Johnny Quest The Rebel is a talented hip-hop artist from Trenton, New Jersey based in Los Angeles, CA. A seasoned rap veteran, Quest has opened for pioneers like Curren$y, Metro Boomin, and Bone Thugs N Harmony, respectively. He has had an impressive year, releasing his notable EP called “Vacation Bible School” in April. The project is grounded with strong storytelling and personal reflection on themes related to religion, human nature, and spirituality. The Renaissance Music artist has returned with a new video for “Designer Casket,” his standout record from the project.
The QuestGod-directed video is visually striking. Quest and Ruff Dyamonds (a frequent collaborator of Quest’s) take a stroll through a cemetery and a funeral home, and they take moments to view the open casket as well. While the funeral guests mourn the loss of life, Quest and Diamonds observe the proceedings– unaware to the audience.
“Gucci shades on, bitch, I feel expensive,” boasts Dyamonds during the catchy hook. He vows to chase material wealth as far as possible despite the “spiritual homicide” that’s attached to his pursuits. Quest shares a similar sentiment about luxury living, rapping confidently from various shots that include the graveyard, behind the pulpit, and in front of the casket. “Count it up/It’s all about the numbers in this game of life,” he says boldly. To close the record, Quest envisions his own passing. “It’s see you later, never goodbye,” he assures his loved ones. The visuals capture the essence of the message, making for a really powerful continuation of Quest’s noteworthy record.
Vancouver artist CEE has shared a new video for her song “BDE.” Born in Saint-Étienne, France and moving to Vancouver at 6 years old, she began singing from an early age. While working as a painter, photographer, singer, among other creative pursuits, she has been consistently dropping music and visuals for 2 years, building up a repertoire of infectious, relatable alternative R&B offerings. Her latest, “BDE” is no different, providing a catchy, sleek listen, and is now accompanied by a refreshing visual directed by Sunny Palak.
“BDE” contains silky, memorable production centred around luxurious keys and laid-back, crisp grooves. Atop the relaxed, slick production, CEE delivers a series of elegant melodies sung in a dream-like, sensuous fashion, giving the song a graceful feel. The new video is engaging and stylish as well, adding to the sultry warmth of the track with its glowing shots and rich coloration.
The latest from CEE, “BDE” makes for an infectious, airy R&B offering that provides much replay value.
Massachusetts rapper Pareto and Houston-based artist armstrongWW have connected for a new single called “habits”, produced by with me, with you. Affiliated with the rising Hidden Renaissance collective, the artists continue their streak of jazzy, lyrically-focused offerings with “habits”, a reflective track featuring evocative production and poignant verses.
“habits” contains elegant pianos laid smoothly atop rich bass and organic-sounding percussion. Atop the laid-back, subtly dream-like instrumentation, Pareto and ArmstrongWW deliver characteristically vivid, detailed verses that are admirably unafraid to be personal. Making for a relatable, contemplative listen, “habits” continues Pareto, ArmstrongWW, and with me, with you’s respective runs of prolific, sharply-crafted alternative hip-hop releases.
Ram Dass has released his third single “Trust in the Blue” from his upcoming album “The Unimaginable” on Spirit Voyage Records. Gently exploring melancholy, maturing, and coping with the unknown, the folk melodies of “Trust in the Blue” carry a message of encouragement. Finger-picked acoustic guitar, strings, and three-part harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, and Nash portray both sadness and serenity in this ballad that is at once current and timeless.
“Losing my son made me become an adult quickly and the dreams I had before disappeared in an instant.” says Ram Dass. “This song is a message to myself as my own friend, trying to give myself the reminder that I’m doing great even though things can be so hard.”
The latest from Ram Dass, “Trust in the Blue” makes for a poignant and impactful release from the artist. Ram Dass is a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter who instills a unique potency in his music through collaboration and improvisation that creates art greater than the sum of its parts.
Irish-American songstress and eclectic music producer, Ajeet, emerges from loss and deep reflection with her musical seeds sprouting into a vibrant and diverse garden with a new single, Blooming.
