CYNiKAL - XRAY ViSiON

XRAY ViSiON - CYNiKAL (Rap) CYNiKAL comes to our blog today to ride the beat hard it certified jam “XRAY ViSiON” from his album “PURiTY”, a project about trying to do one’s best while tempted with the path of immorality that seems like an easier road. There’s definitely a retro hiph op vibe to this one—reminding us a lot of, say, “Bring The Pain”—which is unsurprising considering our artist counts among his inspirations A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Madlib and J Dilla. It’s a mysterious cut, smokey and ominous, as CYNiKAL’s resonant baritone spits a smooth and hypnotic rhyme with a tone that reminds us a lot of early Timbaland. Shout out to 4.47 FM on the stellar production. This is a lights off, get lit and kick back kinda jam.

Best Lyric: “Either be a slave or a civilian.”

Solar Soundz - Summer of Sam 24 (EP)

Summer of Sam 24 (EP) - Solar Soundz (Rap) Today we welcome Solar Soundz to his first feature on our blog with 8 track EP “Summer of Sam 24”. The album boasts a blend of old school hip hop and trap, pulled together by overarching storyline, themes and haunting atmospherics. Cohesive with some standout records, we dig into the LP below.

But first, a little about our artist. Hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, Solar Soundz is a renowned hip hop producer known for his eclectic and innovative style who has been in the game for over a decade. For his latest EP, Solar Soundz partners with a star-studded lineup of features including Jarren Benton, Young Buck, Bishop Lamont, Kool G Rap and Canibus, and worked with sound engineer Emer Ferrari on bringing the EP to life.

There is one word that sums up this EP best, and that’s “danger.” The atmosphere on this EP is thick with tension—there is a foreboding sense of gloom and doom that hangs over the entire project. Along with that cohesive soundscape is a loose narrative around the abduction of a woman—we hear her ask for help intermittently throughout the project.

Thematically, you immediately understand the darkness. Tracks range from the hustle to struggle, violence, frustration and existential dread, as each feature tells their particular story and why they have the grit and determination to suceed. As a collection, the EP feels rooted in late 90s/early 00s hiphop—we get moments of Biggie, Busta and Wu Tang throughout. We feel that the tracks would sit alongside ones like Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm” and Biggie/Busta “VICTORY” quite well.

“6 Feet Deep” and “Who is Sam?” come as a pair, summing up for us into a single track, which does most of the work to set up the intensity of the EP. Jarren Benton joins halfway through the first track to issue a warning of what is to come. “Death & Disaster”, our favorite track and we think the most commercial of the offering, features Young Buck and Bishop Lamont passing the baton between them seamlessly to serve up an ode to anxiety and existential dread.

On “SoS”, Big Twins and Legs Mc continue the theme on a more restrained production, evoking imagery of a walk through a cemetery—as if our artists are touring the aftermath of a carnage. iNTeLL takes center stage on “Bury Your Bones”, which centers the anti-hero in this journey—this is the “don’t fuck with me because I’m the shit” track.

“No Reason” gives us straight Biggie, with Kool G Rap delivering one of our favorite spits on the project, while “Last Man Standing” takes more of a trap direction, with Ren Da Heatmonsta stepping up to bat like the final boss in a video game.

Finally, album closer “Vacation” brings us full circle with Canibus evoking early Busta Rhymes for us in his tone. His lyrics are incredibly clever, showcasing quite a storyteller in his evocative descriptions, as he is backed by a demonic chamber choir.

Reflecting on this collection, we almost feel as if this is the soundtrack to a “choose your fighter” screen in a video game—with each character taking their turn to tell you why they are the strongest choice.

The summer of Sam is upon us.

