Our track of the day “Better Without You” by DripLee has a certain quality that you can’t just hear from anyone and has something distinct from the pack.
“Better Without You” delivers a pop-punk vibe with biting futuristic music. The atmosphere is filled with amazing energy and has a subtle touch of melancholic-retro colors. With unique creativity and a mix of punk, the artist offers his own vision of music and brings a new recipe to the table.
This track is super slick and oozing with style. The backing beat is fresh, features drums and guitar-driven melodies, reminiscent of golden age pop. The recording also utilizes a subtle music video for the viewers to enjoy which adds a little bit of analog flavor to the ambiance.
With fabulous production to the voice, we were excited to discover something different from what’s already existing. The song mixes pop with punk vibes. It is so unique that you never get bored. Maybe makes you travel through unexpected musical worlds and feelings.“Better Without You” is one of the best tracks we’ve heard during the month. Splendid and creative, we listen to it on repeat!
Heem Da Dream is a rapper from Newark, New Jersey, and is one of the founders of the hip hop collective, Rap Villain. He is currently gearing up to release his debut mixtape titled Cosmic Hotel and dropped the single “Dark Side” earlier this year. We discussed his inspirations, creative process and his upcoming mixtape Cosmic Hotel.
Dami: What was your first introduction to hip hop?
Heem: My first introduction to hip hop was DMX. My mum had me listening to him from an early age.
Dami: What inspired you to start rapping?
Heem: First time I ever tried to rap was because of my 2 older cousins that used to make music but I was like 10 years old so I didn’t take it serious. When I got into high school, I was writing poetry and Rocket found out because we were both in the open mic club at our school. He convinced me to start rapping and it didn’t take a lot since he’s my brother.
Dami: Who are your biggest inspirations?
Heem: My biggest inspirations are my team Rap Villain. Alley Rocket, Nick Straight, Bobcat, Tac0o, and Thrizzy all inspire me to create music in different ways and their skills always drive me to push my pen. Outside of my team, my other inspirations are Jay Z, Kanye West, Drake, Andre 3000, 50 Cent and Lil Wayne.
Dami: What’s up with Cosmic Hotel?
Heem: Oh you’re going for the kill now. Cosmic Hotel is in the final stages of mixing and mastering. When that’s done, the rollout for the tape begins. I have a lot of visual content stacked up with the top shooter himself- Shialaboofpack – that I’m excited to drop for the people that support my music.
Dami: What should we expect from it?
Heem: You can expect a new sound from Cosmic Hotel that shows my growth while becoming more comfortable with my artistry and using my voice in more versatile ways as well.
Dami: What’s your creative process like?
Heem: My creative process usually goes 2 ways: When I’m by myself, I like to write at night in my room while I’m smoking with some anime on the TV in the background because that’s my type of vibe. The other way my creative process can go is when I’m with someone from my team (most of the time, its Rocket), we go through beats we get sent from Dren or engineers we work with and we play around with them spitting whatever comes off the top until we find a flow or melody that really sticks with us and we go from there.
Dami: How would you describe your style of music?
Heem: This is still a hard one for me to answer. I would consider my style as vibe music because I have songs that put people in different types of moods ranging from sadness or heartbreak to ‘I never cared about love’ to hype music that you would bump with your homies on a ride. That’s the best way I could put it into words right now if you feel what I’m saying.
Dami: Any dream collabs?
Heem: Some dream collabs I have to make happen one day are Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Drake, Tyler the Creator, and Jay Z. When it comes to the artistry of crafting music, they’re all on a different level.
Dami: What’s next for Heem Da Dream after Cosmic Hotel?
Heem: After Cosmic Hotel, I have a lot of music stacked up that I’ve been recording with Rap Villain’s engineer, Shaun. It’s just a matter of getting with my team when the time comes to decide what would be the best songs to drop and release visuals for.
Dami: What’s your biggest challenge as an artist?
