In December newish rap podcast Chicago Sleepers posted an interview with local rappers Melo Makes Music and Ju where the MCs talked about bridging hip-hop with alternative rock. Ju said combining rap and rock comes naturally: “It’s not a thought anymore, I just kinda make that shit—honestly not even thinking about it.” His public output is limited—he’s dropped a handful of solo tracks since his duo Moon & Ju called it quits in 2014—but his work shows a reverence for the kind of crossover rock that peaked roughly 15 years ago, far enough in the past for musicians now in their late teens to consider it classic. Take “Stains,” released a few months ago—it’s built on a down-tempo bass line lifted from “Adam’s Song,” the weepy 1999 single by pop-punk behemoths Blink-182.
