Temperature’s Rising: Standing Ovation (SO)
A wise man once asked me “how can something be ‘retro’ if everybody ascribes to in the contemporary age>” That wise man was actually my 9 year old cousin, but I couldn’t help but think he had a good point. So many people rock retro Air Jordans nowadays that what’s the point of calling them retro in the first place? 9 year olds do a whole lot of b#######, wining, and loud noise when you are just trying to watch the Laker game without committing domestic homicide, but they are occasionally wise beyond their years. Aside from hypebeasts making it their lifes’ mission to buy the 11’s in every possible colorway, artists that make it their mission to revisit the golden sounds of the past are most often times making a fruitful decision. Standing Ovation, also known as SO, consists of LA native The Character and producer Bronze Baby Shoes from Virginia. Exuding a smooth retro feel and Hip Hop that goes far beyond the genre’s traditional limits, SO are making a big splash with their new EP, Echo Park. Described by one writer as “Full Moon Funk,” Echo Park is dripping with chemistry and features the duo pushing boundaries and inviting listeners to ponder the difficult questions about life, the universe and literally everything in between. Shrouded in mystery and endlessly engaging, Echo Park realizes moments of rap mastery interweaving nicely with ambient soundscapes that feel like they’re ripped straight from the 70s. Aside from the genre-bending sounds, there is something distinctly appealing about the SO experience that is sure to capture even the most hardened imagination. Stream the record: https://soundcloud.com/100so/sets/echo-park
Temperature’s Rising: Apollo
By now I’m entirely convinced that the various hospitals of Atlanta are in total cahoots with each other in their practices in the dark arts. Obviously Atlanta is a populous place with a lively culture, but that still doesn’t seem to account ridiculous amount of talent the city seems to produce on a steady basis. I’ve never really cared for Illuminati-esque conspiracy talk, and honestly feel that if you are willing to spend hours and hours of your time rewinding music video clips in the attempt to prove that some rapper’s random hand gesture is evidence of evil, then you should be sent required to play for the 76ers in eternal damnation. But not even I can deny that doctors in Hotlanta are clearly giving newborns some illegal antidote…no Travis Scott. The latest talent to join the never-ending ATLien galaxy Killer Mike-Cyhi the Prynce-Soulja Boy-Jeezy-Future-Outkast-B.o.B-Gucci Mane-Rae Sremmurd-Young Dro-Cee Lo Green-K Camp-Rich Homie Quan-Migos-T.I.-2 Chainz-Bubba Sparxxx (ok I’ll stop) is Atlanta’s own Apollo. If your interweb game is strong, you may already know that Apollo is one half of superHERO, a crew I wrote about a few months ago in this very column upon the release of their surprisingly solid The Middle album. I originally wrote: Beyond the pizzazz effect (after all, what really is pizzazz?) superHero are brashly pushing the boundaries on what hip hop can be by ushering in an extra level of aggression to make their beats all the more engaging, and furthermore, inspiring. With The Middle, essentially, superHero have optimized their lyrical content and implementation of hooks to put together a package the world has yet to witness. There is something strangely gravitational about what superHero do on The Middle, making for some of the most enjoyable hip hop I’ve heard this year. (I’m posting this video again because this was my jam for a cool second, and also, it’s my column and I can do whatever the f### I want). Historically, the problem with duos that never really blow up is that the crew itself is identifiable, but the members themselves are not. Outkast is a perfect example of a group with two charismatic members who everyone knows. Like a tried, true, and wise ATLien, Apollo is avoiding that common pitfall by really giving the world an introduction to himself with The Otherside: An Art Exhibit a solo dolo expenditure…no Cudi, and especially not the wack ass version with Kendrick. But I digress. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/224080268″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] By far my favorite component of the Apollo experience is just how evident it is that he is a true student of the game. At times he pulls from his bigger brothers Andre 3000 and Big Boi, and at other times he elects for a Kanye feel. Of course the ignorant will disagree, but the artist who truly studies the craft and pulls from so many disparate directions ultimately ends up creating something wholly original. And just superHERO’s The Middle pushed the boundaries of hip hop to ingenious places at times, Apollo is once again not only that his artistry cannot be handcuffed to genre-labels but even in the immensely crowded talent pool of ATL, the 21 year old is demanding attention. Let’s face it, deep down everyone wants at least one time to tell their homies “MC ____ is about to blow!” and then finally watch it happen. Something tells me you would be making a wise bet with Apollo. I don’t always use the phrase “this s### goes” but…well, just play track 6 “Rolling” and decide for yourself. And lucky for us, Apollo isn’t stingy. You can stream and download the entire record below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/157206809″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Saul Williams: The Generator
Interview with Saul Williams In Chuck Klosterman’s bestselling 2005 book Killing Yourself To Live, he travels to historic locations where both famous and infamous musicians died prematurely, ultimately coming to the harrowing conclusion that the best move an artist can make in their career is to die a sudden death. A decade later, as poet/rapper/actor/writer Saul Williams embarks on his own travels from Illinois to Ohio to Georgia to Tennessee to Hungary to Switzerland to France to Germany to Ireland to Austria to Turkey to Holland to Finland in literally a month, I cannot help but think that the only way Williams would ever receive his proper credit as one of the most gifted artists of all time (I say that without a mustard seed of hyperbole) is if he were to use all the frequent flier miles he has racked up to leave this Earth. But nobody wants that, because despite him being one of the most known unknown iconic figures of the last 20 years, the world needs people like Williams to spark the masses. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/186834720″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] First off, this article is going to be f###### long, and even if only one person reads it from top to bottom instead of navigating through more interesting pieces like BuzzFeed’s 29 Times “The Sims” Was Accidentally Hilarious or EliteDaily’s Why The Girl Who Unfroze You In Freeze Tag Is The One Who Got Away, it will be well worth it to me. In the 26 seconds it took me to search for and post the above video, I estimate that Politico has posted approximately 30 articles about all the latest in the Donald Trump circus and precisely one thousand people have posted a sadistic Kardashian-related comment about a two-time NBA champion and 6th Man of the Year fighting for his life. Three months after the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal nationwide, there is an increasing number of people terrified that 4 rainbow-colored horses will appear any minute now and bring about the apocalypse. A 21-year old murdered 9 people in a Charleston church in hopes of starting a race war, 2 deadly campus shootings have already occurred in October, but a lot of Americans are much more concerned with deflated footballs. Williams’ recent US (a.) is his first full-length book of poetry since 2006’s The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop, which earned him the unofficial title of “the poet laureate of Hip-Hop.” In his review of Scrolls, Mark Eleveld perfectly summed up Williams’ genius: “Williams is the guy. He has chosen a sublime path in the hip-hop world: yes, a “road less traveled.” He is the prototype synthesizer between poetry and hip-hop, stage and page, rap and prose, funk and mythology, slam and verse.” Williams is also preparing the 2016 release of MartyrLoserKing, his first album since 2011’s critically acclaimed Volcanic Sunlight. Like his previous work, Williams is planning to explore a multitude of ideas revolving around his expatriate views on contemporary America via two distinct creative platforms. I wanted to find a platform to be able to talk about all the s### that I had been experiencing and reading about on the world stage. There’s the one percent that we know of in terms of Wall Street and bankers. And that’s not a new fight. Then I think of those people that gave their lives and voices to uplift and connect the dots in terms of uplifting humanity. People like Aaron Schwartz. Those bureaucracies are composed of people like you and me who basically just have to check themselves. I think it’s