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Donae’o: pronounced Donay-o to mean ‘gift from God.’ An apt stage name for a spiritual Ian Greenidge who always knew he was going to be an artist. It couldn’t have been anything else, he tells me early in our conversation, “God let me know from early that ‘this is what you are gonna do for the rest of your life’.” The spirituality that is the bedrock of his certainty is one he takes pride in cultivating himself. He mentions that he has always had a strong connection with God and the universe. So naturally, he considers his engagement with music an extension of that spirituality, that connection to God.

In the second release from the Small Axe compilation, Lovers Rock, McQueen abandons a heavily plot-driven production and instead leans into the slice-of-life sensibilities to create a stunning evocation of a Saturday Blues Night. Set almost entirely at a party for the duration of a night, Lovers Rock weaves together the multiple themes and stories of West Indians in London, as told by a vibrant house party.

Amaarae’s new release Fountain Baby explores the full spectrum of desire. The world she builds through the record is that of a woman who takes pleasure and playfulness very seriously, whilst being aware that overindulgence comes at a cost. Fountain Baby is erotic, bitter, cocky, and divine all at once. She wants and wants some more, but not without recognising that it’s the excess that could be her undoing.

Whilst the run up and release of her Grammy winning debut album Invasion of Privacy was centred around proving herself as a solo artist, the road to a possible sophomore drop has seen the Bronx native lend her hit-making touch to multi-genre collaborations. Whether she’s reminding the haters that she is not one to be messed with, exulting in her sexual freedom or offering a show of support to up and coming artists and industry juggernauts alike, a Cardi feature hardly seems to miss. In no particular order, these are 10 of the best Cardi B feature verses to date…

On March 28th Broad City aired their final episode, tying a bow around the 5-season Comedy Central hit show. The show invited us into the lives of two women in their mid-twenties, Ilana and Abbi, experiencing what can only be described as a series of shenanigans. It thoughtfully illustrated what’s its like to wobble your way through life during the years when you feel trapped in the middle of youth on one side, and adult responsibilities on the other.

In the latest post on Vandezine, the newsletter with updates from the Vandelay radio station crew, co-founder Dare offers some words of wisdom; “if you think you’re so cool because…you send messages to yourself from your burner account saying “great set last night,” then screenshot it and post it on your story with the caption saying “fan love”- this is your wake up call.”

“When I played my new music to my friends, they called me a bully,” Kel-P teasingly mentions about halfway into our conversation, “they say I’m coming for the music industry with how good the music sounds.”