Since making the groundbreaking banger ‘Wut’, immediately going viral among white sorority girls, Le1f has somewhat fallen off the map of the general polulace. That isn’t to say that his music has declined; I found Fly Zone to be a solid tape. It just seems like the people that got interested in Le1f solely off the single aren’t interested in exploring his entire catalog, maybe seeing him as a gimmick.

‘Spa Day’ is a single from Fly Zone, the video was shot at the real spa Body by Brooklyn, which looks like a pretty ill place to get your relaxation on. Heems, Lakutis, and others all make cameos to get turnt in the hot tub, as the steam adds a hazy, surreal vibe to all the shots. The track features all the things that made ‘Wut’ so good, aside from its viral nature: Le1f’s extremely fast, articulate rapping, semi-taboo subject matter, and booming, grimy beats. Here, the production is supplied by HarryB, a synthy, EDM/trap-inspired joint. Even though Le1f raps ‘This that laid back music,’ its hard to believe over the ridiculously menacing beat. The hook, ‘This a spa day’ sounds more like a threat than what could be a flamboyant assertion. Le1f takes the gung-ho masculine energy of trap, fucking bitches and getting money, and diverts it into fucking your man (at one point your pastor?) and getting facials, in the coolest way possible.

Aye breh, open your rap chakras and expand your aura on some heavy meditation shit. Surf the 808s to the astral dimension. God frequencies that take you to hold court with Lord Shiva and the Goddess Kali. Chant these rhymes while sitting in lotus position and really get your third eye open. See the hidden structures of all creation. Forge the universe purely from the power of your will. If none of that sounds appealing to you, simply blaze one to this shit and get lost in Xbox Live games for a couple of hours. It’ll all make sense then.

Khalil Nova comes to us from parts unknown via Georgia. You’ll realize that statement is both contradictory and entirely accurate, when you fall into the parallel dimension that is 808s of Life. We’re traveling unknown roads of rap here. From “Gunnin’ 4 A Palace” and its stuntin’ alien bump, to “Love My Haters” very #based acceptance of those that would talk shit on you—808s of Life comes from a place most high. Spiritually and in the medical marijuana sense. Experience this album as a trip through video games, mysticism, strip club anthems stripped to bare bones, and most importantly yourself.

Download Khalil Nova‘s 808s of Life and convene a psychic conference call with atliens, that homeless dude that mutters incoherently at you, and strippers throughout the ages. The strippers only communicate through assquakes. Don’t worry, soon enough you’ll learn to speak in assquakes, it’s the language of the old gods.

• Sus Hats ($25.00/$32.00)

Usually people only know you’re a sus type of character, when you do sus shit. When you get busted staring at tiddays in a rainstorm—broads know. When you get caught posting cat videos on Facebook, while you’re supposed to be at grandma’s funeral—your boss knows. And, when you get arrested with a tranny prostitute for the second time in three years—errybody knows, you just went super Saiyan sus.

Now, however you can advertise that you’re a weirdo who will creep on anything with three out of four functioning limbs, with the Sus hat. At first glance you may think “breh, why would I want to blow my cover as an ordinary citizen?” I hear you, but you gotta think, what kind of weirdos, degenerates, and morally flexible cats are you gonna draw to yourself while wearing this? Answer: the best kind.

Imagine a Venn Diagram—the intersecting circle deal, for all of you that didn’t pay attention in math—that has a Katt Williams standup in one circle, Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 101 in another, and New Age soundscapes for Yoga in another. In the middle of this fucked up diagram, would lay Khalil Nova‘s “Love My Haters” and a drug dealer/pimp with a very positive mental attitude and luxurious hair. One day we’ll talk about that hustler, today, we’re gonna talk about Khalil.

“Love My Haters” is a song for everyone that appreciates the circle of life. That National Geographic/Planet Earth flow. See, haters are an important measure, of one’s success and cultural impact. Without someone throwing shade on your Instagram selfies or downvoting your Youtube videos, how would you know you’re really doing it? Until you motivate someone to the point where they have to spew anonymous venom at you via email of comment box, you’ve yet to accomplish anything; for every time you garner a new hater, that means you’ve touched someone’s heart. That’s all the artist can aspire to do. This is why Khalil loves his haters, and this is why you should love your own.

