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The Round-Up: Best Songs of The Week - ft. The Roots, Wiki, Summer Walker and More [Playlist]
The Round-Up: Best Songs of The Week - ft. The Roots, Wiki, Summer Walker and More [Playlist]

The Round-Up: Best Songs of The Week - ft. The Roots, Wiki, Summer Walker and More [Playlist]

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY.

Rap's new vanguard leads the week with a barrage of hazy and cerated cuts.

Happy Release Day, good people. The (temporary?) absence of Kanye West's supposedly imminentJesus is King project has cleared some space in the rotation (and the news feed) for some standout albums that won't get the benefit of a one-woman marketing army. So let's get to it before the Sunday Service congregation clocks in.

PLAYLIST: From Erykah Badu to Maxwell: Songs from Neo-Soul's Baby Years

LNDN DRGS rallied a legion of ace MCs for their opulent, G-funk-fueled Affiliated LP. DaBaby's KIRK is a sophomore stunner, no slump in sight. And for the kush-calibrated, Fly Anakin and Big Kahuna OG's Holly Water is a hazy (and deceptively heavy) delivery.

READ: Big Daddy Kane on His Legendary Career: "It Was Never About the Money, It Was Really to Showcase My Skills"

On the singles side of the week, The Roots commenced Things Fall Apart's 20th-anniversary celebration with the first-ever official release of the J-Dilla-produced "You Got Me" b-side, "New Years @ Jay Dee's." There's also a new Madlib haunt in the air with Wiki's warped soul looper, "Eggs." CJ Fly and Joey Bada$$ "Rudebwoy" is a dose of guiltless NYC rap nostalgia. Danger Mouse and James Mercer's Broken Bells outfit is back in action with a fuzz-laden transmission. Tei Shi and Blood Orange join forces on a sleek and dreamy one-off. And that's just half the script.

Hear it all in this week's episode of The Round-Up below. Hit the link to subscribe to Okayplayer's Spotify channel and never miss another true note.

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