Sango has different sides to his artistry. There's the Da Rocinha series, which is largely tropical (and instrumental), there's the tapes where he produces for another artist, and then there's the North series, where he combines both into a singular statement. North Vol. 1 blended Sango's instrumental prowess with a talented roster of rappers and singers. North Vol. 2 follows suit, while adding some sonic twists. These twists keep the album sounding fresh, albeit wholly familiar.
Sango's usual roster of collaborators is here, and they deliver. Xavier Omar sounds great over the bouncy and surprisingly gritty instrumental for "The Lake." The same goes for Smino, who manages to stay atop the busy samba shuffle of "Ice Storm." The chemistry is predictably excellent on these songs, but it's the new collabs that distinguish North Vol. 2 stand out, for better or worse.
A Sango and Channel Tres collab could have gone lots of different ways, but the mood they settle on; jazzy and wistful, with Channel Tres' usual spoken word, makes "Spaceship" one of the best songs on the album. Also worth checking out is Sango and GoldLink's "Peace," which strikes a perfect balance between the former's solo work and GoldLink's weirder impulses. The song would slot in perfectly on Link's 2019 album, Diaspora.
Sango Experiments To Varying Degrees Of Success
Unfortunately, not every collaboration goes over perfectly. "Masego's Interlude" never really gets off the ground, despite the nice harmony vocals from the titular singer. "Lost Intro (Sango's Version)" is another missed opportunity. Sango tries to hard to fit Bryson Tiller's signature sound, and the result is a generic Tiller song rather than something new. North Vol. 2 isn't perfect, but there are more than enough high points to warrant a listen.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album North Vol. 2 by Sango? Is it an improvement over the first installment? What is the best song? Is there a feature artist who steals the show? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Sango. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
- Be Patient Grow Daily
- Mine & Yours (featuring Earlly Mac)
- Prada Bags / Sour Suite (featuring IAMNOBODI & Pher)
- Masego's Interlude (featuring Masego)
- Diamond Street
- Lost Intro (Sango's Version) [featuring Bryson Tiller]
- The Lake (featuring Xavier Omar)
- LAX to DTW (featuring Jay Anthony)
- Meanwhile (featuring Dave B)
- Ice Storm (featuring Smino)
- Spaceship (featuring Channel Tres)
- Peace (featuring GoldLink)
- Tell You Anything (featuring Peyton)
- Drifted (featuring Jayla Darden)
- We Up (featuring Ojerime)
- Show (featuring Rochelle Jordan)
- No Chill (featuring Jesse Boykins III and Lido)
- Azurea