The ascent of Daniel Nwosu Jr., better known by his stage name Dax, from the middle of Wichita, Kansas, to the forefront of the international music scene has been watched by the whole world of music. From the time of his early mixtapes, like as the influential "2pac Reincarnation Vol. 2: The Beginning," to the time of his viral duet "Cash Me Outside" with Danielle...

Maraad’s new album, “BUFF”, is a strange and beautiful paradox, an object forged in the very fire it’s meant to protect you from. Each track is presented as a "buff," a bit of protective magic for the spirit, but the energy humming underneath feels less like a polished shield and more like the faint, determined glow around a figure in a centuries-old altarpiece—somehow both...