Young Tapz, a fast-rising Wilmington, DE artist, has connected with rising Texas musician LUCKY3RD for a new single called “Palm Angels”, accompanied by a new music video. Featuring a catchy instrumental centred around electrifying guitars, bouncy drums, and heavy 808s, “Palm Angels” makes for an enlivening listen. Moreover, the vocals from the two artists are engaging and infectious, as they deliver smooth melodies confidently atop the jubilant production. With an exciting new visual that finds the artists giving charismatic performances that draw the listener more deeply into the song’s atmosphere and mood, “Palm Angels” provides a cohesive whole package that is enticing. The new video for this single is a prelude to Young Tapz’s forthcoming album due for release late-2022.
DMV artist Kinrose has shared a new EP appropriately titled easygrowing, which finds him exploring rich, warm sounds across 5 addictively chilled-out songs. The project opens with “aloof ona roof”, which finds him delivering some introspective, sharply-crafted lyrics with a melodious, charismatic flow. Here, he is underscored by a layered, spacey instrumental centred around watery keys and mellow, pillowy 808s that create an immersive, atmospheric soundscape. This track transitions smoothly into the infectious, uplifting “profile”- an EP highlight containing mellow yet expansive production and charming flows. “pass today” brings in a slightly more bittersweet sound with pensive keys and airy, psychedelic samples, changing the pace of the project before closer “cloudy air” makes for a heavenly ending with elegant keys and wistful backing vocals that set an apt backdrop for Kinrose’s captivating closing verses. A refreshingly idiosyncratic, charmingly organic project overall, easygrowing shows much promise in its production choices and songwriting and has us excited for what may come next for the rising DMV artist.
Global music collective ANDA have shared a new collaborative single called “4theDAE”, featuring an extensive list of talented artists including underground mainstay Quelle Chris, DAE the Video, Dutch Kills, Sophie Graham, TBD, and Bobbon. Underscored by a focused, refreshing instrumental that conjures imagery of a brisk morning, the vocalists deliver smooth, heartfelt verses full of sharply-crafted, vivid lyricism. As warm, watery keys and crunchy, organic-sounding drums blend together hypnotically, and flourishes of mesmerizing vocal samples add more color to the song, one cannot help but get drawn into this song’s character-rich atmosphere. The latest from global collective ANDA, this offering has us excited for what may be coming next from them, as they continue their prolific run of releases.
Ravenna, Ohio’s Chanelle Kazadi has connected with St. Louis’ Matty Wood$ for a new single called “Pootie Tang”. Providing a laid-back, refreshing listen with layered, warm sonics and smooth vocals, this song makes for a strong follow-up to her well-received previous album Make It Work. It opens with grooving guitars and watery, vibrant keys that set a sunny backdrop for Wood$ entrance, as he comes through with a charismatic, melodious flow. Underscored by bouncy percussion and rich 808s, this song picks up an infectious groove that lingers in one’s head long after listening. Wood$ vocals transition smoothly into Kazadi’s flexible, vivid rhymes, with the two sharing a natural chemistry throughout. She flows effortlessly over the beat with a relaxed yet commanding tone, matching the beat’s character-rich sound with playful, confident bars.
The latest from Ohio’s Kazadi, “Pootie Tang” is a smooth collaboration that makes for an apt soundtrack to the warming weather as we move towards spring.
Los Angeles artists Cashus King and Jeff Johnson have shared a new song called “Heaven Man Earth”. This 11-minute epic from the two underground standouts explores an intriguing variety of rich, uplifting soundscapes, and contains vividly poetic lyricism and sharp flows. With a storied history in the Los Angeles hip-hop scene, King and Johnson have developed evocative styles hinged around vibrant, cerebral wordplay and deft flows. “Heaven Man Earth” is no exception, with thought-provoking, philosophical content and uplifting sonics.
This single kicks off with glowing, colorful pianos that drift above crunchy, organic-sounding drums, creating a solid foundation for King’s powerful opening verse. Floating atop the regal beat, his vocal tone is commanding yet calm, and his rhyme schemes are flexible and smooth. Engaging dynamics are added when the pianos that make up the heart of the first instrumental shift into celestial vocal samples that twist psychedelically atop the grooving percussion. Then, the pianos are brought back in again and King’s lyricism reaches new levels poetically, as his rhymes evoke crystal clear imagery in the listener’s head. Towards the culmination of the track, winding, celestial vocal samples and warm keys underscore Johnson’s entrance, as he comes through with dextrous verses containing personality-rich, dense lyricism that puts the listener in a headspace of poignant self-reflection.
A powerful, pensive offering from King and Johnson, “Heaven Man Earth” uplifts and inspires deep thought with spiritual, philosophical lyricism and ethereal sonics. The latest from the two west coast veterans, this track is an epic adventure through vibrant and character-rich imagery and sounds that feel dream-like and yet simultaneously starkly real.
Florida band Driveaway have shared a new single called “Honest”, a sharply-crafted track containing soaring vocal melodies and richly bittersweet instrumentation. This single opens with driving, noisy guitars before electrifying drums and infectious bass are brought in create a powerful and engaging rhythm section. As singer Trenton Ropp enters with emotive, expansive melodies, wistful acoustic guitars underscore him and create more dynamics within the song. “Honest” climaxes in chorus that is a crescendo of raw energy, reflecting strong feelings of longing with memorable melodies . The latest from Florida’s Driveaway, “Honest”‘s expansive, infectious sound has us excited for what may be coming next from them.
Kevian Kraemer has shared a new single called “Take a Hint”. Topically, this single is about someone constantly crawling back to you, despite all the negativity they have put you through. “Take a Hint” is about growing and becoming more aware of their behaviour, so that you are able to recognize the reality of the situation and protect yourself by creating boundaries.
Sonically, the single’s energizing guitars, fast-paced drums, and driving bass create an engaging rhythm that is simply infectious. Moreover, Kraemer’s melodies are memorable and addictive to listen to, as he caps the song off with a lively chorus that sticks in the listener’s head long after. The latest from Kevian Kraemer, this single has us excited for a possible longer project from the artist, as this is just his third single on streaming platforms to date.
Houston artist Alexcusemy has returned with a new EP called The Alexcusemy Show. A rapper, producer, and mix engineer, he has been prolific in recent months, dropping this project fresh off the heels of his atmospheric, catchy Japan Two EP. Drawing influences from hip-hop, cloud rap, alternative R&B, and drill, The Alexcusemy Show dabbles in different genres in an intriguing manner, all the while providing the refreshing sound that Alexcusemy is known for.
A 3-track offering, this EP opens with “Hurts My Heart”, an addictive, bouncy joint that pairs sliding 808s with energetic percussion and bright synths. Here, Alexcusemy drops into some rapid, hip-hop influenced verses before transitioning smoothly into an addictive and charismatic chorus that feels expansive and colorful. Next, “Stimulated” creates a more laid-back pace as it enters with reflective keys and crisp, sturdy drums. Vocally, he comes with an introspective tone on this track, talking about his previous experiences with being prescribed ADHD medication as a youth. With an interesting and relatable theme that isn’t discussed enough, “Stimulated” makes for a thought-provoking listen. Lastly, the project closes with “High Lows”, which brings in a cloudier atmosphere through its usage airy synths and pillowy 808s. As Alexcusemy delivers infectious melodies over top, the track immerses the listener in its otherworldly sound and provides much replay value.
The latest from Houston’s Alexcusemy, The Alexcusemy Show is aptly titled because it makes for a visual listen, conjuring various images from his current and past life experiences. With colorful beats and personality-rich, addictive vocals, this EP is both relatable and fun-loving.
namou has just dropped a fresh single, “to the outer rim and back”- and it’s just that, fresh. It’s not often you hear a bossa nova track these days, let alone one pulled off with enough swagger to not feel dated, and namou makes it seem effortless. The syncopated guitars and laid-back vocal delivery of this track instantly give it atmosphere while the lyrics create images in your head. All of this is accompanied by lush harmonies and, jazzy but modern drums with swing. At only 16 years old, namou’s ability to confidently express himself in front of his audience makes him someone to pay attention to.
Few artists have mastered the art of never missing on their releases, and Dzh is one of them. The New Jersey native is back with another track titled “Ethic” which sees him painting another picture of his earlier life. He talks about working multiple jobs to take care of various bills, and also assures his brothers that they’re going to beat the odds, one way or another. While he used the first verse to talk about his life and occupations, he used the second verse to discuss his love life (something which we aren’t used to Dzh talking about on songs). A very up-tempo beat, catchy lyrics, and a perfect delivery makes “Ethic” unforgettable. When I asked him about the relevance of the track to him, he said “Ethic, for me, allows me to go back to my years, in high school, when I was working jobs after jobs after jobs. It meant that in the midst of this life trying to be a successful artist, to have a little fun while working, but to always keep at it and remember who and what I’m doing it for”. Dzh started the month off right with this drop, and we can’t wait to see what more he has on the way.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 