Ajeet has shared her latest single, titled “Blooming”, on Spirit Voyage Records. As we emerge from what felt like a long and deep winter, Ajeet’s “Blooming” floats into the world as an invitation for freshness, a chance to welcome a new season and embrace life’s wandering currents. Ajeet says, “In this song I recognized that being open to change brings vitality and richness to life and allows us to befriend our freedom.” Bouzouki, Bodhrán and harp weave with double bass and honey-sweet harmonies as an invitation to life.
“I am finding new solace in the small moments of beauty around me, in the friendships that feed and enrich my heart, and more than ever in the gift of sitting down with friends to play music,” says Ajeet.
The latest from Ajeet, “Blooming” forecasts her upcoming album ‘Let It Breathe.’
Los Angeles-based artist Brett has connected with Chicago’s Morgan Gold for a new single called “Used to this”, produced by Manny Manhattan. Both artists have been prolific of late, building momentum through frequent releases that have showcased their sultry alternative R&B stylings and sharp songwriting. For their latest, the pair display a natural chemistry as they deliver evocative melodies atop ethereal, glossy production.
Brett enters first with a confident yet smooth vocal delivery, floating atop the shimmering instrumentation with ease. The song continues to build dynamically with punchy synths, buttery percussion, and a rich bass-line, crescendoing in a memorable, stylish hook. Next, Gold comes through with an equally strong performance, with effortless, sleek melodies that capture her range as a vocalist.
The latest from Brett and Morgan Gold, “Used to this” makes for an infectious, sultry listen and has us excited for what may be coming next from both artists.
The Milwaukee, WI native has had an active and successful year that includes an international tour and numerous singles. Ward continues that forward momentum with his latest EP, “Vintagious.” The Tedy Andreas-produced record is just under 13 minutes in length, but Ward makes great use of his time with intricate rhymes packed into every line.
The charismatic rapper expresses frustration and fatigue on the opening track, “Tired.” The production is warm and inviting with a chorus of bird chirps and looping horns. Ward has observed the landscape, finding himself fed up with issues such as animosity and the facades that people hide behind. The next song, “What A Day,” is a tonal shift. It’s an upbeat track that sees Ward weaving between a variety of flows. “Stack chips, no Lays,” he raps smoothly.
“Hands Please,” the lead single, fits perfectly in the context of the project. He conveys a lack of trust he has in those around him. “Stop gettin’ closer/Gon’ up and leave when the thrill is over,” Ward says boldly. He admits that his heart has gotten colder over time. Ward shines over the lush production of the last track, “Asshole.” He raps assertively, reflecting on how far he’s made it on his own in his career. Overall, the record feels like a glimpse into the mind of the rising artist.
Grand Rapids, Michigan artist RYN SCOTT has shared a new album, titled Peaks and Valleys. An engaging record that bears its soul across 9 tracks that resonate with heartfelt energy, Peaks and Valleys finds Scott focusing on his strengths. Sharply-crafted lyricism that remains relatable throughout, as well as infectious, inspirational production, make up the hallmarks of this powerful record.
Opener “Lost” sets the tone for the LP with its uplifting piano lines and crisp percussion. As graceful violins are brought in to accent the beat and give it a layered feel, Scott delivers fast-paced vocals peppered with confessional lines that draw the listener into the project and make them invested in its message. This song transitions smoothly into “Lose Control”, which ups the pace to adrenaline-fuelled levels with dramatic instrumentation that underscores Scott’s vocal performance in a sublime fashion. “To All My Demons”, featuring Crystal Rae, brings in a country and folk influence with fluttering acoustic guitars and bouncy, upbeat percussion. “Feels Like Home” conjures a warm, reflective soundscape through its grand keys and sturdy percussion, and Scott comes through with powerful, captivating vocals that make it hard to focus on anything else. Peaks and Valleys closes with the soulful track “Noise”, which finds Scott delivering some of his most poignant vocals on the LP, closing it out on a high note.
