For me, hip-hop just sounds better in the summer. Here are some brand new
feel-good summer bangers to ensure your Audioscrobbler stats embarrass you
accordingly.

Bus (feat. MC Soom-T) - Me Who Me

Scottish rap talent MC Soom-T (depicted above) may not be the UK’s hottest reigning spitter, but she certainly rides a beat better than most. She packs an appealing, unforced delivery entirely unlike that of a feisty Lady Sovereign, an overenthusiastic Shystie or a dawdling M.I.A. The dancehall-leaning “Me Who Me,” produced by Berlin-based duo Bus, drifts somewhere between dub-approved IDM and glossy pop-rap. Lyrically, Soom-T delves into tame political rantings such as overprotective parents, school uniforms and yeah, Iraq. Bus’ new album, *Feelin’ Dank*, saw its release on May 30. It features Soom-T on seven out of its 13 tracks. No-name MCs Paul PM and Rhino also make appearances.

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MED - Can’t Hold On

MED is one of the few non-production-centered talents on the Stones Throw roster. If you peep the recruits, notice that Madlib, Oh No, J Dilla, Koushik, MF Doom, Peanut Butter Wolf, etc. are either strictly producers or producers suffering from the occasional rhyming fit. Push Comes to Shove, MED’s recently released debut long player, is chockfull of club-ready bangers. “Can’t Hold On” is one of the token “conscious” tracks, if you’d really care to call it that. It’s more conscious production-wise than lyrically. Madlib’s fun-lovin’ summery soul beat takes the album on a welcome tangent. Elements are borrowed from Shuggie Otis’ “Strawberry Letter 23.”

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One Self - Bluebird (Video Version)

Multinational hip-hop outfit One Self consists of NY-bred rap talent Blu Rum 13 (left), Chilean/Brazilian-Swedish emcee Yarah Bravo (middle) and Russian-English producer DJ Vadim (right). Both Blu Rum and Bravo have toured and collaborated with the Ninja Tune vet (Vadim) over the past few years. Vadim’s emcee-laden 2002 opus, U.S.S.R.: The Art of Listening, saw his future One Self chums on the album’s best tracks. One Self’s collective debut album, Children of Possibility, differs from Vadim’s solo work in that his beats are slightly tamer and easier to gulp down this time around. There are still plenty of otherworldly production techniques to be found, but “Bluebird,” the trio’s latest single, is one of the album’s less obtuse joints. It recalls the early days of Digable Planets and The Pharcyde.

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