Autumn.Finesse PT 2

Autumn means fly-fits and over-ear headphones...

Autumn.Finesse, the series is popping off- much love to the Summer.Fire selections that kept our summer hot. Peep these entries on a Soundcloud playlist, just like last time!

Tange Lomax, the artist behind the albums Lucid and Free Spirit, calls High Point, NC home. All of her sounds are smooth as the rest of her southern counterparts too: she can be a sultry-voiced songstress on some tracks and a grimy emcee on others; Lomax's visuals are just as artistic as her music- listen to Anthems Only (feat. Kenny Wizard) above and check out her video for Black Models below!

Twitter | Bandcamp | Black Models 

Autumn.Finesse

Autumn time is a call for those flannels in the back of your closets, get those over-ear headphones too...

Autumn.Finesse, the series is popping off- much love to the Summer.Fire selections that kept our summer hot. Soon these entries will compiled into a Soundcloud playlist, just like last time!

If you aren't privy to Divine Council yet- you soon will be. Hailing from Richmond, VA, the group is composed of emcees $ilk Money, Cyrax Bathbwoy, Lord Linco, and the producer ICYTWAT (actually from Chicago).  Council World EP has been the group's sole release this year and attracted the likes of Andre 3000 as well as cosigns from Erykah Badu! Listen to the Decemba (Remix) and get privvy.

Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Can't Afford Me 

Summer.Fire 7

Summer '16 and you know what that means...

Artists are releasing that fire thats been keeping them warm all year! Peep the Ticos2Cents Summer '16 Playlist weekly!

Noo$e Musik, aka Noo$e, hails from northern VA and is part of the group 5enses. His summer single Flex'n Finess'n is nothing short of its own name: a flex and a finesse. Noo$e demonstrates his musical prowess by creating and arranging a light hearted beat. The production value is pristine with percussion lines not overpowering, but accentuating the overall song. The finesse comes into play with Noo$e's flow- the effortless meter of his bars adds to the fun of the song. With the catchy hook and content, Noo$e Musik is definitely a problem. Stay up-to-date with the artist by following them on social media!


    Twitter      ||      Instagram      ||      Youtube

Summer.Fire 6

Summer '16 and you know what that means...

Artists are releasing that fire thats been keeping them warm all year! Peep the Ticos2Cents Summer '16 Playlist weekly!

This week we have a two-peat with the artists Orion and Rasneek. P90X - Orion (Rasneek Remix) features some more ambient soundscapes and lighter percussion. The upbeat kicks make for a fire dance break. Rasneek makes pristine use of vocal distortion and the lighter instrumental to create a contrast between the two.

On the flip, the original track P90X (prod. Steezy Grizzlies) is a 'sample blueprint'; making use of T.I.'s Why You Wanna (or for are more seasoned ears Crystal Waters' Gypsy Woman), Steezy Grizzlies makes sure to layer the beat with meticulously placed hi-hats, erratic tics, and the like. Orion's flow is effortless- his vocals mesh properly within the track and make for a production solid. No wonder Rasneek had to flip the song. You can catch more from the respective artists and the team HEYCollective on social media and Soundcloud!


            Orion    ||    Rasneek    ||    Steezy Grizzlies

Twitter      ||      Twitter      ||      Twitter

Instagram    ||    Instagram    ||    Instagram

Summer.Fire 5

Summer '16 and you know what that means...

Artists are releasing that fire thats been keeping them warm all year! Peep the Ticos2Cents Summer '16 Playlist weekly!

Yogamuffin, also known as Kyle Rudd or wax_music, keeps sounds interesting by remixing the slapping single OG Bobby Johnson. OG BOBBY REMIX illustrates the value of sonic dissonance: between Que's vocals and a more serene chord background you get a strong contrast. Add a meticulous percussion line, fat kicks, EQ kills and the production value makes for a fire beatflip. Shoutout to Yogamuffin for the exclusive release! Stay up-to-date with everything wax_music and follow the artist.


         Twitter  ||  Instagram  

Summer.Fire 4

Summer '16 and you know what that means...

Artists are releasing that fire thats been keeping them warm all year! Peep the Ticos2Cents Summer '16 Playlist weekly!

RVA bred hip-hop entity soLuh! (comprised of emcee Robalu Gibsun and producer BSTFRND) recently released Neon Black, the title-track to their sophomore project. Neon Black features another RVA based rapper by the name of Big Kahuna or BGKHNAOG (Google Boy). Rob Gibsun's flow meshes nicely with the textured beat creating an even meter that moves easily. Both Rob and BGKHNAOG switch in-and-out seamlessly, mirroring each others intensity, and spitting introspective content on POC (people of color) perspectives. Production is a sampling holy grail- making adept use of the production gear. Neon Black, the summer EP from soLuh! drops 6/24.


soLuh! Instagram  ||  soLuh! Facebook

     Robalu's Twitter  ||  BSTFRND's Twitter

  

That.Nu.Nu Pt. 4

Singer and songwriter, Bree Mendez, recently released a Rain cover (originally styled by Razah). The single is a full pop-ballad complete with emotional runs, an easy hook, and well-mastered vocals. With just 2 days under its belt- it will be interesting to see how this Brooklyn native's voice will carry through the internet plethora of music. Stay up-to-date on Bree Mendez's music (available for streaming via Soundcloud) and check out her Twitter and Instagram!

2 Cents: NIGHTMARE FROM HEAVEN

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE...

Trance-pop artist, MAK 11, gifts his listeners some nunu with the fresh project NIGHTMARE FROM HEAVEN. The mixtape sits under the 30 min mark with 8 tracks. Peep MAK11 on Instagram!

Flow

Mak11's flow is unique to him; his deep vocals come across as guttural, methodical, emotional, and trap-like. Mak11 has a flow that allows for his grittier songs to be taken seriously, while his softer tracks sound smooth. DESTRUCTION illustrates Mak11's vocal dexterity- he can go bar for bar without having to stop for a breather.

Content

The meat-and-potatoes of the mixtape aren't hard to finger: NIGHTMARE FROM HEAVEN dances around romantic and drug-glorification themes. Of the 8 tracks, 6 mention women in some capacity, all 8 mention drugs, and at least 2 mention his collective, PORTAL. Mak11 recreates the situations/imagery of his interactions with the ladies flawlessly. Compared to his emcee peers, Mak 11 sounds pretty adept at songwriting. Conversely, I think his lyricism has room for wittier wordplay, expanded vocabulary, and different themes.

Production

NIGHTMARE FROM HEAVEN features full sounds, no doubt. The tape is mastered adeptly, allowing for Mak11's vocals to mesh with the heavy beats. Being that Mak11's vocals are deep- I appreciate the layering and distortion of the emcee's bars. This makes for a more dynamic sound as opposed to a monotonous and low droning. There isn't much diversity in beat selection on this tape but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The bass-heavy tracks are sure to test all car-sound systems.

Overall

Having written on Mak11 before, I find it hard to not be nit-picky on his latest release. In the past, my blog has listed Mak11's obscure flow pattern and sloppy production as sore spots. With NIGHTMARE FROM HEAVEN, Mak has shown tremendous finesse in both areas. His flow is easy to sonically digest and his production is a high-point on the mixtape. Ticos2Cents stamp of approval.

That.Nu.Nu Pt. 2

Boosting Nu Music 

OM. (also known as Frass Dad) collaborated with the emcee Max Krowntz to lay down some minimalist lyrics on a simple, yet deliberate, beat. C'EST LA VIE (prod. KASHTA) is successful in that the lyrics, nor production, overpower each other. Instead, the two complement each other. The lyrics are succinct, short, and to the point. OM. Max Krowntz, as well as KASHTA all hail from the 804; the single has been accessible through Soundcloud and has amassed just around 2.9K plays.

You can catch OM. on Instagram as well as Tumblr.

2 Cents: ONE LAST GROOVE

Rest In Paradise Maurice White !

A producer borne from the east coast, Billy Capricorn, celebrated the life that was Maurice in his Earth Wind & Fire Let's Groove flip. ONE LAST GROOVE is complex in its building of synths, if albeit slightly sloppy in the vocal sample. The base of the track definitely shows an appreciation for the original song while the beat switch-up in the 2nd half of the track exudes originality. 

I'm excited to hear more from this producer in terms of full projects and collaborations.

You can check out Billy Capricorn on Twitter and Soundcloud !