Allen Ginsberg that has a poem where he says policemen are just regular people in disguise.” There is a shocking amount of people who don’t know much about Williams’ work at all. Strictly as it pertains to music, without Williams there would be no Yeezus, To Pimp A Butterfly, Death Grips, Chance The Rapper, or even Childish Gambino. In fact, I myself would not be in the position I am right now (permitted free reign by AHH CEO Mr. “Grouchy” Greg Watkins himself to pen an extremely long article on the most heavily trafficked Hip-Hop website in the word). During spring-break of 2009 most of my friends were drinking Coronas in tropical climates far away from cramped University lecture halls, but I was in Phoenix, Arizona to watch Williams perform. I had seen his image many times before on screen, but as I sat in the auditorium, subconsciously I was expecting a towering figure to stroll onstage– a figure that physically matched the stupefying work of his incredulous resume. But a slender man walked onstage, talking about his career and fielding questions from the audience in an extremely personable, down-to-Earth fashion. Before he finished his performance with “Coded Language,” an audience member asked him about the Nike commercial. In 2008 Williams received a firestorm of criticism after his song “List of Demands” appeared in a Nike marketing campaign called “My better is better.” Since the release of the commercial, Williams has repeatedly been asked that question by journalists and fans alike, always giving the same sort of, and I paraphrase, “who gives a s###?” answer. Regardless of your views on capitalism, the “infamous” commercial introduced a lot of lifelong disciples to Williams’ work for the first time, a New York native who would write his first song “Black Stacey” while in high school. During his MFA graduate studies at NYU, Williams’ thesis project about an extremely talented yet troubled slam poet/rapper turned into the 1998 film Slam, which went on to win awards at the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes. But I control the wind, that’s why they call it the hawk I am Horus, son of Isis, son of Osiris Worshiped as Jesus resurrected Like Lazarus, but you can call me Lazzy, “lazy” Yea I’m “lazy” cause I’d rather sit and build Than work and plow a field Worshiping a daily yield of cash green crops Even […]
Temperature’s Rising: Nick de la Hoyde
Last night I attended a birthday party for one of my cousins. Although the party was adult-themed, there were of course a few kids in attendance. Long story short, with a twelve year old being responsible for the DJ duties, I got the chance to see what the kids were listening to these days on their select Pandora stations. The age of a music critic is akin to dog years, but everything I heard seemed to mesh together as some sort of extended techno-pop beat with various crooners taking center stage. The songs were catchy, but the singers seemed to lack a certain thing to turns a song into music. What they were missing was passion. I must admit, Nick de la Hoyde does not have a name that easily rolls off the tongue like T-Pain or R.Kelly. However, like those latter folks, he makes the same type of jams that inevitably become stuck in one’s head. I wrote about Nick in this very same column at the beginning of the year, following the release of his single “The Longest Way,” and later, “By My Side.” Aside from AHH, he has also been featured in a significant number of online magazines including The Source, Pop Scoop, Essentially Pop, The Examiner, Shockya.com, PopCityLifeMusic, WeDoItForTheLoveOfMusic, and All Access Magazine. Despite the fact that Nick makes pop-sounding songs, there is a clear degree of passion in his work, and the release of his appropriately titled Passion EP is further proof. Passion is an impressive debut EP. Nick’s real-talk-centric lyrical content is only rivaled by an equally emotive sonic mesh, combining the talents of brothers and production duo Joseph & John de la Hoyde as well as renowned Hip Hop producer Lemoyne ‘LA’ Alexander. The result is a unique melding pot; pop and alternative rock evoking visions of the future while still deeply embedded in the past. As I touched on before, “By My Side” is a testament to this blend, combining a light-hearted groove with a deeply moving hook to express Nick’s affliction with music as a source of both passion and expression. You can stream the entire Passion EP below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/106451880″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] And as always, make sure to follow Nick de la Hoyde’s movements on the interwebs: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndela12
Temperature’s Rising: superHERO
I don’t care what anyone says…the pop singers of the 90’s were far superior to whatever the hell the kids are listening to today. A greatest hits album of The Backstreet Boys s#### all over anything that One Direction, Selena Gomez, or The Jonas Brothers have released. I’ll admit, if God put me in a cave and gave me 24 hours to think of the name of a song by either of these artists, I wouldn’t be able to. (I do remember that One Direction had a song a while back that was all over the radio, but I can’t even remember the name of it at the moment, honest to God). Why don’t I just Google it right now, you ask? Because my mother taught me not to waste time looking for waste. Whatever it was, I’m 100% sure it couldn’t hold “I Want It That Way’s” metaphorical jockstrap. Which, if you think about it, is the ultimate diss. Not a lot of people would want to hold another person’s jockstrap even if they really could carry it, but not being able to hold something that doesn’t really exist is the lowest of the low. Honestly, the previous paragraph (or rant) is 1 degree away from being a non sequitur, or maybe less, as it doesn’t have all that much to do with superHero. But unlike a lot of 90’s babies, superHero definitely don’t take themselves too seriously, and their debut album, entitled The Middle, is reminiscent of Kidz In The Hall combined with Madvillian MF DOOM and a splash of Madlib during the Quasimoto days. I won’t lie, when I first saw the video of “Lifted,” I missed the dope music being played because I was so distracted by the outfits. However, these dudes, hailing from Hotlanta (the birthplace of some of the most unique acts of the genre) have skill. Stripped down lyricism with a few flashy frills, superHero has, appropriately enough, a superhero theme, with the duo never hesitating to sample from classic superhero movies and share their love of the genre. It makes for cinematic listening a la early Wu-Tang records, and adds a further degree of pizzazz to the duo’s arrangements. Beyond the pizzazz effect (after all, what really is pizzazz?) superHero are brashly pushing the boundaries on what hip hop can be by ushering in an extra level of aggression to make their beats all the more engaging, and furthermore, inspiring. With The Middle, essentially, superHero have optimized their lyrical content and implementation of hooks to put together a package the world has yet to witness. There is something strangely gravitational about what superHero do on The Middle, making for some of the most enjoyable hip hop I’ve heard this year. You can stream The Middle below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/users/80841551″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] As always, if you are feeling superHero, make sure to track their movements on the interwebs: Websites: Official: http://trt-music.com/ Twitter: @blckkevin, @Protege_AoS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trtmusic Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trt-music
Temperature’s Rising: Jelani Lateef “Manhood Talk”
