After going quiet for a few years, the singular Chicago rap stylist Valee is suddenly very busy. Valee returned to action with 2022’s Vacabularee, which was actually his first full-length album. Last year, he released collaborative LPs with producers Harry Fraud and MVW. Today, he’s got a new EP with Nova Scotia-born, Detroit-raised producer Black Noi$e, a regular Earl Sweatshirt collaborator.
Black Noi$e did all the production on the new EP Partridge, and there are no guests. It’s just those two artists locked in with one another for five songs and 16 minutes. (Earl Sweatshirt actually did the artwork with Black Noi$e and Minaret Records founder Yousef Hilmy, but he doesn’t appear on the record.) And I have to tell you: There are some weird rhythmic patterns on this thing. Between Valee’s pitter-pat flow and Black Noi$e’s deranged programming, get ready to get confused. Stream it below.
The Partridge EP is out now on Unlimited WiFi.