Matt Muse featuring Shawnee Dez - "Shea Butter Baby"
If you've been paying attention to pretty much any time I post about modern hip hop, you know I turn into a grumpy old man that 99% of hip hop songs follow the rap verse/R&B chorus/rap verse format. Apparently sometimes I'm wrong and that format works perfectly. Chicago's Matt Muse has released a single that follows that format to the letter, but this one works for me. "Shea Butter Baby" is a laid back hip hop song that has a chilled out, almost southern feel. It might be that Muse exudes undeniable charm, or that the backing track has a weird electronic swirl that avoids the top 40 trap that befalls most of today's rappers. You can listen to "Shea Butter Baby" below. Matt Muse's new album, Nappy Talk , will be out July 13. For more on Matt Muse, check out his website .