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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

All content by Antonio Johri
Album artwork depicting an illustration of a man exhaling a cloud of smoke. Behind him, the sky is orange and red, appearing to be on fire. The words “SLI’ MERRE” are written above him.

Review: ‘Sli’merre 2’ is a woozy, hypnotic sonic trip

The producer-rapper duo reunites after five years with a 16-track project, which strikes a perfect balance between Pi’erre Bourne’s immersive beats and Young Nudy’s unique vocals.
Antonio Johri, Contributing Writer November 26, 2024

When Pi’erre Bourne first showed Young Nudy his beats in an Atlanta studio in 2017, an iconic partnership began. Bourne’s quirky, retro beats soon found their home in the production...

An album cover of faces of girls with purple skin, white glowing eyes and various expressions with a vinyl peeking out. The girl in the center has blonde hair and a shirt with “LIL UZI” written on it as a key floats above her head.

Review: ‘Eternal Atake 2’ is Lil Uzi’s eternal mistake

Lil Uzi Vert reaches a new creative low with a rushed, disappointing sequel album that falls short of its predecessor.
Antonio Johri, Contributing Writer November 12, 2024

Since Lil Uzi Vert’s career began in the mid-2010s, they were known as a pioneer of the SoundCloud era, a time when many young rappers would post their DIY tracks to the platform...

A vinyl record with a person with gold and silver accessories against a gray background.

Review: Cochise reinvigorates fans with ‘WHY ALWAYS ME?’

The Florida rapper is on a journey to explore his voice, releasing his most energetic and carefree album to date.
Antonio Johri, Contributing Writer November 5, 2024

Cochise’s eighth album, “WHY ALWAYS ME?,” delivers 18 tracks aimed at energizing his loyal fanbase. Fans were craving booming trap beats, addictive synth-heavy melodies and...

A man wearing a light blue hoodie and lots of gold jewelry sits in front of a white background.

Review: Toosii returns, ‘JADED’ as ever

The Syracuse emcee dips into his smooth R&B with features from Gunna, Kehlani and Muni Long — but the experiment yields generic results.
Antonio Johri, Contributing Writer October 16, 2024

Like many other rappers of his time, Toosii first found fame during the SoundCloud era of the mid-2010s. He carved out a space for himself by adopting era-defining features into...

A singer performing on a stage in front of red smoke and a crowd full of waving flashlights.

Review: J. Cole’s ‘Might Delete Later’ should be deleted

J. Cole dropped a small mixtape with a weak Kendrick Lamar diss and dispassionate bars.
Antonio Johri, Contributing Writer April 15, 2024

Cole is considered to be one of the three legends of modern hip-hop, next to Kendrick Lamar and Drake. But his newest album, “Might Delete Later,” is probably the weakest...

An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen To This: Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter tries a different sound in ‘L’accouchement’

Read about this week’s most notable singles by Zach Bryan, Daisy Jones & The Six and more.

“L’accouchement” by Thomas Bangalter Holden Lay, Staff Writer Daft Punk alum Thomas Bangalter’s sprawling new single, “L’accouchement,” is about as far from...