Jesus-cheesecrapping-Christ, pardon my blasphemy, actually fuck that; a whole ton of local music got thrown out last month, and I'm still catching up, being that I have all this other nonlocal music to listen to, plus a dog to walk, plus this pizza isn't going to eat itself. Plus, it seems that the whole Arab world is uprising, former Seattle Police Department member (like "gang member") Ian Birk isn't in jail (which is King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg's fault, and I'm not forgetting), and we're all going to hell in a Jersey Shore–cross-branded KFC Famous Bowl; things like that make writing about rap seem unseemly half the time. Time, which there is not enough of. (Okay, inhale.) There is always more than enough music, though, and for that I am forever grateful. (Exhale.)

Malice & Mario Sweet followed up their extra-beautiful "Speed of Light" with their Happy 2 Year EP, seven tracks strong (that is, if you have the version that came before UMG made them pull the Roy Ayers–sampling "Mario," which you can find on some, ahem, local blogs) and fully reaffirming my daily-tested faith in humanity and art. The Sweets, voices all a-twirl like incense smoke, really put their love into this one—of each other, and of soul and R&B in its many forms—with some top-shelf (and I'm talking the Macallan 55 here) production from Jus D'Amato, Vitamin D, 10.4 Rog, Kuddie Fresh, and LA's Tall Black Guy. Go to www.mariosweet.com immediately and download this, ALL CAPS. (You might have seen the Sweets singin' backup for the Physics, whose studio at the OK Hotel was recently burgled by some worthless piece of shit; please give the homies your support in any way you can.)

Then there's OG Vitamin D, who dropped Fuck a Valentine on that one day; it's not another Vita solo, though, yo—it's a Sta Hi Brothas project with the big homie Maine riding shotgun. Safe to say the Brothas aren't nearly as convinced of the transformative power of love ("They reel you in, catch you up, have you home lazy getting fat as fuck"), as the two scream on bitches of all genders, hit the strip club, and get their two-step on in the willfully ign'ant fashion they're renowned for. All over the Jheri curl–slick vinyl grooves provided by Vita himself, who is on point, as usual. It all reeks of Swisher fumes and bad relationships, but my favorite moment is "Sinsative Side," where the Sta Hi lay their game quite flat.

Hi-Life Soundsystem recently dropped their self-titled debut with Members Only; conceived as a third-wave-style party-rap outing from Khingz and Godspeed members B-Flat and Crispy, it's a good time that celebrates good times, scene camaraderie (via collabs with MCs like Thig Nat, Sol, Nam, Grynch, and Cloud Nice, who have reps on four tracks), and town spirit(s). Crispy's beats squelch and thump in a manner quite pleasantly funky, B-Flat games and toasts capably—but Khingz really takes this opportunity to black out whenever it's called for. If you smoke, ride, or smoke and ride, this be your soundtrack. Now pass that!