Heem: I would say the biggest struggle is getting support where you’re from. In my experience so far with being an artist, it takes time to get people who know you or come from the same place as you to support you.
Nick Straight has finally dropped his long awaited tape Mango 22, and the New Jersey native didn’t disappoint with it. The 10 track tape boasts of production from Dren, Speedyondabeat, Davey Stop Playing, and RAF.
This album is full of songs for every occasion. Whether it’s the grimy Tacoo-assisted song “City of Hell”, where Nick and Tac trade verses about their city, or the banger “Blunt Effect”, where Nick uses his OG psychedelic trap sound, to the Alley Rocket assisted “Tony”, which showcases Nick and Rocket trading the heaviest of bars.
Mango 22 is honestly one of the hardest drops this year. The visuals for the lead track, “Blunt Effect”, which was directed by Shialaboofpack was dropped a few weeks after the release of this tape. According to Nick Straight, more visuals are on the way. Be sure to give this album a listen, and check out the “Key 2 My Heart” music video.
Alley Rocket is ready to shut down the clubs with this banger. The New Jersey native releases his first solo work in over 6 months, and what a better way to do that than with Jersey drill.
Alley Rocket already used his debut mixtape Apollo Boy to showcase his versatility, but “STIMMY” shows listeners that Rocket is as hungry as ever. An infectious flow, clever lyrics, and a deliver so perfect that you’ll immediately get up and start dancing. Rocket is ready to show that 2021 is his year for the taking.
When I asked Rocket what “STIMMY” meant to him, he said “it means that I’m just trying to show the world that my state has its own wave and that I represent New Jersey no matter what”. Alley Rocket said he made the track in hopes dancers can get busy to it since he also has a passion for dancing.
This track boats of amazing production from Dren and 809. “STIMMY” is heat, as expected, and with a song this amazing we can only imagine what other fire tracks Alley Rocket is gearing up to release.
DeEtta Jain has finally dropped her long awaited EP, A Walk in the Park , and this is not a project to be played with. Her amazing vocals coupled with her therapeutic voice gives the EP a soothing vibe. The tape boasts of production from DlzMksBts.
When I asked DeEtta what the EP meant to her, she said A Walk in the Park is a title that holds the same playful and momentous nature of the tracks. I wanted it to feel like a warm stroll at sunrise with surprises lurking in the play equipment”. Well, DeEtta sure makes music seem like a walk in the park with how effortless she sounded throughout the EP.
A Walk in the Park is the perfect project for the lovebirds, the ones still seeking love, late night rides and walks in the parks. With how amazing the EP was, we can’t wait to see what more DeEtta Jain has in store for us.
Long Island artist Onik has enlisted FindingVon for a new collaboration called “Couldn’t Find Myself”. Over top of groovy, warm guitars, the vocalists provide a reflective, pensive performance that keeps the listener on their toes.
The instrumental for “Couldn’t Help Myself” is emotive and bittersweet, using reminiscent guitars and bouncy drums to create a pensive mood. Moreover, the bass on the track is catchy and rich, enforcing a driving rhythm that gives the track much replay value. The drifting vocals from Onik and FindingVon convey a sense of longing and add layers to the song both emotionally and sonically, pairing with the beat smoothly to enhance the overall listening experience.
All in all, “Couldn’t Help Myself” is a poignant track from Onik and FindingVon that immediately draws the listener into its nostalgic atmosphere. The two artists share an effortlessly organic chemistry, and complement eachother’s vocal performance in a charming manner.
We are more than proud to introduce you to our best artist of the day: Jacari. The Los Angeles-based rapper immediately caught our attention with his upcoming banger “hate”. He started making music at eighteen years now at twenty-three he has grown a lot as an artist.
Some hip-hop artists offer authentic rap bars while being capable to send you into the future, a rare thing, let’s be honest. Jacari enters this category as he is going to blow away the music industry with his authentic talent.
