Author: befree

By Damilola Grey

Houston native, Live 4eva, has dropped his highly anticipated single “U!”. This also serves as the lead single to his album “Purgatory”.

Live 4eva uses a personal genre he calls rage and bass to express his creativity on this single. On “U!”, Live talks about a twisted and egotistic man who comes to terms with the fact that he is not as superior or almighty as he originally believes. The song starts of cockily- a glimpse into the man’s mindset- and ends on a more sober note. As the song progresses, we see how the man’s emotions change- from one of pride to one of humility.

The single was accompanied with a music video which was directed by abesogreat. In the music video, Live 4eva fights Bagman- a character he made to symbolize corporate greed, as well as capitalism. He uses the fight as a sort of metaphor depicting people’s struggle with money and what they do to get it. The music video was inspired from video games, as everyone who heard the single said it sounded like a video game.

With 2022 being an amazing year for music, Live 4eva has ended the year and, at the same time, ushered us perfectly into the new year with not only this amazing single, but also with the release of his new album “Purgatory”- a very fun but dark album. Make sure to check both of them out below.

Stream “U!” HERE.

Stream “PURGATORY” HERE.

By Todd Anderson

Indianapolis artist Lons has shared a new single called “Miss Me”.  Lons is a newly emerging artist hailing from the far east side of Indianapolis. His debut single “Admitted” was released in March of 2022 and has already garnered attention from fans and critics alike. Lons’s music is not only catchy and enjoyable but also tackles important issues such as mental health and the struggles faced by people around the world. His latest single, “Miss Me”, continues his streak of potent, catchy cuts with its emotive soundscape and infectious vocals.

Atop drifting keys, atmospheric backing vocals and a sturdy yet sleek rhythm section, Lons delivers line after line of memorable material, with versatile melodies that capture his focused songwriting style. Culminating in a potent hook that lingers in the listener’s mind long after the song’s run time is complete, “Miss Me” makes for a hit-ready new track from the Indianapolis artist.

Listen to “Miss Me” below and familiarize yourself with Indianapolis artist Lons:

By Damilola Grey

Dami: What inspired you to start making music?

Love James: Not sure exactly. I’ve been writing melodies in my head since I was a little kid and throughout the years, so many artists have inspired me to where I am now with my sound.

Dami: Can you tell us some of the artists who’ve inspired you and your sound?

Love James: FKJ, Mk.gee, King Krule, Dominic Fike, Lowertown, and the Front Bottoms.

Dami: How would you describe your sound?

Love James: Sonically warm and exciting, lyrically melancholic and introspective.

Dami: You just dropped a single titled “feel how you feel”. Can you tell us more about it?

Love James: “feel how you feel” is a song that I’ve had for a while and figured I’d release it because the new stuff I’ve been working on is a different vibe. I didn’t want “feel how you feel” to be one of those songs that will sit in the vault forever and never see the light of day. At its core, the song is about how important it is to express and move with feeling.  

Dami: What does the track mean to you?

Love James: The track to me means so much. I make songs everyday and the ones I release aren’t random. This one in particular I fell in love with right from the start. From the jazzy guitar licks and chords to mu auto tuned vocals and the swanky drunk drum beat that lies underneath. It tickles my brain and gives me chills every listen. I could listen to the beat alone for hours. To me that is a song worth releasing; a piece of art I created that I love. That is all that matters.

Dami: What do you want listeners to take away after listening to it?

Love James: Nothing in particular. If they like it and take something away after from it, that’s awesome and I love to hear what people have to say about my music but it’s not something that is on my mind all the time. I don’t ever have an idea of what I want people to take away after listening. If it makes them feel something, then that’s all that matters to me.

Dami: What’s your creative process like?

Love James: It changes a lot and has definitely evolved since I started. Most of the time, it starts with me and a melody or chord progression and I’ll go from there. Other times, I’ll write lyrics before even making the beat. I try to always keep it interesting by doing something new and keep an open mind when creating. There are no rules and that’s why I love it so much.

Dami: What are 3 words you’ll use to describe your music?

Love James: Vibrant, versatile, voluptuous.

