C. Valenta Releases “Untitled”
Local rapper C. Valenta is back with a new single, after showing off some real goods last year. His typical style lives in the world of honesty anyways, and this new track, “Untitled,” is what he calls one of “the most vulnerable records I’ve written.” It’s the rare “rapping about rapping” track that actually hits and conveys insecurities without any ducking into thorny, defensive pride. Instead, C. Valenta lays out his fears and worries plainly, conveying the kinds of nagging self-doubts, impatience and frustration anyone pursuing a dream has to deal with constantly, rapping simply, “look I’m tired of feeling this way inside / trying to say I want to be closer to god / but everytime I pray I never hear him talk / everytime I try to win I take a loss / how many losses must I take before I learn something? / how many bridges do I cross before I burn one? / how many shots I got before my turn’s up? / how many records do I drop before I earn something?” You can almost feel him actually fighting against pride in the song, keeping space available for anything and anyone who might result in a leg up. This song, though, feels like a leg up on it’s own, with laid-back production that falls perfectly in line with the rest of his impressive releases. Check it out on Spotify or iTunes.

Cherry Thomas and Clesh Remix “Meadows” with Earthworm
In news-that-was-missed, local rapper Earthworm released a new version of an old song on May 3. Featuring the ever-easy-breezy, soulful vocals of Cherry Thomas and his other frequent collaborator, Clesh, the new version of 2016’s “Meadows” is a sunny-day kiss of a track. Earthworm raps sweet little “take life as it comes'' lines like “I saw a garden, I thought it needed tendin’ / gave it all my heart and attention / it soon became a meadow, that wasn’t my intention / but if it’s willing to grow, don’t keep it fenced in,” that are made even sweeter by Thomas’ honeyed tones. Her voice is one that always adapts easily to different settings and moods, and here her voice is soft and delicate, but warm—warm like waking up from a cat-nap in a patch of sunlight. She sings in a follow-up to Earthworm’s own go-with-the-flow sentiments, “I'm so tired of running / I wanna lay my head down in this field / I wanna plant my feet and just lay still.” After listening to this song, you will too. Complete with light jazz elements and a little bit of brass that comes and goes, this song feels like a balm to use for manifesting brighter days. Find it on Spotify.