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Reggae

Nana Motobi has dropped their high-vibe hustler anthem ‘Paper’

Posted on 17 December 2020
http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1540266765?ls=1&app=itunes

Vibes don’t come much higher than the ones oozing from breaking Alt Hip Hop artist Nana Motobi’s latest release ‘Paper’.

The spaciously sun-kissed melodies set the upraising tone while Nana Motobi breaks the monocultural mould by weaving in Jamaican Reggae vibes and experimenting with an African Pidgen Rap style. More refreshingly, Nana Motobi veers away from the usual Hip Hop narrative when it comes to riches and excess. While many artists are flaunting the luxury that they’ve hired for the weekend, this ground-breaking artist cooked up an anthem for anyone who knows the hustle is real. The hustle will undoubtedly be made a lot easier for Reggae Hip Hop fans with Paper on their playlists.

You can check out Paper for yourselves by heading over to Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Orange Joe has delivered an off the Richter Hip Hop hard-hitter with ‘Royal Blue’

Posted on 30 November 2020

Bounding into play like an excitable puppy chasing its own tail and looking expectantly for belly-rubs comes Orange Joe’s ‘Royal Blue’, all 1’43” of Akon-meets-Arrested Development grooving hip hop charm. It grinds, it’s got serious flow, there’s humour and irony in the lyrics but there’s serious bump’n’grind in the track too.

‘Royal Blue’ is audacious, full of pep and vitality, a proper party hip hop summer track, all lowrider and air-suspension of a tune with lift and drop and full-on, funky in-your-face charm.

See the video for ‘Royal Blue’ on YouTube; check out Orange Joe, and the Purple Spirit project, here.

Review by Alex Holmes

‘We Got’ from Houston duo/3 piece Eucalyption is a truthful story on how the world is wrapped up in useless information

Posted on 15 November 2020

‘We Got‘ from Houston duo/3 piece Eucalyption is a truthful story on how the world is wrapped up in useless information, instead of learning how to improve the planet.

Taken off the debut 10 track album ‘Go Ahead and Ignore This If You Want‘, this is a conscious Indie-Reggae track with such real substance and meaning. The lyrics are all about how smarter the world should be, but really isn’t. Instead, with all the new toys we have to play with globally, we are actually getting less smarter. This topic is discussed in depth here and this is such a vital view that needs to be spoken about more.

You smile to yourself and wonder why the world even talks about certain things, Instead of innovating, so many people are so stuck in their phones and are forgetting what life is really about.

Eucalyption are such a fresh new sound and ‘We Got‘ is the the type of track that you don’t really hear these days. There is so much appeal here and you get lost in the melodic soul that gets you in the mood. This is a debut song that is super impressive and this is a fine track that is full of real talk.

Click here for the Spotify page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Dez Ali – BARBIE: Amorously Eccentric RnB Pop Hip Hop

Posted on 14 November 2020

Breaking artist Dez Ali has dropped their playfully sticky-sweet standout single BARBIE, prepare to be serenaded by the amorously eccentric energy of the rapper, songwriter and musician while being transfixed by the soulfully dreamy RnB Pop Hip Hop beats.

It’s a time-old tale of boy-meets-girl, told through a charismatically frisky RnB vocal delivery. With hints of Reggae in the mix, you’ll definitely feel the love if you take a chance on the exceptionally authentic artist.  If you don’t crack a smile listening to BARBIE, your soul may have collapsed.
You can check out the official music video to BARBIE which dropped on October 30th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

David Adonis – Safe Distance: A Guide to Dating in the Digital Age

Posted on 30 August 2020

David Adonis allowed the airwaves to keep up with the digital evolution of romanticism with their latest single “Safe Distance”.

Safe Distance breaks the monocultural mould with rhythmically seductive melodies cooked up through an infusion of RnB, Pop and Afro Beats. But much more importantly, David Adonis served an all-important reminder through the resonant lyrics that love and romanticism are still persevere-able.

In a few years from now, tracks like Safe Distance will serve as a memento from the time we globally, simultaneously experienced love displaying resilience against the hate and chaos 2020 thew at us.

We may have a more limited way of connecting, but you can almost feel the fizz of passion between two people locked in amorous fixation when listening to the smooth grooves in David Adonis’ soulfully seductive Afro Beat single.

You can check out Safe Distance for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lo-Ke drops “Henny Nights”

Posted on 29 August 2020
https://soundcloud.com/user-191301175/henny-nights-rough-mix/s-zfPiWwhOtIN

Born in London, raised in France, and schooled in the USA, bi-national musician/rapper/producer Lo-Ke brings the summertime party with this upbeat-but-low-key (pun very much intended) electronic/reggaeton crossover track with producer Shadow Kyd.