Glitzy Von Jagger - Sharp Dressed Them

Sharp Dressed Them - Glitzy Von Jagger (Dance) Well, a drag artist reimagining of a ZZ Top song was not on this year’s bingo card, but here comes the stunning Glitzy Von Jagger doing just that with latest track “Sharp Dressed Them.” Turning the classic track into a gender neutral dance floor spinner, Glitzy celebrates gender fluidity and sex positivity to bring the track to a queer audience. The main guitar riff is preserved to center the track, while a new disco drum kit drives the song forward. Glitzy’s vocal layers are evocative and delicious, and no doubt they give one hell of a live performance to this one. We are also treated to some great ear candy in the vocal adlibs which make you feel like you’re at a Glitzy show, and we get treated to an entirely original rap verse as well to bring even more Glitzy to the track, elevating the song beyond what could have been another dance floor remix of a classic. Be on the lookout for a future EP from Glitzy who intends to continue gender bending the hits.

LTB - Lay With Me

Lay With Me - LTB (R&B) R&B/neo-soul crooner LTB storms onto our blog this week with a resonant baritone and silky smooth vibe in latest track “Lay With Me.” The song is drenched in blues, with a somber jazz club ensemble introducing the track and adding background atmosphere, making the record feel like the soundtrack to a film noir detective story. With passionate and well-produced vocals, LTB calls to his lover to quiet their anxieties, put aside their troubles, and find solace in LTB’s arms. And who wouldn’t want to? With LTB’s rich tone feeling like a comforting warm blanket, this track goes down like a full bodied wine paired with some dark chocolate. This lofi gem is a rainy day listen for sure.

Best Lyric: “Modern day mystery and I can’t find your clues.“

Dorian - Reconnected

Reconnected - Dorian (Pop) We welcome Dorian to the blog with a track he states is a departure from his normal sound, “Reconnected.” The gender-fluid artist calls his latest record "energetic and heartfelt”, and we agree. The longing is palpable in the vocal, a yearning for a reuniting with a past love. That yearning is emphasized with the atmospheric synths that paint melancholy and nostalgia into the track, while the fast and furious kick gives the urgency of Dorian’s desire. What results is an anthemic feel to the song, with tension building throughout. Overall, the song is straight pop. and reminds us a bit of the 2010s era of midtempo power pop ballads.

ZOAX - Tears in your eyes

Tears in your eyes - ZOAX (Pop/Dance) Today we welcome Belgian electro artist ZOAX to the blog with his latest track “Tears in your eyes.” ZOAX credits among his influences jazz and traditional rhythms, as well an eclectic group of legends like Pink Floyd, Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Hans Zimmer, Vangelis and Ennio Morricone. In “Tears in your eyes”, ZOAX delivers a soaring dance club track, led by a strong and beautiful female vocal. The guitar drives the track forward, as well as a distorted bass lead that picks up at the halfway point, with the instrumental filled out by an 80s piano synth. As with his influences, “Tears in your eyes” is an eclectic dance floor spinner, one we could hear Lady Gaga performing in her early years.

Best Lyric: “Singing the melody with joy and pain.“

Sicko - GBH (do you ever just)

GBH (do you ever just) - Sicko (Rap) Let’s get something out of the way up top—Sicko scares the shit out of us on his hard hitting track “GBH (do you ever just)” which we think he will relish in. This track is pure id, with Sicko letting the world know that if you even dare look at him the wrong way he’s going to put you in the ground. He delivers this threat with a dynamite flow, with the track reminding us a lot of early Eminem. The backing adds to the danger of the record, with police sirens trailing in the back as a foreboding piano line accompanies a 90s drum kit. All joking aside, it’s a cathartic track for sure, and ready for you to blast in your car on the way home from a tough day at work—rather than catching a case for assaulting your boss.

Best Lyric: “Take their nose off with a savage f*cking bite.“

Anacy - Hot Mess

Hot Mess - Anacy (Pop) Today we welcome Anacy to the blog with her slapping midtempo “Hot Mess.” The track is mystical and ethereal, with swirling and rousing synths cut with a tight percussion, creating a lush atmosphere with a darkness and heaviness as the record pulses along. Anacy’s vocals are hypermodern and drenched in character—she really performs her lyrics. Set in a cavernous verb and backed by tuned harmony walls and octave plays, she gave us a lot of Halsey vibes with her performance. In combination with some clever lyrics and primed for extended club mixes, this is a perfect track for your after hours, underground, invite only dance club.

