Brother Reade – Blue and You

This, in a sense, does Joni like she did Mingus, transcribing syncretic love and loss and sex. And you feel good about yourself when you can say “I caught that allusion.” It also feels good to know, for once, that you’re in the intended audience for a rap song. Brother Reade is Jimmy Jael on vocals, Kill You Me You on production. They live in L.A. by way of Winston-Salem. They have two EPs on deck for Spring.

Brother Reade – Fire This Time

They got raw when they went to Cali. Still, this one’s North Carolina as all get-out. Ever been to Winston-Salem? I’ve been there three times (I think) and I can’t really remember shit about it. Handclaps on records usually bother me. They beg crowd participation whether it’s deserved or not. To a point, they’re compulsory. But I’m digging them on here. They, along with the layered, chanted chorus harken (probably intentionally) the sacred. You know, home. Jimmy’s talking burning it down, praying for cleansing.