Upfront hip-hop vocals meet Latin bachata-style rhythms, sparkling keys, and chilled out, Daddy Yankee-style 125 BPM.

It swings, in a dembow kind of way, under Lo-Ke’s tale of hot summer nights, Hennessy, missed flights, and waking up ‘with a cute girl on my right’, perfectly capturing those living for the moment, fairy-lighted steamy dancehall nights and hot, Latin, grooves.

You can check out Henny Nights via SoundCloud.

Review by Alex Holmes

Mowille – “Sugar Daddy”: tongue-in-cheek summeriness that will stick in your head for days

Posted on 21 August 2020

Mowille is a UK-based Nigerian rapper known for recording in both English and his native Yoruba; for his latest, he’s partnered up with Damola Davis and Uchay to bring us the tongue-in-cheek ‘Sugar Daddy’. The track skirts around the boundaries of Afrobeat, hip-hop, and R&B whilst maintaining something playful and unique, all the while showcasing Mowille’s (occasionally on-the-line) humour.

Yeah, it’s probably not going to win any awards from the PC-brigade, but with a chorus this stormingly catchy, who cares? The lyrics are fun with a great hook, there’s some serious stylistic versatility across Mowille, Davis, and Uchay, and musically the track is bouncy, chilled, and uplifting all at the same time. Watch out for this one, it’s distinctive, frisky, and summery as hell, with a chorus that will stick in your head for days.

Check out Mowille on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes

Quay Rashad has dropped their rhythmically entrancing Dancehall single “My Baby” featuring AU Music

Posted on 20 August 2020
https://soundcloud.com/laquay-1/my-babyfeat-quay-rashad-au-music/s-Kewoyn8uOoH

For their debut single “My Baby”, Quay Rashad borrowed the talent of AU Music and the influence of a myriad of different genres. Each stylistic genre-infusion into the Dancehall mix served to amp up the euphoria while keeping the tempo smooth and undemanding yet soulfully compelling. Hit play and you’ll find elements of Afro Beat, Reggaeton and Hip Hop under a hazily comforting production.

I absolutely adore the eclecticism to Quay Rashad’s high-vibe entrancingly rhythmic sound. There’s a true sense that the breaking artist just let their soul flow right into the soundscape and it didn’t struggle to lead the way. It’s no surprise that there’s already plenty of hype around the release. Get him on your radar.

You can check out Quay Rashad’s single My Baby for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Benji and the Saltwater Sound System return spiritually with ‘Lights and Smoke’

Posted on 5 August 2020

Benji and the Saltwater Sound System are an Australian based group that have returned with their new soulfully indie song called ‘Lights and Smoke‘.

Benji and the Saltwater Sound System draws upon African Folk, Reggae and Islander Folk to create hypnotic soundscapes that are so pure and beautiful. The vibe is peaceful, the guitar tropical and the vocals island-like. The band is inspired by Benji’s recent immersion in islander flavors after his stay on the Solomon Islands. The sound is fused with the reggae and African roots of its members past musical projects to create hypnotic soundscapes underpinned by catchy melodies.

There is wonderful indie, pop and folk influences here mixed with stunning cello. ‘Lights and Smoke‘ is a lovely song that is perfect for a road trip song with lots of soul and real lyrics that shows how quality this group is. With slots on huge festival lineups already, this is a group to watch when music venues are open again.

‘Lights and Smoke’ is the third single to be released from the much anticipated upcoming Benji and the Saltwater Sound System EP, ‘Ripples of Thunder’ and this is a stunning song that ticks all the music boxes. This is a song that flows through into your ears and you just want to listen again and again.

Stream this awesome act here on their Spotify.

Find out more about the band on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Ghana’s Kofi Jamar & Stonebwoy inspire the mic with Dancehall classic ”Mi Dey Up” remix

Posted on 23 July 2020

Kofi Jamar & Stonebwoy join forces like a world cup winning team on their new track ”Mi Dey Up” remix. This is Dancehall/Reggae music with soul and they win the day with the new release.

Derrick Osei Kuffour Prempeh aka Kofi Jamar is a Ghanaian rapper, singer and a songwriter from Bantama, Kumasi. Kofi first gained major recognition when he won a freestyle rap competition when he was just 18 years old.

Livingstone Etse Satekla aka Stonebwoy is a 45-time award winning Ghanaian Afro-Pop, Dancehall/Reggae artist as well as a Grammy Nominee. He hails from Accra in Ghana where he is one of the most popular artists in the whole of Africa.

”Mi Dey Up” remix is a quality song about working hard so you can see more glory and make your dreams comes true. These two have done all they can to get out of the financial situation that they were in. Kofi Jamar & Stonebwoy aim to inspire the youth and show them that you can achieve your goals with desire and putting those hours in.

Stream this new party tune right here on the artists Spotify page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen