Put Me On: November 2021
From Fana Hues to Steve Lacy to BabyTron, let me put you on.
Here we are, almost at the end of the year and as usual, yet another playlist. This month’s playlist was definitely more rap-heavy, mainly because I found so many new rap songs that piqued my interest early on in the month and I just kept replaying them. You’ll hear everyone from Baby Smoove to Lil Dude to round out this group, but not without starting off with the slow, crooning sounds of Fana Hues and Tems to ease you into everything. As usual, you can find the full playlist on Spotify or Apple Music. Enjoy!
“Friends That Break Your Heart,” James Blake
Is there a limit on how many times I can write about James Blake in this newsletter? No, there is not. Some of you might be tired of hearing about him, some of you might even be thinking Tia, this man’s album can’t possibly be so good that you’ve subjected us to his music two months in a row. But here’s the thing: it is. So good, in fact, that every month since it’s come out I’ve found a totally new song to obsess over. And after obsessively listening to this album for the last two months since its release, I’m happy to share with you this month’s favorite. “Friends That Break Your Heart” is such an incredibly tender song, with elements of what feels like folk woven in with subtle guitar and touching lyrics that make you feel for whatever this man is going through. I simply could not get enough. Of course, I’d be lying if I said this was the only song of his I listened to this month but for your sake and mine I decided not to have this entire month’s playlist be James Blake. You’re welcome.
I can’t lie to you - this is my favorite song on this month’s playlist. Out of all 25 tracks, I know for a fact I listened to this one the most. As in, I’d hit play once, twice, three, four, five times and only then would I consider listening to something else. I’m two years late on fully appreciating Steve Lacy’s album Apollo XXI, but I’m here now and baby, I’m hooked. Let’s start with the instrumental - like, what is that? The beat is so simple, characterized by the melody that adds the cherry on top that carries the whole song. At just a minute and a half, it feels so short but also like it wouldn’t feel right if it were any longer. By the time Steve’s vocals come in, his voice sounds incredibly friendly. Almost as if he’s inviting you along on a musical journey as he weaves through a beautiful sounding track. And if you take that journey with him, trust me when I say you’re going to end up replaying this over and over again.
“Get Lit,” A$AP Rocky Feat. Fat Tony
Let me start by saying, this was my songgggggggggg in high school, so it’s the nostalgia that got me with this one. Last month, A$AP Rocky re-released his 2011 mixtape LIVE.LOVE.A$AP. on streaming services and it shot me back in time and had me floating around like I was 17 years old and I’d just hotboxed someone’s parents car in a parking lot with this playing softly in the background. You have to understand that at the time, there was nothing else like this coming out, and every song on this tape was so incredibly smooth (if you haven’t heard “Trilla” or “Purple Swag” those are two of my other favorites). The entire mixtape felt like you’re getting a contact high just from listening to it - and the amount of different sonic elements on “Get Lit” alone were enough to keep me enthralled with it when it first came out.
“Tricky Ball Play,” Drakeo the Ruler, EST GEE
Soooo I broke my own rule and included two songs from the same artist in one month’s playlist but I had to. If you’d told me at the start of 2021 that I’d end up spending this much time listening to Drakeo the Ruler I wouldn’t necessarily even be that surprised, but when I think about how much I toggled between this and “Crime Stoppers” this month I’m kinda like well damn…Anyway, besides the fact that EST Gee is the rapper who I’m gunning for as my #1 on my Spotify Wrapped this year, I had to pick this song out of the lineup if only to say that the dramatic piano scale that you hear on the chorus absolutely blew me away. That, coupled with the fact that Drakeo the Ruler can rap on top of any beat and it sound smooth as all get out makes this song one of my most recent obsessions.
“Monsters and Mobsters,” BabyTron
Oh, boy. How do I even begin to explain this song? Quite frankly, I wasn’t going to write about it until I realized that for those of you who aren’t acquainted with BabyTron (or with Detroit rappers in general), when you get to this track you will most definitely have questions. BabyTron is a product of that world of Detroit rap, a world I’ve grown quite fond of over the last year - and mixes the culture of scam rap, the ridiculous bars, and curious flows to create music that sounds like something out of some kind of twisted 8-bit video game. Even though his recent release Bin Reaper 2 is a staggering 27 songs, I’m not gonna lie to you - I have more than a few saved (check out “Monkey D. Luffy” or “Frankenstein” if you’re looking for an equally confusing yet entertaining time). “Monsters and Mobsters” caught my attention from this snippet alone - after I saw this video I was actively waiting to hear the full thing, and it did not disappoint. You either get it or you don’t but if you get it then you’ll know - he slid on this. And that little cartoonish, slipping on a banana peel sounding effect in the middle absolute carries the song.
BONUS MIX: Put Me On Midnight Mix Vol. 1
Time for another mix put together by yours truly! I wanted to put you all on to music from around the world - but also get the blood pumping. It’s 25 minutes of house, afrobeats, dancehall, just a bunch of songs that are guaranteed to make you want to dance. Perfect for a party or the gym or to listen to while sitting alone in your room, I’m not judging! Anyway, hope you enjoy and you can check out the full tracklist here.
That’s all for this month’s issue of Put Me On. As usual, you can find the full playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
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, I invite you to check out MEMS (Mission to End Modern Slavery), a survivor-led organization that seeks to end human trafficking and modern slavery.
See you next month!
Tia