Jacari’s method is quite simple. He likes to isolate himself in a darkly dim-lit room with a single candle. Turning off all distractions, including his monetization-stream of income of YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, Jacari likes to meditate in peaceful isolation.
There’s something very pure about this nature and attitude of a terrific singer, and the sincerity in his voice alone is enough to lift your spirits.
Follow Jacari on Instagram to stay updated on his latest activities.
19 year-old Florida artist BigGuySky has shared a vibrant EP called Been Scarred. Over 6 potent, versatile tracks, the artist showcases his focused technical skills and his ear for catchy melodies.
The title track “Been Scarred” opens the album, introducing the record in a grand fashion. Here, a triumphant beat made up of powerful horns and crisp percussion blasts out, making a confident entrance. BigGuySky himself is a highlight of the song, as he comes through with some electrifying melodies and personal, emotive lyrics that draw one into the song’s atmosphere. Following this track up is “Moveee”, a track that is reflective in tone, slightly calming the energy and providing dynamics on the release. Here, Sky once again delivers some strong melodies, and the chorus is a true earworm.
“Happy” takes the album’s sound and drives it in a brighter direction. The instrumental is centred around sparkling keys and lively 808s, with clean drums locking in the rhythm. He sounds poised as a vocalist here, performing some introspective verses. Finally, the EP closes on a high note with gripping tracks “Your Face (Just Won’t Go Away)” and “Outta Time”. The latter is particularly captivating, with its drifting guitars and heartfelt vocals containing thoughtful lyrics.
Overall, Been Scarred is an engaging, honest release from BigGuySky that shows the young artist’s potential. The title track in particular is an invigorating listen, for it is an underrated banger that provides much replay value. Hopefully more is soon to come from this Florida musician, as this is certainly an enjoyable project from him early on in his career.
Berlin’s Mr Pigeons has returned with an excellent song called “Secret Circle” that “flew” under the radar, but certainly deserves wider attention. Featuring the talented Mehira Cruz, this release is expansive and freeing, containing an intriguing mood that escapes categorization.
The instrumental for “Secret Circle” is dreamlike and grand, conjuring an image of open skies or seas. It is made up of ethereal synths that drift beautifully over crisp percussion. Beneath, muscular 808s add balance to the song, giving it an energetic rhythm. Mr Pigeons comes through with some expressive verses, and caps it off with a mesmerizing hook, sung alongside Cruz. The chorus is especially captivating and well-written, beckoning many re-listens.
Overall, “Secret Circle” is a strong release from Mr Pigeons and Mehira Cruz, which hopefully signals a new full length project from him soon. Fresh off the heels of the boundary-pushing LP Pink Fossil, the artist is sounding better than ever and one can highly anticipate whatever comes up next from him.
Legendary Los Angeles rapper Blu has shared a new single called “People Call Me Blu(e)”, produced by the great Exile. This track finds Blu flowing smoothly over a textured, raw beat full of soul and energy.
Both Blu and Exile sound as sharp as ever on this new release, further proving their longevity and consistency. Following last year’s highly acclaimed album Miles, both artists released a heap of quality music, including Blu’s For Sale EP with Sirplus and Exile’s “Always Summer” with Cousin Brother. Now, the two connect for Blu’s latest single “People Call Me Blu(e)”, a standout song from his upcoming album The Color Blu(e), which will be released on Nature Sounds.
The instrumental for “People Call Me Blu(e)” is evocative and smoky, featuring coarsely chopped vocal samples and dusty horns. Beneath, rugged drums and rich bass create an infectious groove and lay a solid foundation for Blu’s elastic flows. He comes through with some characteristically clever lyrics that cover his mind state on hip-hop and music as a whole. Sounding as focused and poised as ever, he delivers charismatic verses that keep the listener re-winding.
Overall, “People Call Me Blu(e)” is a strong release that has one excited for the upcoming full-length album. This track captures Blu and Exile’s familiar sound while also pushing into new territory. Their chemistry is evident as always, as they deliver a track that is both energetic and welcomingly casual.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 