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On a playlist that includes R.E.M.‘s “Superman,” Foo Fighters‘ “My Hero,” and Rolling Stones‘ “Poison Ivy,” there’s a jarring stand-out: “Save the Day” by Bop Alloy, the jazzy hip-hop duo of Prince George’s County native Substantial and Seattle producer Marcus D.
The pair is hardly undeserving, but the shout-out was surprising nonetheless. “I was speechless, man,” Substantial writes in an e-mail. “It’s unreal because I literally have no clue how it happened, but I’m happy as hell to know that people are listening.”
Baltimore’s Dan Deacon also gets a hat tip on the playlist. (His loopy “Pink Batman” is track No. 13.)
Substantial’s forthcoming album, Home Is Where The Art Is, drops Sept. 4 on Mello Music Group. Until then, check the Vogue playlist below.