NEWS
As the U.S. wars over a woman’s right to choose this week, Kim Gordon is out with her first new music since 2019’s No Home Record: “Grass Jeans,” a track whose December sales will be donated to Fund Texas Choice, which provides women in that state with travel to abortion clinics.
The deliciously fuzzy song sees Gordon singing in her distinctive yelp: “Take me downtown/take me downtown/uptown/Take me downtown where they go.” She then continues to intone about the darkness downtown over swirling guitars, as well as a mysterious figure called the shadow.
“I often get asked, ‘Can music change things for people in a political landscape?'” Gordon said in a statement. “Hell yes it can . . . but it takes a listener, an audience to make it anything. So please join me in helping to protect and keep accessible a woman’s right to choose her fate by purchasing this song and supporting Fund Texas Choice and their collective efforts to secure abortion access for all. Thank you. It means so much.”
The former Sonic Youth member dropped her first solo album, No Home Record, in 2019, while also throwing an art exhibit in protest of then-President Donald Trump. “It was inspired by Trump getting elected,” she told Rolling Stone. “It was also inspired by protests, and that things never go away. Here we are dealing with abortion again, and women having control of their own bodies. It’s kind of crazy.”
Three years later, and the song remains the same.
Busta Rhymes is honoring his late friend D’Angelo in a truly moving way. The rapper released a heartfelt tribute track titled “Magic,” marking one of his most emotional releases in years. The song celebrates the neo-soul legend D’Angelo, who sadly passed away earlier this month after a private battle with cancer. Over the smooth, soulful backdrop of D’Angelo’s “One Mo’ Gin” from his 2000 classic Voodoo, Busta reflects deeply, sharing raw and powerful emotions through his storytelling.
Throughout the seven-minute piece, Busta takes listeners on a journey through his 34-year friendship with D’Angelo. He recalls their early sessions with A Tribe Called Quest and describes the lasting connection they built over the decades. Instead of simply celebrating the music, Busta pays homage to the person behind it. He describes D’Angelo as a rare, once-in-a-generation artist who “never needed a co-sign” and “touched the souls of the people and everything between.”
During an interview with Okayplayer, Busta called D’Angelo “a godsend,” reflecting on his influence across R&B and hip-hop. “The Earth shifted when D came to do music,” he said, a statement that perfectly sums up D’Angelo’s impact. Anyone familiar with Brown Sugar, Voodoo, or Black Messiah knows his legacy speaks volumes.
“Magic” feels like a conversation between two lifelong friends. Busta Rhymes gives fans an intimate look at a bond that helped shape decades of soul-infused hip-hop. The tributes pouring in since D’Angelo’s passing highlight not only his extraordinary artistry but also the love and respect he inspired among peers. Lauryn Hill expressed it beautifully, writing, “Thank you for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond who had no remembrance of the legacy that preceded us.”
