Week of August 29, 2025

Keeping track of all the new music that drops every week is a nightmare. I’m here to do it so you don’t have to! Welcome to Nu Musique Friday. Pull up some headphones and stay awhile.

My latest piece for Hearing Things is an interview with Detroit rapper Bruiser Wolf, where we talked about the music that raised him, from 2Pac and Run-DMC to No Limit rapper Mac. If you like what my co-founders and I are up to, consider subscribing to the site (and paying for it, if you can). We don't bite, promise.

Check out the Reel Notes podcast, dedicated to exploring the relationship between rap and film. The 30th episode, featuring New Jersey-born rapper, producer, director, and humanitarian, GDP, is available now. New episodes drop every Monday on my Patreon for paying members and every Wednesday wherever else podcasts are sold, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more via Buzzsprout. Reel Notes is also available via my personal YouTube channel, and Podcasts on Vevo.

If you're in the Brooklyn area tomorrow, Saturday, August 30, join me and special guest Navy Blue for Reel Talk #9 at Loudmouth. We'll be watching The Iron Giant and talking about the movie, Sage's catalog and creative process, particularly revolving around his last album, Memoirs in Armour. Doors are at 6PM, movie starts ~7PM. Tickets are $15 via Posh, which you can buy here.

If you really wanna be tapped in, join the Reel Notes Patreon! For as little as $5/month, you'll gain access to video of every forthcoming Reel Notes interview, our Discord server, exclusive interviews and reviews, early access to new episodes, & more.

My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is out right now! Purchase your digital copy on Amazon and read it on the Kindle app (You don't need a Kindle to read it. Buy the book and download the app or read it on your desktop via Amazon).

Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, the Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Please also consider donating to The Okra Project, an organization dedicated to helping feed Black trans youth.

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Joey Bada$$ - Lonely At The Top

Listen: Spotify / Tidal

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Westside Gunn - Heels Have Eyes 2

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Tidal

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Blood Orange - Essex Honey

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal

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Skepta x Fred Again - Skepta .. Fred

Listen: Spotify / Tidal

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Che' Noir x The Other Guys - No Validation

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal

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Duke Deuce - Rebirth

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal

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OMB Peezy - Diary of a Crashout

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal

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ShrapKnel x Ohbliv - Armature

Listen: Bandcamp

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Fuzzy Dunlop (SOO DO KOO x andrew) - Fuzzy Dunlop

Listen: Bandcamp