Mereba: The Lauryn Hill of this Generation?
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With this Feeder, we feature a soulful, eclectic album from Mereba, some words from Waffle Mishap, and new releases from Snoh Aalegra, Two-Headed Deer, and more. Make sure to subscribe, forward, or share if you’re enjoying the music!
Mereba — The Jungle Is The Only Way Out
Listen if:
You love Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, or Solange
You want to explore beyond mainstream rap, but still want hefty basslines
You’re looking for tips on being a good friend or lover
It’s no small comparison to see this album in the lineage of Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but Mereba’s artistic vision, soulful harmonies, and deft raps make The Jungle Is The Only Way Out a strong update to fans of Hill’s masterpiece.
A key player in hip-hop group Spillage Village, along with JID, EARTHGANG, 6LACK, Jordan Bryant, Hollywood JB, and Benji, The Jungle Is The Only Way out was Mereba’s chance to display her talents on a solo album, and she took the opportunity and ran with it. Her debut, released in 2019, is a cohesive mix of blues, neo-soul, and rap underpinned by the album’s core narrative: “the only way out is through.”
Mereba’s soulful voice guides listeners through a variety of lyrical narratives and musical themes throughout the project. Her talent is further proven by her ability to innovate on the blues, a decades-old concept. The album’s romantic, dramatic, and evocative nature brings to mind legends in the blues space like Nina Simone and Billie Holliday, staying in conversation with more recent artists like Lauryn Hill, Solange, and Frank Ocean.
“Black Truck” is a dexterous display of Mereba’s skills, as she shows off her harmonies and deft rapping ability. Singing about the obstacles that have been thrown in her way, she remains confident, knowing she’s still going to “push a matte all-black truck.” The song’s closing verse is reminiscent of her friend JID’s gymnastic flow.
“Heatwave (feat. 6LACK)” is a metaphor for Atlanta heating up with increased crime rates during the holiday season. The two Spillage Village members warn other folks from the city, advising them to “Run like Obama 'fore they catch you like Osama / Better, run like the notes 'fore they catch you like a Cody.” Mereba and 6LACK’s chemistry makes the track entrancing and easily repeatable.
Great music will transport you to another atmosphere, and Mereba does so beautifully with “Planet U.” Mereba’s voice takes the form of a suffocating snake, surrounding the track with her haunting vocals and romantic lyrics. Her love is clearly intoxicating, and creates an intimidating allure with her rap verse, which closes the track. “Yeah, you make my heart go pitter-pat / You coulda been a dog / But you'd rather be a god / And that's why I still / Award you the kitty cat.” This song is a testament to her songwriting skills — the lengthy verse is full of extended rhymes and metaphors.
“Stay Tru” sees Mereba at her vocal peak, singing about the loyalty required for familial and romantic love. Juxtaposing a bright instrumental with cutting lyrics about being betrayed, Mereba creates an anthem for folks that are tired of being disrespected in close relationships; “I'm sick and tired of the compromising / I'd rather sleep with no one beside me / Than with a ghost with a heart that froze.” Intimate lyrics and harmonious production give “Stay Tru” the most heavenly moments on The Jungle Is The Only Way Out.
Entering a duet with the uber-talented JID would be intimidating for anyone other than Mereba, who counters his force with equal and opposite energy. On “Sandstorm” their message is emotionally mature — each character realizes their own misgivings in a romantic relationship, but they’re able to get past the sandstorm of fights and come to a peaceful conclusion: “Keep the peace, it's all love, won't be no spite / Now we need to grow up and away.”
That message, one of mutual self-respect and an incredible amount of empathy, is just another reason why this album is so complete. Mereba’s songwriting throughout the project makes every moment attention-grabbing — even in slower moments her complex voice is evocative and dramatic. The Jungle Is The Only Way Out is perhaps the most impressive solo album to come from Spillage Village — no small achievement.
Tune In: Best Drops of the Past Few Weeks
Snoh Aalegra ~ TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES
Perhaps the most alluring voice in contemporary R&B, Aalegra’s return to the spotlight is less triumphant than it was on Ugh, Those Feels Again, but plentiful contributions from Pharrell Williams and Tyler, the Creator assist her always-impressive vocals and romantic lyrics.
Two-Headed Deer ~ Stillwater
While the mysterious individual behind Two-Headed Deer has plenty of assists, they chose to take it to the rack for one of the first times last week, releasing Stillwater under their own name. It’s a hip-hop-inspired instrumental, and while the track is complex, it doesn’t come across as too busy. Tune in for a thought-provoking listen, and catch it on our cannabird playlist!
Planet Giza ~ Out of Touch
Over a cosmic beat paced by a mysterious keyboard section, the youngins from Montreal sing about falling out of love with a loved one.
Pop Smoke ~ Faith
RIP Pop Smoke. Faith is another posthumous release under the dead legend’s name. It’s unfortunate that his label has to pack the album so hard with pop features, especially given that both iterations of Meet the Woo featured more underground individuals. (other than Quavo), but the album brings together Pop’s many talents in an impressive fashion.
RYAL ~ Feathers
Marking RYAL’s second song of the year, “Feathers” is a mysterious track dedicated to finding one’s freedom. The song naturally captures the scary feelings that can come about when one is approaching a more boundless version of their identity, as producer Aaron Nevezie gives the song plenty of instrumental decor, none of which comes off as frivolous.
Hear from Hummingbird’s Nest: Waffle Mishap
We had the chance to speak with Waffle Mishap about their 2020 album Finale in Gold, a glorious explosion of funk-laden jazz improvisation, soft rock style, and showtune theatricality.
Hummingbird: How did Waffle Mishap start making music together?
Michael Golub (vocals/trumpet/piano): We came together on New Years Eve of 2018. It was me, Joe, and our original bass player Declan, and the three of us sort of decided to form a band. That was an idea that sparked in December, and I sort of took it through a few phases. For a hot second, it was a jazz quartet, and then we did a few gigs at some coffee shops with that, and it morphed into this other thing. And then over the summer I decided to just blow it out into the full seven piece band. As far as the name is concerned, I think Joe has a better depiction than I do.
Joe Degregory: We were hanging out on New Years Eve, and for some reason in the room we were in there was a box of waffles. So somebody asked to be passed a waffle and it fizzed into waffles being tossed all around the room and someone goes “this is a real waffle mishap.”
Hummingbird: So who are your musical influences? I guess this question will probably have some different answers for each of you.
LR: It’s been a little all over the place. A lot of standard rock stuff, and then getting into jazz at 13 or 14. The two main influences I have on the guitar are Keith Richards and Johnny Marr, as far as my playing on the album. I’ve accumulated a lot of influences over the years.
JM: Right now, I’d say my two greatest influences for tenor sax are Chad Elbee, a great sax player. I’m actually using his signature model mouthpiece, so I’m definitely trying to emulate his sound. And the other is Richie Canatta, Billy Joel’s tenor sax player. Stage presence and ideas come from them, but Jazz is kind of a new genre for me, I started high school. I also love some classic ‘80s rock and funk — which is kind of our style.
JD: So for me, just drumming wise: Neal Peart from Rush, Baard Kostad from a band called Leprous, and Mike Portnoy. He’s more of a metal drummer, but I take that and apply it to this group.
MG: I, like most of us, started really young. I went through a lot of different phases of what I liked and what inspired me. Before I was a musician, I was primarily an actor in musical theater, so that influenced my musical taste at the time — which created a theater-infused style of songwriting. I really like groups like Lawrence the Band, Dirty Loops, Jacob Collier, John Bellion.