Michigan native, King Madi has dropped his highly anticipated single “ringpop”. This also serves as the lead single to his upcoming alum. The single is also blessed by Minneapolis native and rising artist, Chethelyricist.
“Ringpop” is a raunchy single which is also very fun and silly. King Madi made this single cause he realized the lack/absence of love songs that don’t have an abundance of very explicit lyrics. This single is King Madi’s attempt at bringing back smooth talk- probably why both artists attack the calm instrumental with chill bars, and a laidback delivery. Both artists drop verses of affection and how they’ll like their significant other to wear their ‘ringpop’.
With the season of love everywhere, King Madi and Chethelyricist have dropped an amazing single for the occasion and with Madi’s album on the way, we’re really hyped to see what he has in store for us this 2023.
rooney toones: Both my parents were avid music listeners; mainly big fans of old Bollywood and classical Indian music, along with rock music from the 60’s like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and The Eagles. I was in chorus for most of my time throughout middle school and high school, so I mainly started out singing and then everything went from there.
Dami: Would you say Bollywood music influenced your sound?
rooney toones: Not as much as I thought; I used to not really like Bollywood music. I thought it was super cheesy. It was then that I realized how many of the songs I grew up listening to were Bollywood samples, like Indian Flute by Timbaland, and even Toxic by Britney Spears was a Bollywood sample. I think as I got older, I started appreciating it a lot more.
Dami: What inspired you to start making music?
rooney toones: It was actually my best friend who got me into making music. He pulled up to my house one summer before my sophomore year and said that he was making an album this summer and asked if I wanted a verse on it. I got two verses in and that was the beginning of that. Granted I didn’t realize back then I wasn’t the best rapper but it was the spark that got me to where I am rn.
Dami: Would you say a lot has changed sound-wise for you since then?
rooney toones: Oh, for sure. The last few years since my junior year in college, I’ve been sampling like a mad man. It’s been a blessing honestly. I’m listening to music from all around the world from any time period. There’s a vast amount of amazing music in the world that will never see the light of day.
Dami: How would you describe your sound?
rooney toones: Very stripped back. I like to keep things simple. It leaves room for more collaboration and makes for a better song.
Dami: Who are your biggest inspirations?
rooney toones: I got a very long list honestly lol, but I’ll keep it short. Dilla, Madlib, The Alchemist, 9th Wonder, Kanye (the music, not the person), and Conductor Williams as of late cause his beats are different than anything I’ve heard in the last few years. I love Pharrell, Timbaland. Yeah, I could go on forever.
Dami: You just dropped your debut album. Tell us more about it.
rooney toones: For sure. I wanna start a series of tapes called “Rooney n Friends” where I just get my friends and any other rappers, singers or producers I meet and click with and work with them. It’s all in the love of good music. I feel like in this day and age of music, collaboration is way more important than it has ever been.
Dami: Is this album the start of the series?
rooney toones: Yeah honestly, I just wanna start putting out more tapes. Whether they’re on streaming services or on Bandcamp and SoundCloud.
Dami: Is it going to be a regular thing?
rooney toones: Yeah, I’m tryna make it one. My goal is to be more consistent with releases. We’re in an age where the more content you have out, the more success you will see. But that shouldn’t take away from the quality of the work so there’s a balance.
Dami: So, do you already have the sequel planned?
rooney toones: I’ll probably start working on it down the line. Right now, I have a few beat tapes planned out, but there is a deluxe version of “Rooney n Friends” volume 1 in the works as we speak.
Dami: What should we expect from it?
rooney toones: Just some more amazing rappers hopping on the instrumentals from the album, not gonna say who so as not to spoil the surprise.
Dami: What do you want listeners to take away after listening to your music?
rooney toones: To appreciate the friends and family around you, and to appreciate good music.
Dami: What’s your creative process like?
rooney toones: I don’t really have one locked down. I like to listen to old records and music for about an hour or two and then take inspiration from what I heard and put it into my own creations. A lot of the time I spend making music, I’m looking for cool samples.
Dami: What are 3 words you’ll use to describe your music?
rooney toones: Damn that’s tough. First word I would say is bouncy, and then I guess I’d say vibrant and just all-around fun.
Dami: Is the “Rooney n Friends” series your only planned drop for the year or do you have some extra shit planned?
rooney toones: I got a few more things I would like to drop, but nothing as big as the first “Rooney n Friends”. I’m just ecstatic that this project is out and I finally have quality piece of work out. It’s been a good week, I’ll say that.
Dami: What else you tryna achieve this year?
rooney toones: Just get more music out at the moment. I also DJ on the side so I would love to get more gigs in my city and other cities in the country.