Best Lyric: “I’m a cautionary tale.“

Ivory Keyes - SYSTEM

SYSTEM - Ivory Keyes (Rap) Ivory Keyes makes his debut on our blog with latest single “SYSTEM”, a dark and dangerous cut laced with urgency. This is a track that amps you up, with a hard hitting percussion and an edgy synth foundation that reminds us of a Skrillex production. But the unique vocal stylings of Ivory makes the track, as a dark and guttural voice conveys darkness, rawness and danger. It douses the record in character, whether from a rapid fire spit or the repeated chant (which was our favorite lyric). It’s a growl, sitting in the throat, which creates a uniquely identifiable sound for the rapper that we haven’t heard since DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat.”

Best Lyric: “All of my life I’ve been making a living, breaking the law and ducking the systems.“

SimplyRich - thirsting again

thirsting again - SimplyRich (Hiphop) Sharply produced and chock full of ear candy, today we take a look at SimplyRich’s newest 7 track EP “thirsting again”. A Georgia-native now in Los Angeles, SimplyRich is a one-man band, having written, performed and engineered his entire project. He takes a journaling-like approach to songwriting—which is something we’ll dig into a bit more below—expressing his experiences and passions authentically. Following his training in software engineering, “thirsting again” is born out of SimplyRich’s self dubbed “King Era”, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his creative output.

The first thing we notice about the album is how professional the production is. Lush and complex, the beats are expertly put together, with beautiful instrument separation, rich bass, sharp drums and lush centered vocals. SimplyRich runs the hiphop spectrum when it comes to style, oscillating between spitting verses and R&B crooning—very “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in that way. As far as his particular sound, we have to assume that SimplyRich’s R&B sensibility is inspired by Usher as we get a lot of Usher feels throughout the project, while the beats themselves feel akin to a Jazmine Sullivan album—specifically “Reality Show.”

When it comes to the construction of the songs themselves, that’s when SimplyRich’s “straight from the diary” approach becomes clear as tracks will bend structure to tell the story. While not delving into the abstract, SimplyRich has a unique way of stepping out of your standard verse, prechorus, chorus, break structure to go on little detours in order to flesh out his narrative. He often introduces new secondary melodies in this process, before returning to the core structure of a song, which makes each track feel incredibly fresh. It’s by no means disordered, rather very meticulous, thoughtful and displays a wealth of musicality.

Our favorite track on the record—and to be clear, none of them are a skip—is “I Didn’t Know She Had a Man.” The story of the track is simple, SimplyRich has fallen for someone who he finds out is already committed to someone else. However, the story is anything but simple, as SimplyRich’s lyrical prowess takes you through explicit detail of the story and through his thoughts, feelings and point of view that delve deep and fully unpack the complexities of the situation. Nothing SimplyRich does falls into triteness or vapidity, rather he luxuriates in his emotional journeys, turning over every rock for gems of insight.

“Curiosity” leaves Usher to the side in favor of some serious Maxwell vibes as SimplyRich journeys into his head voice for this sultry R&B number. “Need + Want”, the album closer, is also a standout, particularly with all the lush doubling, harmonies, call outs and vocal punches that make for an impeccably produced affair. SimplyRich also stretches past his core R&B sensibility in “drought”, which moves closer to crossover pop. His rap flow gets highlighted on “BAG (intro)” and “White Toes”, the latter giving us early Timbaland/Magoo in the spit—”Up Jumps The Boogie” era.

In the recent landscape of retro R&B on the rise, we’re lucky to have SimplyRich as one of its disciples.

