Sampa the Great instils her stomping track ‘Time’s Up’ with new life by welcoming a remix and new verse from NYC gal pal Junglepussy. A fitting duo, the song plays out as a battle cry to a music industry that rolls their eyes at female rappers, one that looks to stuff them into a blueprint, then watch the cash roll in. Rapping “I seen the industry/ Kill the dream of a dreamer”, Sampa puts her foot down to the machine, inviting black women to rap with her instead, by entering a verse via the #TimesUpRemix competition.  — Julie F.

Big bars, a boom-bap beat, an undeniable swagger, yep, it’s another Kwame banger. ‘Tommy’s In Trouble’ is a smorgasbord of soul, with a Kanye-esque beat and anthem-ready drums. CLYPSO handles the ear-catching hook, with Kwame and Phil Fresh going back and forth on topics of oppression and villainization, using personal experiences to provide a voice for the unheard. This track is slated to be on Kwame’s upcoming EP Please, Get Home Safe, which lands October 30th. — Henry O.

Newcastle crew Craterface join forces with Sydney’s Shady Nasty for a hyperactive new track called ‘Origami’. Kicked off by a high-energy verse from Craterface that goes “round and around and around”, the song takes a break in intensity with a drawling, melancholy hook from Shady Nasty. With lo-fi production that perfectly compliments the punk sensibility of the two groups, it’s a track that represents a new brand of DIY hip-hop/alt-rap that we’re hungry for more of in Australia’s ever-morphing music scene. Check out the music video here. — Cass N.

For an artist whose music hits hard on themes of civil disrest with a disposition similar to one on his track ‘IDGAF’, slowthai’s latest release ‘Feel away’, really brings out his romantic aesthete. He’s no doubt been struck by a case of James Blake, who seems to be leaving a breadcrumb trail of collaborations with established rappers, including Andre 3000, Flatbush Zombies and Travis Scott. Together on ‘Feel away’, Blake bringing his signature tessellating sound, slowthai his young brit, on-beat, tone, and also Mount Kimbie, their minimalist production, they waver between rap and cooed singing, the song floating away like an almost forgotten memory. — Julie F.

With her new album Nightmare Vacation on the loom, Acclaim fave Rico Nasty returns with a boppy new single called ‘Own It’. It’s a bossy and bouncy quick-hitter that’s packed full of positive affirmations from Rico. The track comes alongside a sick new video featuring Ms Nasty in as many out-there and unreal looks as you can imagine, and she owns them all. Milkcrate headpiece? Owned. Prawn-head manicure? Owned. A crown made of burning joints? Very much owned. — Cass N.

‘Hokus Pokus’ is a celebration of wizardry, and Jordan Dennis spits like a sorcerer. Triplet flows, fast bars, technical wordplay, it’s all here. This hip-hop Harry Potter magic is happening over bass and triumphant horns courtesy of producer JUJO, with the beat sounding like a damn mosh pit at Hogwarts. Expecto Patronum? Nah, expect Jordan to keep patrolling, with more high-quality raps on his forthcoming SALAD EP dropping next month. — Henry O.

Los Angeles collective Your Grandparents return with a follow up to their super-smooth 2020 single ‘So Damn Fly’, this time delivering an affectionate and upbeat jam called ‘Tomorrow’. It’s a track that belongs on long drives and sunny afternoons. I can also confirm that you will clean your house 2x times faster when you have it in your playlist. We’re loving Your Grandparents at the moment, and eagerly await a full project from them. — Cass N.