The Slice, Episode 67 [Hip-Hop + R&B]

Rising South Carolina based act Britton Rauscher sets off this week's episode of The Slice with “Sprinter Freestyle”—a bouncy trap track that sees Rauscher teaming with fellow emcee Riz Johnson. Both individuals display a huge amount of energy with their vibrant performances and non-sequitur themes of fun, babes, and parties. D-Anna savors her newfound life and energy on "Not today" as she steps away from a toxic relationship. The track has a triumphant and bright mood to capture a high dose of self-love laced with heartfelt melodies. "F.E.A.R" means a whole different thing to Queens emcee Jamar Carr who repurposes the word and uses it to depict the obstacles he had to overcome in order to succeed.

Producer First.Owl taps the vocal talents of rapper Food4thought on the solid collaborative track "Aeipathy." The single is built on a classic drum break and futuristic textures while Food4thought reflects on life and his journey thus far. We switch into a summer tinge mood with Dane Myers' "Salt n Pepper," a reflective track about living in his Tesla vehicle. Myers is quite an interesting fella who takes time to breakdown the cons and his personal experiences in the car from not having to pay rent to keeping the Earth a little greener. Emerging Dutch singer-songwriter JUDY shares her debut single "Fool Yourself," a dark R&B track that explores themes of love, especially one that is unattainable. Armed with her subtle, heroic vocals and relatable songwriting skills, she touches our hearts on this one.

JuiceBox of Paradise is an emerging rapper who recently became a young father and his song "HoldOn" is a tribute to his new status. He makes use of a smooth reflective backdrop to share his thoughts on the situation as he finds a new purpose to drive him to achieve his goals for his daughter. Joining him on the track is singer Mica Ray who ties it up with an uplifting melodic chorus. Next up we got, NY-based producer and singer AASH who delivers "When I'm With You"—a laidback introspective track about appreciating the most important things in life which are loved ones and good health. The track was co-produced by her longtime collaborator Jesse Gibson. We then head to Cali with the trio of Roc C, D. Moe, and Oh No who all join forces for the hometown tribute track titled "OxStanding." Bolstered by lush textures and that classic funky west coast bounce, the trio shares their individual tales of life in Oxnard. The song is produced by Dae One, Batez, and Aceman and it's the fourth single off Roc C's upcoming album OxTale.

Melbourne artist Hugh Klein follows up his debut release "Quand C’est Mou" with an experimental jazz-infused single "Sensitive." Rich with atmospheric pads, swirling Wurlitzers, sparsely arranged drums, and sublime vocals, Klein shows us an effortless mix of soul gripping vocals peppered with repeated melodies that play like a mantra from start to finish. Canadian acts Boney Washington and Myer Clarity give us the perfect upper to get us through a terrible day with their new collaboration "My Way." The duo makes good of their frustrations over a boomy trap-infused backdrop to let the world how they truly feel.

This week's episode closes out with some self-empowering messages from YUNG Citizen and G. Huff. YUNG Citizen taps Jason Jet to join him to promote black excellence on "Brown Butta"—an anthemic track that talks about issues affecting black people and aims to give hope to his kinfolk with a reminder that they are beautiful in every sense of the word. The last cut "The Grind Don't Stop" is G. Huff's nod to the go-getter lifestyle and the determination to not quit when the going is tough. Huff delivers a blend of bravado and reality with standout lines like, “It’s Magic, like Earvin Johnson in the fourth quarter/ Dreamin’ of more like immigrants when they crossin’ the border” while veteran rapper/singer Devin The Dude holds it down on chorus duties.

Check out previous editions of The Slice here.

For a full tracklist of this week's featured artists:

Britton Rauscher - “Sprinter Freestyle”

D-Anna - "Not today"

Jamar Carr - "F.E.A.R" (Prod. CorMill)

First.Owl & Food4thought - "Aeipathy"

Dane Myers - "Salt n Pepper"

JUDY - "Fool Yourself"

JuiceBox of Paradise - "HoldOn" (feat. Mica Ray)

AASH - "When I'm With You"

Roc C - "OxStanding" (feat. D. Moe & Oh No)

Boney Washington & Myer Clarity - "My Way"