We love to see worlds collide, and that’s exactly what’s happening on “Saudade Songbook,” the new single from Brookzill!— a collaboration between Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), Prince Paul (of De La Soul), Don Newkirk (a De La affiliate), and São Paulo MC Rodrigo Brandão— featuring hip-hop veteran Count Bass D. It’s a fusion of melancholic boom-bap raps and bossa rhythms and guess what: it’s really great. Like, you should play this at your next barbecue or when you’re stuck in traffic.
It’s easy to make a sad song about death and longing, but the real work is in turning those feelings into a celebration– Brookzill! excel at that here. When Mecca shouts out some of hip-hop’s fallen heroes, like the Beastie Boys’ MCA and the universally beloved J Dilla, and then flips into Portuguese, she does it in her signature effortless style that got us hooked some 20 years ago when Digable Planets* first hit the scene with “Rebirth of Slick.”
Over text, Mecca tells me she never had the chance to meet MCA, “But I felt like I knew him through his music.” And that’s exactly how I felt growing up listening to the Beastie Boys; there was something about MCA’s presence on a record or in their music videos that felt especially unique and endearing. He remains my favorite MC…. but I digress.
“Saudade” is the lead single from Brookzill!’s upcoming Throwback to the Future album, slated for an October 7th release. When you pre-order the album on iTunes, you get a free download of “Saudade,” which you can stream below:
* Digable Planets are in the middle of a newly expanded reunion tour. Check the tour dates below to see if they’re playing in a city near you!
08-16 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theater
08-18 Salt Lake City, UT – Pioneer Park
08-19 Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
08-20 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
08-21 Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater
08-24 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
08-25 Portland, OR – Pabst Fest/MFNW @ The Crystal Ballroom