AUGUST 08 and Smino Meditate on Lost Love in "Blood on My Hands"

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If you have yet to familiarize yourself with the name AUGUST 08, now is the time. Like a quiet storm, the revolutionary R&B artist has spent the last odd year making quite the stir amongst music aficionados and tastemakers alike thanks to his magnum opus, Father. It was difficult to imagine the Los Angeles-based artist ever topping himself, but with each new release, AUGUST 08 hones his innate talent for expectation-shattering R&B.

"Blood On My Hands" sees AUGUST 08 linking up with fellow visionary artist Smino, who is set to embark on an expansive European and North American tour for a bout of otherworldly hip hop. The new single follows "Spiral," AUGUST 08's ethereal collaborative effort with the Grammy-nominated WYNNE. The world of "Blood On My Hands" seems to exist slightly out of step with time and space. Opening on sparse isolated touches of productions, we are left to float adrift until AUGUST 08's commanding vocals meet us in the void and draw us forth to the dance floor.

There is a pulsing and swelling energy that builds throughout "Blood on My Hands," making it so much more than just a phenomenal collaboration between two of R&B and hip-hop's future heavyweights. The fusion of tribal, hip-hop, and electronica undercurrents that surge forth paint a picture of love lost under the flashing lights of the dance floor. AUGUST 08's dance floor meditations on desire and heartbreak are only broken up by a standout spitfire verse from Smino. With "Blood on My Hands," AUGUST 08 proves himself as an artist both capable of delivering music worthy of critical acclaim and universal appeal.

Listen to "Blood on My Hands" below and see all dates for Smino's Ones To Watch-presented tour here.

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