Has it really been a full year since we’ve heard a new single from WebsterX? Well, if “Kinfolk,” released on October 8, 2015, is indeed the last new track from the tireless Milwaukee rapper, then yes, it has been a full year. So what has WebsterX been up to lately, other than touring this past spring and winning a slew of local awards? If a just-released track called “Blue Streak” is any indication, the answer is “plenty.”
Out today via Soundcloud, “Blue Streak” showcases a remarkably lean vocal take from WebsterX—more straightforward and driving than, say, the looping vocals of “Doomsday.” But this relatively pared-down approach pays off big: “Could of been a low / But I rose / Yeah I’m right now / All this shit is magic / I don’t know / But I’m right now,” proclaims WebsterX throughout the song. It’s hard to disagree.
The release of “Blue Streak” also comes with news of a new distribution deal with Chicago label Closed Sessions, home to artists like Kweku Collins, Jamila Woods, and Boathouse. “In this deal I still own one-hundred percent of my masters, full creative control, and direction of my music,” says WebsterX. “So I am still considered an independent artist, however I now have distribution behind me.”