Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Quite The Treat Pt. 6
Listen to Live From The Cave Vol: 010 by Second Womb. This 3 song EP packs a sonic punch with beats that bounce and vocals that keep you listening for more. Second Story collaborates with artists Marty & Berlin...!, and EndaStory to bring you an experimental (albeit successful) spin on hip-hop.
You can follow Second Womb for more music and cool things on:
Monday, September 28, 2015
Twitter.Insanity Pt.3
PEDALFEST
I took to the inter-webs, as per usual, and found this awesome FREE event in RVA. PEDALFEST (bought to the community by VCU's Hip Hop Student Collective & Catalyst) featured several artists whose work I have highlighted as well as some more flame. Below you can find some mini-highlights as well as twitter info to follow your favorite artists.
fly anakin. & koncept jack$on #MUTANT ACADEMY
These two artists hold their own lyrically but can send a vibe together. Backing fly anakin's release of elsewhere ave. that created a buzz on the internet- he continued to stay true to the authentic east coast sound of hip hop at PEDALFEST. Songs such as nigga like me [ft. koncept jack$on], reverberated throughout the crowd. The other half of #MUTANTACADEMY, koncept jack$on, is to be praised as well. With just under a 1k following on Soundcloud and several dope singles under his belt (lavender & cynthia)- he matches his counterpart on stage lyrically, no problem. After several personal successes and a joint EP-the bounce and swagger of the two is to be watched.
(fly anakin. [left] & koncept jack$on [right] in front of a mural of Nickelus F)
Jake Barkley aka The Black Beanie Genie AKA Lil' Hyatt
The RVA based artist, Jake Barkley, performed with finesse and authentic feeling throughout his set. His continuity with his sound is to be commended; with several singles making waves on the inter-webs (chimera) as well as several successful live performances (ART RISE)- Jake Barkley solidifies his spot as a key rapper, singer, and musician overall. The versatility of JB's vocals opened PEDALFEST up the right way.
(Jake Barkley [left] spitting rhymes; B.ckward Haus Members MNLV [center] on stage, along with chï [right])
Marques Berry aka M.arques B.erry
Marques Berry, otherwise noted as MB, made waves during several sets of PEDALFEST. His own [set] being well deserved and received. The connection this artist has within the music community, as well as the Richmond community at large, is smart. With a tape under his belt and an anticipated project titled The Grey Album on the way- its no question the dedication MB has to his artistry.
(Marques Berry [center on stage] performing w/ Jake Barkley [right])
Y0ki The Casual WZRD
The seasoned producer and musical engineer Y0ki made an appearance at PEDALFEST, complementing all of the music he helped orchestrate with his musical peers. His attention to detail is dope, to say the least. The gobs of music this young man creates has leaked its way into the sound of Richmond; some of the hottest arrangements/production based in RVA is coming from Y0ki The Casual WZRD, no question.
MNLV
MNLV- who was recently featured in RVA Mag continues to give listeners music for the soul. Just as rich as her vocals come across recorded- they do not fail to entice live. MNLV is another artist using the inter-webs to her benefit. With a project titled UNNAMED PLACES garnering [all tracks considered] over 2000 plays, it is safe to say her music is here to stay and dominate.
Alfred
Alfred, self proclaimed citizen of the Matrix Purgatory as well as 'tha forest', comes fresh off of dropping an EP titled ALF. He performed songs from the project such as SUPAH POWA ft. MNLV with a raw emotion/eccentric assuredness that not only excited the crowd but bounced well off of his musical counterparts.
(yokithecasualwzrd [left] poses with MNLV [center] and Alfred [right] in front of a Catalyst banner)
Special Thanks*
To the DJ @djgringo101 that served up all music on a platinum platter as well as @Russ1594 who was part of the team on the backend that built this experience from the ground up! Special Thanks once more goes out to Catalyst, the Hip Hop Student Collective, and countless other members of the visual and auditory artistry based in RVA.
