031! Mini Digest: Ivoirian Rap, Riddim Wars, Bobby Dazzler
A litany of links
Firstly, a warm welcome to all the new subs joining from my lil feature in Shawn Reynaldo’s First Floor newsletter - thank you for being here!
Leaving my house in Brooklyn this past month has felt like a Shackleton-level expedition, trudging across the perma-frozen, yellowed snow mounds, with some not-so-gentle lashings of cold wind to the face.
Spring might feel like literal f**ckin El Dorado right now, and the country is still dealing in deranged levels of bile-spilling discourse, but the vibe will not be quelled.
Independent artist Bad Bunny reminded us this Sunday that the way to face authoritarianism is with PLUR. Craig David gave us one of the best short film morsels of recent times. This video I worked on hit 100m views!
Amidst unpacking boxes from a move, and some release wrangling, I made it to see Robyn, and Underground Resistance, and Park Chan Wook’s No Other Choice. All of which were excellent. Shackleton would be proud.
I’m excited to be heading to Glasgow this week to play at The Berkeley Suite, and then Geneva after that.
And now for some links!
Sound
I swear this wasn’t planned, but the British producer Shackleton has a new album out and it’s great.
Jamaica is already off to a top-tier start to ‘26 with arguably its two biggest producers going head-to-head with riddim releases: DJ Mac’s WYFL riddim, and Rvssian’s Recovery Riddim. My faves are Skippa on WYFL, and Valiant’s Passport Princess (NSFW!).
How has this country-club-rap smash from Chicago’s Lil M.U. only had 5k plays?
Loving this one from South African / Congolese artist, BabyDaiz.
Obsessing over another swaggy artist from South Africa - Mfanatouchline.
Warning, you may find yourself saying “Snokonoko” out loud to yourself after this one.
This Dominican banger by Ezzy R & Leo RD is doing the rounds in NYC.
The British run I talked about in the 2025 round-up is still going strong - Dave is currently eating up the worldwide charts, and Lola Young and Olivia Dean just won their first Grammys. Meanwhile, EsDeeKid is crushing, and making music videos in ultra wide screen. I’m still riding for this British kid Svnhiding and his alt gospel.
140bpm 8-bit from Nigeria? Yes:
Vision
I’ve yet to see Marty Supreme, but the rollout got me wondering why no one has made a film about the greatest showman in British sports: pro darts player Bobby George aka King of Bling aka Bobby Dazzler. The showdowns, the music, the pom pom girls?! Tell me you wouldn’t watch a full film of this guy:
It’s Nice That discuss the new Grammy category of Best Album Cover and who should have won. Personally, I’d have put forward Ninajirachi’s I Love My Computer:
Related to the above, in a previous ‘sletter I spoke of maximalism and Bosch and album art in “difficult times”. AI is making it easier to play with maximalism, and also adding an extra, interesting layer to a historic genre. Ultra-modern techniques, near-traditional topics as seen in this piece about “Glitchcore Bosch”.
Is French artist Theodora the coolest out there right now? That’s a rhetorical question.
I’d watch a whole film of experimental pianist / social media star Precious Renee Tucker.
PinkPantheress went on UK TV show The Weakest Link, and channeled Ru Paul. Do I care that this was probably all scripted, or at least planned for a clipping campaign? Not for a second.
I think AI is probably going to send many of us back to a different time where things felt a bit more “real”. We’re talking folk music, we’re talking web 2.0 design, we’re talking zines. That’s the vibe here for this collab with ASAP Rocky & Toksicha - 2D meets 3D.
My second favourite white German man, Mark Ernestus (after Werner Herzog), gave a rare interview about his work with ‘Ndagga Rhythm Force.
Thought
UK artist Fakemink managed to get a Burial sample across the line for his latest track. Here’s a guide to 20 years of Burial.
Making any piece of culture stick right now seems difficult. That’s in part why we’re bombarded with relentless rollouts for movies like Marty Supreme or Wicked. How can album campaigns learn from it, if at all?
What music was playing at this year’s Westminster Dog Show in NYC? John’s Music blog investigates.
This Vulture piece on film platform MUBI is a cautionary tale in how not to run a culture business.
Can traditional models of cultural diplomacy and support for the arts survive in a hostile political climate? This RA piece entitled “Art in the age of intimidation” explores.
How acid patriotism swallowed Britain whole. Clive Martin explores what happens when rave and riot collide, and subculture gets absorbed by the far right.
The two links above are part of a larger system of how culture and power interact - when cultural spaces weaken, reactionary movements can step in with energy and belonging. How can you counter that? Slow organizing, unity and material solidarity, says Jeremy Corbyn in this piece for Novara.