Listening to Amara Fe’s new album, "SHIFT," is a bit like finding a perfectly preserved suit of medieval armor that’s been custom-tailored by a high-fashion house. It is formidable, gleaming, and entirely without apology. Across the sprawling landscape of its 24 tracks, Fe builds a monument to self-belief so solid it could probably withstand a siege. There is no room for doubt in this...

Yung Fume and King Yanz have made something truly special with "Ray." It is like seeing two great artists work together on the same painting, each adding their own unique brushstrokes to make something that neither could have done on their own. King Yanz, an artist with Congolese roots who was born in Finland, has been making waves with his conscious hip-hop style. He...