• Artist: MaLLy
• Track: City of Fear
• Producer: Last Word
• Album: The Colors of Black

Nationally, Minnesota is best known for being really f**king cold. But frostbite is by no means the scariest thing lurking in the streets of Minneapolis. If you cross MaLLY or a member of his circle, you’ll quickly learn why they call it the City of Fear. OK, I haven’t heard anyone besides the artist himself refer to it by that name but, after a listen to this freshly-minted single, I can’t argue with the appellation. In vivid verses, the Midwest buzzmaker imagines himself as a street soldier in a decaying urban dystopia. His bars sizzle with menacing urgency, and project collaborator Last Word heightens that ominous vibe behind the boards, using driving percussion, syncopated samples and staccato synth-bass to ratchet up the tension. For this cut, the reader-approved Hold My Tongue and much more, cop the emcee’s The Colors of Black LP when it hits record stores and online retailers Tuesday, April 8.