RYN SCOTT was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI and is now residing in the Metro-Detroit area. His home-grown Michigan roots are reflected in his music along with his love for peace, family, and fun. He also believes in relating to one another on a real level and having compassion for everyone, both in which you can hear outlined in his new album Peaks & Valleys.
Wrek: Music has always resonated with me since I was a kid. I grew up listening to hella Tribe Called Quest as well as other RnB/hip hop artists because my older cousin would always show me what was fire. In early high school, I would start freestyling a lot for fun with friends during and after classes. I was the kid with headphones in all the time for real.
Dami: What inspired you to start making music?
Wrek: The inspiration was always in me because I always found myself gravitating towards the passion, whether it was listening to beats or writing mediocre songs when I was younger. So intrinsically, I was always inspired. But extrinsically, my motivation really came from my close friend Joshua Rare who was releasing his music on SoundCloud when I first met him. I would practice making music with him all the time my first year of college and finally found my own comfortability to start releasing music in 2019 with my first drop “Mary”.
Dami: Who are your biggest inspirations?
Wrek: The Pro Era collective fasho. Listening to all their music helped me realize that I always wanted to be real in my music and they taught me how to look at life from a different perspective. As of today, I’m heavily motivated by artists like Smino and Saba.
Dami: When making music, where do you grab inspiration from?
Wrek: Haha literally just life man. I’m an active vessel when I explore different people, situations, cultures, etc. I find inspiration through whatever I can on a day to day basis. Whether it’s from a conversation with someone at work or someone I’ve never met before. As long as I experience life, I’ll always have something to speak about on a deeper level. There’s layers to everything, and sometimes a simple phrase said by another person can spark memories, or shock you with a new perspective. That alone is powerful to me because there’s literally so many people we haven’t met, and other people’s experiences can connect.
Dami: What are 3 words that describe your music?
Wrek: Captivating, resonant, and melancholic.
Dami: Which artists do you wish to work with?
Wrek: Artists I wish to work with are Smino, Joey Badass, and Kaytranada.
Dami: You just dropped a single titled “Come Home.” Can you tell us more about it?
Wrek: Absolutely. “Come Home” is basically a runaway story. This was my first year living in my whole space so it gave me a lot of time to heal or process things that I had already thought I was free from. I speak about hardships between growing up with my friends and family, which in most cases they are seen as your “home”. The song brings about self- acceptance towards the end and the idea that you can make your “home” however you like or wherever you go. People could picture their runaway however they like when listening to it.
Dami: What’s your creative process like?
Wrek: I’m very selective when it comes to the beats I work on. Most of the time I have to immerse in a beat to really tune into whatever feelings it brings about within me. That could take as simple as a day or as long as a week. I tend to journal my thoughts throughout my days. Some can be unimportant but most of the time, they help me with what I think I could talk about on a track. Once I collect a few strong talking points/thoughts, the rest kinda pieces itself together. The writing process takes effect then I tweak with the melodics. Even then, I have to immerse in the song after it’s recorded to really make sure it speaks to me. This isn’t always the same process I use but it’s what I’ve realized works most with me.
Dami: What do you want people to take away after listening to your music?
Wrek: Staying true to yourself will always avail when following your path. Specifically in my new song “Come Home”, I made the statement that I would pursue the emptiest persons. This was heavy because I feel many people today are affected by the grasp of social media and try to imitate others’ lives or compare their own to people who look like they’re living the best life. Staying true and being comfortable with vulnerability are def my big ones.
Wrek is back with another banger titled “Come Home”. The 2-minute track finds him discussing the feelings and actions that may have led to him running away, and in the process, even find his way home.
Unlike “All Day” where Wrek took a more soft, lo-fi approach, “Come Home” sees the New Jersey native attack the mic in a more aggressive way with dazzling wordplay. The production is nothing short of sublime either. According to Wrek, “this single is really for the ones that had them hardships growing up whether it was with your family or friends. Everybody wanted to run away at some point”. All in all, Come Home is a song about being able to navigate through finding yourself while noticing uncomfortable things along the way as well.
The single was also accompanied with visuals. Stream the single below and check out the music video while you’re at it
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 