Twitter Insanity

If you don't follow Denzel Curry or SpaceGhostPurp on Twitter then you might be a little behind:

The two rap artist recently exchanged heated words with each other through the interwebs!

You can get up-to-date info on the whole sitch on Twitter by following @RichestRevenge and @RavenxMiyagi (SpaceGhostPurp & Denzel C, respectively)

You can catch me on Twitter, @iGetSalty. Happy Saturday Homies. More new artists and music coming soon.

Artist Highlight: Luther

I reached out to Luther through Twitter & email:

Luther, also known as @lordrex_ from Twitter, is a young emcee based out of DMV; VA to be exact. His works include a mixtape Black Ghost, as well as an assortment of features and collaborations within his label Tribe 95. He is currently working on another project which will feature a more cohesive and matured sound. When asked about how much the DMV plays into his music:

"I'm from the DMV or to be more specific Woodbridge, VA. And hell yeah this area made me who I am today. It's my roots. It's what makes Luther, Luther."

**An update will be posted here for the release date of Luther's project: Corrupted Youth.

(Until I Die Prod. C.Justice)  

(You Like That Prod. By Ignorvnce)

Until I Die (Prod By. C.Justice) and You Like That (Prod. By Ignorvnce) are both available for streaming and free download through Soundcloud.

Q & A With Luther

Musically speaking, who or what inspires you?

I get inspired musically from anything: whether it be my random thoughts, my emotions, or even my friends who make really dope music. We're always trying to one up each other, so that competition keeps me going.

How and when did you get into music?

I started making music around 3rd grade. It wasn't rap- I was into a lot of punk rock back in the day so I wrote shit like that. I didn't start writing rap music till 6th grade (I was 11 or 12) and never took it seriously [until] I was 15.

What is your greatest weakness as an artist? On the flip, what is your greatest strength?

My greatest weakness is not believing in myself all the time. I go through little phases where I'm not fully confident with my music and that shit holds me back sometimes. My greatest strength is that I accept myself as who I am, and I can always build off that. You know? It helps me "be me" in my music. I hope that makes sense [laughs].

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time with your music? And what are your concrete music goals?

In 5 years, I just hope I see myself as an established artist and not a broke college student, struggling for rent. No shade thrown [laughs]. My goals are simply to be the best I can be. I know I have talent. I know I can be great one day, but for now I'm not shit, and until I'm big I'm gonna be working my ass off.

What projects are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on my mixtape Corrupted Youth; I've dropped two songs from it so far called "Until I Die & "You Like That". It's pretty much almost done. Just needs that finishing touch.

2 Cents: Running (Prod. Helping Hands)

This single is available for download and streaming through Soundcloud:

(Running Prod. Helping Hands)

Flow

Reece has a beautiful voice. His sultry and textured voice sounds authentic- not forced at all. Reece has a matured range and his diversity in tones on the song give it a full feeling. Reece...

Production

First and foremost- there are no supporting vocals on this track. The vocals for this single mesh and melt into the beat. I appreciate the soft drum kit in the song; the track is fuller because of the range in song and the switch-up break is A1. The production quality is a bit loud perhaps. However the sound is of excellent quality and the beat shows musical prowess.

Content

Running offers a relatable perspective. I appreciate the writing style of this artist. The words are emotionally charged but not the song is not extremely verbose. The message can reach a diverse audience.

Overall

Overall, Running (Prod. Helping Hands), is a dope track. Definitely a single that exemplifies Reece's range as a vocalist and dexterity as a writer. I would stamp the song with 4/5- only noting that the production value of the song can be improved further.

Artist Highlight: ShaqIsDope

I reached out to ShaqIsDope through Soundcloud & email:

Shaquille B, better known as ShaqIsDope from Soundcloud, has recently been shouted-out by The Daily Loud (@DailyLoud). The number of times his tracks have been played and streamed are easily creeping into the tens of thousands. This emcee comes from a home based in Downtown Toronto:

"I’m from Downtown Toronto, and yes my surroundings help shape my music. I use real life situations from my day to day experience- I want to show the world [Downtown Toronto] is more than a shopping district."

You can follow Shaq on Twitter @ShaqIsDope and on Instagram @ShaqIsDope, respectively.

(Wraith Dreamz)  

(Off The Ground Prod. by Pitt Tha Kid)

Wraith Dreamz is available for purchase from iTunes as well as for streaming from Soundcloud. Off The Ground is available for streaming from Soundcloud.

Q & A With ShaqIsDope

Musically speaking, who or what inspires you?

At first it was Big Pun, he was big and still and inspiration to me but growing up in my neighborhood really shape me and my artistry as well.

How and when did you get into music?

I can’t really remember when I started. Around 16-17, I started recording music seriously.

What is your greatest weakness as an artist? On the flip, what is your greatest strength?

I think being from Toronto is my weakness, the Canadian music industry its nothing compare to the states. Its all a learning process for me, I can’t really say, but I can say my words are very inspirational to others.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time with your music?

Hopefully out the hood.

What projects are you currently working on?

I can’t really say, [I've] been working on this Black Frames project for almost 2 years now but [it]  still aint coming out the way I want. I plan to keep recording & making tweaks as I go. I really [want to] give the fans a solid body of work.

If you could collaborate with any artist- who would it be?

I would love to work with Kanye West, I know its sound cliché but I think what Kanye can bring the best out of me.

Quite The Treat Pt. 2

https://soundcloud.com/lilbibby-1/aint-heard-about-you-feat-lil-herb

Ain't Heard About You

Lil Bibby and Lil Herb come together for a classic "trap" sound.

The production value of this song is great. The piano sits nicely behind the bass. Overall the beat is pretty flame and pretty appropriate for a trap-oriented song. Lil Bibby and Lil Herb sound like true goons on the track- the message is clear: Don't mess with this duo. They haven't heard about you and they can make sure that no one else has either. Cool song to turn up to astronomical levels within a vehicle.

Artist Highlight: Jazz

I reached out to jazz through Twitter & email:

Nathan G, best known on the inter-webs as jazz (with a lowercase j) or hawthorne, is from Northern Virginia. MTC, VA to be exact. His sound gives listeners a unique glance into his environment that he credits as: "the best looking area in NOVA," jazz pays respect to his close friend (@setheronibeats), his sister, and her husband as the support group that helped him get into music. jazz also attributes his "mind, positivity, and the ability to learn a lesson in everything he encounters" as his greatest musical strengths. Where can we find this enigmatic producer/rapper in 5 years?

"I see myself enjoying whatever I'm doing at that point in time. Definitely gonna be ganja and music involved. No labels or anything, but I know everything will be organized and steady before then. At some point I want to direct video. I've been learning tons of stuff about cameras recently."

(Track 5 prod. Setheroni)

(Ocean Drift)

Track 5 and Ocean Drift are both available for streaming through Soundcloud.

Q & A With jazz

When did you first get into music?

I started writing lyrics about 13 months ago. Soon, I kinda learned I could reach an entirely different and more self-aware aspect if I produced it all myself- that started about 7 months ago on FL studio.

What is your greatest weakness as an artist?

Procrastination, hands down.

Besides your family and friends, what or who inspires you musically?

A handful of hip hop artists- with a good amount of alternative/post-alt rock and heavy metal thrown in there too.

What are some of your goals in making music?

Honestly, I don't even know yet. But my definitive short term goals through music are traveling, creating with artists who inspire me, and learning how to make music that changes how people think. I have tons of aspirations and long term planning done, but that will show itself over time. 

What can readers/listeners look forward to from you?

Right at this second, I am mixing an instrumental for a track off of my 1st unreleased project "Bud". [Bud is] about 13-14 tracks long, but at this point I have changed just about every aspect of the original plan for the tape more than once. I have nothing to say about it right now, except that it will be fully produced by local artists, mainly Seth and I. A visual single will be released soon, and after I see how people respond: I will act accordingly.

Artist Highlight: Reece

I reached out to Reece through Twitter and email:

Reece, an 18 year old singer-songwriter from Virginia, has been captivating listeners with his sultry voice since he got into music around 3 years ago. As of late, his song, GHOST, has garnered upwards of 20k plays through Soundcloud. The young artists credits Imogen Heap as his biggest inspiration:

"I remember being 9 years old trying to emulate [Imogen Heap's] voice! Stylistically, I'm inspired by Yuna, Frank Ocean, Adele, Lana Del Rey, and The Weeknd."

Reece is currently cooking up an EP that he is taking his time on; "I want to deliver the dopest music I possibly can."

(King's Throne)

(GHOST)

 (Dead To You)

The mixtape King's Throne, as well as the singles GHOST, and Dead To You are all available for free download and streaming through Soundcloud.

Q & A With Reece

What is your greatest weakness and strength as a musical artist?

Hmm... that's an interesting question. I think my greatest strengths are my work ethic, my determination to get things done, and get them done well. My greatest weakness is that I don't trust myself all the time; I'm trying to learn how to not doubt myself so much.

What material or inspiration of you draw from your surroundings?

I guess I get material from my surroundings- I get a ton of inspiration from human behavior. Something about human interactions and just the human experience in general, really intrigues me.

What is a main goal in making music? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A main goal of mine, in regards to making music, is to continue to make quality music that I'm proud of. I will never release a song I do not like. I hope that in 5 years time I'm a successful artist! I also hope that I'm happy and secure in my life.