Instead of the excitement that usually greets a Friday evening, many of us are still wondering what the hell happened this week. While you attempt to fathom what the next four years will look like, here's a reminder that music, and hip-hop especially, is still thriving. The living members of A Tribe Called Quest just reminded us of that very fact by dropping off their first album in almost two decades, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which sounds just like what they were making in the 90s -- in the best way possible. That was the biggest release of the week, though our new Staff Picks playlist is a nice round-up of all the other gems that made it onto the homepage, such as Big Sean's remix of Madeintyo's "Skateboard P."
Remember the "Get It Shawty" singer Lloyd? Well he's making a comeback, and "Tru" is up there with the year's best R&B. And there's no one more TRU than 2 Chainz, who blessed the new remix. Elsewhere, the playlist includes the Five Finger Egg Beater known as Peewee Longway, whose new joint project with Cassius Jay is ridiculously hard, and a rousing new track from Run The Jewels, who continue to make the most exciting brand of protest music.
Stream the playlist and check out each staff member's picks below.
Angus Walker: Peewee Longway "Egg Beater"; Tate Kobang "Chirp Chirp"
Trevor Smith: Lloyd feat. 2 Chainz "Tru (Remix)"
Danny Schwartz: Fat Joe & Remy Ma feat. Ty Dolla $ign "Money Showers"; Run The Jewels feat. Boots "2100"
Rose Lilah: THEY. "What You Want"
Carver Low: Aminé "Baba"; CA$HPASSION & Dumbfounded "All In"
Kevin Goddard: Madeintyo feat. Big Sean "Skateboard P (Remix)"
Zakk Feig: GoldLink "See I Miss Pt. 2"