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Reggaeton

Spotlight Feature: Poet Initiative served up summer in his melodic RnB hip-hop EP Ocean Drive

Poet Initiative

After starting his creative journey as a poet, the London, UK-residing artist Poet Initiative took the initiative to establish himself as one of the most versatile hip-hop artists in the UK. His earwormy melodies are accentuated by the influence of Reggaeton, Japanese hip-hop, Korean hip-hop and the UK garage scene. To get a taste of his freshly honed sonic flavour, delve into his debut 4-track EP, Ocean Drive.

While many artists are quick to describe themselves as versatile, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dynamic release than this. With grooves strong enough to elevate any mood, Ocean Drive reached the pinnacle of a universal playlist staple. With the good vibes and even better rhythmics, Ocean Drive is a stellar seminal EP that hits sweet spots you didn’t know existed.

Poet Initiative said:

“Ocean Drive reflects my evolving sound. I’ve always found myself caught between wanting to create music you can dance to but also kick back to. The catchy hooks and warm melodies in my EP combine that.

This EP is underpinned by the overarching message to have fun, be yourself, enjoy those long summer nights, party in the sunshine, and make the most of those moments’ life gives you.”

Ocean Drive will be available on all major platforms on July 26th. Pre-save the single on Spotify.

Keep up to date with the latest releases from Poet Initiative on Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Never Do You Wrong: Rumi drops lovetorn debut single Amelia

Showing so much calmness despite being let down so much by his ex-lover who showed her true colours via a voice message, Rumi has dropped a rather hot first track to get our moods into a hugely reflective place on Amelia.

Rumi is an emerging London-based afrobeats/afropop artist with a Nigerian heritage who has made a single to remember here as our hearts are flown into a moment that so many of us have felt rather intensely before.

This is a promising debut from Rumi who sings with deep meaning and heartfelt honesty about a moment which causes fragile souls to break in half.

Amelia from the exciting newcomer Rumi is a quite dynamic single which will change moods and take us back into a whole different world. There is raw emotion here which might get many to think twice about opening their heart, in a swipe-quick world which will ghost you in a nanosecond.

Turn this up louder on Spotify.

Check out the IG for more news.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Paloma Amaya became the ultimate advocate of embolened independence in her world music single, Mejor

The sensually superlative singer-songwriter, Paloma Amaya, blended her dualistic Mexican and Austrian heritage in her latest monocultural mould-smashing single, Mejor.

If rhythm is a dancer, it would want to move to the beat of Amaya’s fiery hit, which blends classic Latin pop with a pinch of reggaeton flavour and other elements of world music to effortlessly transcend genre and geographical boundaries. Just try telling us this isn’t the most vibrant single of the summer.

If you needed any proof that music is a universal language, slip right into the empowering hit, which celebrates freedom away from the toxicity of a relationship better left in the rear-view mirror. Amaya became the ultimate advocate of emboldened independence in Mejor. Stepping into your power never sounded sweeter thanks to the arrestive nature of Amaya’s pitch-perfect harmonies.

Mejor hit the airwaves on June 23; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Heir to the St Louis rap scene, K!NG QUE, created alt-hip-hop ‘Perfection’ in his latest single, ft Zaetheone, Daemon & Von Mitch 

For his latest single, Perfection, the prodigal son of alt-hip hop, K!NG QUE (AKA the Melodic Rebel), joined creative forces with Zaetheone, Daemon & Von Mitch and took over the St. Louis rap scene in the process.
Seeing barriers as sonic constraints to unshackle himself from, K!NG QUE created sultry groove-slicked production that exhibits the alchemy that breeds between the contrasting and complementary vocal timbres while the body-rocking beats and melodies to perpetually ascend in the RnB and Reggaeton wrapped mix. Very few contemporary hits have what it takes to take you to the heights Perfection does.
The dynamic versatility reverberating at its core is the evolution hip-hop was crying out for. From ethereal female vocal lines to rap bars with a cadence that punctuates the mix as much as the basslines to euphoric builds to just as galvanising breaks, Perfection just keeps on giving.
Stream Perfection on Spotify now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast

Groove away heartbreak with the hot-to-handle afrobeat hit, Shakara Love, from Mr Yomi.

Waves of euphoria crashed in with the latest single from the heir to the UK afrobeat scene, Mr Yomi; Shakara Love is the perfect introduction to one of London’s hottest rising artists.

At tonal value, Shakara Love is your archetypal vibe-steady summer earworm, but lock into the captivating soundtrack and explore the depths of unrequited love, narrated by Yomi’s luxe with animated soul vocal lines which effervesce around the steamily ascending Afrobeat melodies that will leave you yearning to hit the dancehall floor.

It is one thing to create a high-vibe anthem from a track that gravitates around a bright lyrical theme. It is another entirely to hit the rhythmic ground running with a sunny-side-up sensibility while versing on raw emotion.

