Round Up • New Releases From Adamn Killa, Caleb James, Spenzo & More
Photo by Brooklyn Wheeler
Each week the These Days staff comes across great music from Chicago artists that we could not provide individual features for. In an effort to keep our readers up to date with more of our recent favorites, the Round Up segment provides quick summaries and additional noteworthy content. Check out our latest picks below and feel free to submit a comment if you feel we missed something.
Adamn Killa • "Mavericks"
Adamn Killa's strongest asset is his ability to make literally anything sound hypnotically melodic, making it irresistible to repeat his records over and over again and finding yourself mumbling along. Fans love his muddled flow and he delivers every time with consistency and boastful rhymes that make for perfect Instagram captions. With his Libra Season EP still fresh to our ears, Adamn has shared a new track entitled "Mavericks" accompanied by a sunny visual directed by Will Hoopes. Watch it below.
Caleb James • "Time 2 Time"
Caleb James, a name that stood side by side with Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa at one point, has not progressed at the same pace as his peers. In fact, this is just Caleb's second offering in the past year, but both releases have come in the past month. Is Caleb preparing for a come back? I can't say for sure, but the music he's dropping is worth a listen. The recently released "Straight From The Bottom" took a more aggressive stance with some heavy drums, but "Time 2 Time" brings R. Caleb back in the mix. R&B is almost a genre again, I love it!
Courtlin Jabrae • "Honesty"
Looking for your zone? Don't go any farther, Courtlin Jabrae will help you find it. "Honesty" hits a direct line into the bootstraps mentality of an ambitious night-time spirit. Produced by Penacho, the beat is all neon, quietly flashing in the dark. Jabrae's voice has impressive range, stretching out into the stars then whipping back to earth for some dense flows. "Honesty" has a confessional quality like the title suggests, and as Courtlin wisely puts it in a great line, "2 wrongs don't make a right, they just create demons." This will be found on an upcoming collaborative mixtape between Courtlin Jabrae and The Guys, a project you should be eagerly anticipating.
Spenzo (Ft. Kyndall) • "Part of The Reason"
Pow, right in the feels. Spenzo and Kyndall have some kind words for each other in "Part Of The Reason", with a dash of autotune and a warm beat. Spenzo mixes up a compelling combination of rap and singing, and Kyndall's voice slinks over her short and sweet verse. This is not your usual Spenzo, and there's a real risk of veering into cheese here, but the the strong vocal performances from both parties keep "Part Of The Reason" afloat.
UG Vavy • "La Casa"
With a decent attempt at a spanglish hook, UG Vavy unveiled his latest single "La Casa" this past week. From the production to the songwriting, the catchy record successfully argues in favor of the 2008ighties member's hit-making skills. UG will continue to push "La Casa" with a visual set to arrive sooner than later, so stay on the look out for that as well.