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Vic Mensa (Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid & Papi Beatz), 'The Taste'

Every year, the last of frost thaws, a warm breeze caresses an ankle and the Mecca of the Midwest transforms with the promise of summer; it always begins too late and ends too soon. For that brief, inimitable three-month period, Chicago is in explosion. Frequent collaborators Vic Mensa and BJ The Chicago Kid teamed up to put on for their city and celebrate the season's euphoric excess with "The Taste," an ode to the particular beauty and magic of urban summertime.

"You taste like Chicago," announces a cooing refrain, delivering an immediate sensation of speeding down Lake Shore Drive with childlike delight, wind roaring in ears. Sunny and soulful, "The Taste" features a nostalgic, stank face beat, heavy on guitar and synth drums, courtesy of Chicago producers Papi Beatz and Stefan Ponce. If you love summertime in Chicago as much as I do, this one's for you.

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LaTesha Harris is NPR Music's editorial assistant. A relentless jack-of-all-trades, she takes turns writing, editing and producing music coverage. Invested in the culture behind pop, hip-hop and R&B, her work highlights the intersection between identity and history. Once in a blue moon, Harris moonlights as a talking head with no filter.