A few months ago, in May to be exact, I wrote a “Temperature’s Rising” piece about Jelani Lateef. You may be asking yourself, “Why are you writing another article about Jelani?” Well, I’ll answer that question by not answering at all and instead saying this. This is my column. I write about whatever the f### I want to. In college, when you were nursing a hangover and watching reruns of The Tim and Eric Show, I was nursing a hangover while reading hella long Greek tragedies by people like Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes. I wrote long 10+ page essays twice a week about things like Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Beowulf. In short, the life of the English/Writing major is far from glamorous, and neither is the life of a professional journalist. But there are some perks. Now I have my own column on AHH, where, like I said so elegantly before, I can say whatever the f### I want. As I detailed in my last article, Jelani Lateef’s life story is one for the ages, which undoubtedly resonates in his music. I have only an ounce of faith that you will actually read both articles, because unless you decide (or decided) to subject yourself to torture and study English Literature for four years that is too much reading (not to sound condescending, sometimes I wish I too wasn’t stricken with the writer’s curse). Anyways, I’ll copy & paste it here, 99.9% word for word (because it’s NFL football Sunday and on this day an American-blooded man is allowed to be lazy). Born and raised in Chicago, IL, (of course one of hip hop’s holy meccas) Jelani Lateef aka J Fury has a career spanning more than a decade. Best known for his thought-provoking lyricism and witty wordplay, Jelani has been a mainstay in the Chicago rap community, despite Chicago being a city chock-full of brilliant artists. Jelani has expanded from just being a rapper to a producer and CEO as well. In 2010, the mother of Jelani’s daughter died of cancer, leaving him a single parent. After recovering from this traumatic and life-changing episode, Jelani started Manhood Ent. The idea was to create a brand that represented men stepping to the plate and handling responsibility. The mission statement for the company is: “Striving to be a popular source of music and entertainment, while portraying men in a positive, powerful and inspirational light”. In addition to making music, Jelani has committed endless hours to outreach and mentoring young men and women, in hopes of inspiring them to lead a positive and productive lifestyle. “Most rappers speak on servin’ them rocks So you don’t want to hear about a n#### punchin’ the clock“ -Jelani Lateef, “Manhood Talk” I’m in my mid-20’s, still considered a “young” adult by some people, but I increasingly find myself gravitating toward music like this that has a “real” message attached. While this problem has always excited, I feel that a lot of hip hop fans take the rappers themselves too seriously, which leads to a lot of high school kids thinking they need to do everything Young Thug or Rich Homie Quan glorify in their raps. Let’s take the latter for instance. I love listening to Quan even though he is not necessarily the most righteous rapper around, but when I take the headphones out or turn my car off, I realize that what I listening to is for entertainment purposes. The odds are stacked way against you if you have the idea that you are going to be able to make it as a rich rapper, even though it’s not impossible obviously if you are willing to study the craft. However, when you are working part-time, popping Molly, and selling drugs not for survival purposes but to purchase exclusive Jordan sneakers, you are taking this rap s### dangerously serious, and need to listen to Jay’s “Ignorant S###” until you memorize it. Jelani’s “Manhood Talk” is not going to be on the radio, BET, VH1, or MTV (even when/if they decide to play music) but it is the kind of song that carries a poignant message more young men to hear. Since May, Jelani’s Cold Days and Dark Nights album has been a mainstay in my personal playlist. With a certified lunatic (Donald Trump) following absurd statements after the next, and an influx of stories about people in positions of power using their power for selfish/cruel means, the insightful and positive message Jelani offers on Cold Days and Dark Nights has been extremely therapeutic. currently in rotation along with Lupe’s Tetsuo & Youth, Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly, Wale’s The Album About Nothing, Chance & The Social Experiment’s Surf, Dr. Dre’s Compton: A Soundtrack, and Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise. I’m usually telling other people to track up-and-coming artists’ movements on the interwebs, but ever since May I’ve been the tracking Jelani’s movements (no Craiglist killer/creep). I posted this is in the last article, but you can check out the full album below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/94504978″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] In 2015, there are a multitude of brilliant artists who have yet to really see the light of the mainstream, which completely baffles me. Off the top of my head, Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y, Young Roddy, Big K.R.I.T., Stalley, Ab-Soul, and the list goes on and on. Luckily, we have the internet, so who gives a s### about the radio? I imagine Jelani will be apart of the aforementioned class of emcees, steadily releasing real/dope s### that goes completely unnoticed by people that have Tyga in their top 10, but regardless, if you’re feeling “Manhood Talk” and the Cold Days and Dark Nights, make sure to track Jelani’s movements on the interwebs (again, no Craiglist killer/creep). Websites: http://www.jelanilateef.com https://www.facebook.com/JFuryfanpage Tweets by jaylateef https://instagram.com/jaylateef
Temperature’s Rising: Nave “Cosby Kids”
Today, as you well know, is the debut of NFL Sunday for the 2015 season. Right now you are rightfully obliterating your 25th buffalo wing with a Bud Light in the other hand prepared to wash it down. Aside from praising the Lord, this is what Sundays are for. This is the day when men (and women) can keep their button-downs and slacks in the closet in favor of a stained wife beater or jersey and embrace the bliss of uncivilized behavior. 99.9% of all NFL fans are extremely curious to see what the Philadelphia Eagles will do this season. During Chip Kelly’s tenure as head coach, the team has parted ways with DeSean Jackson, LeSean Mccoy, Jeremy Maclin, and their quarterback Nick Foles. They are now starting Sam Bradford at quarterback, and even if you aren’t an obsessive St. Louis Rams fan like me, you know that in the past Bradford has been so injury prone that if one were to sneeze too loud within slight vicinity of him, he would go down with a season-ending injury. And Bradford’s backup, just in case the aforementioned scenario does happen and Bradford somehow tears a third ACL and defies what we’ve previously thought about human anatomy (humans only have two) is Mark Sanchez. Approaching his seventh year in the league, Sanchez’s greatest accomplishment as a professional is dating Meadow Soprano, and his greatest failure would vary depending on who you talked to, but most would say his infamous “butt fumble” against the Patriots (in Sanchez’s defense, maybe the ball was deflated). To put it short, Chip Kelly is either a mad scientist or just plain mad, and The Eagles’ season is going to be a must-see spectacle. But Chip and his “revolutionary” techniques aren’t the only things buzzing in Philly at the moment (Lord knows the Sixers aren’t buzzing anytime soon). As everyone knows, Philly has long produced premiere hip hop talent like Beanie Sigel, Meek Mill, Will Smith, and of course the group of Chip Kelly-esque mad scientists the legendary Roots crew. Nave is in the process of making major moves to add his name to that legendary fold. He has already performed at the World Cafe Live venues in both Philly and Delaware. A veteran of the BKS1 Radio BBQ in New Jersey, Nave seems like he’s going places and seems to grasp the finite details of what it takes for an artist to maneuver his way to the top of the hip hop ranks while keeping his creativity in tact in the process. Nave is not a variation of the word “naive.” Not in the slightest. I first came across Nave not long ago when I heard his new single “Cosby Kids.” Even more so than The Fresh Prince or arguably Ben Franklin (might be a stretch, but hey, so is starting a supremely injury prone quarterback), Bill Cosby might very well be the most famous Philadelphian in the year 2015. Surprisingly, the single was written months before the Bill Cosby scandal and therefore does not address it in the song itself. However, the video is a stunning criticism of the drama surrounding Bill Cosby and exhibits an insightful message about a man who most of the nation once regarded as a hero not very long ago at all. Nave commented on his own video on Youtube, stating: “Holistically, the video represents the simplicity of childhood and how things change when we get older but the girls also represent how Nave’s memories of Cosby are tainted. And ultimately that’s the risk of romanticizing the past, knowing that things may not have been quite what they seemed.” Functioning as just a mere taste of the delectable Espresso Nave, Nave speaks to the human condition with “Cosby Kids” and soon, will leave even the most casual hip hop fans begging for more. Unlike rappers attempting to make it big without an ounce of love for the craft, Nave seems to grasp the importance of the genre in a worldly scope, and it is evident in his music. If you’re feeling Nave’s “Cosby Kids” and the video, make sure to stay tuned for Espresso Nave. You can preview it below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/116334845″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] And as always, if you’re feeling Nave but naive, make sure to follow his movements on the interwebs: Websites: Artist Page: http://www.saynave.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/saynave
Temperature’s Rising: Rhawn B
