May: 8 urban releases you need to hear this month

Bad JuJu 't h a t r o o t' (This City Is Ours)

Manchester-based DIY record label and collective This City Is Ours are releasing Bad Juju’s debut beat tape, ‘Prana Bindu Volume One’. Coming from a deep jazz base with a penchant for the double bass and guitar, Bad Juju’s hip hop-laced beats and sample work is inspired by the likes of Madlib, Knxwledge and Karriem Riggins. Opening track ‘t h a t r o o t’ is slick, warm and chilled, serving as an effectively funk-laden introduction the project in its entirety.

9/10

Billie Eilish 'Bellyache' (Polydor)

It isn’t just Billie Eilish’s raspy voice that sounds older than her 15 years: both lyrically and sonically, she produces mature pop that sits somewhere between Sia, AlunaGeorge and Rihanna. Although she’s yet to release an EP or album, she’s already amassed over millions of plays online, in addition to support from critics. New cut ‘Bellyache’, an edgy love tale co-written by her brother (who also produced the track at their home in LA), is definitely worthy of all the attention she’s received.

8/10

Ro James feat G-Eazy 'Already Knew That' (remix) (Columbia Records)

If you’ve been looking for an R Kelly replacement, the sensual, gutsy r’n’b of Ro James might just hit the right spot. And including G-Eazy on this remix of ‘Already Knew That’ proves to be a wise decision, too – taken from James’ debut album ‘Eldorado’, it’s baby-making music for future lovers.

8/10

Gary Clark Jr 'The Healing' (live) (Warner Bros.)

How you hear this version of ‘The Healing’ is exactly how it went down: it’s taken from Clark Jr’s new album ‘Live North America 2016’, which was recorded live with absolutely no overdubs. The extra space in the recording makes the song sound even more powerful than before. Turn it up, revel in all of its blues and electric guitar glory, and just imagine you were there. Eric Clapton’s a fan, and we’re not going to argue.

8/10

Migos feat 2 Chainz 'Deadz' (Quality Control Music)

OK, this might sound like the kind of rap your seven-year-old nephew could have made on his games console – but apparently, this is the shit right now. Taken from the trio’s chart-topping album ‘C U L T U R E’, the fact is that 2 Chainz owns this track. With one of those hooks that just won’t leave your head, you’ll be trapping to ‘Deadz’ for quite a while (and an extra mark for
2 Chainz’ efforts, too).

7/10

6LACK & Jhene Aiko 'First Fuck' (LVRN/Polydor)

6LACK’s collab with r’n’b swoon sister Jhene Aiko has now surfaced. Opting to go on a wavy tip as opposed to taking it to the club, the production is pretty basic stuff, here, as the two vocalists talk sex. To be honest, the only place you can really get away with playing this track is when you’re getting down to business – good luck.

6/10

Alice Jemima 'No Diggity' (Sunday Best Recordings)

A straight-up r’n’b cover of Blackstreet’s classic hit ‘No Diggity’ this certainly is not. In fact, this downtempo take on the track was actually inspired by Chet Faker’s stripped-back version. It’s split opinion online, but it’s also racked up an impressive three million views already; British singer Alice Jemima’s folky approach is true love-it-or-hate-it fare.

6/10

Dylan Williams 'Summer In Atlanta' (White)

UK rapper Dylan Williams has now dropped a video for ‘Summer In Atlanta’ (it first featured on last year’s DRiP project). A laid-back beat and filtered samples lay the foundation for a wavy rap track. It does the job visually, but it’s going to take more than this current trap wave to set Atlanta on fire this summer.

5/10

Chantelle Fiddy is Mixmag's Urban Editor, follow her on Twitter