Joose | The Music Ninja

[Hip-Hop] Joose – Black Sand (Rvdical Remix)

Joose
Black Sand (Rvdical Remix)

Hip-hop is currently going through a fascinating transformation as rappers continue taking risks ranging from the strange vocal inflections of Young Thug, and more recently Makonnen, to the future bass raps of Goldlink. The Soulection collective has had a special role in carving out what label-captain Joe Kay calls the “sound of tomorrow” lending their unique brand of dance music as instrumentals for a broad range of talented emcees. The strength of this movement is multiplied by the artists’ and labels’ openness to collaborate, which in the digital age has become easier than ever and allows for an unprecedented diversity in styles.

The latest remix from Flow-Fi‘s Rvdical the Kid is exemplary of this incredible progression reworking the already dope track, “Black Sand,” from frequent West Michigan AGO collaborators Joose and Sango into an addicting masterpiece. While the original has a minimal and incredibly relaxed vibe to it, Rvdical’s take adds an ethereal element rearranging the vocal sample and adding unique percussion giving Joose’s lyrics a whole new context. Zone out to this awesomely floaty track above.

[Hip-Hop] AGO – Tuebor (Mixtape)

After dropping the highly underrated NSDE/OUTSDE EP late last year (one that we failed to cover unfortunately), Waldo returns with the rest of his AGO crew hoping to rekindle the same magic he found with his previous release. Consisting of additional members Joose, Amos Rose, The SEVENth and Sango, AGO is a collective from Grand Rapids, Michigan hoping to establish themselves in a hip-hop scene where the concept of the crew has become more prominent than ever.

Tuebor is a step in the right direction for the group, as the talented emcees all get a chance to flaunt their skills and bring some knowledge to what the Michigan lifestyle is really about. Featuring a wealth of talented producers like Mr. Carmack, AbJo, Mozaic, and of course The SEVENth and Sango, where Tuebor really prospers is in the diversity of its sounds. From the introspective “What Dreams Are Made Of” to the soulful “Royal Oats” and the grimy trap stylings of “The Garden,” each song has a style of its own, helping to provide the individual members with their own identities, while still resulting in a cohesive overall product. Nothing gets old on Tuebor, and if you find you don’t like a particular track, chances are you’ll enjoy the next one. Rather than take our word for it though, you can find out for yourself, by streaming the full project here. As we always do, we’ve sprinkled in a few of our top selections from the mixtape below, and you can grab a copy for yourself if you’re so inclined.