Day three and we are still going, unlike my resolve to workout daily and my commitment to Dry January. With a lot of RnB influences already, today’s track lives and breathes Rhythm and Blues, oozing it out of every note. Jhene Aiko’s Sativa features Swae Lee, one half of Rae Sremmurd, and is a perfectly balanced journey that brings out an unusual yet refreshing side to the hip-hop/pop star that has been taken out of his comfort zone of adding a rap verse to solidify a chart position for stars such as Ellie Goulding and French Montana. Aiko is an excellent accompaniment for him, guiding him into her world of considered and raw RnB records and is, for me, the standout track from her 2017 psychedelic project Trip.

If you haven’t mulled over Aiko’s work, you really should. She has been making music since her early teen years in the first years of the century and has since gone on to collaborate with some of the world’s biggest artists, including Drake (Nothing Was The Same), Childish Gambino (Bed Peace) and Kanye West (Sailing Not Selling). She also released a collaborative album with rapper Big Sean, forming a dual project TWENTY88 and releasing an eponymous EP in April 2018 on GOOD Music. Well worth a listen as an introduction to Aiko and Big Sean.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex