Category: Blog

Rising Maryland underground hip-hop artist XL Hope has returned with a new EP titled ‘Self Motivated Motivation’. A series of five vivid, grand songs that do well to capture the rapper’s sharp lyrical ability and intense focus on the mic, this EP continues his run of charismatic offerings providing inspirational content for listeners. Expanding even further upon the confident command of the microphone and verbose flow he has displayed on previous releases, ‘Self Motivated Motivation’ finds the XL Hope at his most energized and poised.

“Rise” sets the tone for the project aptly, with dry, driving percussion, rich bass and glitchy vocal samples. Atop the adrenaline-fuelled, fast-paced production, XL Hope delivers a series of blistering bars that define his lyrically-focused, ambitious style. Next, the emotive, bittersweet “Stay Solid” brings in dream-like pianos and wistful vocal samples atop bouncy percussion. Here, he presents some of his most vivid verses, detailing his path to success atop the powerful production. An inspiring offering that is raw in sound, “Stay Solid” provides an album highlight that draws the listener further into the EP’s atmosphere.

Lead single “I Won’t Stop” finds glorious strings winding atop clattering, pumping drums, creating a sweeping, electrifying soundscape for Hope’s strong verses. He attacks the beat with a barrage of bar-heavy verses, before dropping into a memorable, infectious refrain. The DeeReal-assisted “The Vision” encapsulates the EP’s sound towards the culmination of the project, with shimmering, elegant vocal samples, crisp percussion, and heavy bass. Hope and DeeReal showcase an organic chemistry as they trade evocative verses back and forth, displaying character-rich lyricism and nimble flows. Finally, the EP closes out with “Visualizing Success”, which makes for an expansive and grand outro to the project. Here, glowing keys drift atop pounding drums and infectious bass. Delivering some of his most powerful verses yet, Hope closes the project out on a high note, with evocatively personal verses atop the uplifting instrumentation.

The latest from Maryland artist XL Hope, ‘Self Motivated Motivation’ showcases the rapper’s sharply-crafted lyrical abilities and powerful flows across 5 inspiring songs. On ‘Self Motivated Motivation’, the listener is immersed in this EP’s uplifting, engaging sound as they try to catch every bar from Hope.

Listen to ‘Self Motivated Motivation’ now:

By Mark Generous

UK hip-hop artist, BRYN, drops her latest single, Sellotape- an innovative blend of UK drill and indie music. This release accurately displays the artist’s creative potential & versatility by taking two distinct genres of music and merging them into a unique yet entertaining project.

The song introduces its progression with the traditional high pass effect over BRYN’s euphonious vocals. The conventional introduction may sound like the beginning to a pop/indie song to the listener. Still, the track takes a turn by introducing a sequence of UK drill drums accompanied by elegant sounding harps and pads. This ingenious fuse of genres brings a new generation of drill music into fruition while still paying homage to the genre’s origins. By maintaining traditional composition, clever vocal patterns and melodic songwriting – Sellotape is a unique concept in the UK hip hop scene which BRYN is evidently dominating.

Listen to “Sellotape” here:

By Mark Generous

The Metro Vancouver region has seen exponential growth in artistry and music culture within the past decade revealing new talent every day. Still, probably one of the most anticipated and recognized artists emerging from this rapidly growing city is the artist Teon Gibbs.

It’s going into three years since the release of his album Rose Tape, which features a lineup of many talented Vancouver artists & musicians such as Amber Bayani, Clive Fagan, Fara, Jonny Tobin, Makadi, & TRS. Since then, Rose Tape has become a timeless project that genuinely showcases Teon’s proficiency as an artist, collaborator and executive producer.

The overall composition of the Rose Tape project evokes a sense of sweet nostalgia mixed with ambition & desire – while overcoming the hardship of sacrifices. As the album progresses, listeners are exposed to a unique blend of instrumentation with sounds deriving from hip-hop, lo-fi, neo-soul, and R&B music.

“Typa Way” is one of those tracks that leave an everlasting footprint on the project, demonstrating Teon’s lyrical aptitude. Accompanied by a captivating chorus by Clive Fagan and soothing vocals from Amber Bayani & TRS – it’s a track that flawlessly exhibits Teon’s confidence and optimism as he overcomes the trials and tribulations of being a fresh, independent artist entering the music industry. His impressive beat selection for the project definitely plays a significant role in the album’s authenticity. In particular – the track “Way That It Goes” incorporates a left-field, lo-fidelity type R&B instrumental as an eccentric – yet fitting – back-drop for his and singer Fara’s mesmerizing voice. Given the complexity of the beat, which incorporates ethereal chord progressions over a prominently structured drum sequence, it’s a track that genuinely reveals his creative potential and tests his level of adaptability as an artist & lyricist. With each instrumental sounding distinct yet maintaining a sense of cohesiveness throughout the album- Teon reveals that he is not afraid to jump into the deep end, showing his ability to work over a wide range of sonics.

Rose Tape is only a glimpse of Teon’s line of work. The prolific artist continues to create music today, participating in many collaborative efforts and live performances. Each year, he displays a tremendous refinement in his sound and devotion to the craft. Truly an artist for the culture.

Listen to ‘Rose Tape’ here:

Watch the captivating music video/short film with IAMTHELIVING:

Follow him on Instagram.

California’s Ajna has returned with a new single called “Fall So Fast”. A single from his forthcoming album Lifelines, this track provides powerful sonics and charismatic, evocative vocals aided by Q. and Angelica that make for a stirring listening experience.

This song begins with a grand brass section drifting atop glowing pianos and grooving bass, before clean percussion and an infectious refrain delivered by Q. and Angelina starts off the track. After the hook, Ajna’s personal, character-rich verses pick up an engaging pace, as he comes through with a series of poised bars. Combining alternative R&B and hip-hop into a colorful blend, this track showcases Ajna’s characteristically soulful sound and honest lyricism.

The latest from Ajna, “Fall So Fast” precedes his upcoming album Lifelines, due soon.

Listen to “Fall So Fast” now:

By Christian Peeney

The King has returned.

Ahead of his highly anticipated fifth studio album, “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”, Kendrick Lamar dropped a new single titled “The Heart Part 5” along with a music video. Other than some features with his cousin Baby Keem, this is the first time since 2017 that Kendrick has dropped new music.

Kendrick flawlessly raps about “the culture” over a sample of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”. He discusses the glorification and desensitization of violence in the black community. He paints a story of a 17-year-old kid getting shot and killed during a drug deal, sparking short-lived GoFundMe campaigns before the inevitable next massively publicized murder. The vicious cycle continues, and the community lives on as normal because that’s “the culture”.

The song’s music video is relatively simplistic, depicting Kendrick rapping to the camera as he grooves back and forth. Further into the video, Kendrick uses Deepfake technology to morph his face into those of famous Black celebrities. These faces include Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson, and, most significantly, Nipsey Hustle. The unity of these men through Kendrick’s lyricism further represents this idea of culture uniting the community. The face morphs sync up to specific lyrics; Kanye comes in when Kendrick discusses bipolar disorder, and Will Smith comes in when mentioning how “hurt people hurt people”, referencing his slapping of Chris Rock at the 94 th Academy Awards.

Much of the final verse of the song transpires as Kendrick’s face is morphed into the late Nipsey Hussle, who died in 2019 after being shot by a former gang member. When viewing this final verse from Nipsey Hussle’s perspective, it takes on an entire new meaning. Through Kendrick, Nipsey tells his family that he’s happy in heaven and, more significantly, forgives his killer. He notes that he saw “the pain in [his killer’s] pupil” and that he “completed [his] mission” though he “wasn’t ready to leave”. It brings a sense of closure to his sudden death and harkens back to Kendrick’s “interview” with the late Tupac at the end of To Pimp A Butterfly. Through Nipsey’s perspective, Kendrick highlights that in a culture of violence that prematurely ends the lives of so many, their legacy lives on.

Listen to “The Heart Part 5” now:

Rising Los Angeles artist, film composer, and producer Geller has shared a new single called “Boring Life”. Following a series of expansive offerings including “Time Slip” and “Waiting on You”, this track captures a dream-like, atmospheric ambiance through its usage of elegant key progressions and sweeping vocals. Containing imagery-rich, memorable lyricism touching on the unpredictability of life and the importance of self-acceptance, “Boring Life” is relatable in subject matter despite its abstract sound. Combining vivid psychedelic elements with down-to-earth content in a refreshing manner, this track showcases Geller’s sharp capability for conceptual songwriting. The latest from the California artist, “Boring Life” will appear on his upcoming EP Going Nowhere Fast, set to release in July 2022. As he continues to broaden his skills in multiple disciplines such as composition, songwriting, and production, we can’t help but feel excited to witness his journey unfold.

Listen to “Boring Life” now:

Brighton rapper Hatter has connected with producers Wizard and Dreamlife for a new single called “Mezzanine”. Following up his previous single “Dry Jan (Vossy x Hersheys)”, this song’s carefree, refreshing mood arrives just in time for the beginning of summer. “Mezzanine” opens with warm, airy keys that ring out atop crisp drums and heavy bass. The production here is layered and infectious, and provides a strong foundation for Hatter’s laid-back yet commanding delivery and smooth flows. A luxurious, easygoing single, “Mezzanine” contains addictive production, slick verses, and a memorable chorus to cap it off.

Liste to “Mezzanine” now:

By Damilola Grey

AVX has finally dropped his first single of the year and to be honest, it
was worth the wait. AVX uses the 3-minute track to talk about his come up, while also addressing the negativity that came with it, from the fake love people showed to the haters. He doesn’t let it faze him though because he’s being himself, and he’s feeling great overall. “Manifest” has a calming vibe to it which makes it perfect for any mood. An amazing flow, top tier wordplay and perfect production solidifies this as one of the best singles to drop this year. When I talked to AVX about what the song means to him, he said “it’s about the importance of having a vision, a dream. It doesn’t matter if others don’t see it in their own reality. It can be reality as long as you work to manifest it”. The reality of this is simple: AVX dropped one of the best singles of the year with Manifest, and y’all have to check it out.

Give Manifest a listen HERE.

By Todd Anderson

Regardless of how you try to rationalize it the morning after, liquid courage is a real thing for most people. What usually starts out as hopeful expectations of a fun, engaging night can quickly turn into somebody having the hiccups and leaving embarrassing voicemails for
ex-lovers. Hailing from Queens, rising artists devRAB knows this notion all too well, as he recruits fellow New Yorker Ashoka and Cassandra Logg for his new single, “Call Me When You’re Intoxicated.”

Clocking in at just over 2-minutes, “Call Me When You’re Intoxicated,” is an engaging, relatable single that centers around this very feeling.

Listen to “Call Me When You’re Intoxicated” now: