Brooklyn artist Memoir. has returned with a fresh new release, titled “luxury freestyle”. On “luxury freestyle.”, sleek, graceful keys merge with a crisp, booming rhythm section to create a lush backdrop for Memoir.’s vocals. He comes through with smooth verses packed with infectious melodies that give the song added replay value, throwing in memorable refrains in the process. The new video features sharp, focused editing, warm saturation, and a charismatic performance from Memoir. that captures the song’s confident energy.
After a 7 month hiatus Memoir. returns with the single “luxury freestyle.” produced by Benihana Boy, and shows us that he has not lost a step. From the track’s stylish sonics and buttery flows to vivid music video, the New York native showcases his overall creative vision with a focused, poignant drop laced with the likeable charm he has become known for.
Shane, the Shaman, Supernalist, and Shah Leezy have connected for a fresh single, titled “In The Air”. With Shane and Shah hailing from New York, and Supernalist from the DMV, “In The Air” makes for a soulful East Coast collaboration that contains an airy, uplifting energy. Atop layers of breezy soul samples, rich bass, and minimalistic percussion, the emcees deliver imagery rich, vivid verses that blend together seamlessly, accentuated by the laid-back, smooth sound of the instrumentation. With undertones that feel both nostalgic and hopeful, “In The Air” presents a vital new release from Shane, the Shaman, Supernalist, and Shah Leezy. Give it a listen below.
Wiseboy Jeremy and Kirti Pandey have dropped off a new video for their song “Do I Not”, featuring Phoenix James. Jeremy, hailing from New Jersey, expresses life through his lens of the world with hip-hop as his chosen medium. The 21-year old artist relays his introspection over jazz-tinged, contemplative production with a little bit of classic East Coast grit. His latest release finds him connecting with prolific producer Kirti Pandey and soulful singer Phoenix James for a potent, emotive new offering.
Warm, layered production creates a laid-back and assured backdrop for Jeremy and James, who each bring refreshing elements to the track while showing much natural chemistry. Jeremy begins with heartfelt, introspective verses that touch the soul and relate to the listener, while James follows up with a silky hook that adds extra dynamics to the song. The visual, directed by redbrags and Wiseboy Jeremy, features intimate cuts and low-key, hazy coloration that give it a lived-in feel, enhanced by the song’s rich, jazzy soundscape and relaxed vocals.
Hidden Renaissance are certainly a group you should be paying attention to in today’s underground hip-hop landscape. Glued together by a love for hip-hop and community, the expansive collective helmed by duo T H R O N E have just released their largest collaborative effort ever in their new record BA SING SE. Rarely has such a wide number of artists contributed to a project, with over 200 artists competing to appear on the LP, and the final product manages to remain cohesive throughout. Soulful, lyrically-focused tracks tie the threads together on BA SING SE, with an undercurrent of love and creative cooperation giving the record a uniquely vital atmosphere.
The textural, warm sampling patchwork of songs like “1996 (In the Heart, In the Mind)” and “There’s a way!” are simply beautiful, and when paired with evocative lyricism they become touching. The group keeps it raw as well, with songs like “It gets dangerous” varying the flavors with its gritty soundscape and potent, urgent verses. The cascading, glowing samples of “Heaven’s Resources II” add a touch of surrealism, combining neatly with the track’s detail-rich lyricism. The organic, lo-fi sheen of the project gives it an immersive, layered feeling and makes it easier to sink in to some of these tracks, particularly on the smoky “Jazz Cigarettes” and “And I’m Still Here”.
With its community-first approach to creation, Hidden Renaissance transcends the bounds of a record label or company. It is, instead, a revolutionary community that makes and releases music together as a shared creative experience. Their latest offering BA SING SE marks their largest collaboration ever, with over 200 artists competing to appear on it, crafting more than 300 songs in a 2 month period in the process. The final result is a curated, multi-genre ode and homage to the raw skill and diversity of the underground. Take a listen to their latest project BA SING SE here now, a sonic odyssey of soulful sounds built around a love for community and hip-hop.
Coming out of Ithaca, New York- Anthony Kannon is a force to be reckoned with. His new album ‘Cautionary Tales’, produced by Frost Gamble, is one hell of an album- one that will truly feed your soul. Some highlights from the engaging ‘Cautionary Tales’ include tracks like “Lazy Eye”, “Make it Rain”, “Take it Easy” and “Conye”, which display his character-rich, vivid sound. The idiosyncratic production of the track “Make it Rain” is a refreshing Al Green flip, and it’s amazing when you hear an old school classic that’s been flipped with a raw boom-bap sound.
Anthony tells amazing stories through his lyrics, In The track “Long Ride”, expaining how people say he sounds like a broken record, because all he knows is drugs and the lifestyle that comes with it. Here, Anthony raps about the realities of his life, upbringing and generally keeps it 100. On the track “Miss Daisy”, Kannon changes up his style a bit as he raps in a bit of an electrifying faster pace, while track “Conye” delivers a vibe that is unmatched with infectious grooving beats and sleek flows. To listen to this album, purchase directly on Bandcamp HERE as the artist gets supported directly or you can listen on all streaming services today.
Prolific North Carolina artist Myles T. Jordan has shared a new release called “HennyPaper”, paired with a fresh video. Following up poignant recent drops “Light” and “I Gave U Power”, “HennyPaper” finds the NC emcee continuing his streak of vividly lyrical releases atop a somber, smoky soundscape of evocative keys, organic percussion, and engaging bass.
Jordan has a penchant for surreal, emotive lyricism that often stirs a thought-provoking depth. He displays that here, further enhanced by the darkly hypnotic, ruminative production which suits his introspective, detailed lyrical style. Give “HennyPaper” a listen below and check out the new visual while you’re at it.
New York artist LIFEOFTHOM has shared a new single called “EZEKIEL”, featuring AKAI SOLO, Ania Hoo, and JamesBurns. The genre-bending musician always brings something new and refreshing to the table with each release- flirting with hip-hop, R&B, indie, and more across his burgeoning discography. His latest song, “EZEKIEL”, is an emotive take on soulful New York sounds, with stirring, emotive samples underscoring his vivid verses.
Atop warm, uplifting vocal samples, elegant keys, and engaging bass, LIFEOFTHOM flows in a cathartic, focused manner, while demonstrating a natural chemistry with fellow New York emcee AKAI SOLO. The pair come through with poetic, imagery rich verses that merge together seamlessly, painting a clear picture of their life and times in the process.
Give LIFEOFTHOM’s latest single “EZEKIEL” a listen below.
“NAH SHE GOT LITTLE” is just one of many highlight tracks on Charlotte-bred, Brooklyn-based artist Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s vibrant album I’ve Really Never Been Better. The album title truly speaks for itself- as it is is lyrically, visually and artistically his best work thus far. Following the visuals for “ANGELA BASSET” and “SHE GOT THAT DAWG IN HER”, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s third music video from I’ve Really Never Been Better is unlike any other visuals from his album. From the dazzling, chilled tints and shades of blue lights beaming on his melanin skin against his crisp white shirt- the video somehow made his appearance emulate an expressionism portrait painting. Being the one and only role in his music video, Ogbon wanted all eyes on him as he successfully managed to orchestrate as he states “……the growing divide between his predecessors, former lovers and peers”.
The expansion of Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s artistic growth and development is unmatched. He never disregards the importance of implementing creativity and innovation into his work- whether it’s visually, lyrically or sonically. View Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s music video for “NAH SHE GOT LITTLE”, produced by Dirty Art Club, below and if you haven’t already be sure to listen to I’ve Really Never Been Better on Bandcamp HERE (where you can support Ogbon DIRECTLY!!) and on all streaming platforms.
Prolific emcee RU$H and Montreal standout rapper-producer Mike Shabb recently shared their collaborative project MONCLER BOYZ, a stylish, sonically rich project containing potent, detailed lyricism and warm, evocative production. The title track, “Moncler Boyz”, featuring underground heavyweights Tha God Fahim, Big Cheeko, and Jay NiCE, caught our attention for its silvery, laid-back instrumentation and memorable vocals that demonstrate a natural chemistry between the emcees.
Underscored by graceful keys and emotive backing vocals, the track takes on a reminiscent mood, as the rappers glide atop the sleek joint with ease. Focused, vividly detailed verses flow together seamlessly, laced with memorable lines that have the listener rewinding to catch everything. Shabb’s glowing, minimalistic production manages to evoke rich feelings of nostalgia while also providing the perfect backdrop for the rappers’ charismatic, braggadocios lines in the process.
Give “Moncler Boyz” a listen now below, a track off RU$H and Mike Shabb’s potent recent project of the same title.
LOS KEMET has dropped off a fresh project, titled Starrunner. LOS KEMET is an artist originally from the deep southern city of Jackson, Mississippi, who has resided in various big cities like Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, and now Austin, Texas. The variety of styles he provides across his discography are a clear depiction of where he has resided- and he chooses to dub his sound “New Soul” or “Seeds Of The South”. LOS’ latest project, Starrunner, conjures a warm feeling of nostalgia with a series of soulful, quintessentially southern hip-hop tracks that bristle with a laid-back yet vital energy.
Starrunner opens with the stylish, relaxed “Jules Winnfield”, which begins the project with a sense of triumph- laced within expansive vocal samples, sturdy percussion, and confident flows from LOS. Lead single “Barter 7” is an infectious, refreshing take on classic southern sounds, while “Die Tonight” presents a highlight at the end of the project with wistful vocal samples, potent percussion, and catchy, relaxed vocals from LOS. He sounds assured atop the drill-influenced production, while both reminiscing and looking towards a bright future.
Give LOS KEMET’s latest project, Starrunner, a listen below now.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 