With Kendrick Lamar releasing arguably the album of the year with To Pimp A Butterfly, and Dr. Dre’s recent masterpiece Compton: A Soundtrack, and of course the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, it seems like Compton has once again become the star city of the great state of California. In a larger scope, southern California hip hop, after a grueling drought, has finally risen once again. As I mentioned in my interview with Compton’s own Billionaire Buck, there is a multitude of young, talented SoCal artists in the game such as Billionaire Buck, Vince Stapes, Cassey Veggies, Kendrick, Skeme, ScHoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle, YG, Tyler Tha Creator, Problem, Mellowhype, DJ Mustard, Pac D##, Ab-Soul, Kid Ink, Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Rock as well as OG’s like The Game, Madlib, Snoop Dogg, Dilated Peoples, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Suga Free, Warren G, Cube, W.C., DJ Quik, and Dr. Dre. Although he was raised about 20 minutes north of Compton, it will be only a matter of time before Inglewood native Rhawn B joins that list of talented SoCal emcees. Expensive Ignorance is the highly anticipated new record from Rhawn B. of U.D. fame (Uniquely Divided). Looking to join the likes of legendary producers like Dre and Daz, this skilled young producer/artist/engineer, and Founder of UDMusic Group is a graduate of The Los Angeles Film Institute. Rhawn B has performed at Roxy, Viper Room, Club Nokia, On The Rox, Key Club, Airliner, and other venues throughout California, and has become known for his vicious energy on stage and his ability to rock the crowd. Opening for the variegated likes of The Pharcyde, YG, Phife Dog, Juvenile, DJ Quik, Dogg Pound, Mack 10, and the Ying Yang Twins, many a concert goer has gone to a _______ show and left being more impressed with Rhawn B. Editor’s Note: Since I’m an enormous fan of all those groups (except of course for the Ying Yang Twins) I’m not going to fill that blank in. If it was Tyga I would have no problem. But then again, if I’m ever in a position where I’m purchasing Tyga concert tickets, rest assured all my mental faculties have been wiped clean. According to Rhawn B, his work is “artsy” and “creative” hip hop. Obviously, that doesn’t mean diddly-squat, so he elaborated: “I’m excited about this project, life experiences helped to develop this CD into what it is….. I made some expensive mistakes in life and had to learn from my ignorance the hard way. I had to cut some people off in order to move forward. My fans stayed loyal, in fact my fan base grew. I had to re-focus my energy and revamp my artistry. I feel like this whole process with the album is a new personal growth for me; It felt great to be able to produce, record, and engineer the entire project.” It’s worth mentioning that BLVCKVMISH co-produced a couple of the tracks on Expensive Ignorance; Rey Little, Wessy West, T. Bailey, and D. Real are also featured on the project. Rhawn B wanted his official release to be dope and personal, like the Cali masters/perfectionists before him. But Expensive Ignorance isn’t merely a “Westcoast” album, but one designed so that everyone can gravitate. Instead of adhering to manipulative tastes of record label executives, Rhawn B clearly wanted to craft an album dripping with realism, not merely project a contrived image; According to him: “If I don’t own it, it’s not displayed in my video.” If you are interested in adding another Cali artist to your brand new iPhone 6s, and in 2015, why wouldn’t you? You can stream Expensive Ignorance below. http://rippletunes.com/album/Rhawn-B/Expensive-Ignorance/975106083/t0 If you’re feeling Rhawn B and his U.D. crew, make sure to track his movements on the interwebs: Websites (Official, bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter) • twitter.com/RhawnB, • RhawnB.com • Rhawnb.tumblr.com • https://www.facebook.com/UniquelyDivided • https://instagram.com/rhawnb/
Temperature’s Rising: We R The Lost
What the f### is going on in Milwaukee? Up until 2014, I never once thought about Milwaukee or even Wisconsin as a real state, only one of those placeholders on the U.S. map that make places like California, Texas, New York, or Louisiana look all the more luminous. I really can’t explain my ignorance, as like you probably did, I grew up watching “That 70’s Show” and pre-creep Brett Favre throw touchdown after touchdown with a bunch of fans screaming with cheese hats. I even remember the Ray Allen Milwaukee Bucks’ days, before he went on to shoot corner treys with seemingly 100% precision for every other team in the NBA. That’s all sports related, but ever since Jabari Parker and Jason Kidd headed over to The Bucks, the hip hop scene in Milwaukee has blossomed. As I sit here watching Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears run in for a goal line score against The Green Bay Packers, with newly hired John Fox screaming from the sidelines, hoping the Bears won’t be the “WE ARE LOST” team of a year ago, I am compelled to write about (yes) some more hot Milwaukee hip hop, We R The Lost. We R The Lost mastermind Jon Briggz has come forth to unintentionally form a movement, not about Milwaukee awareness education, but reaching out and giving a sense of meaning to not only his crew but fans as well. Embracing A Tribe Called Quest feel, Briggz is educated in the art of moving bonita applebum butts with dance-minded tracks, but also skilled in intellectual excursions with lyrics to go. The combination allows for an instinctive intellectual travel through the paths of rhythm, and hot sex on a platter for when the time calls for it. We R The Lost’s new record Still Lost sees the group coming together to form impactful hip hop that runs the gamut of emotions and ideas. Able to place party anthems next to political epics, the duo are nothing short of fascinating. In a time when hip hop artists are able to experiment like never before, yet many are content to ride the rehashed wheel to success, it’s exceedingly easy to appreciate a group like We R The Lost. Jon Briggz never intended to start a movement when he formed The Lost with his brothers and close friends. He merely wanted to express the way they lived. A rebuttal to the criticisms levied at him and his friends for their party first attitude, perceived lack of drive and indifference to academics, politics and religion. While others negatively labeled him and his friends as lost, Jon Briggz decided to embrace and embody the concept.The result was two mixtapes and countless freestyles recorded over a two year period and released by various members of The Lost. Jon Briggz and The Lost performed in local venues and shot several videos for the various projects during this time. However, without leadership and guidance, the vision of The Lost became lost itself in the distractions of life and the group went their separate ways. As each member struggled alone they realized that their message resonated beyond their close circle. The stories of others who felt lost was something each one of them related to. Much like them, the individuals they met were looking for something that was missing, something they couldn’t quite figure out on their own. Each member came to the conclusion that the concept of The Lost was much bigger than them, and from the ashes of the former group, We R The Lost was formed. Using powerful soundscapes alongside hard hitting rhythms, We R The Lost are similar to artists like Lupe Fiasco and Logic. In terms of flow, their clear enunciation gives their rhyme schemes a Masta Ace/Eminem vibe. To bite Jay, a lot of rappers scribble down on a notepad and create their lives, but when listening to We R The Lost you get a real sense of legitimacy in their music, which is probably why their music has resonated so strongly in their local scene (a locale a didn’t give two s#### about up until a year ago). As the focal point for this rapidly growing Milwaukee hip hop scene, Briggz and his posse are already planning more projects to put Milwaukee on the hip hop map. Who knows? There could be a very well be a future scenario where Milwaukee hip hop is on its own award tour. Despite all the overused Tribe references, I am no rap promoter, so if you dig the jams below then please clap along. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/users/41373281″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] If you’re feeling the beats, rhymes, and life of Jon Briggz & We R The Lost, check their rhymes/movements on the interwebs: Websites: https://www.werthelost.com, (official) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Werthelost/1422396228065435, (facebook) https://twitter.com/itzMeJonBriggz – (twitter) https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/still-lost/id988832109 – (iTunes)
Temperature’s Rising: Dave Childz
Even the casual hip hop fan knows that most rappers love sports. If you don’t have a slightly above average knowledge of the NFL and NBA, Wale’s verses might sound like complete gibberish to you. But in many ways, hip hop is just like professional sports, with every emcee trying to prove they are the greatest as an athlete would. On the flipside, that flipside being the journalists like myself that nobody really cares about, my job increasingly becomes similar to a NFL recruiter. I constantly receive requests from rappers to please listen to their demo (no EPMD) but more times than not these emcees aren’t at all ready for the big leagues. Hint for all aspiring rappers: Breath control may not sound like a big deal, but it most certainly is. Nobody wants to hear you gasping for air after every bar. Check out old Lupe Fiasco records (albeit still brilliant) and then check out The Cool and notice the difference. But I digress. A catchy single will only get you so far, as the many one hit wonders would proclaim if their voices weren’t wholly muted by milk box obscurity. For the millions of prospective rappers that don’t appreciate the finite skills it takes to be a star (breath control, flowing to the beat and not away from it, etc) there is a rapper like J. Cole who comes into the league already equipped to run a Pro-Style offense even in his warming up stage. Similarly, Dave Childz is one of those once in a lifetime up and comers who has what it takes to make a huge impact. Out of all the artists that I’ve written about for this column, I can say with absolute certainty that Dave Childz is the cream of the crop. Dave Childz was born in the birthplace of hip hop, The Bronx, New York, and it shows. By infusing his New York background, eclectic taste in music, and life experiences, he has developed his own unique sound. Accompanied with his own style of production, melodic hooks, and lyrical flows, he has created a soundtrack to life; evidenced by tracks like his self-produced single “Forever Real”. Dave Childz has experienced growing notoriety and success with each release; meanwhile developing a cult-like following for himself and his ATF.L brand. His recent EP, Forever Real, sounds like a blend of The Weeknd, Drake, A$AP Rocky J. Cole, and a dash of Kanye. Using the kind of down to earth rap that has marked the careers of some of the biggest acts in the game like Cole and Kid Cudi, Chilz provides a soundtrack to not only his own life, but the milennial listener’s as well. Childz is clearly turned on to the more profound realities of the genre and its place in the 21st century, as by far the most influential genre on the planet currently. Given his unique musical background and diverse tastes it makes sense that D Childz could create something so wonderfully genre breaking. The deeper you dig into Forever Real the more evident it becomes that D Childz is a golden voice for a new generation. Despite a laundry list of transparent influences, his style is 100% authentic, and reflects a wholly different breed of talent than the dregs of Top 40 radio. Deliciously atmospheric and filled with endless layers that demand multiple listens to be picked apart– Dave Childz has created an incredible LP, which you can stream for free below: [bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3759795586 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small] I have a feeling that in a year’s time, Childz will be a household name. If you feel like me, make sure to track his movements on the interwebs. Artist website: www.DaveChildz.com Twitter: @DaveChildz Instagram: @DaveChildz Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DChildz Bandcamp: https://davechildz.bandcamp.com/
Temperature’s Rising: Frank Peters
Drake and Meek shocked the world when they engaged in a heated battle on wax, so much so that NPR even felt compelled to weigh in on the story. In the 90’s, aggression in hip-hop was the norm, but somewhere in the mid-2000’s it devolved into mainly “party music,” without an ounce of ingenuity of Kurtis Blow or Dougie Fresh. However, in the last few years, rappers put a high premium on aggressive lyrics, and emcee’s are once again hungry to compete to be unanimously named the “greatest rapper alive.” While most of the hip-hop world has never heard of Frank Peters, his music is imbued with that same sort of raw energy that the genre had been missing for an extended period of time. And unlike D4L and the like, Peters’ “party music” has an edge to it– equipped with real-talk in place of the standard contrived lyrics that litter the radio. In 2013, he was named by both VH1 and MTV as “Artist To Watch,” and has opened for the likes of Juicy J, Lil Kim, and Afroman (yes, he is still around). Back in 2005, he got his first real wind after headlining Urban Exposure in London. For Peters, music should encompass life itself– fun at times but also cognizant of the unfortunate realities we are all forced to deal with from time to time. Although he has been in the game quite a while, his star is steadily rising: “There’s no quitting, if I was gonna do that I would have done that a long time ago. My music is new, fresh and chock full of Cha”RIZZ”ma.” With a minimum of twelve singles listed on Reverbnation, along with almost twenty hip hop videos floating around on Youtube, it is safe to say that Frank Peters could be hip-hop’s next big thing. According to Cynthia Kahn (no, not Chaka Chaka Kahn), Founder of Amused Now Entertainment: “I listened to all Frank Peters’ songs on ReverbNation and his approach to rap is quite unique My favorite single is Getting It In, because he leads with one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman), something you definitely would not expect to hear from a rap artist. I also love Frank Peters’ single Until 2Marrow, because of the amazing singing by Venom Vendetta, the song’s producer, at the beginning of the song and throughout the chorus. Frank Peters is extremely talented.” With the release of 2015’s Fifty Shades of Frank, Peters is looking to capitalize on his current momentum, while simultaneously introducing himself to the people who might not be aware of his music, such as “American Interlude.” Not quite like any of his previous projects, the album features a plethora of flows and catchy instrumentals, like the perfect meshed-vibe of “Ambitionz.” However, there be no better example of Peters’ overall agenda (fusing the old-school party aesthetic of early hip-hop with gritty lyricism) than “Get It Right.” Everyday, I’m flooded with tweets by rappers/beatmakers trying to get on, so I listen to more amateurish sounding music than a healthy person should. However, Peters’ Fifty Shades of Frank is honestly one of the most intriguing projects I’ve come across this year. But who gives a f### what I think? Listen for yourselves. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/85753560″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=’450′ iframe=”true” /] Almost forgot. If you are a fellow digger of Peters’ music, make sure to follow his movements on the interwebs: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrankPetersMusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankpeters430
Compton’s Billionaire Buck discusses Kendrick, YG, Big KRIT, Freddie Gibbs, N.W.A. and The West’s Second Coming
As part of my job, I get the chance to listen to sorts of Hip Hop from all regions. But I have no shame in admitting that I have a bias for the West Coast. In my formative years, growing up in Southern California, I remember stealing borrowing a copy of my brother’s Warren G Regulate…G Funk Era and playing it obsessively. When that obsession cooled, I somehow managed to steal borrow a copy of my brother’s All Eyez On Me album. No Brown Sugar, but a favorite question among Hip Hop heads is “when did you fall in love with Hip Hop? For me, it was hearing Pac for the first time. Born only a few months before NWA released Straight Outta Compton, and being a toddler when classics like The Chronic, Doggystyle, Quik Is The Name, Dogg Food etc. were released, I invested an extraordinary amount of time to studying/admiring/fawning over the masters. In my teenage years, I vividly remember sprinting to my mother’s car after church service to see if Power 106 was playing Shade Shiest’s “Where I Wanna Be” or Westside Connection’s “Connected 4 Life.” Even to this day, there is no genre in the world that captures me quite like So-Cal West Coast Hip Hop. But as you well know, not long after Dr. Dre’s “Up In Smoke Tour” ended, West Coast music suffered an extended drought, to put it nicely. A few folks like The Game, Xzibit, Rass Kass nobly carried a dying genre for a time with incredibly dope s###, but a small minority can’t keep an entire Coast alive. Some (including myself) thought that the West Coast died the minute the legendary Nate Dogg passed away in 2011. But alas! Out of no where, the West has risen again to the top of the ranks with a multitude of new shining stars. Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle, YG, Tyler Tha Creator, Problem, Mellowhype, DJ Mustard, Ab-Soul, Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Rock, and many more. Not to mention, the O.G.s of the game like The Game, Snoop, Suga Free, Warren G, Cube, W.C., DJ Quik, and Dr. Dre (who’s recent Compton: A Soundtrack is a classic in my book). With the release of the thrilling Straight Outta Compton movie, the West Coast has definitely gotten its second wind pimp, to quote E-40. If you’re a music geek like me, you are obsessed with tracking the origins of historic musical movements. It’s crazy to think that a couple of (at the time) regular dudes from Compton (Kendrick, YG, Problem, Billionaire Buck) were inspired to become essentially new n##### wit attitudes, and subsequently put the West Coast back on the map. ATTENTION: Notice I didn’t mention Tyga, simply because he’s wack as s###. Period. Whenever my Spotify connection is down, and I’m forced to listen to the radio, all I can think about is how incredibly wack Tyga is. F### all the talk about Obama’s birth certificate, someone needs to find Tyga’s birth certificate and erase “California” from it– he has no business representing the coast in any shape or form whatsoever. Tyga’s music is so f###### wack that if you were to first play Hotel California and then Doggystyle the wackness is so strong that it has the potential runneth over and ruin a classic, or at the very least cause permanent brain damage as your cerebral cortex scrambles to make sense of the extreme disparity in quality. Some may call me a hater or whatever, but to quote Jay, I call a s#### a s####, it just it what is…and what it is is hot garbage that gives me severe migraines when I’m forced to listen. (These views are completely my own (Kellan Miller’s), and are not at all reflective of Allhiphop as a staff, label, or as a m############ crew.). I say that because if Tyga happens to read this and sic his goon squad of 75lb tattooed light-skinned stick figures and Kylie Jenner on me, somehow capturing me and forcing me to listen to all 45 excruciating minutes of The Gold Album, the good colleagues that I work with shouldn’t have to suffer that level of torture. So when I say I’ve been contemplating quitting my journalism career to become a rapper, for the sole purpose of Ja-Ruling/Meek Milling Tyga, these views are completely my own. When I fantasize about creating a diss track that ended Tyga’s career, so the world would be completely rid of a skinny tree tattooed tree fig that luckily got a break when Lil Wayne had a little too much lean when he heard his demo. Inevitably, I would be awarded the Noble Peace Prize for my efforts, and I imagine Eazy-E and Mac Dre would personally rise from the grave to thank me. But hopefully it won’t come to that, because mark my words, the next California rapper to blow is none other than Compton’s own Billionaire Buck. While he doesn’t yet have the recognition of Kendrick and YG, Buck started to make headway when he released the track “Around Da Way” about a year ago. With hot flows and thumping bass lines (ingredients of a proper Left Coast track), the song instantly became a favorite in my playlist. Watching the video made the song all the much better– featuring Buck walking through the actual streets of Compton, a nice throwback to N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” video. At some point after putting the puzzle together, I realized that Buck, Kendrick, YG, and Problem all grew up together, and collaborated with each other back when they barely had a dollar to their name and were just dreaming about making it to the main stage. As you already know, Kendrick has arisen as one of Hip Hop’s most golden voices. When he’s not directing incredible The Wire-like music videos/films, YG is flooding the streets with pure 100% Grade A bangers. ANd with all the recent talk about ghostwriters, it’s worth mentioning that Problem probably ghost-wrote the lyrics […]
Temperature’s Rising: Reid The Martian
“We are not the same, I am a martian” is one of Lil Wayne’s most famous quotes. It’s sort of weird to think of rappers as aliens, but when one delves deeper, the symbolism is befitting. In the last few years, despite plenty who love to dabble in “the same ol’ s###,” Hip Hop has been blessed with a multitude of emcees who think outside the box when it comes to straying away from tiresome tradition. Chance The Rapper and The Social Experiment’s recent Surf LP is a fantastic excursion through disparate sounds. A$AP Rocky’s A.L.L.A is a fuse of 60’s psychedelic tones and bombastic hip-hop. Of course, the entire world is fawning over intricate To Pimp A Butterfly, with professor Brian Mooney recently posting an article entitled “Why I Dropped Everything and Started Teaching Kendrick Lamar’s New Album.” In my honest estimation, the so-called “aliens” are the artists I constantly finding myself not only listening to but eagerly anticipating their new releases with an borderline psychotic enthusiasm. With the recent release of his experimental yet engaging EP Hardball, Reid is a on his own personal mission to guide the masses outside the orbit into foreign sonic territory. But Reid is not from Area 51 or some far-off planet, but South Bend, Indiana in fact. His fondness for all things music-related can be directly attributed to his upbringings. While he bears no kinship to the late Michael Jackson, his father did play drums for Davy Jones of The Monkees. Years later, in 2010, Reid began attending the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. While there, his band Auburn Skies changed lineups and re-branded as Wolf, the Rabbit. In 2011, Reid left KU, dissolved Wolf, the Rabbit and began pursuing a solo career in the Hip Hop field. Reid’s first two singles as an independent hip hop artist— “Introduction” and “Work”—were released in March 2012, under the name Rabbiteater. Also at this time he began making live appearances in the Midwest area, including Lawrence, Denver and parts of Texas. A couple years later after honing his craft, Red was invited to perform at this year’s legendary SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. With buzz exponentially increasing, Reid is ready to issue his mission statement on the five track EP Hardball. On “Truth Is,” Reid samples “The Thong Song” and turns it flips it into a lengthy vent about the problems of the mainstream scene and what sets him apart. “Me Vs. The Real World” showcases his extreme confidence in his vision without coming across as the hollow braggadocio lyrics we are used to hearing from rappers. The overarching constant in the music is a sort of “f### you if you don’t like it” approach, especially the EP’s self-titled track, “Hardball.” It is the same attitude that has acted as the impetus to many transcendental artists. Even though their styles are significantly different, Lil Wayne has built his career off the same philosophy. You can stream the record here: https://soundcloud.com/reid_the_martian/sets/hardball If you interested in Reid The Martian’s music, make sure to check his movements on the interwebs. Websites: Official: http://www.reidthemartian.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReidTheMartian?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Twitter: https://twitter.com/reidthemartian YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR4fwC7qmkjVZzoOOCYPt9g
Temperature’s Rising: Vision The Kid
XXL just recently announced the 2015 Freshman class, featuring rising stars like of Dej Loaf, Vince Staples, and Kidd Kidd. The Freshman list is always the subject of heated debate about what artists should or should not have made the roster, especially now in the digital age where Reddit and the like have flipped the concept of “opinions being like a#######” to a lucrative business. But one thing that is not subject to opinion is that up-and-coming emcees pine for a chance to be featured in the class. Vision The Kid, like his name implies, has a vision to one day penetrate the masses with his music. Vision the Kid’s debut album, Lost Summer, lasted over 10 weeks on the College Media Journal’s Hip Hop charts, peaking at the #12 position. The latest Ep, BrokenRadioLove, also appeared in CMJ’s Hip Hop charts, cracking into the top 40 for multiple Weeks. Vision the Kid’s debut music video, “Lost Summer,” is featured on MTV.com, along with an MTV artist page. His music has been featured on MTV’s The Real World and E! Network’s Kourtney & Kim Take Miami. In 2013, Vision the Kid was voted Best Local Rapper in the Minneapolis publication Vita.mn. Despite being born and raised in Minneapolis, a city with no strong ties to Hip Hop, VTK grew up like many emcees adoring the multitude of masterpieces released in the 90’s like Mobb Deep’s The Infamous or Nas’ Illmatic . Nowadays, there is not only an influx of retro sneakers, but Hip Hop as well. Artists like Joey Bada$$, Logic, Action Bronson and Kendrick Lamar have proved that creativity and poetical lyricism is far from dead. While not yet as widely known as the aforementioned artists, VTK’s music is laced in similar ambitions, especially with his new mixtape from appropriately titled Golden Era. According to VTK: “This is my homage to the Hip Hop I grew up with, the Hip Hop that made me love Hip Hop. Salute to all the 90s heads.” Not many emcees trying to stimulate buzz by taking on the daunting task of rhyming over ingenious Large Professor and DJ Premier instrumentals, but along with Noam The Drummer mixing the tracks, VTK