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PREMIERE: Stream Mercury Prize Winners Young Fathers' 'White Men Are Black Men Too' in Full

The Scotland trio is back after their award-winning debut 'Dead.'

Photo courtesy of Young Fathers

If you’re not familiar, Young Fathers are an alternative hip-hop group out of Edinburgh, Scotland. (Yes, there’s a hip-hop scene in Edinburgh—don’t you read Noisey?) This past fall, they won the 2014 Mercury Prize for their debut DEAD (an award they won over FKA twigs and Damon Albarn, by the way), a record that’s a chaotic and complicated blend of hip-hop, pop, and r&b. The group is made up of three dudes: ‘G’ Hastings from Drylaw, Edinburgh, Alloysious Massaquoi—originally from Liberia via Ghana—and Kayus Bankole, born in Edinburgh to Nigerian parents but partially raised in Maryland. Fun fact: the band members are named after their respective fathers (hence the name). And they actually met when they were teenagers. And their dads hung out! Just look at this photo!

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Here's a photo of the actual fathers of Young Fathers. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Anyway, following being the winners one of the biggest music awards you can receive in the UK and one that’s pretty indicative of success to come (previous winners include James Blake, PJ Harvey, The xx, Pulp, and more), the trio is back with their follow-up record White Men Are Black Men Too, which doesn't release till next week but Noisey is streaming in full below. It’s an album that takes the work of DEAD and doubles down, putting the listener on a rollercoaster, embracing the experimental side of hip-hop and pushing its sound into weirder, jazzier elements. Thematically, each band member is 27 years old, so the album deals with the emotional struggles of being a young adult in the year 2015—not sure how to handle what life swerves in your direction, whether that's challenges of romance, race, or the monotony of daily existence. It’s a big album—one that requires time to unpack and understand—which might seem surprising, considering WMABMT is only a quick 12-tracks long. But it is something. Personal favorites from my ear include the following: “27,” “Sirens,” and “Get Started.”

Stream White Men Are Black Men Too, and catch Young Fathers on tour over the coming months. Pre-order the record here.

Apr 09 Boston, MA - Great Scott
Apr 10 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Apr 11 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
Apr 12 Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel
Apr 14 Raleigh, NC - Kings
Apr 15 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell Stage)
Apr 16 New Orleans, LA - Republic
Apr 17 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
Apr 18 Dallas, TX - Trees
Apr 19 Austin, TX - Parish
Apr 21 Phoenix, AZ – Pub Rock
Apr 22 San Diego, CA - Casbah
Apr 24 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
Apr 25 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Apr 29 Portland, OR - Holocene
Apr 30 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club
May 01 Victoria, BC - Distrikt
May 02 Seattle, WA - Neumos
May 05 Boise, ID - Neurolux
May 06 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
May 07 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
May 08 Lincoln, NE - Vega
May 09 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
May 10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
May 13 St. Louis, MO - Firebird
May 14 Nashville, TN - Exit In
May 16 Gulf Shores, AL - Hangout Fest
May 20 Glasgow, UK - Art School
May 21 Newcastle, UK - Riverside
May 22 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
May 23 Knockengorroch, UK - World Ceilidh Festival
May 25 Manchester, UK - Gorilla
May 26 Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
May 27 Cardiff, UK - Clwb Ifor Bach
May 28 London, UK - Koko
May 29 Brighton, UK - The Haunt
May 30 Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
Jun 01 Gloucester, UK - Guildhall
Jun 02 Oxford, UK - O2 Academy 2
Jun 03 Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds
Jun 04 Stoke-On-Trent, UK - The Sugarmill
Jun 05 Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
Jun 06 Sheffield, UK - O2 Academy 2
Jun 07 Liverpool, UK - Kazimier
Jun 09 Edinburgh, UK - Central Hall