Rhymes that hit “the core of the human soul”

With this being the so-called welcome back issue and all, our initial plan was to include comprehensive updates about local concert spots, whether they’re open or not, critical info of that sort.

As it turns out though, with the exception of a couple of sorely missed bars that have shuttered due to pandemic-induced stress, most of your go-to faves are cranking, albeit with relatively light schedules and mask mandates. To see what they are booking, be sure to check the ads and listings in this issue, plus our extensive “Stuff To Do” section at digboston.com and the sites of venues—from the Sinclair in Cambridge, where we’ll be checking Rebuilder, Choke Up, and oldsoul on Sept. 3, to the Midway in JP. Also to note on the venue front: if you get vaccinated at one of the upcoming Live Nation clinics at the House of Blues or Paradise, you’ll get a pair of gratis tickets for the show of your choice.

As for new recorded music, all eyes are on Millyz this month. Good luck scrolling through Instagram for more than 30 seconds without seeing the Cambridge hip-hop honcho pop up on your glass, from the big single “Emotions” with G. Herbo to his new full-length project, Blanco IV. We’ll be speaking with Millyz in the next couple of weeks about some other major announcements, but for now here’s a word from his camp: “A protégé of the hip hop icon Jadakiss, Millyz is driven by an insatiable tenacity that saw him through a past filled with hardship, pain and adversity. Now turning that very same pain into purpose, Millyz is turning his life lessons into studio sessions.” –Dig Staff