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Atlanta Hip Hop

Plush Sanches Interview: Crafting Confidence and Breaking Boundaries

Atlanta’s music scene has long been a force to be reckoned with, and Plush Sanches is making sure it stays that way. Rooted in Vine City’s rich culture, he’s built a career that moves between genres, platforms, and perspectives.  In this interview, Plush Sanches reflects on the lessons learned from his city, the unexpected paths his music has taken, and how he keeps his creative process sharp. With six singles on the way in 2025, including City March, now is the perfect time to get inside the mind of an artist shaping his own lane.

Welcome to A&R Factory, Plush Sanches. It’s great to have you here to discuss your music, your ethos, and everything in between.  Growing up in the west side Zone One district of Atlanta, how did the culture and environment shape your sound and approach to music?

Growing up in Vine City, the streets are always filled with music, from someone playing a trumpet on the corner of the street to live acts in Center Stage. The environment was the same as every other city. A place full of opportunities for all.

You started out with a strong local presence before reaching a wider audience through stock music and Reverbnation. What was it like seeing your music gain traction in such a different way?

It was very shocking and eye-opening to all of the different networks available for entertainers and musicians. A very strong way of breaking the ice for what’s next to come.

Atlanta has a deep-rooted influence on hip-hop, but every artist brings their own perspective. Where do you see yourself within the city’s legacy, and how do you set yourself apart?

Someone who helps uplifts and nurtures the next generation. I believe that’s our city’s legacy; If not growth, then only decay. As a musician from Atlanta, I try to bring confidence, independence, and the absence of ignorance.

Your skillset spans songwriting, rapping, producing, and engineering. Do you see these roles as separate disciplines, or do they all feed into one another when you’re creating?

They’re almost like different characters in a Sims game,” the alter ego”.

What does a studio session look like for you? Are you someone who thrives on spontaneity, or do you go in with a clear vision of what you want to create?

During my studio sessions, it can usually go both ways. Sometimes for stock music, it may be a little more structured, but the spontaneous ones can lead to a hit or miss.

Many artists start out submitting tracks and hoping for placements, but not everyone sees the kind of success you did. What do you think made your music stand out in that space?

I believe it was the contemporary genre that my songs slipped into. They weren’t so restricted to one genre, so they were shared throughout.

Music is often personal, but when you’re crafting songs, are you drawing more from your own life or shaping narratives that resonate beyond your own experiences?

I pull from both personal past experiences and others beyond my own experiences.

The industry is constantly shifting, especially with streaming and digital distribution changing how artists break through. What’s your approach to making sure your music reaches the right ears?

Knowing your audience is key. You must know why they like it and where. Networking is always a great way of connecting and building.

Hip-hop has always been a space for both raw expression and innovation. Do you find yourself more drawn to pushing sonic boundaries, or is it the message and storytelling that matter most?

Pushing sonic boundaries is a focus, but the message is still key.

Looking ahead, what’s the next move for Plush Sanches? Any upcoming projects, collaborations, or ideas that you’re particularly excited about?

I have six different singles releasing in the year 2025. One of them is City March coming soon!

Stream Plush Sanches’ discography on Spotify and connect with the artist on Instagram.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

INFAMOUS C-4 Brings the Boom Back with ‘Hear Me Now’

Atlanta’s INFAMOUS C-4 doesn’t just live up to the explosive energy in his moniker; he defies expectations with every bar in his latest single, ‘Hear Me Now.’ Anchored in the golden era of hip-hop, the track’s nostalgic boom-bap beats and rattling 808s nod to the days when DJ Jazzy Jeff ruled the airwaves.

‘Hear Me Now’ doesn’t lean on the past; it reinvents it. INFAMOUS C-4’s smooth melodic flow rides the beat with an effortlessness that feels timeless, while his lyrics leave pretence at the door. Every verse, delivered with playfully witty charisma and undeniable determination, showcases his ability to craft tracks that build a vibe that’s impossible to ignore. The jazzy undertones in the production give the track a temperate warmth, hinting at the wide-ranging influences that shape his sound.

