Rhys Langston – “Progressive House, Conservative Ligature” (Feat. Fatboi Sharif)
I enjoyed last year’s Rhys Langston album Stalin Bollywood, on which the LA rapper showed off his playfully outrageous sensibility, genre-jumping flair, and left-leaning convictions. Today he’s announcing his next LP, Grapefruit Radio, and sharing its lead single. The cleverly titled “Progressive House, Conservative Ligature” puts Langston on a woozy piano-led beat by Opal-Kenobi with a spooky, pitched-down guest verse from Artist To Watch Fatboi Sharif. The references and 50-cent words come fast and furious, always evocative even when they’re too opaque to unpack. I’m partial to the line “Love in the time of Steve Bannon/ (Let me slow this down real quick)/ Open carry with my rap canon.” Listen below.