“I get most of my wisdom from woman. I practice it on my brothers.” In the track Us, Aja Monet roll-calls her women as the track cites James Brown’s It’s a Man’s World … “my litany for survival”. The track sets up an album that quietly but firmly secures Aja’s place in my own roll-call of inspirational women.

If you want a global update on the hottest women Hip Hop artists right now, check this generous mixtape from Nomadic Wax.

I’ve been remiss in not linking to this, a video dropped in November. Melbourne-based spoken word artists Luka Lesson and Omar Musa in Istanbul transcending, produced by Tenicee. 

Out of Vancouver, Tanya Evanson brings her third ‘spoken wor.l.d’ music album exploring concepts of family, mythology, dialect, silence & technology…

Take some time to listen to Mutombo Da Poet, from the city of Accra in Ghana West Africa. 

The artists formerly known as the Belfast Poets who kicked down some great poetic collaborations in Melbourne way back when … Scream Blue Murmur are now kicking poetry around inside musical grooves and it’s really cool to hear these artists pushing their form so decisively.

Watch this new video shot by Shuttermain, “She Cotton Summer Dresses”. From Melbourne.