In the mid 2010s, Chicago hip-hop artist Qari was known for being one third of the eclectic group Hurt Everybody, where his abstract lyricism and chaotic deliveries found a perfect home over producer Mulatto Beats’ psychedelic, genre-bending production.
In more recent years, as Qari has embarked on a solo career, he has softened his tone and stripped back his sound.
On his 2022 project Stronghold, produced by jazz extraordinaire Eddie Burns, Qari explores the many forms of both grief and loss over a series of nocturnal, barebones instrumentals, making for a moody listen that never runs short on emotional potency.
Back on November 28, Qari returned with his new single “Step by Step,” where he sticks to a very similar formula, yielding himself a result that feels every bit as satisfying.
Qari opens “Step by Step” with a question: “What’s in it for me if I keep running?” The themes of angst and uncertainty that have carried over from Stronghold are ever-present here as Qari searches the ends of the earth for a sense of emotional resolve.
Qari’s verse plays out as an inner monologue, his soft spoken delivery meandering around a set of chunky, watery synth chords.
Despite Qari employing his trademark abstract, open-to-interpretation lyrical style, there are glimpses of his emotional headspace that are more concrete: “Never forget we blessed, stay fresh/I wasn’t living with love on my breath,” he raps in the track’s opening seconds.
Detroit artists Valid and Stretch Money are capitalizing on the success of their recent single, “Sentimental” with a fresh new visual. Cohesive with the song’s retro-meets-modernized sound and style, the video contains a charming throwback feel that makes this release extra engaging. The 80’s pop-influenced, synth-laden sonics of “Sentimental” are reflected in the track’s strong new video, which features fun-loving shots with classic 80’s attire and dance moves. The video even features an infomercial at the end in which they advertise a number, 1-833-ValStretch, which can be called in the USA for more information on the duo’s work.
Directed by Jerry Reid, the vivid visual continues the Detroit artists’ hot streak, making us excited for what may be on the way from these Motor City mainstays.
Cameroon-born, Houston-based musician ArmstrongWW has shared a new project, titled Recovery. Born Armstrong Orock, ArmstrongWW is an alternative hip-hop and soul artist involved in an on-going crusade to liberate his birth country of Cameroon, Africa using music as a medium. The release of his debut 7 track EP. Recovery has been anticipated by recently released singles “Superstar You” and “Run!”, and the project arrives now in its full form- a graceful, mature record that finds ArmstrongWW contemplating potent themes atop a soulful array of glistening instrumentals produced by Domain Brown, Bowen Thi, as well as Armstrong himself, who who crafted the instrumentals for 3 out of 7 songs.
Recovery contains a set of tracks that stick with you upon first listen while also growing overtime, as layers of depth unfold within Armstrong’s versatile songwriting. Songs like the opener “Hello Earth” and “Run!” are clever, focused lyrical hip-hop offerings that remain nimble and light on their feet while also purveying a sense of profundity. Showing another side of Armstrong’s musicianship are soulful tracks “Momma Say” and “Superstar You”, which contain a more melodious performance that smoothly incorporate R&B elements. The heartfelt, warm sonics of Recovery draw the listener in and immerse them in the project’s hypnotic, emotive feel, culminating in the title-track closer, which includes some of ArmstrongWW’s most vivid lyricism, with the lines “even on this earth I’m an outcast, time the only thing I’m trying to outlast, now the stakes are high like outback, I should go to mars for the weekend…” capturing the record’s zeitgeist concisely.
Recovery shines with authenticity throughout its tracklist, inviting one into an intimate, pensive world of character-rich lyricism and velvety, poignant instrumentation. It’s a mesmerizing debut from ArmstrongWW that has us excited for what may be coming from him this year, as he sets off on a strong note in 2023.
“Have You Found What You’re Looking For?,” The lead single from Chicago indie rock outfit Daydream Review’s upcoming album Leisure, opens up with a sheet of icy, kaleidoscopic synths before cascading into an irresistible dreamscape of spacey guitars and heavily layered vocals.
Between legato guitar lines and some dense drum work, lead singer Elijah Montez ponders the existential, formatting the lyrics as a series of questions to self.
“Does it seem clear, what you want?/Or what you need?” Montez belts out, his vocals stretching over the instrumentation like warm mozzarella.
In a press release, Montez said the uncertain lyrical tones of “Have You What You’re Looking For?” mirror some of the broader concepts of the album.
“The overarching theme of the song fits quite well in the context of the album,” Montez said. “Being dissatisfied with work, dissatisfied with the state of the world, and dissatisfied with capitalism at large, and searching for something that can fill in the void that all that dissatisfaction leaves.”
The instrumentation pulls back a bit toward the song’s second half, leaving room for Montez’s reflective words to take center stage, where he asks himself perhaps the most important question of all: “I guess you gotta ask yourself .. have you found what you’re looking for?”
Leisure drops April 7.
Stream “Have You Found What You’re Looking For?” Here.
Foreverongo has shared a fresh new video for his song “Danny Phantom”. The Indianapolis artist tells an original, uncut story with his music based on experiences, pain, love, and passion in every track he creates. He brings a raw, uncut flow when delivering raps, while also being quick to slow the beat down & soothe his audience when the time is right. Foreverongo brings much potential and consistency with his output, with lots to deliver and prove in his future. His latest offering, “Danny Phantom”, executively produced by fast-rising music company Rare Music Entertainment, continues his run of engaging, emotive tracks alongside a sharply-crafted visual directed and edited by Andrew Coleman.
“Danny Phantom” is an immersive, memorable track that includes strong production centred around booming 808s, watery keys, and crisp, trunk-knocking percussion. Atop the refreshing instrumentation, Foreverongo delivers a series of sleek, clean verses that neatly toe the line between a raw delivery and smooth melodies. “Danny Phantom” is accompanied by a mesmerizing, focused video directed by Andrew Coleman that captures the track’s engaging feel with concise, thoughtful shots and editing.
Watch the visual for “Danny Phantom” here and familiarize yourself with rising artist Foreverongo.
Chicago hip-hop artist Juice Mazelee loves channeling his pain through song. His 2021 project Hvnsnt (pronounced heaven-sent) is an emotive rumination on hardship, despair and ultimately, personal growth.
His new single “TRUTH,” released on January 5, touches upon a lot of the same sentiments while also packing the same level of emotional punch.
Over a spacey, drawn out synth line and a heavy set of bass kicks, Juice celebrates his successes while drowning in his deepest burdens, all while exuding an undeniable, even-keeled confidence in his delivery throughout.
“I volunteer my heart and story to peers, I saw some shit I always fear so over years I shed tears,” he rhymes, expressing a desire for his personal struggles to be educational for others.
In moments like this, Juice is vulnerable and open, willing to share a piece of himself to the world. In other moments, he’s more closed off, yet every bit as revealing:
“Can never show ’em what I feel, won’t see emotions from me/Mama’s baby coldhearted, stuck with PTSD,” he spits jarringly in the second verse.
Despite the piercing level of emotional intensity, Juice sounds completely comfortable on the mic. His tone is confident and ever-so-slightly gruff, never wavering in his belief in himself.
“TRUTH” sees Juice picking up right where he left off from previous releases. Sharing his pain is his bread and butter, and as the calendar flips to 2023, he is sounding smoother than ever doing just that.
There was a time when labels such as “rising star” and “next up” were often used to describe Chicago lyricists Cldwaterr and Mugen! The Human. Between their soulful odes to the underground rap of a bygone era, their sharp, aware lyricism and a willingness to experiment and evolve, it was only a matter of time before these two young spitters shed those labels, proving to the world that they are here to stay.
On Cldwaterr’s new single, “LOSE !,” both artists show that that time is now.
Arriving just in time for Cldwaterr’s birthday, “LOSE !” sticks to a familiar blueprint for both artists: dusty, old school production, reflective lyricism and piercing deliveries. The only difference now is that both artists are following it better than ever.
“Chop it up with God, fuck it we alive/Got my family by my side, can’t lose if I’m the prize,” Cldwatrr spits triumphantly over some airy synths and a rhythmic snare pattern.
Mugen! pops up in the middle of the song to deliver one of his best verses to date. His deep, groany timbre meshes perfectly with the laid back instrumentation, and his lyrics cut through as always:
“I want more out life than money, but for more the fam I cannot stop/I would trade my life away, could give a fuck ’bout what I got,” he spits authoritatively.
With both artists fresh off of stellar EP releases, “LOSE !” is yet another stepping stone in both Cldwaterr and Mugen!’s ongoing artistic maturation. What is different this time, however, is that they are no longer “up-and-coming.” They have arrived — and are here to stay.
Occ Taee has returned to our pages with a fresh new single called “I H8TE HOES”, which follows up his well received prior song “Whats His Name”, released just 3 weeks ago.
Based in Indianapolis, Taee has been an artist on the rise, catching the attention of major labels with his tenacious authority and rising social media presence.
Shimmering harp strings and engaging trap drums create an immersive, hard-hitting backdrop for Taee’s commanding, powerful flows on “I H8TE HOES”. This track continues to remind fans of his grit, hard work, and attention to detail. It’s a track that expresses his feelings to never trust anyone, sharing his past experiences and reminding his listeners to stay on their toes.
With “I H8TE HOES”, engineered by Tyler Weaver, Occ Taee proves once again that he’s here to stay. With his streak of consistent music drops, Occ Taee will make his name is not forgotten.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 