XV is bleeding his March Madness into some April awesomeness with yet another mixtape to add to his 2014 bracket. Keeping in line with the format, the latest offering from the Kansas deep-thinker is titled March Madness Vol. 3: Elite Eight, but don’t get it twisted like cyclones. This isn’t a collection of corny basketball references.
The eight-song release is arguably the best of the bunch (so far) and shows that even in his warm-ups, he’s able to compete with the best of them.
Artists generally only get noticed when their tributes revolve an entire project but XV ends the EP with an incredible cover of Jay Z’s “Regrets” from his classic debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Mixing familiar lyrics over a sentimental piano melody, the leader of the Squarians reflects on past mistakes which make for a learning experience for all listeners. On “Wicked Witches,” he and pals Bruce Means and Chris Barnett II embraced The Wizard of Oz stereotype and deliver of a gem of a track. Ruby. Slippers.
Stream and download X to the V’s new joint below. Chances are your team isn’t playing anymore so you don’t have much else to do.
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Photo: Instagram/XV
