Tkay Maidza

When Australia's Tkay Maidza started picking up comparisons to Azealia Banks with her debut single "U-Huh", it was with some understanding that we might not be hearing from Banks for a while. Particularly with the interminably dull Iggy Azalea, there's a certain amount of hope riding on Maidza to deliver bouncy and beat-heavy hip-hop on a level that could erase the shame of Australia's most visible entry into the genre to date. Like Banks, Maidza draws influences from British predecessors in grime, only without the baggage.

While "Switch Lanes" is allegedly about mourning lost friends, it could equally serve as a response to these still-fresh comparisons. "I don't know why they think we're alike," she raps over bass rumbles and a constantly moving beat, steel drums lashing out like daggers, with Maidza defiantly promising to switch it up on her terms alone. Regardless of who came before, if she can continue this streak of slick, party-ready rapping, she's got a glowing future. - Pitchfork

We first introduced Australia-via-Zimbabwe rapper Tkay Maidza back in August with the video for her ebullient single "U-Huh," an infectious track that almost sounds like the Cocteau Twins gone totally major key, and EDM. Today we're premiering Maidza's debut mixtape, Switch Tape, and it shows her keeping the vibe lighthearted for the most part, offering up a selection of tracks—including "Finish Them," her recent collaboration with UK club curator Bok Bok—percolating with frenetic euphoria. "The Switch Tape mixtape is basically an outlook and a taste of what I have been working on for the past 12 months," she told The FADER over email. "A true introduction of Brat Rap Tkay. I've been doing a lot of experimenting and having fun whilst I've been writing so I wanted to show everyone what is up, but this doesn't indicate anything what so ever. I just hope people feel the vibes and enjoy." We'll cheers to that. Listen now, download here, and check Tkay's live dates below. - Complex

“M.O.B.” — short for “Money Over Bitches” — first showed up on Tkay Maidza’s promising debut mixtape, Switch Tape, and it’s now getting the single treatment. Outside the context of a 30+ minute Soundcloud mix, the track shines even brighter. It’s a glassy blend of rap and modern pop, showing off Maidza’s rhythm and the magic she can work with a good sample. “It’s about the present me talking to the future me about what I want to be and hoping I achieve it,” she revealed to Buzzfeed. “The money over bitches sample is open to interpretation but to me it actually means working hard over the ‘bitches’ in life whether that’s your mental struggles, people or whatever else.” Listen to it below. - Stereogum