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Russ Resurrects BET’s ‘Rap City’ In His ‘Who Wants What’ Video With Ab-Soul

Even Big Tigger makes an appearance to react to some of the harder-hitting punchlines. …

For a certain generation of hip-hop heads, BET’s Rap City (and later, Rap City: Tha Basement) were staples in their diet of new rap videos. New Jersey rapper Russ, who is promoting a star-studded new EP titled Chomp, resurrects the nostalgic Basement Booth set — complete with a cameo from Big Tigger(!) — for his first video from the EP, “Who Wants What” featuring Ab-Soul.

Russ provides a nostalgic, crate-digging beat reminiscent of the early ’90s New York hip-hop heyday as he and Ab-Soul roam the booth with a classic set-up from Big Tigger. During his verse, Russ throws a subtle salute to Cam’ron, whose money-counting antics during his 2001 freestyle became a fan-favorite and a lasting image in the minds of hip-hop fans who continue to share grainy videos of it on social media to this day.

Ab-Soul does what he came to do as well, spitting a ferocious flurry of punchlines that will leave permanent fingerprints on rewind buttons everywhere (I know how dated that reference is but, in this case, it works). The video is also cleverly mixed so that the track continues to play even as we get to listen in to Tigger’s reactions to some of the juicier lines.

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Russ teased Chomp via Instagram yesterday, sharing a tracklist that includes Benny The Butcher, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, DJ Premier, and Kxng Crooked. No release date was shared but such a tape could go a long way toward revamping — or at least justifying — Russ’ holier-than-thou image.

Watch the “Who Wants What” video above.

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Artist Spotlight

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE offers a jazz fusion and electronic atmosphere on “Previsioni del tempo incerto”

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE unveils an 18-track album, “Weather Forecasts of Unknown Weather”, blending jazz fusion, world music, progressive rock, new age, and cinematic textures with sounds inspired by the 80s. The album is built on compositions made with keyboards, samplers, and DAW software, as well as collaborations with other musicians, which are then rearranged and reworked with the help of artificial intelligence. The process embeds technology directly into the creative fabric of the project.

The album opens with “Previsioni del tempo incerto”, which features trumpet and vocals with the rest of the ensemble, setting up the album’s blend of instrumental and vocal elements. “Villistas” is more dancey, with dreamy synths and layered compositions that create a lighter electronic atmosphere. The differences between these tracks show that the album is willing to move between genres rather than stay in a single fixed sonic category.

“Claudia” opens with a saxophone and the sweet presence of a jazz orchestra, adding a more traditional jazz colour to the album’s wider electronic and cinematic landscape. The quality of “Pigalle” continues to pull the listener in with its atmospheric approach and vocal effects. Together, these selections reveal the project’s oscillation between acoustic-inspired instrumental timbres and electronically shaped spaces.

The album closes with a softer track, “ninna nanna”, thanks to its gentle presence and composition. The positioning brings the stylistic range heard across the record to a peaceful close. “Previsioni del tempo incerto” is defined by its willingness to blend contrasting musical languages, jazz, world, prog rock, electronic production, cinematic atmosphere, and 80s-inspired textures into a single expansive project. That cross-genre approach, with AI-assisted reworkings as another element of the album’s evolving sound, is especially clear in the artistic direction of the DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE.

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Artist Spotlight

Mark Cee unveils an acoustic storytelling with a restless edge on New Album “Ghost Talk Show”

Mark Cee

Mark Cee, an ambient indie folk artist dedicated to the art of the human recording, releases a nine-track album titled “Ghost Talk Show.” A set of folk-rock and singer-songwriter songs built on acoustic textures, personal reflection, memory, and emotional movement. The album begins with a conversational feel that lets the themes play out in character-driven tunes and melodic playing. The result is an album that is simultaneously intimate acoustic writing and sporadic ventures into electric rock.

The album begins with “I Am Dreaming Of,” an acoustic-tinged song about the possibilities of who someone could be and the desire to have that potential recognized. The way it reflects establishes the mood for what follows, a mood of memories. “Drifting Back Again” is a look back at past behavior, dealing with the complicated feeling of looking back at experiences that weren’t necessarily good but still have an undeniable emotional pull.

“Thought I Saw You Yesterday” has that reflective feel all the way through, with acoustic guitar and catchy vocals making the tune memorable and easy to get into. There’s a darker metaphorical edge to the album in “Skeletons on Your Lawn,” which explores the idea of hidden truths that can’t stay hidden. “And Now The Rain Is Gone” later turns towards leaving the past behind, and “Wish You Were Coming Home” adds an especially emotional quality to the record.

The last track, “Don’t Buy Gas Station Gummies,” shakes up the instrumental palette with catchy electric rock guitar, providing an energetic finish to an album largely defined by acoustic sensibilities. The “Ghost Talk Show” shows Mark Cee’s artistic direction, which is based on storytelling and emotional observation. The album moves around memory, regret, longing, self-reflection, and forward motion but always keeps a recognizable folk-rock base. Other tracks on the album:

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And Now the Rain Is Gone (Instrumental)

Sweet Jenny.

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