Browsing Tag

Lil Wayne

Christopher the Grey drops the follow-up to ‘Butterflies’ with new single ‘If I Didn’t Have You’

Elements of J Cole and B.o.B mix with old school hip hop on Christopher The Grey’s new single ‘If I didn’t Have You’, upbeat trap beats sitting tidily behind programmed synth parts and Christopher’s staccato, punchy lyrical flow.

The follow-up to last single ‘Butterflies’, and the 2020 album of the same name, ‘If I Didn’t Have You’ is bouncy, driving and upbeat, plaintive and searching, a cry to a lost love and a relationship gone south. There’s touches of T.I., Flo Rida, and Lil Wayne to it, plus some nicely modern-retro production in terms of the rising sequenced parts and the nicely gated hi hat beats.

You can hear ‘If I Didn’t Have You’ on Spotify; check out Christopher The Grey on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

TJA is set to drop their EDM Hip Hop Juggernaut of a single ‘Woah’ featuring Jay Willy

TJA

Flint, US-residing artist TJA took the influence of LMFAO, Lil John and Skrillex and ran with it with their Hip Hop juggernaut of a track ‘Woah’ featuring Jay Willy.

It’s hard to tell which is dirtier, the dubbed drops or the Rap verses which stand as a testament to TJA’s ability to wax lyrical. Not only is TJA’s versing relentless, but every syllable is also delivered dripping with their endearingly confrontational charisma.

TJA’s former releases amassed plenty of acclaim but Woah is fresh enough to see the luminary artist deservingly go viral. It’s so much more than a technically impressive release, as soon as you hit play, the infectious energy is instilled. TJA may just be the finest purveyor of high vibe hostile Hip Hop the airwaves have seen in recent years.

Woah is due to drop officially on January 19th, 2021. Until then, you can check out TJA’s former releases via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

3ripleD has dropped their blazing blasé single ‘I Don’t Mind’

Rolling, thumping, and with some sublime flow, comes Dallas-based 3ripleD’s new single ‘I Don’t Mind’. Leading into his new album ‘Practice Makes Perfect’, ‘I Don’t Mind’ is fast, cracking hip hop, all metaphor and lyrical poetry, delivered in a sing-song vocal overdramatic chiming synth, bass, and beats.

It’s an excellent sampler for 3ripleD’s work, reminiscent of artists like Lil’ Wayne, Biggie Smalls, 2 Chains, or Young Money. 3ripleD is clearly a talented artist with plenty to say, his rhythmic and elegiac delivery matched by the composition of the track behind. Look out for the full ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ album, and check out ‘I Don’t Mind’ right now.

Hear ‘I Don’t Mind’ on Spotify; check out 3ripleD on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Izze St. William offers salvation with his ghetto electric hymn ‘No Shackles’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJlwCnkBHw&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=IzzeSt.William

‘No Shackles’ is a perfect slice of old-school R&B, a cry to love and longing and the need to belong. With an Antares, Auto-Tuned vocal reminiscent of the best style of Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, or the omnipresent T-Pain, and lyrics describing the lust for love – “Put Shackles over me/ Come throw away the key/ If I was in the crime of being lonely” –  ‘No Shackles’ grooves and winds through a hook-heavy with thumping bass and sequenced keyboards.

Izze St. William describes himself as ‘an artist-producer for the people’ creating ‘ghetto electric hymns’ and ‘sacred music within mystic stories of the human soul’. With ‘No Shackles’ he’s certainly created a track which will stick in yours.

See the video for ‘No Shackles’ on YouTube, and follow Izze St. William on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Remykid has all the bells and whistles for Buzz Me Alert

The kick drum is the driving force behind London rapper Remykid‘s new single Buzz Me Alert. This song  is a purely plaintive protestation against a high maintenance lover’s demands. It’s a simple enough rhyme: ” She wants that juice, she wants that cash, that bag…” He is candid about his love: “She says she wants money, I give her money.” He’s not complaining. It is what it is. “I’m working for da money…” It’s the best this poor sap can do. “I live my life, woe woe woe,” he mumbles dejectedly for he’s still on her ‘buzz me alert.’
This is clever minimalist grime rap – the syncopated breakbeat telegraphs this mournful yet catchy lamentation while at  highlighting the bitter sweet tensions of giving in to the demands of a loved one’s wanton materialistic desires to keep her pleased. Relationships are fragile, retaining the affections of someone can make for a complicated love life.
As sorrowfull as these bars are, the beat of Buzz me Alert is dope yo! Our hero’s fragile love narrative is underscored by the jagged electronic sound that pulsates and characterises this song of love and materialism. Granted, the autotune is arguably a tad overdone and the kick drum somewhat overpowering, but with a little more time in the studio, coupled with a solid production engineer and some  remastering tweaks, this rap will linger.
Don’t be deceived though: This song will have you ‘ O nah nah nah-ing’  long after the track’s stopped playing. Check out this catchy, buzzing new single here:

Review by Annesh Ramklown

A&R Factory Present: Ben Alessi

NYC-based recording artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Ben Alessi, follows his refreshing debut track (“ U ”) with a sultry, electronic dysfunctional-love love song, “ ONLY ”. There’s a magical balance here between what is now a landmark sound for Ben – his layered vocal performance/production woven into the foundational instrumental. Although usually self-produced, Ben was enamored by the emotional instrumental for “Only” created by REO (Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Kid Ink, David Guetta, T-Pain) and so “ONLY” was borne. “U” served as an introduction to Ben’s unique way of envisioning music through color and texture while “Only” seems to let his audience dive right into his soul.

At just 21 years old, Ben Alessi is already leapfrogging through the biz: “U” premiered on Billboard and was remixed by both Michael Brun (3MM Spotify plays and climbing) and Chordashian ; his successful featurings include a Kuren debut release “ Home ” that climbed the Australian charts and national radio; he’s produced/featured on several other viral climbers; he’s collaborating with major music-makers – most recently, Sarz; and, he’s being courted by brands, fashion houses and has landed syncs including T-Mobile. His debut EP is set to drop soon, and several showcases are lined up for March and April.

Since his first self-release, “Primes,” Ben Alessi gained local traction, performing mostly acoustic in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. Ben relocated to Manhattan upon signing with Big House Publishing and dove deeper into electronica. His inspirations, ranging from Cashmere Cat and Jean Paul Gaultier to Amy Winehouse and Tarantino, are present in his art through the essence of these cultural icons. The dark, complicated majesty of these heroes is embedded in the textured, subtle beauty of this latest release.

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