I am sure most of you don’t go out of the comfort zone of your “Favorites Playlist.” This is not a judgment, just an educated guess. But aren’t we all creatures of habit? Not really. Not the NYU Abu Dhabi community. There is no conformity-bone in the DNA of anybody who chooses J-Terms based on vibes, eats sushi for dinner on the regular despite their Campus Dirhams balance and undertakes student apprenticeships because of the application deadline. And that is just another educated guess… If you’re feeling adventurous just now, I present to you some risky and unconventional music picks from this week to express your NYUAD eccentricity in your playlists as well.

Empire Central by Snarky Puppy

I had the pleasure of listening to Snarky Puppy perform live this summer as part of the A to JazZ Fest in Sofia. During their performance they announced their upcoming album and since then the release date has been marked on my calendar.

Snarky Puppy are proficient in modern fusion jazz. Mixing hard rock guitar riffs, drums reminiscent of the beats in Santana’s Abraxas, pop-y synthesizers, funky brass and bass, Snarky Puppy achieve the unimaginable: harmony. This mishmash of sounds and genres is intensified in their latest record. At times the music becomes overwhelming, but it is not exactly the overly pretentious intellectual jazz one would expect.

Empire Central (a live recording of phenomenal sonic quality) is a bit too upbeat to be restaurant jazz and definitely too jazz to be elevator music, which places it among the records one spins when in the mood for a background music that is spicier, underground-ier and, well, snarkier.

Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio (first singles released Oct. 2, 1995) and Return of the Gangsta by Coolio (released Oct. 16, 2008)

On Sept. 28, the music industry was shaken by the news of Coolio’s passing. Only 59 years old, the legendary gangsta rapper leaves behind a legacy that is worth paying tribute to. Ironically, some of his most famous records were also released in the beginning of October, fitting perfectly with this week’s selection.

Coolio’s influence on 90s hip-hop and its immediate genre successors is clear from the first seconds of Gangsta’s Paradise. Soulful RnB and lounge jazz instrumentals give sensuality to politically-charged lyrics, infused with pained nostalgia. Of course, we all know the single Gangsta’s Paradise has become a centerpiece for multiple pop culture phenomena: the Y2K revival, 90s cinema, the “epic cover” YouTube trend, swag TikToks and Reels… it has become the symbol of the turn of the century.

In memory of the star of 90s rap, I urge you to listen to one of his later and lesser known albums, Return of the Gangsta. It feels very much like a second part to Gangsta’s Paradise, but also like yet another record that steered the gangsta rap genre in a new direction from the initial trajectory Coolio mapped out. His quality to evolve with the times, but to also take part in shaping them himself, is what he will always be remembered for.

by WILLOW (release date Oct. 7)

WILLOW has managed to escape from her family name. She is already a household name in the pop-punk revival, among MGK and Yungblud. While I miss her snappy angsty rap from the ARDIPITHECUS era, I still think she has found her home in the experimental indie/pop-punk/alternative genre. After a series of punchy singles, WILLOW is finally ready to release a new full long playing album, . Although we pretty much know the musical and lyrical direction the album will take, there is still enough room for surprises, but even without them there is much to enjoy in WILLOW’s latest works.