Another week’s gone by—a celebratory one, for many reasons: from Filipino battle rap league FlipTop celebrating its 12th anniversary to more fresh music from Audrey Nuna, Dandee, Polarix, and RuiijiKun, just to name a few.
There’s also Pinoy rappers Smugglaz, Curse One, Dello, and Flict-G riding on a high note with their live performance of “Nakakamiss” surpassing the 100-million view mark on YouTube and South Korean singer DeVita announcing her sophomore EP will be out next week.
Head to the weekend with some of the best new Asian hip hop and R&B from this week.
Words by MC Galang and Sofia Guanzon
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Dandee – “Beats on Repeat”
One of the standouts from Thai-German rapper Dandee’s newly released album, LOVE LIFE LOYALTY, “Beats on Repeat” evokes mellow ‘90s East Coast cuts a la Jay-Z’s “Dead Presidents.” Dandee said of the track, “Simply the realest sh*t I ever wrote. After Holly sent me the beatpack, I had the beats on repeat.” — MG
Dandee’s ‘LOVE LIFE LOYALTY’: Track-By-Track Guide—Exclusive Interview
RuiijiKun – “’sameoldfeelings’”
Filipino producer RuiijiKun enlists Yorkyo for “’sameoldfeelings’”—a downtempo lo-fi cut from his latest beat tape, Kozzy Vibes, Vol. 3. Balmy and brooding at the same time, “’sameoldfeelings’” is an atmospheric confession of lingering feelings and grasping at memories. — MG
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RuiijiKun Debuts Beat Tape ‘Kozzy Vibes, Vol. 3’ Featuring Waiian, Yorko & Goya Gumbani
Audrey Nuna – “dollah bills”
The deluxe edition of Korean-American artist Audrey Nuna’s stellar full-length debut, a liquid breakfast,doubles down on her delicate balance of finesse and grit with seven new tracks. Arguably the best cut from the deluxe edition, “dollah bills” is a chic banger, allowing Audrey Nuna to switch flawlessly from her rapid-fire bars to textured vocals—it bounces with energy and yet feels naturally tender at the same time. 10/10. — MG
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Audrey Nuna, Ruby Ibarra Land Cover On The New York Times Style Magazine
瘦子E.SO – “我的癮 Addiction”
Taiwan’s E.SO has consistently been on our radar for the past year, proving no scarcity of inventiveness in his work, especially when it comes to visuals. In the rapper’s latest single, “Addiction,” he plays around with the idea of impressionable, sometimes dangerous, young love. The track employs easygoing acoustic grooves, as the lyrics tell the story of being killed slowly from an all-consuming love. E.SO visually translates this hopelessness as he embodies the role of a patient constantly escaping from distressed medical workers.
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There’s something eerily ironic too about using imagery conjured out of hospitals in the age of a pandemic. Yet, there’s a nod of humor and sardonic wit that comes with reorienting reality in this way, too. Most refreshingly, as the rapper acts out elaborate stunts: from being held down, placed in a straightjacket with nurses dancing around him to the track, to lighting a smoke on the rooftop with nurses dissolving into the air around him—it feels less like a relief to the addictiveness of young love and reads more like a submission. – SG
Awich – “どれにしようかな” (Which one should I choose?)
Okinawan MC Awich has always been refreshingly defiant in her own ways as a female rapper in Japanese society. In her latest Chaki Zulu-produced single, “どれにしようかな (Which one should I choose?),” she borrows elements from reggae-inspired percussions along with trap and drill beats which lead into an infectious dance break.
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Awich Asserts Self-Agency And Sex Positivity In ‘口に出して’
With an experimental approach to her sound and nonconforming lyrics (“Girls must be girly? / You ain’t about nothing / Shut the fuck up”), Awich’s latest single feels even bolder than her previous work. Most of all, it’s all good fun wrapped in her relentless, snarky charm. – SG
라비(RAVI) – “WINNER” ft. ASH ISLAND
At first listen, South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter RAVI’S “Winner” doesn’t sound like a typical K-pop track. As a member of K-pop boy group VIXX, typical expectations for a solo project might veer on pop and K-R&B stylings that opt for minimalism and easy listening in its production and lyricism. With “WINNER,” RAVI sheds the formulaic pleasantries of his idol persona while taking the precision of formulaic K-pop sounds as he pivots towards a more pop, punk, and rock sound altogether, complemented by an assist from fellow rapper ASH ISLAND. – SG
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Header image: Collage from press images and artists’ YouTube/Instagram accounts
