Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back and listen to all of our favorites, at the click of a button, there is also a ton of great music still being made by artists, young and veteran alike…if you know where to look. To help with that task, we’ve created a playlists with recent music—songs that have been released within the last year or so. We update it regularly, so, if you like what you hear, subscribe to follow us on Spotify.

At the top of this summer, Black Thought partnered with 9th Wonder and The Soul Council (Khrysis, Hi-Tek, Eric G., Kash, Amp, E. Jones, and Nottz) for one has remained one of 2018’s best Rap releases. Streams Of Thought, Vol. 1 is the first solo project from The Roots’ vocalist and MC legend. Five songs, 17 minutes, and no visuals made for an inconspicuous effort in today’s climate. However, the short body of work let nothing other than rhymes and beats do the talking.

Black Thought, Phonte & Rhymefest Have Formed A Super-Group

They have more to say. Today (November 9), 9th Wonder’s label and squad released Jamla Is The Squad II. The 22 song compilation includes plenty from Grammy-nominated Rapsody (see her exceptional J. Cole collaboration “Sojourner”), as well as work from Pharoahe Monch, David Banner, Big K.R.I.T., Jericho Jackson (Elzhi & Khrysis), J.I.D., GQ, Busta Rhymes, Heather Victoria, SiR, Reuben Vincent, and plenty of others. Black Thought’s “Cojiba,” however is one of the brightest highlights. With a soulfully sinister ’70s R&B guitar line and thumping drums, Tariq reflects on a relationship from his younger years. The MC misses a woman who held him down. “When I was 25, and she was like 20 / A stolen moment in time, was paradise to me / She used to keep it shakin’ like a pair of dice for me / Never needed to question would she sacrifice for me,” he spits, looking back in reverie upon a seven-year relationship. He continues to examine where it went wrong, why it is his fault, and why you can’t put your arms around a memory. After a minute, the beat changes. In the second verse, Thought relives meeting someone by happenstance and how on the spot, he and the woman started making a fast and deep connection. However, Thought tells the new friend why he must pump the brakes with relationships. In the closing bars of the song, the Philly legend seems to tell himself that he may be holding back his own happy future. At less than three minutes, this fast-hitting two-part song carries weight that many will probably relate to.

In addition to new Black Thought links with the Jamla family, the playlist features recent music from Roc Marciano (another Thought collaboration), Logic, Black Eyed Peas with Phife Dawg, Posdnuos, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Wu-Tang Clan, Bun B, Run The Jewels, Mac Miller, Buddy, Missy Elliott, Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, Buddy, Action Bronson, Childish Gambino, Drake, Nas, Jay Rock, Westside Gunn, Kanye West & Kid Cudi, Pusha-T, Dave East, Royce 5’9 (and his group PRhyme), Dr. Octagon, Phonte, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Black Milk, Eminem, Lute, Jeezy, Wiz Khalifa, Brent Faiyaz, Freddie Gibbs, CyHi The Prynce, Saba, Rapsody, Sylvan LaCue, Evidence, Big K.R.I.T., Nipsey Hussle, and a host of others.