Underground rap lifers Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman seem to really like working with each other. They’ve done it a bunch of times over the years. For a while, Aesop and Sandman made a series of EPs under the duo name Lice; the last of them, Triple Fat Lice, came out in 2017. Earlier this year, the two rappers paid tribute to the late MF DOOM on the heartwarming track “Ask Anyone.” And now, Aesop and Sandman are once again getting together to release a new EP called Angelitu. Sandman does the raps, and Aesop does the beats.

The Angelitu EP follows a couple of 2020 releases from both artists. On his excellent album Spirit World Field Guide, Aesop produced himself, leaning hard into his psychedelic rock influence. And on his own Don’t Feed The Monster, Sandman recruited Quelle Chris as a producer. “Go Hard,” the first single form Angelitu, is a jittery and vaguely neurotic fast-rap clinic recorded over a mean little guitar riff, and it sounds really cool. Listen below.

Homeboy Sandman says:

I wrote half of these songs when my energy was either headed in the wrong direction or already there. I wrote the other half while my energy was moving in a direction I’m more excited about, that I find to be more enriching. They’re all still my songs though. My mother, and lots of my relatives, used to call me “Angelito.” Little Angel. The taijitu is the symbol for yin and yang. Opposites that make a whole. Given the dualistic/duelistic nature of the songs on the record, put it all together and what do you get, Anjelitu.

The Angelitu EP is out 8/6 on Mello Music Group.