Wednesday Roundups #32: 7 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time

Stream releases from Aesop Rock, Lord Apex, Samoht, Wiki & Tony Seltzer, Onry Ozzborn, Sonnyjim & Lee Scott, and P.H.D.

Welcome back to Shatter the Standards!

The thirty-second outing of Wednesday Roundups!

It might be challenging to prioritize your music listening when so much new music is available. Shatter the Standards provides a weekly summary of newsworthy releases on streaming platforms. Aesop Rock, Lord Apex, Samoht, Wiki & Tony Seltzer, Only Ozzborn, Sonnyjim & Lee Scott, and P.H.D. were the artists with new albums or projects last week. Watch for weekly music drops every Wednesday for suggestions of lesser-known albums.

Here are your roundups for today!

Aesop Rock — Integrated Tech Solutions (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

Aesop Rock has ​long been ​recognized for his ​ability to ​dissect the prevailing ​cultural lexicon, ​revealing the inherent ​instabilities within ​what is often ​perceived as ​a robust societal ​structure. His ​latest offering, Integrated ​Tech Solutions, ​is no exception. ​This album, ​marking his tenth, ​employs a ​subversive use of ​jargon typically ​associated with the ​corporate world. ​Aesop Rock harnesses ​this language ​to meticulously separate ​a pervasive ​and detrimental mindset ​from the ​elements of existence ​that hold ​genuine significance.

Lord Apex — The Good Fight (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

A multifaceted artist ​hailing from ​West London, Lord ​Apex has ​unveiled his latest ​musical offering ​titled The Good ​Fight. This ​album is a ​showcase of ​exceptional production, featuring ​an array ​of prime beats ​crafted by ​luminaries such as ​Madlib. The ​project also benefits ​from the ​creative inputs of ​DJ Khalil, ​Angus Luke, Pops ​& Crooklin, ​Black Noi$e, and ​Earbuds. At ​the heart of ​this new ​release is Lord ​Apex’s clear ​and focused vision. ​To realize ​this vision, he ​has orchestrated ​a collaboration with ​a select ​group of esteemed ​artists. Contributions from American artist ​Freddie Gibbs, ​the soulful Greentea ​Peng, and ​the talented MAVI highlight the album.

Samoht — Amor (R&B) [Listen]

Samoht unveils his ​latest creative ​venture, an album ​titled Amor. ​This collection of ​13 tracks, ​which he has ​brought to ​life without the ​backing of ​a major label, ​features a ​trio of songs ​that have ​already found their ​way to ​the public’s ear: ​“Moonlight,” “Pool,” ​and “Sexy & ​You Know ​It.” Within this ​body of ​work, Samoht navigates ​the raveled ​landscape of affection ​with a ​raw authenticity. He ​explores a ​spectrum of emotional ​depths in ​his relationships, from ​fervent commitment ​showcased in the ​track “Emergency” ​to expressions of ​physical longing ​in “Azz” and ​extending to ​moments of repentance ​with “Belong ​2 U,” where ​he seeks ​reconciliation following discord.

Wiki & Tony Seltzer — 14K Figaro (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

The latest offering ​from Wiki, ​14K Figaro, emerges ​as a ​continuation of his ​artistic collaborations, ​following joint endeavors ​with notable ​figures such as ​The Alchemist, ​MIKE, Navy Blue, ​Subjxct5, and ​NAH. This new ​work is ​exclusively crafted by ​the skilled ​hands of Tony ​Seltzer, who ​has been instrumental ​in shaping ​Wiki’s sound from ​the outset. ​Seltzer’s influence was ​first felt ​on No Mountains ​in Manhattan, ​Wiki’s initial release ​under XL ​Recordings in 2017, ​and was ​further solidified with ​the impactful ​successor, Oofie, in ​2019. The ​record also features ​a roster ​of accomplished collaborators. ​Among them ​are Remy Banks ​of World’s ​Fair, Zelooperz from ​Bruiser Brigade, ​and WifiGawd.

Onry Ozzborn — BlvckBeachBoi (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

Onry Ozzborn originates ​from a ​charming village nestled ​within the ​enchanting expanses of ​his homeland. ​His journey to ​VVeastwick unfolded ​along the historic ​pathways of ​the Oregon Trail. This passage has seen ​him traverse ​the region for ​an extensive ​period, with his ​presence dating ​back to 1717.

​In his ​latest album, Onry ​Ozzborn presents ​BlvckBeachBoi, a collection ​of thirteen ​songs that were ​available exclusively ​on Bandcamp, now ​on streaming ​platforms. This work ​is characterized ​by its brooding ​production quality ​and includes collaborations ​with notable ​artists such as ​Aesop Rock. ​The project continues ​to showcase ​Onry’s enduring presence ​in the ​music scene, marking ​yet another ​chapter in his ​extensive exploration ​of auditory creativity.

Sonnyjim & Lee Scott — Ortolan & Armagnac (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

Sonnyjim unveils his ​latest work, ​Ortolan & Armagnac, ​a concise ​yet short collection ​of music ​crafted under the ​production guidance ​of Lee Scott. ​Spanning a ​brief 26 minutes, ​this album ​presents a suite ​of 10 ​tracks, each enriched ​by the ​collaborative efforts of ​a diverse ​group of artists, ​including Your ​Old Droog, CRIMEAPPLE, ​Heems, D-Styles, ​King Grubb, and ​Beni LayLo. ​

P.H.D. — Poor, Hungry, Determined (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

Hailing from the ​vibrant city ​of Detroit, Michigan, ​P.H.D. made ​his mark as ​an adept ​MC with a ​distinctive voice ​in the hip-hop ​community. A partnership with Foul ​Mouth, a ​fellow MC and ​producer, characterized his initial steps into ​the music ​industry. This ​collaboration gave birth ​to Da ​Bash Brotherz, and ​together, they ​unveiled a mixtape ​in the ​spring of 2010 ​that captured ​their combined creative ​energies. While ​Foul Mouth's career ​trajectory propelled ​him to become ​a highly ​sought-after producer in ​Detroit and ​led to the ​co-founding of ​Middle Finger Music ​with Pat ​Deegan, P.H.D.’s path ​diverged.

The ​spring of 2020 ​brought with ​it a silence ​that was ​felt deeply within ​the music ​community due to ​the pandemic ​lockdowns. It was ​during this ​time that P.H.D., ​at the ​age of 41, ​met an ​untimely and tragic ​end. His ​departure left a void ​in the fabric ​of the ​hip-hop scene where ​his presence ​had once been ​a source ​of inspiration.

Yet, ​in a ​turn of events ​filled with ​poignancy and respect ​for his ​memory, it was ​disclosed that ​Foul Mouth would ​join forces ​with Jimbo Slice ​and Pig ​Pen to bring ​to life ​P.H.D.’s posthumous solo ​debut. The ​revelation, which came ​to light ​merely a week ​earlier, was ​received with a ​mixture of ​anticipation and respect. ​It signaled ​a dedication to ​honoring P.H.D.’s ​memory in a ​manner that ​diverged from the ​often commercially ​driven nature of ​posthumous releases.

​The resulting album ​is a ​powerful homage to ​P.H.D.’s life ​and artistic contributions, ​distinguished by ​its exceptional production ​quality and ​compelling guest appearances. ​Together, they ​narrate the life ​of an ​individual characterized by ​poverty, hunger, ​and determination—reflecting the ​very qualities that ​P.H.D. himself ​embodied. This project ​transcends being ​just another collection ​of songs; ​it is a ​respectful and ​fitting honor to ​an artist ​whose influence continues ​to be ​felt and whose ​story still ​inspires those who ​encounter his ​work.