1. Download Now: Kane Mayfield, 'Hydrants' →

    Finally got around to posting this solid Kane Mayfield song over at Midnight Sun.

  2. Starlito & Don Trip, “Life” (2011, Stepbrothers)

    “Success is bittersweet: I got a six-figure check and my sister got diabetes / Proud of my son, afraid for my niece / ‘cuz the doctor say she may not ever learn how to speak / Try to dry the tears before they make it to my cheek / It’s a cold, cruel world and you’ll freeze if you weak”

  3. Los, “Lord Knows (Freestyle)” (Internet, 2012)

    Will a Baltimore rapper ever blow up? Los seems as poised as anyone from Charm City to crossover. His easy-to-follow but densely packed rapping works well over beats as busy as “Lord Knows.” I wrote about it for the Sun; while Brandon wrote a smart piece on Los, Mullyman and XXL’s Freshmen 2012 List for City Paper.