FEATURES

When Justice released Hyperdrama, their first album in eight years, this April they didn’t exactly expect to dominate the dance scene like they once had. Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, began performing together as Justice in 2003, and over the past twenty years, they’ve built a cult-like audience that’s followed their every beat — but the arms-wide-open reception they received from the contemporary audience surprised them..Even as one of the most influential electronic acts of the past few decades – lauded for their convergence of French house and rock music – Hyperdrama served to re-introduce Juitice to longtime fans and a fresh pool of listeners alike thanks to anthemic cuts like the Tame Impala-featuring “Neverender” and other collaborations with Miguel, Connan Mockasin and Thunderc...

Cochise has achieved TikTok virality time and time again with tracks including “POCKET ROCKET” and “Tell Em.” Laced with his smooth auto-tuned vocals and Floridian finesse and further leveled up with his contagious and clean production style, a whole lot of the rapper’s discography is social media bait. But that’s not what he has his sights set on.He’s making that very clear on his third studio album, WHY ALWAYS ME?, an 18-track offering that he calls the follow-up to 2023’s NO ONE’S NICE TO ME.“You can’t argue with the internet. It’s gonna do what it’s gonna do. But you don't have to be the most viral artist to stay relevant,” he told Hypebeast.Rather than chase his glory days of virality, Cochise prefers to stay in his well-established lane, riding solo if need be. “I don't have all thes...

When the video call connects, S.H. “SKIZ” Fernando Jr. is instantly in awe of the 12-hour difference between us. The author, journalist and music critic’s backdrop teases the beautiful, sunny weather of Baltimore, Maryland, while the windows behind me show the electrifying evening skyline of Hong Kong. In just under two weeks, The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast, his biography about the late and great Daniel Dumile a.k.a. MF DOOM, will be hitting the shelves via Astra Publishing House.It took him a total of three years to put it all together, and the idea of penning the book arose almost immediately after the announcement of the artist’s death. SKIZ had just handed in his Wu-Tang Clan biography, From The Streets of Shaolin, on January 1, 2021 — the day after DOOM's w...

As the week in music comes to a close, Hypebeast has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks.This week’s lineup is led by an album from Cochise and a solid lineup of singles coming from: Tyler the Creator, Matt Champion, Lil Yachty, Aminé x Smino, Paris Texas, Romy x Sampha, Saba x No ID, Summer Walker and KidSuper x Giggs x Quavo.Cochise – WHY ALWAYS ME?After unveiling an impressive string of singles throughout the year, Cochise has finally dropped the album. WHY ALWAYS ME? marks his first long-form release since 2022 and sees features from Aminé, Veeze and Anycia across the 18-track, hip-hop-meets-dancehall LP.Listen: Spotify | Apple MusicTyler, the Creator – "NOID"As CHROMAKOPIA nears closer (now just three days away but who's counting...) Tyler has dr...

The palo santo was lit. A row of sneakers — HOKA, norda and ASICS among them — was neatly assembled on a shoe rack just outside the door, and a half-dozen sockless figures filed into a room at the back of USM Modular Furniture's New York City flagship room to take a seat. The sliding door was softly shut, and a reverent silence filled the room as the mammoth OJAS Listening Room installation hummed to life, seemingly buzzing with the energy of the surrounding Soho streets.It was time for two of Kokoroko's eight members (and a few interlopers, from publicists to label reps) to listen to the test press of Get The Message, the band's brand-new four-track EP and first full project since 2022's highly-regarded Could We Be More. The band was back in New York City to begin their first extended US ...

It’s a Friday afternoon in Harlem and Ferg is ready for a peanut butter protein shake. The rapper has invited Hypebeast to Harlem to show us his favorite hometown spots, and the first stop on the agenda is Juke Box Juice & Salads; the music-inspired smoothie and sandwich shop that Ferg has frequented ever since his first record deal.Ferg, born Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. and raised in Hamilton Heights (the northernmost part of West Harlem), may be a global figure but he’s in his old neighborhood almost daily. “If I leave the house, I’m comin’ to Harlem.”His uptown NYC neighborhood has always influenced his artistry, but on his next studio release Darold, which marks his first project since Floor Seats II in 2020, Ferg bleeds Harlem more than ever before. What he describes as his “...

As the week in music comes to a close, Hypebeast has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks.This week’s lineup is led by long-form releases from Bon Iver, Jean Dawson, Jaden, Yeat, Juice WRLD AUDREY NUNA and singles from Tyler, the Creator, 070 Shake, Drake x Chino Pacas x Fuerza Regida and FKA twigs.Bon Iver – SABLE,At last, Bon Iver has made its communally anticipated formal return. The Justin Vernon-led folk group has unveiled its first studio project since dropping i,i back in 2019, presenting a new EP entitled SABLE,. Complete with a triptych of tracks (as well as an introductory eleven-second cut), SABLE, signals a return to form for the group.Listen: Spotify | Apple MusicTyler, the Creator – "St. Chroma"Arguably the high point of this week's new r...