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Summer 2013 saw the release of Dour Candy, a collaboration between Ninja Tune artist Blockhead and critically-acclaimed rapper Billy Woods. Woods’ buzz was at an all-time high coming off the release of History Will Absolve Me, his 2012 opus that was on virtually every rap-related “best of 2012” list. Blockhead comes into this project newly removed from his high-profile collaboration with indie legend Illogic.

Dour Candy catches both artists in a moment of flux and that momentum propels this tightly wound LP. This is Woods first project with a single producer, and he is joined on the mic by Aesop Rock, Open Mike Eagle, Moka Only and Elucid of Cult Favorite. Album artwork by Ashes 57.

billy woods is a rapper who defies easy categorization; he was born in the U.S. but spent much of his childhood in Africa and the West Indies. On the mic, woods is no less of a conundrum, possessed of versatile flows and an ability to not only tackle topics other artists wouldn’t dream of, but also to bring unique perspectives to the familiar ones.