Khalil Nova’s 808s of Life drops tomorrow, May 21st on Мишка Records.

Soultrap is the best and most accurate self-named genre ever. It’s progenitor, Tree, blasted the hip-hop community last March with the first installment of Sunday School, entirely produced by himself, melding catchy soul samples with 808 trap beats to great effect. And that’s entirely without mentioning his raspy, Tom Waits-flow. Now, after being showered with blog buzz, Tree is back with Sunday School II. While not his true second release, it does serve as a stepping stone to show how Tree has reacted to the newfound spotlight, and how he’s managed to advance and mature an already distinctly original sound.

Tree has branched out (sorry) in the mere fact that he enlists other producers; not many, but when he’s built a fledgling career on being a consummate rapper/producer, it could be a risky move. Luckily, it seems like the other producers must’ve been taking notes from the first Sunday School, so all the beats mesh well, even when they don’t contain the chopped-up soul samples that he’s known for. A direct nod to this is made on the track ‘Tree Shit’, produced by Tye Hill, while it isn’t too similar in structure to tracks off the first mixtape, it is still, as the chorus says, that “Tree shit”. Which really just means that it’s packed with justified braggadocio, combined with a nostalgic reminiscence as Tree contemplates his past and future struggles.

Tree’s raps don’t rely on clever wordplay or sheer speed, instead it’s the interplay of his unique voice, the soul samples, and prolific use of ad-libs. He’s a great songwriter, and over an hour-long tape he revisit topics such as growing up in Cabrini Green housing projects and his undying determination to succeed, with distinctly new lights in each track. A succinct summary of the tape might come on “Hurt”, with the Teddie Caine-sung hook “If it doesn’t kill me let it hurt”. Tree seems fully prepared to bare all aspects of his past, not just apathetic to the pain, but knowing, knowing that it is that honesty that makes his music strong. Obvious highlights include the high-profile features of Danny Brown, who nearly steals the show with an even crazier flow than we usually see on ‘No Faces’, and Roc Marciano on ‘Trynawin’. The transitions and track ordering is on point — ‘No Faces’ leads into the menacing ‘Busters’, and the whole tape could be listened to front-to-back. It may not pack the same oomph as the first Sunday School, when the world witnessed the birth of a surprisingly unique artist operating within a tired medium (soul samples), but Sunday School II shows the artistic progression and maturity that one would hope from a sophomore project. For me, Tree remains one of the most exciting rappers/producers to watch, and I can only hope he sets his roots deep in the industry (sorry again).

Download Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out, with help from Creative Control

“Where do/I go/When I’m/In my zone?” wonders Khalil Nova on the hook to his newest single, ‘Gunnin 4 a Palace’. It’s a rumination that comes over melodic pianos, laid back hi-hats, and massively distorted vocals, the kinda shit you bump in the year 3000, taking a light-night ride in your spaceship. That’s the magic of Khalil Nova’s music: it sounds so far removed and abstracted from anything in the music landscape today, aside from maybe SpaceghostPurrp. But Khalil is both more spiritual, and, dare I say it, even weirder and more obscurely referential that Purrp, dropping knowledge on Bandai and Bill Nye.

The music is both darkly confessional and haunting, reaching beyond the limitations facing rap in an astral journey for something greater. It’s esoteric without being self-centered, though I wouldn’t be surprised if playing this shit backwards revealed some Satanic brainwashing. It’s Khalil Nova’s ability to straddle the line between 90s ATL alum, weirdo internet rapper, and his own astral projection that lends credence to the project, and makes him an artist to follow. Such is the message behind 808s of Life, out May 21st through us.

• Lobster Roll Socks (&12.00)

I’m personally buying 10 pairs of these socks. They will all be kept on ice, until I throw a party where sushi is served off of a naked woman. As guests leave, they’ll be given a pair to commemorate the most old-timey, Japanese baller shit they’ve ever been a part of. If you dream of magnificence, as I dream of magnificence, you will do the same.

Available in black and white, for cozy boys, coke boys, business boys. The perfect accessories for sweatsuits. dress suits alike and whatever “fashion forward” amalgamation of the two you might be rocking right now. Add a lil bit of anthropomorphized sushi fun to your wardrobe.