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...

Jonathan Shapiro is a talented poet and freestyle artist, and he has already established a name for himself in the rap world despite being just 20 years old. After beginning his career in music at the tender age of 13, he is now juggling his love for music with his schooling at a local university. Shapiro has built a distinctive sound resonating well with audiences, and...