Finesse The Cube is one of several 2019 releases from the prolific AJ Suede. His relaxed, shoot-the-shit talk-rap grounds the often drumless production from BB Sun, Wolftone, and Khrist Koopa. It plays as though you’re walking around town together, with Suede casually discussing Seattle gentrification, WikiLeaks, Star Wars and The Matrix with you. Insomniac Magazine says these songs “wake up heads worldwide.” The self-aware seven-syllable rhymes and clever local criticism result in one of my favorite lyrics of the year: “You’re living in a bucket that’s full of crustaceans.”

More Seattle hip-hop you'll love

AJ Suede: Gotham Fortress AJ Suede & SupaSortaHuman: SUPASUEDE EP Mario Casalini: Goldtooth Squarepants Raven Hollywood: GREY NEON AJ Suede: Darth Sueder ARCHIE: 613 EP Knife Knights: 1 Time Mirage Nu Era: Armadilla Lexus