This week’s headlines were on the lighter end, as annual “Best of” and “Editor’s Picks” lists go live (wait on it). But the news that did cross the desk this week definitely didn’t disappoint.
21 Savage enlisted Slawn for an artful album rollout and release, with Kim Kardashian giving her formal stamp of approval – in the form of an Instagram story, that is – to Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely.
Exclusive interviews with Ferg on his Art Basel debut, redveil on sankofa, and Liim on his
Find all of this week’s notable new releases in our December playlist, and read the full recap of this week’s highlights below.
21 Savage’s Artful WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? Rollout, Starring Slawn
Talk about an artful rollout. 21 Savage announced his latest mixtape rather ominously at first, tapping none other than Olaolu Slawn to have his hand at the visuals. It began during Art Basel, with an inflatable signature Slawn-style face of 21 Savage moving around downtown Miami throughout the course of the week. It was later revealed that the rapper would drop his new studio album, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS?, the following week, complete with original artwork all by Slawn. The cover art is inspired by 1980 Kerry James Marshall’s painting “A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self,” complemented by four alternative cover options as well. A corresponding exhibit at At Atlanta’s High Museum Of Art also revealed additional portraits painted by Slawn of each of the album’s featured artists: Latto, Lil Baby, G Herbo, Drake, GloRilla, Jawan Harris, Metro Boomin and Young Nudy.
Miami Art Week proved to be quite the convergence of music and art, with Ferg’s debut SCOPE Miami show marking a standout moment of the busy week. I spent a lot of time with Harlem’s favorite Renaissance Man throughout the course week, bouncing around from his SCOPE panel event to his FLIP PHONE SHORTY short film streaming.
Charli XCX on “Coolness”
Charli XCX‘s Substack has raced up the ranks as my favorite platform to follow. It’s also like she read our minds when deciding what to write about. This week’s essay is one on “cool,” and who better to contribute to the discourse than the Queen of All Things Cool?
Cole Bennett Directs Clipse’s “P.O.V” Music Video, Featuring Tyler, the Creator – and a Full Animatronic Band
With every visual, Clipse continues to cement Let God Sort Em Out as an audiovisual album. Pusha T and Malice‘s storytelling sharpens once again in the video for the fan-favorite track “P.O.V.” featuring Tyler, the Creator. Cole Bennett takes the lead on the visual, which stars Tyler alongside Clipse, as well as a full animatronic band.
Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely Get the Kim K Co-Sign
Kim Kardashian
While Opium had undoubtedly won over one member of the Kardashian-West-Jenner brigade – North West, infamously a huge fan – it seems the Gen-Z culture purveyor has put on her mom on the rage-rap wave. Kim K took to Instagram to share her current song of choice, which happened to be Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely’s new cut, “the acronym.”
Denim Tears Delivers Limited-Edition Nas x DJ Premier Tees
Tremaine Emory
In honor of Nas and DJ Premier‘s anticipated Light-Years release, Tremaine Emory released a limited run of commemorative Denim Tears graphic tees.
The Cameron Winter Show at Carnegie Hall
The show we’ll hear about for ages – and presumably, see a documentary about, given Paul Thomas Anderson‘s attendance, Panavision 35mm rig in hand. The Geese frontman joins icons Bob Dylan and Joan Baez as one of the few artists to play Carnegie Hall in their early 20s. Benny Safdie was also there.
The skater-turned-Supreme-model-turned-musician is taking his love songs across the five boroughs and beyond– yet he still swears he’s just a “regular dude.”
Sitting down with Hypebeast yet standing grounded in his roots, the artist shares more on the stream-of-conscious creative approach to sankofa, his most sincere, soul-baring, and sonically diverse release to date.