displays a breadth of lyricism not typically witnessed by Top 40 radio artists. To further illustrate, Pete Rock’s brilliant “T.R.O.Y” beat is difficult to rhyme over because attention tends to focus on the gravitational pull of the songs themselves instead of the emcee, but But the most remarkable aspect of VTK’s approach is his versatility. Regardless of the structure of the legendary sonics at play, the emcee is able to adapt with various flow patterns. Many rappers reply on a singular cadence that is masked by catchy beats, but VTK accelerates and decelerates in deliberate fashion. If you’re tired of hearing the same old s### (excuse my language) on the radio, download a stream of VTK’s Golden Era via Bandcamp, where you can name your own price. http://visionthekid.bandcamp.com/album/golden-era As always, if you like what you hear, track Vision The Kid’s movements on the interwebs: Music video links: Devil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl4Cj_Ns9d8 Rose in the Valley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74yZyjCzbdA Live From the Midwest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-KaJkrlysE Lost Summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amUnYN0Z0xg Websites/Social Media: http://visionthekid.com http://facebook.com/visionthekid http://twitter.com/visionthekid http://youtube.com/visionthekid http://visionthekid.bandcamp.com http://soundcloud.com/visionthekid http://www.mtv.com/artists/vision-the-kid http://www.reverbnation.com/visionthekid http://beeasymusic.com
Temperature’s Rising: Nick de la Hoyde- By My Side
“Music is the only drug for the mad addicts,” Nick de la Hoyde spits in his new single, “By My Side.” As a self-diagnosed music addict myself, I am always on the prowl for new music, even when the rest of the world is freaking out over some viral sensation, like Bruce Jenner’s transformation to Caitlyn for instance. Even though A$AP Rocky’s A.L.L.A., Wale’s The Album About Nothing, and Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise are currently rotating heavily in my Spotify playlist, Nick de la Hoyde’s new single, “By My Side,” officially released today, has provided the spark to my morning soundtrack. The typical Hip-Hop Love song is atrocious. An artist spits some rhymes about how, in spite of their many side-chicks, their main chick is the special one. Add Chris Brown or Trey Songz, and you have a 50% chance of making it to the radio. Mainstream Hip-Hop has become like a formulated science, unfortunately. However, on “By My Side,” Nick uses honest lyrics to convey why the object of his love interest is someone he wants to stay as a permanent force in his life. The woman in question is not only his beau, but the muse to his music as well. But speaking of the music, let’s speak a little to the man’s desire to pursue it in the first place. Nick de la Hoyde is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter/rapper from Sydney, Australia. While Nick’s Australian accent is a huge departure from the mostly American bred rappers that dominate radio in the states, by melding the sounds and vibes of hip-hop, pop, soul, R&B, and spoken word, Nick has developed a style that defies cutesy genre-labeling. With introspective lyrics that read like personal journal entries, his songs express the angst and triumphs that come with youth, dreams, and determination. But music wasn’t always in the cards for Nick. In pursuit of a professional football career, Nick moved to Barcelona, Spain at the age of 15 and lived there for 4 years. It was during this time that Nick started to explore hip-hop music as a way of expressing his frustrations with the ups and downs of following his dreams. What started out as an outlet, soon became a burning passion. Nick wrote lyrics and melodies to his favorite instrumentals as well as original songs, in collaboration with Sydney based composer, musician and producer (and brother) Joseph de la Hoyde (de la Aurora & Monks of Mellonwah). Nick started off writing his own introspective lyrics and recording them over modern hits, sharing his work on Youtube and Instagram (where he’s built an audience of over 100,000 at @ndelahoyde). Nick’s work recently caught the attention of Chicago based Hip-Hop producer Lemoyne ‘LA’ Alexander (R.Kelly, Aaliyah) who invited Nick to the USA to collaborate. The result, Nick’s debut single “The Longest Way,” realeased in October, entered the US top 100 chart strongly in 2015. Nick is currently preparing for the of his debut EP Passion, but in the meantime you can check out his latest single on SoundCloud. As always, make sure to track Nick Delahoyde’s movements on the interwebs: Music video links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71f9mLpuRC4 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndela12
Temperature’s Rising: The Acorns
Our society applauds renaissance men (or women). Despite one’s chosen profession, people are coming to the realization that a person can be many things at once. Music can often feel like a get-rich quick scheme, wherein an artist or band diligently studies the trends on the radio and design their creative blueprint around what the masses are feeling at the moment. The artists that follow this blueprint can usually get by for a few years with a low level of talent and an attention to detail, but usually these artists fizzle out because as we all know, tastes change. I’ve been writing about music for a long time. After a while, a person in my profession is able to decipher the real from the fake. To put it bluntly, some artists make music because they have no other choice– it is a natural force that rises within them, and they are compelled to put their creativity to wax that the world can also enjoy. MC Mad Squirrel and DJ BlakeNine are two emcees who wholeheartedly embody the latter, and their origins are a further testament. MC Mad Squirrel and DJ BlakeNine first met at Amoeba Music in San Francisco. The following year, reunited in Virginia, they founded the Acorns. They have released two full length albums, “Dropping from the Trees” and “Forming Roots”, and an EP, “Oak Future”. Mad Squirrel is master of illocution and an anthropologist working at Virginia Tech. When BlakeNine’s not rocking crowds in and around DC, he’s holds down Candlewax Records at the CWR Palace in Alexandria Virginia. The two have supported the likes of Qbert, Nine:Fifteen, Watusi Cultleader, Napoleon Da Legend, Educated Consumers, Prego w/ Zest, and more. Their rare but legendary live shows are not to be missed. Their latest EP Oak Follies, is a giant step in the right direction. A variegated sonic palette make up the majority of the EP– audiences never know what they are going to get next. Complete with soaring instrumentals, “Uncommon Women” commences the EP and is a perfect introductory statement for a band that is intent on bypassing “radio hype.” The track rests in a dreamy soundscape, as a muted flow meshes well with the slow cadence. Throughout the LP, Mad Squirrel puts his outside talents to use, as the instrumentals seem to draw on different genres the same way in which an anthropologists studies other cultures. The Acorns will probably never make a song about f###### b###### on site, popping Molly, and shooting up the club. But for us regular folk, their rare breed of sonic selection and graspable content make them a prime candidate for iPhone playlists the world over. You can stream the entire Oak Follies EP below, and as always, make sure to track their movements on the interwebs. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/70407969″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Also, check out their video for “It’s No Secret” Websites: www.candlewaxrecords.com, http://the-acorns.bandcamp.com/, Acorns_Go_Nuts@twitter.com
Temperature’s Rising: Jelani Lateef
