Joel, aka MaG, serves up a fresh slice of humble pie with “Songs for Charles” which he describes as an “open letter to his pops.”  The introspective and plangent vibe prevalent throughout the album conjures the anxiety associated with confronting the expectations of one’s parents.  His flow, somehow simultaneously effortless and thoughtful, leans into his dusty beats as if to procure some lost volume, as if the answer is in there.  He sounds like Kanye mixed with Mos, or maybe Kanye back when he used to rap with Mos.  Or maybe he’s just his own wizard practicing hip hop with respect for it like the alchemy it is.  As he vamps on the jazzy “Better late than never,” “I would rather die than let go of one of my dreams.”  It’s precision wordplay; Charles would be proud.

Here are more results related to the open submissions for our Best of NYC 2013 Poll for Emerging Artists - this is the HIP-HOP/OTHER category.

Not a lot of submissions in this category but some really quality artists, check them out!

Total submissions in this category: 9

Artists Qualified to the next stage (Readers' Poll, starting around 01.15):

1. Rilgood - 7.66
2. Greg Banks - 7.5

Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5):

Joel (aka MaG), HASINA, Brittany Campbell, Jesse Fischer, Empire Beats.

Jurors: Ben Tledo (Deli Portland), Jordannah Elizabeth (Deli SF Bay), Jason Grimste (Deli NYC)

Stay tuned for more results, and then for the readers' poll.

The Deli's Staff

MaG is doing his thing. He’s made great strides since “Retail.” His style recalls a young Talib Kweli, with a bit more intelligibility. His nonchalance is endearing; it’s like the microphone is his best friend and he’s confiding his innermost thoughts. He’s shooting the shit too, and dreaming, posturing a bit, but not in an offensive way. He wants to have coffee with you, walk down the street with you and point out his favorite landmarks. He’s got secrets, and if you listen close enough, you’ll have them. In a culture hampered by its own exclusivity, MaG is defining a new form of “Freedom.” -=bMC