Molombo - StarStruck

Starstruck - Molombo (Hiphop) Inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Only a Pawn in Their Game”, the multi-talented Congolese-American artist Molombo makes his first appearance on our blog with latest track “StarStruck.” Beginning with a lush and ethereal intro anchored on a psychedelic guitar line, the track evolves into a crossover rap/hiphop track with Molombo’s baritone spit, backed by a Nigerian pianist and choir. The groovy mid tempo makes for a perfect summer jam—we certainly hear it on a beach party DJ’s playlist along with a bevy of dance remixes. And that’s the unique thing about this track—how psychedelic and hiphop converge to birth a lowkey club track. Hats off to Molombo’s musicality.

Best Lyric: “Feed me the hate, I can take it and laugh“

Benjamin David - Real

Real - Benjamin David (Pop) Benjamin David is bringing the drama and theatrics with their latest track, “Real.” Benjamin credits David Bowie and 100 gecs as influences in their experimental musicality, fusing a pop sensibility with the avant garde. “Real” exemplifies this with its construction—it’s not your standard verse, prechorus, chorus, bridge, etc. layout, and even changes stylistically from pop dance to pop rock two-thirds of the way through—though the strength of the pop chorus anchors the track. The lyrics are also far more poetic than your standard dance bop, with Benjamin telling the story of a ruthless leader who uses his powers for deception and punishment—not your standard subject matter. Boasting a strong tenor—the upper register giving us some Courtney Act vibes—Benjamin creates a style all their own.

Best Lyric: “I put my fingers in my drummer’s ears and sang a childhood song.“

Torrance - Star Child

Starchild - Torrance (Pop) Hailing from Boston, newcomer to our blog Torrance brings us his latest track, “Starchild”, a prelude to his upcoming album “Galaxy of Punks” which will bring a galactic dance/pop journey. The soundscape of the record is drenched in mystery, with a strong modern pop sensibility, and definitely giving those intended interstellar vibes. The message, delivered by a strong and solid vocal performance, is a call to unity to all those out there who don’t quite fit in, what Torrance calls the “star people”, as he at times as felt like an alien here on Earth. It’s certainly a relatable message, and with this breezy summer jam he’s sure to gather his community around his music.

Best Lyric: “Turning tables to rock the boat.“

Melo RoZe - Young Forever

Young Forever - Melo RoZe (Pop) Melo RoZe is giving us quite the funky two-step with her latest single, “Young Forever.” A midtempo party track, the record boasts a retro beat with punchy percussion that is tinged with a bit of darkness from the chord progressions. There’s tension on the track, like an impending storm rolling in, as Melo’s breezy vocals float above the storm clouds. Sultry and confident, at times we got some real Ariana Grande vibes from the vocal delivery, especially when Melo floats into her upper register. There’s a nice “come down” in the structure of the track as well, with a spoken word/rap following each chorus that’s just as breezy as Melo’s singing. It’s a very fresh track and definitely something we could hear on the radio.

Best Lyric: “If we die we fly together.“

Wavewulf - In Every Blue

In Every Blue - Wavewulf (Synth Pop) We welcome Wavewulf to the blog with “In Every Blue”, featuring the vocal stylings of Nala Spark. The track is the third single off of the upcoming album “Unbreakable Soul.” It’s a retro track for sure, due to the analog synths and drum machines, conveying a message of friendship and support—being there for someone in the darkest moments. Nala’s vocals are put into a cavernous reverb, adding some epicness to the track, and we particularly loved the verbed harmonies providing a soft cushion to Nala’s voice. We also note the musicality here with the track laid out into several “movements”—never boring—from a broody ballad to a dance floor spinner.

Proklaim - DANIELLA

DANIELLA - Proklaim (Rap) Another day, another fire Proklaim track, as we welcome our all star artist back to the blog with latest record “DANIELLA”. While consistent in style and arrangement with his previous efforts, Proklaim likes to play around with his back beats, and this time we get a hip hop number infused with a latin flavor as salsa horns dance behind a plucky percussion. It’s a trotting midtempo, setting the stage for Proklaim to preach from the mound about his latest thoughts on society. There was something specifically Fugees about this track for us, which in some ways felt like it evoked Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones”.

Best Lyric: “Father showed me how to sow the seeds, it takes time.“