Khari Mateen and STS return for another creative collaboration, Spring Summer Collection 19

S.T.S. and Khari Mateen | still from video

Seasoned collaborators STS (Sugar Tongue Slim) and Khari Mateen are back with another collab album titled Spring Summer Collection 19. Filled with creative elements of boom-bap, jazz, and soul, no two songs on the project are the same, bouncing around between various tempos and styles. Each song stands out in its own creative space – the connective tissue being STS’s distinct bars and flow. Mateen provides fantastic production on the five tracks, performing a wide variety of instruments that contribute to each song’s distinct flavors.

Spring Summer Collection 19 kicks off with “87 Chevys,” featuring fellow collaborator RJD2. A soulful, bouncy banger, “87 Chevys” gives the listener an instantly uplifting feeling. More percussive elements are added as each chorus rolls on, coming to a raucous last chorus with plenty of vocal ad-libs. It’s a strong opener, but the next song, “Take You Out Tonight,” is a major standout. Also upbeat, it features live instrumentation, including jazzy doo-wop samples, strings, and extremely tasty bass licks. “Nothing Less” strips the instrumentation back, and features bars about self-empowerment and being your best self. Tempos increase once again on “Couldn’t Live Without It,” along with another instrumentation switch. The chilled-out-yet-fast-paced tune features more prominent strings and yet another sticky bassline alongside STS’s vocal harmonies. The project ends with “Don’t Listen,” which features lowkey piano melodies coupled with trap-style production and interesting effects on STS’s vocals.

This release follows Mateen and STS’s 2018 release Better on a Sunday, a noble project also featuring a wide variety of instrumentation and styles. With Spring Summer Collection 19, the two hone it in more, really coming together with a set of five tight tracks that showcase each artist’s strong suits. At this point, it is clear that STS and Mateen have a unique chemistry that many could only dream about, with tasty production choices and stellar playing abilities that mesh together with strong vocal delivery.

Check out Spring Summer Collection 19 below.