This Friday has brought with it new songs from The Weeknd and Ab-Soul as well as new projects from Solange and DJ Mustard. There's also a new soundtrack -- to the upcoming Nat Turner-inspired film "Birth of a Nation" -- which includes an array of exciting of new hip-hop and R&B tracks, including collabs between Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne and another from Meek Mill and Pusha T. The soundtrack's opener is a solo track from Chicago emcee Vic Mensa, entitled "Go Tell 'Em." Racial injustice has been a prime focus of Mensa's recent output, and on "Go Tell 'Em," his lyrics incorporate Turner's story into the present day, "where the cops try to Zimmerman us while the whole neighborhood watch." The beat is crafted from a vocal chant that could've come from the movie as well as a lurching bluesy bassline that matches Mensa's visceral rapping. He ends the song by dropping off a redemptive vocal chant of his own.
Head here to stream the entire "Birth of a Nation" soundtrack, with additional songs from 2 Chainz, Nas, Wale, Lecrae, and more.