As one ages, a lot of things happen. First off, a night of drinking cannot be easily washed away with a Vitamin Water Revive and a few tabs of Ibuprofen like in the old days. Don’t get me started on the early morning pains in places that I don’t even know existed before. Also, as you can tell, one is more prone more to rambling. With years fleeting, it’s important to speak as much as possible, because once I reach my casket, I will be permanently silenced. But all rambling aside, as a music critic, I find my tastes rapidly expanding as the years go by. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the club and hearing the latest Future/Young Thug/Rich Homie Quan jam and temporarily forgetting my responsibilities, regardless of the heavy price I have to pay in the morning. But with all that said, these days I like a little more substance in my music. Enter Jelani Lateef. Let’s start with the mathematics of what got Jelani into the rap game in the first place. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Jelani Lateef aka J Fury has a music career spanning more than 12 years. Best known for his thought provoking lyrics and witty wordplay, Jelani has been a mainstay in the Chicago rap community. He has now expanded from simply being a rapper to a producer and CEO. In 2010, the mother of his daughter died of cancer, leaving him a single parent. After recovering from this traumatic and life changing experience, Jelani started Manhood Ent. The idea was to create a brand that represented men stepping to the plate and handling responsibility. The mission statement for the company is: “Striving to be a popular source of music and entertainment, while portraying men in a positive, powerful and inspirational light”. In addition to making music, Jelani has committed endless hours to outreach and mentoring young men and women, in hopes of inspiring them to lead a positive and productive lifestyle. Since forming the company, Jelani has released two projects, “My Soul to Keep” and “My Soul to Keep 2”. Both projects were well received, garnishing positive reviews. With a new album on the way, Jelani Lateef is continuing his momentum and adding to his rapidly growing fan base. Whereas other rappers stare out of their window and scribble their life, Jelani clearly has lived though a lot and has no shame in sharing his innermost thoughts with the public. Take “Book Of Life” for instance, from Cold Days and Dark Nights, Jelani recounts the myriad reasons why he is propelled to make music in the first place. The thing I found most compelling about Jelani is how he fuses braggadocio with unabashed real-talk. On tracks like “Can’t Stop Now,” he appears at once confident but regretful of the mistakes that he has made on the road to success. It’s tempting to lose ourselves in illusory worlds about truffle butter and what not, but it’s difficult to pay attention to an artist like Jelani who’s everyman delivery makes it easy to relate to one’s own personal experiences. We need more artists like Jelani, so make sure to track his movements on the interwebs. Also, you can stream his entire Cold Days and Dark Nights LP below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/94504978″] Also, check out Jelani’s new video for “The Lyrical” featuring DJ HasH (Directed by David Johnson for SEI): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXKcc-C-c8A Websites: www.jelanilateef.com https://www.facebook.com/JFuryfanpage Tweets by jaylateef https://instagram.com/jaylateef
Fitz- She’s My Music
I know what you’re thinking. Another rapper from New York. If you’re anything like me, whenever you hear the preceding phrase, you automatically recoil in horror. Most often these movements are involuntary, and have something to do with a slew of New York rappers that generate a lot of buzz in the beginning but end never making it past a couple thousand views on DatPiff. Even though New York is the birthplace of this music we love, the lack of innovation in recent years have sidelined a once proud coast. Metaphors and punchlines can only get you so far in 2015 (unless you are Styles P, Fab, or Jadakiss)– there has to be substance to the music these days, or at least versatility. Speaking of versatility, I haven’t heard much from Fitz, but he seems to inherently understand this principle. Fitz is a rapper from Brooklyn, NY who uses his charismatic and romantic personality and fuses it with his music. He performed for many venues including the 2013 Panama Day Parade, NYC Coat Drive events, and Concrete Temple Fundraisers. With his music, he hopes to help people enjoy life and love through his witty and “out-of-the-box” banter. Notice, no trigger talk. No talk of officers in unmarked cars. No huge reliance on the sound of another coast to make the music accessible to the masses. The reason why I chose to pen this article about Fitz is largely due to the reasons above, but it is refreshing when an MC is less concerned about oozing cool rather than crafting material that audiences can relate to. You can check out Fitz’s latest single for “She’s My Music” and make sure to track his movements on the interwebs. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theperfectfitz Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fitz4ever/shes-my-music-p###-by-rg
Nick Delahoyde- The Longest Way
Everyday, I’m inundated with young hopefuls that are intent on getting their music out to a wide audience. I only have two ears (and if you’ve seen, you know that they are very small) so I am not able to listen to all these submissions, but I applaud the effort nonetheless. Recently, I stumbled across a young up and comer named Nick Delahoyde. While this is not the same sort of molly-happy Hip Hop that is currently dominating Top 40 radio, Nick has a refreshing bent to his music. He appears at once humble, energetic, but confident in his abilities– the three halmarks of a successful rapper. Music wasn’t always in the cards for Nick. In pursuit of a professional football career, Nick moved to Barcelona, Spain at the age of 15 and lived there for 4 years. It was during this time that Nick started to explore hip-hop music as a way of expressing his frustrations with the ups and downs of following his dreams. What started out as an outlet, soon became a burning passion. Nick wrote lyrics and melodies to his favorite instrumentals as well as original songs, in collaboration with Sydney based composer, musician and producer (and brother) Joseph de la Hoyde (de la Aurora & Monks of Mellonwah). Nick started off writing his own introspective lyrics and recording them over modern hits, sharing his work on Youtube and Instagram (where he’s built an audience of over 60,000 at @ndelahoyde). Nick’s work recently caught the attention of Chicago based Hip-Hop producer Lemoyne ‘LA’ Alexander (R.Kelly, Aaliyah) who invited Nick to the USA to collaborate. The result, Nick’s debut single “The Longest Way,” realeased in October, entered the US top 100 chart strongly in 2015. Charting this early in his career, the sky is truly the limit for Nick Delahoyde. If God willing and the creek don’t rise, Nick’s eventual debut album will feature the same sort of fearless disposition he executes on his debut single. The Hip Hop is sorely in need of it. Put who am I? Check out Nick’s video for “The Longest Way” for yourself. Maybe you’ll spark up some interesting Youtube comment arguing. As always, make sure to track Nick Delahoyde’s movements on the interwebs: Music video links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71f9mLpuRC4 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndela12
Klassik- Summer EP
Back in February, I wrote an article about the up-and-coming Milwaukee artist Klassik and his Spring EP. A lot of things have changed since then. First off, The Milwaukee Bucks were decimated by The Chicago Bulls in a crushing 120-66 loss to end their playoff hopes. But just in case you were for some reason unlucky enough to have ties to a city no one else really cares about, there is hope. Klassik have followed up their solid Spring EP with the appropriately title Summer EP. While Klassik is already a well-established imprint in Milwaukee, the artist is quickly In addition to Allhiphop, the duo is quickly receiving attention from the most established names in Hip Hop media, such as The Source, Papercut, and even The Huffington Post (kinda a big deal). Long days, warm nights. Vibrant and full of life, the summer season is a time for celebration. Escaping from the glaring cold of Winter, and drying off after the “reign” of Spring, Summer brings freedom and happiness. A creative climax in the artistic psyche, the sounds of this season are grander and lush; flowers in bloom or swelling strings, this is beauty epitomized. Play these at high volume, optimized for warm nights with windows or tops down. Summer EP is more of a genuine look into the inner motivations that directly influence Klassik’s output. He seems to treat every song as personal soundboards, where he isn’t hesitant to share his innermost thoughts while paying meticulous attention to structure and the overall sonic effect simultaneously. “F#### With Us” is the pinnacle of these efforts, a smooth harmony that exquisitely compliments Klassik’s confessional, offbeat style. In my original article, I talked at length about Klassik’s adept harmonizing talent, but the beautiful fusing of rhyming/rapping makes for an enjoyable listening experience. “Never Belong” is a top-notch execution of these sentiments, allowing Klassik ample room to stretch his vocal chords as well as floss his lyrical abilities. My only grip with Klassik is that his releases, although speedy, are hardly enough to satiate the appetite. Like his Spring EP, his Winter EP features only three songs. Fans can only hope that someday soon the Milwaukee emcee will construct a full mixtape/album to capitalize on his steadily increasing hype. In the meantime, we picky music vultures can content ourselves with the plethora of music Klassik has released to the interwebs. As always, make sure to track his interweb movements. You can stream the entire Summer EP below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/195370074″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Also, check out his most recent video “Boogie”: http://youtu.be/OX_kU2oHumE
