The Rye Rye/M.I.A. connections run deep: the pair toured relentlessly on the back of Kala, the 18 year-old Rye teamed up with Afrikan Boy on the Paper Planes (Homeland Security Remixes) EP. One of the major projects that brought M.I.A. out of her 'retirement' last year was her work on Baltimore's Rye Rye's debut album, which is due this year on M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. imprint. Rye Rye is streaming a bunch of tracks from her upcoming album at her MySpace, but the highlight is 'Bang' which features M.I.A. on the bangs on this Blaqstarr-produced track, and Rye Rye on the (pretty dirty) rhymes. Rye is quickly establishing herself in the M.I.A. mold with syncopated vocal patterns and blaring Diplo-esque beats. Between Rye's fashion sense, flow, and club beats, she fits easily into the expanding Maya/Diplo/Santi/Spank/Amanda Blank axis.