Dami: What’s next for you after “feel how you feel”

Love James: Probably a couple more singles and eventually an album/EP. I really like themes and albums that capture an overall vibe, so I’m excited to dive into that soon.

Dami: Any idea for the themes for them?

Love James: I’ve really been infatuated with death/afterlife/rebirth as of late so I’ll probably base it around that.

Dami: What are some dream collabs you have?

Love James: Ging, FKJ, Dominic Fike, Bakar.

Dami: What would you say was your most memorable moment of the year?

Love James: Filming the music video for my song “feel how you feel”.

Dami: What you got for your fans this coming year?

Love James: Just more music. Only released a couple songs this past year and I’m excited for them to hear more.

Listen to Love James HERE.

By Todd Anderson

DRBRWL has shared a fresh new self-titled EP. He is a new age hip-hop artist born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of Liberian and Ghanaian descent, DRBRWL is currently working as a youth advocate with young people in Minnesota while consistently performing and working on his craft within the twin cities. He has just released a self-titled debut EP, which caught our attention for its vibrancy and abstract nature, as DRBRWL showcases his unique delivery and ear for catchy melodies.

Drbrwl EP kicks off with “within”, which sets the tone for the versatile and colorful sound of the project. Here, ethereal synths drift atop bouncy, vital percussion and 808s, with fluttering, catchy vocals from DRBRWL taking center stage and adding to the song’s vividness. “fuse blew” brings forth an intriguing sound with its moody, atmospheric guitars contrasting with heavy 808s and snapping percussion, as DRBRWL delivers hypnotic melodies overtop. “no barriers” with OZCASHTHEPRODUCER contains heavily immersive production with warbling flutes that contain a sense of depth, as DRBRWL delivers a smooth, emotive vocal performance that showcases his versatility as a vocalist.

Drbrwl is the latest project from Minneapolis artist DRBRWL, and it contains some mercurial, memorable sounds and emotionally dense performances from DRBRWL that make for a vibrant listen.

Listen to Drbrwl here:

Connect with DRBRWL: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

Houston artist Alexcusemy returns to our pages with a fresh new single called “GAME OF LIFE”. Continuing his highly prolific output, “GAME OF LIFE” finds him taking on a somewhat different sound with a raw, rebellious joint that can be described as “organized chaos” in the best way possible.

Alexcusemy flips a “Man’s World” soul sample into a darkly poignant beat as the sample coalesces into a psychedelic combination of vocal chops, dusky keys, and expansive strings. Atop the imposing production, he delivers a series of enticing verses before exploding into a powerful hook that captivates the listener’s attention. A raucous new song from the Houston musician that contains a potent frustration that bursts through the speakers, “GAME OF LIFE” marks another solid release from him in which he explores new territory.

Listen to “GAME OF LIFE” below:

Genre-bending Chicago producer and DJ Heily Beatz links with renowned fellow Illinois artist Morgan Gold for a sleek banger called “5309”, which immediately caught our attention for its infectious dance infused, alternative R&B sound. Known as his re-brand “Heily (Hi-lee) Beatz”, the 25 year old Chicago born hip-hop/EDM cross-genre DJ & Producer has been steadily making a name for himself in the underground music scene. From being the Lead Engineer and Producer at 4835 Studios, to collaborating on performances with the ethereal R&B artist Gold on “5309”, his versatility and control over a sonic space is unique and engaging from the intimate setting of phone speakers to relentless DJ sets for crowds of 200k+.

His recent offering “5309” contains airy, atmospheric production centred around glowing keys and reverb-soaked backing vocals drifting atop addictive synth bass and crisp percussion. The instrumentation suits Gold’s signature style to the tee- providing a smooth accompaniment to her sharply-crafted, dream-like melodies. The pairing of Heily’s production and Gold’s vocals showcases their natural chemistry, while providing a hypnotizing sound that sets “5309” apart from many tracks in today’s R&B scene.

On “5309”, the Chicago duo link effortlessly for a catchy, refreshing offering that is sure to be a fan favorite. Give it a listen below and get familiar with rising Chicago producer Heily Beatz.

Listen to “5309” here:

Connect with Heily Beatz: Spotify | Instagram