Put Me On: April 2021
From French pop to P-Funk to Dembow to Trap - this month's playlist covers alll the bases.
If I had to pick two words to describe this month’s playlist they’d be: tranquil & hype. Two complete opposites but that’s the only way I can really capture the range of this month’s selections. We start off with some really gentle tracks - I’m talking jazz into French pop into P-Funk - before jumping into songs that really get your blood pumping - I mean dembow and Brazilian funk and of course trap. I’ve been trying to keep these playlists accessible and cap them at 25 songs, about an hour and a half of the eclectic selection that’s kept me going all month. Check out the full playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, and be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or even check out my podcast to keep up with what else I’ve got going on. Now, let’s get into it.
I found this track pretty late in the month and it almost immediately became a go-to for my soundtrack to my morning walk and a cornerstone of a playlist I’m working on called “music to sit calmly to.” Now, this track is smooth as hell, there’s a light trumpet that cuts in at just the right moment, and the combination of the light drums, the syrupy bass, and every other subtle element makes it the type of song that transports you to a place that you’ve always imagined but never been to. But more importantly…the first thing I noticed about it is that the opening bassline is identical to the opening of YN Jay’s “Austin Powers” and that sample alone sent me over the edge.
“Anomalie Bleue,” L’Impératrice
I spent a lot of time this month leaning into some of the calmer artists in my library (there’s only but so many times I can replay Prince Glo & Jackboi’s “glockies” before it starts getting to me), so L’Impératrice’s newest album, Tako Tsubo came at just the right time. And “Anomalie Bleue” in particular jumped out not only as the opening track, but also as a funky song that just feels familiar. L’Impératrice is a French pop/disco band that I first discovered two years ago with “Agitations tropicales,” which is truly one of the satisfying songs I’ve ever heard. Since then, they’ve actually made a number of appearances on playlists I’ve made in past months, with my personal favorite being “Sonate Pacifique” which appeared on a playlist back in October 2020.
“Sky Train - Vocal Mix,” Omar S & Nite Jewel
Three calm songs in a row! She’s a new woman, it’s crazy! Yes, the rumors are true - I’ve been vibing all month, and this song is really just cute to me - the vocal is so airy and feels so good it’s like a little mouse is delivering every note. I actually have a vivid memory of the first time I ever heard Omar S - a techno/house producer from Detroit - I was on an Amtrak train a few years ago and somehow got to listening to “Heard’chew Single” and “Thank U 4 Letting Me Be Myself” and was quite literally locked in a trance and had them on replay for the better part of an hour. Omar is known for his stripped down technique, and in the case of “Sky Train” that minimalist approach is exactly what makes the whole song so endearing.
You know when you’re out somewhere and you hear a song and immediately have to pull out your phone to casually Shazam it otherwise you’ll spend the rest of the day trying to Google whatever lyrics you remember until you find it? Well, this was one of those songs. This wasn’t my first time hearing Prince Swanny, though. “Unknown Car” had been in my rotation (and more specifically, on my playlist fi di gyal dem) for a few years now, but the silkiness of “Catch 22” absolutely made me revisit his music, and I haven’t stopped pressing play on this track since.
“Joga O Bum Bum Tam Tam,” MC Fioti
I’m really excited about this one, because one of my absolute favorite genres at this point is Brazilian funk. I first got into it back in 2018, which was around the time I first started playing around with the idea of DJing. For a long time my knowledge of the genre was confined to the first song I’d ever heard - “Forte pra Dar Sorte” by Mc Neguinho do ITR. And booooyyy did that song HIT the first time I listened to it . Since then, I’ve spent a LOT more time diving into the genre and it’s become my go-to hype music. The beat on this track in particular hits me because it’s both minimal and complex - it doesn’t necessarily include too many sounds, but the it’s the combination of them that make for a unique song that makes you want to bob your head and whine your waist at the same damn time.
First off, rest in peace to DMX. Not a day has passed where I haven’t heard his music, whether on my own or blaring from cars going down the street. Over the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time looking back and re-appreciating his discography and impact. For example, both Skepta (on A$AP Rocky’s “Praise The Lord”) and Chief Keef (on “Kills”) interpolate DMX’s flow from “Who We Be.” And it’s those little things that make you remember just how far music can travel and how deep an artist’s influence can be. “It’s All Good” is another example of that - the beat samples Taana Gardner’s 1981 disco record “Heartbeat,” which just so happens to be one of my favorite songs of all time. And as usual, DMX’s versatility comes through on this track - his gruff voice accompanied with his ability to harmonize and sing on the chorus is part of what makes this track, just like so many of his others, unforgettable.
“GO!,” Moneybagg Yo Feat. BIG30
Let me just start by saying that I listen to a lot of Moneybagg Yo. I had to really fight between putting this or “Wockesha” on this month’s playlist (I try to limit each artist to one song per playlist but damn!). He’s one of those rappers whose music has been a constant presence in my life for years now, ever since “Doin’ 2 Much” came out while I was in college. I’d even go so far as to say that Time Served was one of my favorite rap albums of 2020. His most recent project, A Gangsta’s Pain has propelled him to the top of the charts and the conversation, but when “GO!” dropped just before the full project, I was hooked. I could listen to this man say “Go!” over that beat for an hour straight and be bopping along to it the whole time, that’s how catchy this song is.
“Diamonds Dancing,” Young Thug & Travis Scott
If you haven’t listened to Slime Language 2 yet I highly suggest you do. The first installment in the Slime Language series gave me my favorite Young Thug and Gunna collab of all time, “Dirty Shoes.” And almost three years later, “Diamonds Dancing” has me caught up for the same reason “Dirty Shoes” did - that guitar!!! There’s nothing I love more on a rap song than some guitar, and the only thing that can make a rap song with a guitar better is Young Thug or Gunna making an appearance on said song. In fact, I could listen to three minutes straight of just this instrumental alone and be perfectly content, but of course Thugger adds his own flair that makes me want to run it back over and over again.
BONUS TRACK: Trippie Redd, “Miss The Rage” (Feat. Carti & Uzi / Prod. By 808mystic & Yessirrskii)
So this track is a slightly tweaked version of Trippie Redd’s unreleased “Miss The Rage.” Even though it’s barely two minutes long and there’s minimal vocals on it - this edit makes me feel like I’m floating. I don’t need any official version after listening to this, because this had me feeling like I was speeding down a California highway at 1 am even though I was listening to it in my living room while seated calmly on the couch. You know that meme that’s like “I don’t know why I’m crying in the club right now” that’s me listening to this. Just hearing Uzi going “Four, four, four, four” (presumably pulled from his track of essentially the same name, “444+222”) had me absolutely floating. So if Carti, Uzi, and Trippie Redd are already your vibe and you haven’t heard this - trust me, you’ll like it.
That’s all for this month’s issue of Put Me On! As usual, you can check out the full playlist on Spotify or Apple Music - enjoy!
This newsletter is completely free to read, but each month I highlight a different community organization, charity, or foundation for you to consider donating to if you can. This month, in light of recent news and current events, I invite you to check out the George Floyd Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the family members of the late George Floyd that focuses on community outreach, education, and protection of civil rights.
See you next month!
Tia