This March 8 interview with Dende covers the musical short film “In Case You Forgot I’m BLACK.” Dende talks about last summer’s police brutality protests, frustration with the lack of change, the effect of the weight on his person and healthy advice for healing in the communities most affected.
About Brandon Hill
Why We Like It: Kabwasa’s “Dreamer”
“Dreamer” by Kabwasa is an upbeat ode to chasing dreams and pushing them to evolve even as we approach them. Featuring elegant vocals from Ayoni, the track is both reflective and inspirational.
Why We Like It: O2worldwide’s “ONLY ONE”
“ONLY ONE” is a song about growing up, but also not growing up. O2worldwide is a 16 person collective of long-time friends rapping their own coming of age franchise out of Oklahoma.
Why We Like It: PK Delay’s “Butterfly” Ft. Benji. & My Favorite Color
Winding and psychedelic, “Butterfly” flitters in and out of the physical and existential. PK Delay raps about the disconnect between the chaos of the world and proceeding like everything’s fine. Features from Benji. and My Favorite Color rounds out the track.
Why We Like It: Lebbs’ “Right One” Ft. Daisy Vorakhanh
As Daisy Vorakhanh sings the hook to “Right One,” she warmly invites emcee and producer Lebbs to rap through the challenging introspection of his soul over jazzy lo-fi production.
Why We Like It: Tracy Lamont’s “Everybody’s Favorite”
Tracy Lamont is bringing balance back to doing what you love because you love it. On “Everybody’s Favorite,” off his new EP, Lamont raps about overcoming doubt and finding joy in every aspect of creating.
Why We Like It: Rock Abruham’s “Teeth”
Rock Abruham delivers hefty punchlines over a looping soul sample with nonchalant confidence that begets his ambivalence for an industry more concerned with marketing than authenticity. He raps “Teeth” with an effortless quality that brushes off that frustration with sheer talent.
Why We Like It: Dirtsa’s “Sic Parvis Magna”
Greatness from small beginnings. On “Sic Parvis Magna,” Dirtsa raps with a heroic sense of purpose as the emcee details her experience moving from Cameroon to France and combating the resulting discrimination.
Brittney Carter’s ‘As I Am’: The Evolving Introspection of an Artist
We often take a project for face value without equivalent regard for the development that leads the artist to its creation. In this CentralSauce featured profile, southside Chicago emcee Brittney Carter breaks down the evolving introspection that led her to her independent debut album, ‘As I Am.’
Why We Like It: Dre Wave$’ “Wordsmith” Ft. redveil
“Wordsmith” jumps right into a soul loop like it was spinning long before you pressed play. Dre Wave$ and redveil rap about the value of working with language to create art — value that doesn’t always line up with financial compensation, but the emcees wear “artist” with pride.
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