A lot of musicians, mostly rappers, appear all the time, and I can confidently say that not all of them have Trady's level of elegance. Trady is a rapper from the United Kingdom, specifically Billingham. His lyrical style reminds me of the early days of Eminem, the great slim shady. It's no surprise that he cited Eminem as an influence, along with Joyner Lucas...

Before listening to a single note of Suris’ new album, “Pertinax”, I spent a few minutes just looking at the word. Pertinax. It has the distinct ring of a Stoic philosopher’s last defiant utterance or maybe a type of beetle known for its unusually stubborn shell. What a curious flag to fly for a collection of songs in an age of fleeting distraction. But...