G Tunes: Azealia Banks, Omar, Raheem DeVaughn & Laura Mvula
There’s other stuff going on in the music world that doesn’t involve rappers saying dumb ish and glorifying misogyny and rape (*glares at Rick Ross, Chief Keef and the people who love them). Today, I bring you newness (singles and videos) from Azealia Banks, Raheem DeVaughn, Omar and my latest discover from London, Laura Mvula. Read on…
Azealia Banks – “Yung Rapunxel”
Azealia Banks seems to make headlines more for her rants than her music. Contrary to popular opinion, I actually don’t mind it when she goes on tirades. Sometimes they make me cringe and I wish she’d shut up rap but she’s sensitive, I get it. I find myself agreeing with a lot of the things she says, but not always the approach. I digress. She took a break from beefing to release a video for “Yung Rapunxel,” the lead single from her eponymous album. The song is consistent with her hip-hop meets electro Crystal Waters vibe and the video is…creepy but cool. Check it out:
Raheem DeVaughn – “Love Connection” (Video)
Raheem DeVaughn, one of my my favorite male vocalists ever, just released the video for his latest single, “Love Connection.” The video isn’t anything to rave about but I like the song and the fact that the video isn’t over-the-top. That’s not Raheem DeVaughn, anyway. “Love Connection” is from Raheem DeVaugh’s forthcoming album, A Place Called Loveland, scheduled for a July release.
Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon
I just featured Lauren Mvula’s debut album, Sing to the Moon, in my weekly music column for EBONY. But in short, she’s the latest singer from London to pique the interest of my ears. There’s an intimate, soulful, acoustic jazziness to her music that reminds me of catching a live performance at a small cafe in Brooklyn (which, to me, is a good thing). She sings about love and life, of course, and she has a nasally voice that already draws comparison to Amy Winehouse but I think she stands out on her own. Her album is available for digital download now (and physically on May 14) but you can read more about her by following the aforementioned link to the EBONY column.
Omar – “The Man” (Snippet)
Omar is another artist from London that I love. He has been blazing a trail in soul for over 20 years now. Although his music varies–sometimes I’ve heard it be described as acid jazz, sometimes neo-soul, sometimes house, he is often credited with being one of the forefathers of the “neo-soul” movement. His sound changes but one constant is his talent. Even Stevie Wonder wrote a song for him–like, Stevie Wonder reached out because he wanted to write a song specifically for Omar. Anyway, I mentioned before that he was dropping his next studio album, The Man, in the US this Spring. My update is that the album will be released in June (fingers crossed for an interview), but in the meantime, enjoy this snippet of the lead eponymous single.
Category: Music
About the Author (Author Profile)
Starrene Rhett Rocque is a recovering journalist who often fantasizes about becoming a shotgun-toting B-movie heroine.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