Shakara Love hit all major streaming platforms on May 26; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Princess Wonda is the future of afro-fusion in her sensually emboldening single, My Body

Princess Wonda is the future of afro-fusion in her sensually body-positive single, My Body, taken from her eponymous EP. The UK-born Nigerian vocalist and entertainer unforgettably entered the world music scene in 2021 alongside the Congolese legends 1da Banton and Awilo Longomba. Her debut album charted at #27 on iTunes; given the sensuously rhythmic glamour in My Body, we’re putting our money on this soulfully indulgent hit getting even higher.

One of the hardest relationships women can form is with the skin they’re in; Princess Wonda is the ultimate aural relationship coach in My Body by radiating the confidence that every woman should want to exude. Exotic yet wholesome in equal measure, My Body spills sun-drenched good vibes by the smorgasbord. If this isn’t the afro-pop hit of the summer, there is something seriously wrong with the music industry.

My Body was officially released on April 21; check it out on Spotify.


Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Jindi remixed fresh fire into his Afro Dancehall hit, HASSA, feat Kushman and MasterKraft

The award-winning world music artist, Jindi, has reached heights most could only dream of since making his debut; from international airplay to headlining major festivals, his sound could move mountains. For his latest drop, the Dubai-residing Afro-Dancehall artist infused Kushman’s Genge sound with his Afro-Sudanese style; to entrancingly hot effect. With MasterKraft in charge of production, the lusty earworm of a floor-filler was never going to fall flat.

The original version of HASSA left very little to be desired, but as the ancestral roots of Jindi and Kusman converge in the remix, galvanising cultural dynamism was always going to flood through the arrestive dancehall grooves.

“I originally wrote and performed HASSA; I wanted to spice it up with an East African touch; it’s my first venture into the Sudanese Arabic sound. Hassa translates into ‘right now’, which is the hook. It translates into my love for my girl and my compulsion to give her everything she wants.”

The HASSA Remix was officially released on February 10th. You can catch it on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Follow Jindi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dancehall icon-in-the-making Jubbi Don has unveiled her high-vibe liberation anthem, Know Mi Worth

Montego Bay, Jamaica-born, Canada-residing Dancehall/Pop artist Jubbi Don created the ultimate high-vibe liberation anthem with her latest single, Know Mi Worth. Self-doubt doesn’t stand a chance against the serotonin-spilling earworm that allowed Jubbi Don to effortlessly come into her own.

The infectious advocation of self-worth pulls self-respect and confidence into trend through the reggae beats and effortlessly upraising energy in the vocals, which will undoubtedly be a hit with fans of Vybz Kartel. The stellar production quality behind sun-bleached rhythmically blissful hit ensures it has all the makings of a playlist staple; once they hear it, Dancehall DJs will be rushing to spin the tropic slice of sonic panache.

The official music video for Know Mi Worth is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: EM$o turned on the bright lights in his redemptive reggaeton release, Dark Rooms

EM$o

The candid uncut nature of EM$o’s debut LP, Differences, was a promising sign of more expositional visceral hits in the pipeline. He more than delivered with Dark Rooms. The rhythmically disarming reggaeton single strips the glorification from self-destruction and glamourizes growth. You can’t afford not to have him as a role model. In 3-minutes, EM$o takes you on the emotional journey of a lifetime.

After growing up in one of the most dangerous cities in Europe, EM$o knew he had to break away from the past, but distance and growth weren’t enough to cut the haunting ties forged through anxiety, depression, and addiction. His latest single, with the accompanying music, video artfully unravels his redemption arc. From insular isolation to embracing gratitude and willingness to make the most out of his life, the bright lights were turned on. Dark Rooms shows you how to find the switch.

“Dark Rooms is a tribute to a very special woman who went through hell trying to prevent me from doing something stupid and fatal. After my past life in the streets, I was severely depressed. Days would pass I did little more than drink in my house to numb the pain.

She walked into my life, everything became easy and moments of happiness were achievable – while sober. She empowered me to get healthier, better, stronger, and more resilient. As much as this is a tribute, it is also an ask for forgiveness and acknowledgement that she walked through the fire for me, despite the burns from her past.”

The song was written, recorded and mixed in EM$o’s home studio and mastered by Slade Templeton at Influx Studios. The official video was shot and produced by Tec. and Film.

The single and the official music video will release on February 10th. Check it out on all major streaming services via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rapper and producer, JaefKae is razor-sharp in his Reggaeton hip hop single, New Machete

With a danceable versatile flavour like no other, the Chicago-hailing rapper and producer, JaefKae, burst onto our radar with the genre-fluid beats in his latest single, New Machete.

The tropic earworm picks at the roots of hip hop, Caribbean Dancehall, Reggaeton and Soul and plants the seed for a fresh new sound, defined by kaleidoscopically colourful instrumentals and the effortlessly high-vibes in the vocals.

During his career, JaefKae has opened for Nas and Pusha T, taken his high-energy performances across Chicago, and used his platform to represent his Afro-Purto Rican and Japanese descent, be a force of resistance against police oppression and to fight for black liberation.

His moniker comes from JFK because his 200-song discography “will blow your f***ing mind”. Considering that New Machete completely dominates your psyche before flooding it with dance-worthy rhythms and elevated talent, JaefKae had every basis to be that bold when settling on the pseudonym that will ripple across the globe attached to his infectiously upraising tracks.

New Machete is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast