Words by Jesse Serwer—
The Rub’s DJ Ayres and DJ Eleven are known for their legendary parties that blend up every genre—or all the good ones, at least—into one musical utopia. In fact, you could say that the two (along with Rub co-founder and Okayplayer/LargeUp family for life, Cosmo Baker) are part of a select few DJs responsible for the general genre-smashing and border-erasing that has occurred in music over the last decade or so. So it’s no surprise that The Rub’s new EP—their first as producers making original tracks—would include some dancehall flavor, alongside hip-hop, house, electro, moombahton and other ingredients.
What’s more, the bashment vibes come courtesy of LargeUp’s own Natalie Storm. Nats brings her distinctive voice and deejaying style to “Dutty Gyal,” a Major Lazer-esque electro-dancehall rattler with steelpan vibes over garage-y drums— a combination sure to get our small-island and U.K. people moving in unison.
The Rub EP drops Tuesday, June 18 via T&A Records. Stream “Dutty Gyal” below, and share your thoughts in the comments.