Alexander Mack is a Virginia based hip-hop artist, songwriter, and producer whose production work recently earned him a Grammy. His genre-blending and globe-trotting music showed itself in full force on his latest album You Had To Be There. After his successes, he's had the chance to reflect on his previous work, and release something wildly different than what he's known for, approaching the album with a new outlook and creative process. Together, we sat down to discuss topics like his...

# iheardasongtoday has always been bigger than just calling out a song or album I like. It is a running archive of what is really connecting wixth me, what feels honest, and what deserves a closer look in the moment. Over time, the segment has become my way of documenting the music that cuts through the noise, whether it is a record with mainstream reach or a project building its name the real way, through sound, identity, and staying power. Every entry adds to that story, and this time...

I am back with another review. #iheardasongtoday is theMSQshop’s way of breaking down music like music, not like a trend report. I live with a project long enough to find out what it really is, not what it pretends to be on first listen. Then I come back and talk about what stuck, what missed, and why. VA Confidential by Blac Francis is different. It is experimental, and anything that takes risks is going to come with pros and cons. But one thing is not in doubt: the production is...