Already making waves with live performances across Atlanta, INFAMOUS C-4’s reputation is backed by good reviews and a hunger for greatness. His commitment to his craft – from top-tier rhyming to impeccable song-making – puts him in a league of his own. With the right push, the Grammy dreams feel less like ambition and more like inevitability.

Hear Me Now is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, where you can also discover his sophomore LP, Traffic Jamz Da Mixtape.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Frank Blunt redefined hip-hop’s intellectual edge with ‘Bored Games 2’

Frank Blunt’s latest single, ‘Bored Games 2′, is a testament to his stripes as a rap luminary. Blunt stayed true to his name by delivering an intellectually resonant and intellectually stimulating hit of wisdom; it’s a journey into the depths of Blunt’s psyche, a reflection of his soul laid bare through masterful lyricism

While the jazz-infused rhythms pay homage to old-school hip-hop, Blunt weaves his sonic signature through the production like gritty urban calligraphy to carve out his own unique identity, mostly noted through the cadence of his introspective gold. Blunt’s flow is a marvel of rhythmic precision and melodic inventiveness, ensuring that listeners hang on to every syllable. His ability to weave complex narratives which go plateaus beyond the ordinary tropes of the genre allows the tract to challenge perceptions while remaining grounded in realism.

Frank Blunt’s influences, ranging from Michael Jackson to UGK, from Jay Z to Outkast, are evident in his music, yet he’s far from a by-product of assimilation. After a decade of cutting his teeth in the industry, his unparalleled talent is as razor-sharp as his lyrical wit. If any up-and-coming rapper has earned their place in the pantheon of hip-hop greats, it is Blunt.

Bored Games 2 was released on February 7th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lex the Visionary artfully revolutionised alt-hip-hop with ‘Stretch’

If you like your rap tracks dark, decadent and full of hooks, delve right into the debut EP, LOTUS, from the Atlanta-based originator Lex the Visionary. Between the four tracks, the evocative trailblazer invites the listener on a journey from heartbreak to the discovery of her authentic self; the cinematic proclivities of the release give you a panoramic view of the roadmap of actualisation and redemption.

The standout single, Stretch, pushes the hip-hop envelope into artfully authentic new territory underpinned by Lex the Visionary’s delectable way of constructing moody melodies. The juxtaposition between her vocals, which give a view into her history with church choirs, and the spacey, at some points transcendent sonic motifs, is nothing short of arrestive.

After the midway mark in Stretch, the soundscape takes an ambient turn; the lush reverb drifting from the synth lines reaches the pinnacle of ethereal catharsis while giving you space to reflect on the introspective gold relayed into this elevated with luxe ingenuity release.

Stream Lex the Visionary’s EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ike Sanders stopped the hands of time with his fiery new rap track, Stolen Clocks

Literally and figuratively, Ike Sanders’ standout single, Stolen Clocks, from his 2023 hip-hop EP, Seven Hills, is the hottest rap hit you will hear this year; prime your summer playlists for the intoxicatingly seamless fluidity to the expression.

Enigmatic yet seductive, playful yet commanding, the rhythmically rolling rap bars against the bright and scintillating alt beats set the charisma bar unattainably high. Stolen Clocks is an urban jam orchestrated to transcend to a higher plateau with.

Even with the lyrical grit, the optimistically sweet disposition stays true to the Atlanta-based artist’s ethos of orchestrating genre-bending, passion-driven conscious rap. With his tendency to pull in international influences rather than staying true to his hometown roots, you would be hard-pressed to find a more exotically alluring hit.

Stolen Clocks dropped with the rest of the Seven Hills EP on March 24; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Atlanta hip-hop heavyweight Rashaann waxed Dre-style lyrical in his latest hit, Times Like This

If your hip-hop playlists are crying out for a hit that oozes style, innovation and bruisingly clever Dre-ESQUE wordplay in equal measure, tune into the latest hit from the rap luminary, Rashaan.

