Music

Pop Smoke Joins Kid Cudi And Skepta To ‘Show Out’ To The Masses On Their Lively New Single

The late rapper makes another posthumous appearance on Cudi’s album which also features Phoebe Bridgers and Trippie Redd. …

After announcing his next album would be titled Man On The Moon III: The Chosen back in October in a nostalgic promo video, fans were surprised that the next piece of news from Kid Cudi confirmed that the album would be in their hands in just a matter of days. The Ohio rapper revealed the third installation of the Man On The Moon series would touch down in early December and just a few days after revealing its cover and tracklist, the album is here and it boasts an interesting and unexpected collaboration between Cudi, Pop Smoke, and Skepta.

The track features drill-heavy production, something that Pop Smoke popularized during unfortunately short career. Despite it fitting right in Pop’s lane, Cudi and Skepta get comfortable with ease on the song, proving for a satisfactory collaboration from the trio. Prior to the song’s release, Cudi spoke to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about making the collaboration with Pop Smoke happen.

“It was powerful because like I talked to Steven Victor [Pop Smoke’s manager] about this and he said, when he first recorded this song, he had thought of me on it,” Cudi said. “Steven had thought of me on it. The reason why I kind of got this record, Dot Da Genius and Plain Pat had worked with Pop, like before he blew up at the Brewery in New York, at Dot’s studio. And they had this record, they just never did anything with it. It was just something that Dot had on tuck, you know?” He went on to reveal that once Dot Da Genius played him the record, there was no way he could turn it down.
And I was chilling with them one day because Dot’s working on our album and he was like, “Yo, I got this record. I’m going to play it for you. Let me know what you think.” He plays this sh*t. And I’m like, “I need this. Like I need this, man.” I was like, “Nobody’s ever heard me on anything like this. Skepta sounds amazing. Pop Smoke sounds amazing. Like this would be so unexpected. I think I can be on this and I could hold it down and like do my thing.” And this is also another way I can, you know, showcase these bars.

You can listen to “Show Out” above.

Man On The Moon III: The Chosen is out now via Republic. Get it here.

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Album Review

Paul Terry, Aptøsrs & Cellarscape unite on bold new album “Alternative Piano Club”

Combining his three artistic alter egos, Paul Terry presents an awe-inspiring new 12-track album, “Alternative Piano Club,” written in collaboration with Aptøsrs and Cellarscape. This is an album-length voyage of music that blends acoustic, rock, and piano-driven cinematic sounds.

Torn between this complex emotional spectrum, all the while the piano remains at its core throughout. Paul Terry opens his “Memento Mori (Chromogenic Phase)” contemplatively, creating a solemn, reflective mood. Cellarscape’s “Three Years Of Roses“ is warmer, whereas Aptøsrs’ “Questionnaires“ is much more textured as a large, sculptural post-rock.

“Dave’s Theme,” written by Paul Terry, musically expands the narrative with a touch of cinematic elevation that aligns well. “We Shape The Clouds” by Cellarscape is fluffy and heart-warming, “Writers Behind The Curtain” is somber, more narrative. We are all together in “A Place We Made,” an honest, intimate, emotionally grounded space.

The project contains vocal warmth and cultural depth in the song “This Is My Home“ by Silas Miami & Lana Crowster. Proceeding in a totally different direction is the stronger emotional clarity of Paul Terry’s acoustic storytelling on “Any Time You Want To Fly” and “No Sleep Has Come.” Cellarscape presents a wide, spacious atmospheric moment in “Cygnus,” while Aptøsrs ends with “Rust Mountain (Monochrome Piano Version),” a simple gem that brings the project full circle.

The mixing of Sam Okell and Adam Noble, the mastering of Alex Wharton and Robin Schmidt have, in many ways, brought their polish to it while still making it feel human. “Alternative Piano Club” is a work entity, where three musical personalities met and talk mind in the same emotional language.

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Artist Spotlight

LAST ALEX! balances precision and pulse on the electrifying track “Plus 1”

LAST ALEX!, a Chicago-based artist and producer, comes out with “Plus 1,” a high-energy release that combines technical prowess with an undeniable melodic instinct.

LAST ALEX! puts both craftsmanship and creativity on display here. The song’s strength lies in its balance, in detailed execution without sacrificing feeling, and in complexity without losing momentum.

LAST ALEX! doesn’t fully lean into the cold technique or loose emotion, but finds the sweet spot where skill and soul meet. This yields a polished, vibrant, and musically confident track.

Connect with LAST ALEX! on Spotify