New album: Following last year’s Grammy-winning autobiographical solo LP, Michael, a passionate about southern masculinity, the rapper Michael Santiago Render, also half of Run The Jewels, returns with a candid, collaborative release mixing hip hop and a strong presence of gospel
Read moreFavourite albums of 2023 Part 1: Anna B Savage to Young Fathers
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 1, and Part 2 is also out here. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order. This is all about quality and innovation …
Read moreKiller Mike: Michael
New album: One half of Run The Jewels, the Atlanta rapper and social activist Michael Santiago Render releases a powerful, articulate, and frank autobiographical solo LP, candidly exploring his childhood and more of the other side to his Killer Mike persona
Read moreRobert Glasper: Black Radio III
New album: The Houston jazz pianist, four-times Grammy winner and highly influential collaborator releases the third in his BLM-related series of jazz, hip hop, soul and R&B, featuring another stellar line of guests including Killer Mike, Q-Tip, Common, Gregory Porter, Jennifer Hudson, India Arie and Meshell Ndegeocello
Read moreAlbum reviews roundup: Future Islands, Black Thought, Public Enemy, Emmy The Great, Sylvan Esso, Hen Ogledd, Kronos Quartet, Blake Scott, Slow Pulp
Album reviews roundup: Hip hop comes up strong this week with Black Thought and a recent Public Enemy release with heavyweight guests, but there’s not shortage of other highly original artists from Future Islands to Sylvan Esso
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