Times Like This is the silver lining to living in an era where it is easy to distance yourself from sanity day by day by looking at the news and noting the disorientating injustices before taking a look at mankind and realising that we should be referred to as manunkind.

With an EDM backbeat that could make your spine shiver around the jazzy cinematic old-school layers brought by the smoky sax lines and Rashaann’s storming flows, Times Like This is a rhythmically arresting tour de force, which proves he is beyond ahead of the game; everyone else is playing by his rules.

The artist, songwriter, and producer is currently taking the Atlanta hip-hop scene by storm after relocating from NYC and releasing his latest project, Far From Home, featuring the standout hit Times Like This.

Check out Times Likes This on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Atlanta Hip Hop Pioneer Caleb X Illuminated the Way to Tranquillity with his Vibe-Heavy Hit, Peace

Cleveland, Ohio-born, Atlanta-based artist Caleb X started a flood of tranquil melodicism by bringing in the new wave of hip-hop with his latest single, Peace.

Even with the nostalgic samples implanted in the glossily smooth hit, which illuminates the path to catharsis and emotional sanctity, there is no denying the experimentally contemporary edge that effortlessly complements the authenticity within the bars.

Though he may be influenced by DMX and Tupac, Caleb X ripped up the hip-hop rulebook before creating this vibe-heavy hit that will spice any future-embracing hip-hop playlist up with its mellifluous soul and style.

Peace was officially released on January 20th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jay Activist led the soul revolution with his hip hop single, Problems, ft. BTF Nate

Glossing his smooth-with-soul rap bars over acoustic guitar strings and acoustic percussion in place of the usual 808s, Jay Activist’s latest single, Problems, featuring BTF Nate, is a revolution in soul.

While romanticism can’t realistically abstract people from all of their problems, it is blissful to live that fantasy and see Jay Activist expose his determination to better the lives of the people that surround him. This sticky sweet yet sleek track puts weight behind the 20-year-old rapper’s claim that he’s the breath of fresh air that the rap scene needs.

The Atlanta-based luminary that pulls on his Caribbean roots always delivers his lyrics straight from the heart instead of pulling from the lost and found box of cliché rap tropes. We can’t wait to hear what the affable originator pulls out of the pipeline next.

Check out the official music video to Problems on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Atlanta rapper MgnBlak brought substance back in style with his latest single, In My Head

Atlanta-based independent artist, MgnBlak, firmly implanted soul in his latest hip hop single, In My Head, which is just as vulnerable as the title implies.

Even though the melodically transfixing single narrates the artist’s individualistic life experiences, it is all too easy to find the resonance within In My Head – especially around the gospel elements, which manifest through the quelling timbre of the organ around the trap beats.

MgnBlak sought to be a breath of fresh air for the hip hop genre; it’s safe to say he succeeded with In My Head; its universal appeal transcends genre. Regardless of your usual aural inclinations, it is impossible not to FEEL when In My Head is in full flow. We are officially stoked to hear his debut EP, Hear Me Now.

In My Head is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

King Cooley gave us the ultimate hip hop earworm to ‘Get Down’ to after going viral with her seminal single.

After her seminal single Climate Change garnered over 280,000 streams and was added to multiple official Spotify playlists, hip hop’s fieriest newcomer, King Cooley, is set to release her latest soulful stormer, Get Down.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based artist seamlessly switches between her simmering hell hath no fury rap bars and her neo-soul-to-the-bone vocal harmonies on top of the beats that prove King Cooley has what takes to bring in the freshest new wave of hip hop.

With experimental electronic signatures in place of the usual archetypal 808 rattle, not a million worlds away from the indietronica beats from Warpaint, it is hard not to admire the lengths King Cooley went to with Get Down. She’s finishing what Eilish started.

Get Down will officially release on August 12th; hear it here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast