Listen: ILoveMakonnen - Drink More Water EP

Drinking water is good for you. It helps your skin stay clear and supple so you look eternally like someone who gets asked for their ID at the door, even if you’re post-25. It also helps you feel full so you don’t eat as much and get fat and can wear pre-25 fashions forever. It helps you concentrate, and makes your mind all crispy and fresh so you come up with great ideas. And it flushes out allll of the bad liquids you put into your body last night. And the one before that. It’s a god damned miracle liquid! Just ask ILoveMakonnen (of 'club goin' up, on a Tuesday' fame), whose dedicated his new EP title to the cause. Grab a glass of the pure stuff and sip it thoughtfully while you listen to Drake’s protégé tell you all about water in his new EP, Drink More Water.

The Atlanta rapper’s I Love Makonnen EP basically changed the game last year. He cemented himself as a key rapper to watch in Atlanta's new, weird, creative-rap scene (on that note, you need to watch this VICE doco on the Atlanta rap scene – an essential introduction!). As well as the EP, 2014 also some really strong ILM moments - like the Mike Will Made It-produced Wishin You Well and ILM's verse on Father's Look At Wrist. This is ILM's first mixtape since that EP (although he did an awesome guest track, FriendsMaybe, on Rome Fortune's dope Small VVorld EP). In 2015, he’s already guested on Brodinski’s album Brava. So there’s a lot riding on Drink More Water, it being his first full length since his ascent into rapstardom and everything.   

The EP sees ILM in his percussive, tuneless, rambling/stream of consciousness vocal style in full effect, except this time ‘round there’s some faster beat tempos involved, and more electronic vibes – perhaps indicative of future work that’s rumoured to be coming with Diplo and Scrillex. The melodies are also all awesome (as usual). A song we've previously heard, Super Clean, remains a highlight, spacious, airy and full of dense textures - it's the EP's 'light up and vibe to it' track. Rome returns the EP favour, guesting on Drink More Water’s fieriest number, No Ma'am - this one's sure to be turned up in clubs before long. Aso in for the count are Migos, Fredo Santana, and Yung Gleesh. Looking forward to getting properly stuck into this one! Stream / free download it below:

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