Browsing Tag

Jay Z

Canadian trailblazer SVLM offers a high-vibe Hip Hop playlist staple with ‘Six Speed’

Posted on 14 November 2020

SVLM has already taken the Canadian Hip Hop scene by storm, after the release of their latest track, Six Speed, he’s about to tempestuously dominate international airwaves.

The high-vibe grooves paired with their charismatically-energetic personality made an earworm out of Six Speed, which is anything but mechanical despite the romantically meta automotive focus of the track.

Their ability to infuse their endearing personality in the music video made it impossible not to warm to SVLM. Their commercial potential is undeniable. Don’t just watch this space, get behind one of the most eccentrically magnetic artists dropping tracks in 2020.

You can check out the cinematic official music video which dropped on October 30th for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

Posted on 14 November 2020
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

East Coast Hip Hop got hotter with the release of Vior’s track “Stevie Wonder”

Posted on 29 October 2020

Feel the oceanic breeze of East Coast Hip Hop with Vior’s standout sun-kissed track, Stevie Wonder, from their 2020 EP, Presidential.

The Coatesville, PA artist has amassed plenty of hype for their ability to bring more than sound to the airwaves since releasing their debut single in 2018.

Hit play on any of their tracks and get lost in the immersive vibes which manifest through their meticulously dynamic lyrical flow and their larger than life personality which will leave you galvanized.

The conviction in Stevie Wonder practically makes the track a kiss with a fist. It’s viscerally hard-hitting. but soulfully sweet all the same.

With their clear Rap style and their mischievously hedonistic bars sitting seamlessly with the high-octane rhythmically arrestive beats, Vior offers the best of East Coast Hip Hop. We have no doubt that it’s only a matter of time before they achieve what they set out to do and put their name on the map.

You can check out the official video to Stevie Wonder which was shot by WizFx by heading over to YouTube.

Or you can listen to the Presidential EP in full via Spotify.

Vior

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CUBE REF spits venom and calls out the fakers with their high-vibe Hip Hop drop “Characters”

Posted on 25 October 2020

If you missed out on Cuban Rap artist CUBE REF’s fiery summer Hip Hop drop Characters, it is our pleasure to introduce you to the ingeniously cutting drop.

CUBE REF is blessed with one of those rare commanding voice which just leaves you transfixed in the meter of their bars.

Even with the slightly crass lyricism, you can’t help but warm to CUBE REF and their massive enigmatic energy. Part of the success of Characters definitely falls down to the amount of venom it contains for fakers and people who only know how to present themselves to the world from behind a façade. Lyrics such as “Because you’re a character, doesn’t mean you have character” aren’t easily forgotten.

You can check out the official video to Characters by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

GD4L has paired their blazing beats with catchy lyricism yet again with “Time on Time”

Posted on 24 September 2020

Up and coming rapper GD4L has recently dropped their ground-breaking release Time on Time. After two years tearing up the underground with their blazing beats and catchy lyricism, GD4L attracted plenty of hype around their relentlessly flawless grind.

Yet, Time on Time stands as the perfect testament to how far their sound has come. Any fans of NAS, Biggie, Jay Z and Kanye are sure to appreciate the nuance behind his freshly crafted sound which finds a synergetic balance between mesmeric instrumental grooves and resounding lyrical conviction.

You can’t help but drink in the high-vibe empowerment which this record feeds you. Do yourselves a favour, hit play.

You can check out Time on Time for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KidSeb serves up hazy summer vibes in their latest release “Re: Growth EP”

Posted on 30 June 2020

If you’re looking to soak up some hazy smooth summer vibes, there’s a potent serving in up and coming South Auckland-based Hip Hop artist KidSeb’s latest release “Re: Growth EP”.

The EP kicks off with a dreamy Jazz and Blues-infused Ambient feat of Hip Hop which may be instrumentally hypnotic, but KidSeb’s commanding bars make sure that your attention never falters from the sunny tones and the catchy melodic hooks.

From there on out, you’ll be immersed in East Coast-influenced mixes which any fans of Jay Z, Kanye, Drake, Dre, and Kendrick Lamar will definitely appreciate. But that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of distinction in KidSeb’s EP.

Each track is as dynamic and immersive as the last and demands repeat attention. The tracks may be on the ambient side, but each one offers infectious high vibes.

You can check out KidSeb’s EP for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jessonio – Step Ya Game Up: Nostalgia-Invoking Funk-Driven RnB Pop

Posted on 16 June 2020

NYC artist, singer, songwriter and producer Jessonio has recently dropped their vibing Funk-driven feat of RnB Pop “Step Ya Game Up” and invoked plenty of 00s nostalgia.

You’ll be thrown right back to the time when Usher dominated the airwaves while appreciating Jessonio’s charismatic flair as soon as you hit play on the seamlessly progressive mix. Whether Jessonio is laying down Rap verses or effortlessly hitting harmonic highs, his vocal magnetism never falters.

If you’re on the lookout for fresh new feel-good hits for your Urban Pop playlists, you definitely won’t be disappointed with the smooth grooves in this immersively sweet earworm.

With a new album in the pipeline, you’ll definitely want Jessonio on your radar.

You can check out Step Ya Game Up for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hippy Creed – Last Night: 420 Friendly Funk

Posted on 31 December 2017

Call me old fashioned, but when I think of a ‘Hippy’ sound, what doesn’t come to mind is an R&B Rap artist and his music about sleeping with women whose names he cannot remember.

Never the less, in its own right, Last Night is an audiophiles delight, which has fans pumped about the Atlanta, Georgia Hip Hop artists sound which is produced to perfection.

Whilst the lyrics are uninventive, the sound supports the track through his slightly linear musings. Hippy Creed pertains the image that he’s more than just your average Hip Hop artist and within his sound lies a movement based around the importance of being aware at all times. I suppose that for someone with such a 420 inclination, that message may seem pretty necessary.

Any fans of Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Tech Nine are in for a treat with this track, under it’s superficiality, Hippy Creed has a vocal ability and flow that will make him the envy of many R&B artists.

Check out the official music video to Last Night via YouTube using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5JwW_NCFHw

Follow Hippy Creed on Facebook to keep up with all of his new releases:

https://www.facebook.com/Therealhippycreed/

2U4U Release New Single ‘HOME’

Posted on 9 December 2017

2U4U is a rap collective with a particularly unique approach. Their sound is remarkably edgy and direct, going for a very organic vibe that has strong ties with the power of old school hip-hop.

The project’s recent single is a track titled “Home”. The song immediately stands out for its uncommonly upbeat rhythm, often not found on modern-day hip-hop. The lyrical flow is absolutely on the spot, with witty words seamlessly making their way through a dense, texture-rich mix. This production makes me think of quality artists such as J Dilla or Jay Z, but there is also a touch of neo-soul and R&B, which makes me think of acclaimed performers such as D’Angelo or The Roots, only to mention but a few.

2U4U consists of ATMA and My Rugema, who met at school and bonded through their love for awesome neo-soul productions. ATMA’s brother subsequently joined in and the group managed to grow further by including another talented performer and lyricist, Badcal. “Home” follows in the vein of the group’s creative hive-mind, highly focused on creating forward-thinking thematic concepts that really serve as wonderful ideas for their tracks.

Dream-Rap? Is That Even A Thing?

Posted on 2 December 2017

Even with the amount of new music being made every day, with sheer weight of collective imaginations, the genre splicing experiments, the fusing and fusion of styles Garrison Carver seems to be on to something new here. Yes, there is a trippy trap beat, a cool R&B vibe and a rap delivery but that is then cocooned in something totally unexpected. Around these more expected elements he wraps a dream-pop haze, chilled psychedelia and electronic washes.

It’s confusing, but experience tells us that is a good thing, expectations are made to be subverted, rules are made to be broken and new musical horizons are their to be explored and DD does all of those things and more. Blissed out hip-hop? Ethereal R&B? Dream-rap? Are those even a thing? The fact that you have to invent whole new genres to put the music in is an indication of just how original this music is and how singular and lateral Garrison Carver’s thinking is.