Music
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.
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.
Album Review
Orshina turns personal grief into a powerful message of remembrance on “Requiem for “NOVA”” (album)
Orshina’s new album, “Requiem for “NOVA”,” is emotionally charged, turning personal pain into a message of remembrance, healing, and hope. The result is a blend of ambient and rock that explores the raw emotions of loss and reflection. The album is a journey through a very difficult creative process, crossing grief, rage, trauma, and collective pain, not forgetting the importance of remembering those who are no more.
The album was recorded mostly at Orshina’s home studio and features violinist Maianne Tur, drummer Roey Brosh, and vocalists Idit Eshel and Shiran Tzfira. Additional drums and mixing were done at Leon Sound Pro. The album opens with “Graveyard Blues,” which lays out the core themes of grief and loss. It serves as a reflective launchpad, drawing you into the project’s emotional weight.
“Bread & Circus” looks outward, exploring the dissonance between private grief and a world obsessed with entertainment. The song asks how easy it is to miss serious pain when the attention is elsewhere. With “Hell In Paradise,” Orshina explores the difficulty of carrying trauma in a world that can feel peaceful on the surface.
“Rest In Music” takes music to a place you can visit when it’s hard to understand or put feelings into words. The song is also about the creative process as a way to sit with complicated feelings and begin working through them. “Dressed up for the Devil” is a darker emotional journey, dealing with grief as well as anger, bitterness, and destructive thoughts.
The album moves from the personal to the historical tragedy with “Holocausts and Slavery,” the collective suffering. In a project of remembrance, Orshina places these subjects within a larger responsibility to recognize painful histories and link them to individual grief. Through “Requiem for “NOVA,”” the artist creates a musical statement about healing and the importance of keeping memories alive through a difficult creative process. “Requiem for “NOVA”” is a tribute to the lost, a reminder that hope can exist alongside sorrow.
Artist Spotlight
Map of the Woulds finds meaning in life’s passing moments with “Only For Today”
Life is rarely as we remember it, and Map of the Woulds takes on this uncertainty in “Only For Today,” a rock tune about impermanence, changing relationships, and the limits of human understanding. It’s not about repairing loss or compensating for loss, but about how life is happening. Here, dreams come to an end, memories aren’t so bright, and the things that are forever are gone.
The song is a meditation on life’s transient nature, love, and success. This idea creates a thoughtful atmosphere and a peaceful sense of acceptance. Map of the Woulds includes Andrew Woods (bass/voice) and Adrian Woods (homemade drum kit/voice). It’s a combination that puts the people behind the track at the center of the performance. It was mixed & mastered by Adrian Woods at Ed Shot Studio, all of which add up to a release that’s defined by a strong songwriting vision and a tactile recording process.
“Only For Today” is unique because it asks questions, and Map of the Woulds offers an artistic interpretation of life’s transient nature that ties personal experience to a broader meditation on life. The best line in the song is that change doesn’t make a moment any less important, and it’s even more special to be with those who count.
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