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Chicago rapper Jefe Bates isn’t afraid of any challenge with ‘I Am What I Am’

Posted on 24 March 2022

Steering us into his action-packed life which is filled with activities that he loves to embrace, Jefe Bates returns with his signature motivated outlook that has him telling us that he isn’t changing for anyone on ‘I Am What I Am‘.

Jefe Bates is a Chicago-based indie Hip hop solo artist who flows with tremendous energy and always seems to drop timeless classics that will stand the test of time.

With a highly powerful flow that sends your head into a nodding frenzy, you can’t help but like, Jefe Bates displays his wizardry behind the mic and punches his way to the top with an expressive message that should send shivers down your pulsated spine.

‘I Am What I Am‘ from Chicago-based indie Hip hop solo artist Jefe Bates, is a poetical single that sends us into a whole new world of intrigue. There is a calm aura here and a flourishing beat loaded with treasures for us to open up with intent, from an experienced underground musician – who is only gaining steam like a freight train – as his self-awareness seem to improve after each release. This is the story about letting everyone know that following a lame fad isn’t in his bloodstream, as staying on the track and speeding up, is the only mission that is actually worth it.

Check out this new single on Spotify and see more news via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Michele Thomas lends her gospel neo-soul vocals to easy listening jazz in her single, I Know Because You Told Me So

Posted on 14 March 2022

The jazzy soulstress, Michele Thomas, has recently released her mould-breaking neo-soul single, I Know Because You Told Me So, which may be one of the most narratively-immersive jazz-fusion singles ever released.

The questioning, bold and introspective lyrics come into play once you’re suitably pacified by the mellifluous instrumental grooves. Becoming invested in the narrative that sheds a light on Thomas’ experience in the world is non-optional. Her gospel-Esque chanteuse vocals allow her vibrant and pure-hearted energy to radiate in the single that carries enough ease to fall into the easy-listening category. Yet, thanks to her vocal performance, I Know Because You Told Me So certainly isn’t without its revitalising zeal.

After finding her voice through gospel music, the Chicago-based singer-songwriter, entrepreneur and educator turned her stylistic grace to the freedom in the improvised nature of jazz. The airwaves are infinitely better for it.

I Know Because You Told Me So is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Oberry gets candid on self-sabotage in his trap pop single, don’t fall in line.

Posted on 28 February 2022

From the suburbs of Chicago, the experimental trap pop artist, Oberry, is here with his latest aural offering, don’t fall in line. After a jangly lo-fi interlude, Oberry’s distortedly animatronic vocals appear atop the scratchy and glitchy sun-bleached EDM beats which constantly switch from hard-hitting to fragile; setting the perfect tone for the emotionally rocky release.

don’t fall in line may initially resonate as an eccentric and twee for 2022 track but once the lyrics start to introduce you to the true essence of the single, you’ll find a deep level of respect for Oberry for being so candid on the subject of using self-destructive habits as a rebellious act.

If we are all honest with ourselves, we have all been there. don’t fall in line wasn’t the first single released by Oberry that delivers resonance hand over fist. His previous singles, all my homies hate the world, and parasocial friend have each racked up over 10k streams on Spotify alone – proving we’re not the only ones instantly obsessed with Oberry’s inventive songwriting style.

Oberry isn’t your average trap pop star, but it’s his intimate autonomy that draws you so deep into his experimental tracks. Any artist bold enough to release an album as twee as “I drawed a doggy” is undoubtedly worth following.

don’t fall in line is now available to stream on Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Crystal Lake’s Statik Hillz shows us where the good times are with ‘Dance tha Blokk’

Posted on 17 February 2022
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Taken off his ambitious 19-track ‘Univerzal Overdoze‘ full album, Statik Hillz sends us a sensational song that shall invigorate your mood and get you back to having fun with your friends again on ‘Dance tha Blokk‘.

Adam Reese aka Statik Hillz is a Crystal Lake, Illinois-based indie multi-genre solo artist who somehow fuses in a mix of rock, pop, electronic, hip hop and dance.

”He produces all of his original music on Ableton Live mixing catchy melodies with intricate and smoothly crafted lyrics that touch on mental awareness/hardship, love and human connection.” ~ Adam Reese

Sending us on a fun explorer mission to smell out where the best adventures will be tonight, Statik Hillz whistles his way into our famished hearts with one of the most stimulating tracks to grace our earlobes for a very long time. There is youthful vitality here that is rather translucently thrilling, as we bring our mates back from the cold and get to that party.

‘Dance tha Blokk‘ from Crystal Lake, Illinois-based indie multi-genre artist Statik Hillz, is a wonderful single to return you to the party that is calling your name from the streets. There is a late-night vibrancy here that is like the Bat signal for all of us to get that energy alight again – as we return to normal and keep things simple – while having that all-important fun again to forget the dark times of the past two years.

Get the drinks ready as you delve into his catchy track on Soundcloud and follow the socials on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Chicago-based Mission Stark stays calm and finds that anti-venom within on ‘Snake Bite’

Posted on 15 February 2022

While he certainly regrets the move that made him frigid for a while as he felt the claws of that former lover who he cared for slice into his priceless energy to selfishly snatch his superpowers, Mission Stark knows that he will need time to regain his full strength again with his new single, ‘Snake Bite‘.

Mission Stark aka David Stark is an underground Chicago, USA-based indie Hip hop artist who has recently released his 4-track EP, ‘Road of Dark Secrets‘.

”He began freestyle rapping at the age of 14 in high school and he started listening and dancing to dubstep which got him into making his own beats.” ~ Mission Stark

As he rises from the depths of despair after feeling the wicked treachery of that despised ex who had undesirable intentions, Mission Stark washes off the strain that struck him down like a malevolent lightning storm and flies high again with a hungry flow that shows his toughness in this challenging world.

‘Snake Bite‘ from Chicago-based indie Hip hop artist Mission Stark, is a blood-filled track about feeling sapped of your vital warmth by someone who truly swindled you into loving them. After soon realizing that they were definitely up to no good and only interested in taking away your special soul that has suddenly gone cold – this is a heartfelt warning – that should stun many into action before it’s too late.

Rapped with a truthful output that lets you know that he has lived this unnerving experience, this is an insightful release that has you watching your moves and only opening up your heart to those who can look you right in the eye without flinching.

Hear this venom-filled new single on Spotify and check out the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

X-Man speaks for the outliers in his pioneeringly impassioned alt-hip hop single, Can’t Relate

Posted on 5 February 2022

If X-Man goes down in hip hop history as anything less than a pioneer, we haven’t done him enough justice. Immersive may be a word that gets bound around in music reviews, but there are few other ways to allude to the allure of the hooks in his recently released seminal single, Can’t Relate.

X-Man makes it easy for you to instantly find the groove in the smooth canter of the almost spoken-word rap bars that are just as magnetic as Snoop Dogg’s. When it comes to the beats, X-Man cooked up a concoction of hip hop and playfully melodic video-game-style electronica. With the harsh snares snapping against the dreamy beats, there is plenty of texture to sink into as X-Man makes being unrelatable relatable.

You can check out Can’t Relate for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kate Keller fantasizes about the unforgettable cologne on debut track, ‘Ghosts’

Posted on 30 January 2022

After proceeding into music full-time and with her debut EP set for release in the summer of 2022, Kate Keller fulfils all of her creative desires with a moving and delightfully memorable performance on ‘Ghosts‘.

Kate Keller is a Chicago-based, New York-born indie singer-songwriter who performs with a natural beauty that warms your whole consciousness into feeling alive again.

”After studying vocal performance and psychology in college, Kate went on to immerse herself in the healthcare field, working at Mount Sinai Hospital and recently moving to Chicago to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology.” ~ Kate Keller

You feel the wind gushing gently all over your inner soul when you listen to the transfixing talent that is Kate Keller. She daydreams romantically about the sensual smell and tender touch of a past friend, who could have been a lover but is now a sweet memory in her past life.

‘Ghosts‘ from Chicago-based, New York-born indie singer-songwriter Kate Keller, is the sensationally-performed debut of an artist who is only just getting started. After moving from home she misses the past and what it all could have been but seems ready now to love again in a new city with so many possibilities.

Being in a new timezone and changing your clock but never altering your core, is the best way to stay true to who you are but also adapt to your new environment.

Hear this lovely single on YouTube and see more of her story on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Follow You Though: Terry Blade feels rather aggrieved on ‘Eaten Alive’

Posted on 17 January 2022

Taken from his brand new 10-track ‘Neo Queer‘ album, Terry Blade shows us that trapped place that is forcing his mind to wonder why he is in this situation, to begin with on ‘Eaten Alive‘.

Terry Blade is an award-winning Washington, DC-born LGBTQ+ singer-songwriter who is now based in Chicago, Illinois.

”He has drawn comparisons to artists such as Meshell Ndegeocello, Macy Gray, and Antony and the Johnsons.” ~ Terry Blade

Featuring such a tremendous beat that is smooth and illuminating, Terry Blade is rather superb on a tale that urges himself to avoid listening too much to someone who he knows should be in his past already.

With vocals that catch your attention quickly and bring you fully into this worrying picture, this is a track to play when you are trying to find the strength deep inside you to seek that escape door and move into calmer waters.

‘Eaten Alive‘ from the highly respected Chicago, Illinois-based multi-genre musician Terry Blade, is that striking story about feeling like you are locked away with someone who doesn’t respect you but demands that you respect them. The message is real and has your heart beating – as you peek through the curtains – and see someone who is so unhappy but can’t seem to break away just yet.

Listen to this quality single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Christopher Kremer has released his elegantly poetic allusion to languor ‘Electron’

Posted on 7 January 2022

If you still hold a candle for the melancholia of Elliott Smith, consider the new EP from folk singer-songwriter Christopher Kremer as an unmissable release. Major/Minor carries just enough reminiscences to tease nostalgia as the Chicago-based artist leaves you enamoured by his down-but-not-out authenticity.

The soul-fizzingly sweet lead single, Electron, is equally as instrumentally melodious as the most cathartic singles from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The vocals and lyrics lace the soundscape with an all too relatable languor, but even with the poetic allusions to entropy, the hazy choral textures ensure that Electron resonates as a transcendently uplifting release.

Major/Minor is now available to stream in full via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Multimillion-Dollar Status: Skotti knows that the jealous will feel the pain soon on ‘Full Circle’

Posted on 30 December 2021

Continuing with his smart strategy of releasing singles to build up his name to the masses, Skotti shows us how he has been dealing with so much petty wildness and a mind filled with demons on ‘Full Circle‘.

Scott Franklin Edwards Jr aka Skotti is an underground Joliet, Illinois-born Chicagoland, USA-based indie hip-hop solo artist and actor.

”With East Coast Hip Hop being a primary influence for his sound, he is also influenced by a multitude of artists such as Eminem, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Capital Steez, Mac Miller and many more.” ~ Skotti

Flowing with a real purpose and showing us how rappers should sound, Skotti might be one of the most underrated emcees’s in the game right now. You feel like he is working on his chosen craft with genuine intent, as he seems to deliver rhymes that really hot the spot just right like a Michael Jordan jump shot with the game on the line.

‘Full Circle‘ from Chicagoland, USA-based indie hip-hop solo artist and actor Skotti, is a thought-consuming track all about trying to find yourself again – after your energies have been skillfully consumed – from being around too many greedy fake cats who only wanted to bite off your shine for themselves.

Staying true to your path no matter what you encounter, is the only way to win that marathon of life.

Hear this top new single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen