Handsomefella

The best release of the year happens to be something I only accidentally found (or, more accurately, found me). Autoplay bestowed upon me this absolute gem of a mix. A small display of nic's own tracks, an exhibit in the soothing nature of simplicity. It's not often music can instantly help wind me down, so I deeply cherish when it does.

One of the blueprints of the now thriving Lowend scene in Milwaukee, Munch Lauren's Hotboy Munch wastes no time in showing why an entire genre is modeled after it. Fueled in equal parts by catchy hooks, uptempo beats, and its charm and goofiness, there are a medley of reasons why I keep coming back to it.

🌟 Drop it 2 Da Floor
⭐️ Like a Man
⭐️ Hot Boy Munch

A one off Japanese project from the 80s, Oshare TV capitalizes on its lone EP by delivering some of the wackiest music I’ve heard. But it’s the more conventional tracks that ground the listener in a world of childlike wonder and whimsy for an all too short 26 minutes.

🌟 Asia no Koi
⭐️ Koi no Terrorist No. 1 (Keichan no Notteke Missile)
⭐️ Mahiru no Hoshi

Rigz is a perfect pair with DJ Muggs gritty beats. The album's dirtier sound may bring to mind Griselda, but diamonds in the rough "Supreme" and "Where Ya Soul At" are what clearly shine through. The latter track is an essential listen for hip hop heads and easily among the best of the 2020s.

🌟 Where Ya Soul At (feat. Mooch)
⭐ Supreme
⭐ Crack The Code