If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Shawn Lee Rap rock has been having an unexpected resurgence lately, but the latest from Detroit's We Are Scorpio defies what you're thinking. That's mainly because "Scorpio" isn't what you imagine when you think of rap rock. It's much less nu-metal and much more along the lines of Del the Funky Homosapien's collaboration with Dinosaur Jr on the Judgment Night soundtrack. It's much more of a funk riddled version of alt-rock. "Scorpio" is just dripping with edge, and is also surprisingly uplifting. The guitars do have a hint of metal riffs, but in that 90's alt-metal way. And in case you need the song to be cooler, it includes the vocals of Militia Vox of all-female heavy metal collective Judas Priestess and is co-produced by Talib Kweli. Steffanie Christi'an says of her band's latest single: "When jess and I had decided to move forward with the album, she said she wanted to make a song about Scorpios. She sent me ...

Talib Kweli is enough of a hip hop legend that we're guaranteed to pay attention to anything he is involved in. He has a collaborative album coming out with Diamond D, and the first single is truly great. "Far Out Bar Out" showcases the flows of all three MCs (the song also features A.F.R.O.) over one of the most old school musical backdrops I've heard in ages. (There are scratches! Scratches!) It's the kind of minimalist hip hop that used to just be considered hip hop. Somehow, despite the song throwing back stylistically, it avoids being just a throwback track. "Far Out Bar Out" is what hip hop would sound like in 2021 is Puff Daddy and autotune never happened. You can watch the video for "Far Out Bar Out" below. GOTHAM , the collaborative album from Talib Kweli and Diamond D, is sue out later this year on Javotti Media. For more on Talib Kweli, check out his website here . More info on Diamond D can be found on his Twitter .

Photo via Facebook I never realized it, but Talib Kweli has a podcast called People's Party with Talib Kweli. He just released a single called "People's Party," which I'm sure is related to the podcast. In a complete dream pairing, he joins with Boots Riley (The Coup, Street Sweeper Social Club) for the track. As you would imagine with the two of them, it's a complete party anthem while still being political. I don't believe Kweli or Riley have done a song together in the past, but let's hope this is just the beginning of the two working together regularly. This is perfect for hip hop fans disillusioned with most hip hop of today. You can watch the video for "People's Party" below. For more on Talib Kewli, check out his website . For more on Boots Riley, check out his Facebook .