super underrated. To be fair, his new album didn’t live up to the hype compared to the rest of his fellow OVO cast, but god damn does he have a feel for smooth R&B. With a little more support I really think he could be a superstar. Be sure to check out his Waking at Dawn and Nocturnal albums if you’re a big R&B fan. Drake is too busy to promote the amazing talent he has under his belt anyway…
I’ve been listening to Iann Dior for months, but he’s finally available on streaming services so of course I had to put one of his tracks on the playlist. He works closely with Nick Mira, who is best known for producing some of Juice Wrld’s biggest hits. Personally, I think his ability to weave emotion into his lyrics is nearly unmatched, especially for a young guy. I see this kid securing a firm spot on the Billboard Hot 100 very soon. Keep him on your radar.
DOMENIC FIKE. Don’t even get me started. Not only does this man make me question my sexuality but he also does it all in terms of music If you look up some of his older music he used to be a hardcore rapper from Florida. As many artists do, he’s gone through a complete rebrand and now makes some of the best indie rock I’ve heard in a very, very, very long time. He’s also the newest member of Brockhampton. Congratulations yung blood.
(P.S the last time he successfully did a backflip was in jail)
Nothing, nowhere never fails to get me in my feels. His mixture of rock/indie/hip-hop is just too good to go unnoticed. Being an insanely talented artist and being INDEPENDENT makes me respect him so much more. Check him out.
This is J LAW signing off. Thanks for listening, and get ready for the next episode of S.U.S.H.I, dropping on May 20th.
Jon-Lawrence Koloba is a music lover with eccentric taste. From the house to hip-hop, he always manages to cover all of the bases. He is also the founder of S.U.S.H.I, or “Stuff U Should Hear Immediately, a bi-weekly playlist available on Spotify and Apple Music.