*Artists who also gave dope performances: .Peter $un, Radio B, chï, Ramsey, Saint Tut, The Millionaires, Tribe, and of course Nickelus F
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Artist Highlight: chï
I reached out to chï through Twitter & email:
Chï (Soundcloud & Twitter) frequently blesses hot tracks that are bred in Richmond, however, her very own project(s) are dropping soon:
"These two EP's have been my brain child the past few months. I'm really excited for them because I feel like it shows a more mature side to my production skills, as well as writing skills."
You can follow chï on Twitter: @musicbychi and on Instagram: @neck_uhh, respectively.
Beach Haus ii is available for streaming as well as download through Soundcloud. Memories is available for streaming through Soundcloud.
Q & A With chï
Musically speaking, who or what inspires you?
[...] I listen to everything from folk to Korean pop music, so I have a wide pool of genre's that [I take inspiration from]. In terms of who inspires me, I would definitely say my friends. [...They] make me want to do better, to produce better, to sound better because I don't feel like I'm on their level yet. Of course everyone has artists that they draw inspiration from, but I honestly do love the music that my friends make more, [...] I can see the hard work and emotion they put into to producing their work.
How and when did you get into music?
I started making music last year around July. I wrote and produced the most basic song ever called LVEGME which has now been removed from my Soundcloud (lol). [...] I started making legit music around [5-6 months ago]. [At that point I started,] to take production a bit more seriously.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time with your music?
In 5 years, I want to still be making music, for a bigger audience. I'm pretty lowkey right now, but I kinda like [being lowkey] because when I drop my stuff I want people to be like "WHO IS THISS!?" you know lolol.
Where are you from- and do you draw insertion from your surroundings?
My parents are from Nigeria but I was born and raised in Chesterfield VA. It's pretty much suburbia around here so there isn't much inspiration. I think when I go to Richmond I'm always around super artistic people so I gather inspiration there and bring those positive thoughts and feels back with me to suburbia. My favorite place to "become inspired" I guess would be the river. Texas Beach has really fantastic areas where it's just rocks and some running water. I would just sit in nature for hours and usually will come up with some kind of new idea while I'm out there.
What are you currently working on?
I'm trying to drop two EP's this year, or [an EP at the end of 2015 and another in the beginning of 2016; both titles I. Dreamz and II. Nightmarez, respectively]. [...]I also love how [I. Dreamz and II. Nightmarez] are completely different from one another. Dreamz is more ambient/chill, with some trappy beats; Nightmarez is super trappy and electronic, I'm so excited to let people hear it! [...] I will be dropping a single soon just to give people a lil something to listen to. It's a cover of a MNLV song, but it's a more slowed down sultry version lol.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Quite The Treat Pt. 5
Alf
Alfred, AKA DarkLordShawty has released his highly anticipated tape: Alf. The project is 8 songs deep and gives the listener an authentic peek into the mind of the Woodbridge/RVA based artist. Features, from the likes of AfroCat, Jake Barkley as well as Chï, are sprinkled throughout the tape that sits around 30 min.
You can follow Alfred for more music and cool things on:
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Twitter Insanity Pt. 2
Trending Headlines: Free (BASED FREESTYLE MIXTAPE)
@ChanceTheRapper and @LILBTHEBASEDGOD come together to create a 6 song mixtape! FOR THE FREE.
Check out the free mixtape and download it! The tracks have plenty of positivity and fun verses to bump to. Shout out to some young legends in the game; this tape is coming after Lil B has toured extensively on college lectures and Chance dropped a joint album with his friends/bandmates The Social Experiment.
Monday, August 3, 2015
2 Cents: moreandmoreamore prod. Rasneek
This sneak peek single from @minilov___ is pretty rad
Flow
MNLV's vocals are textured and emotional. You get the feeling she is singing her lyrics with her eyes closed. I appreciate the passion no doubt. Her range is beyond adequate for the flow of the song.Production
Shout out to Rasneek (@Russ1594) and his production prowess. The song has southwestern vibes as well as a jazzy-southern touch. The hip-hop percussion undertones wrap the entire song together well. MNLV's vocals sit on the beat just right and sound very warm. Being that the sound is so enclitic, it would be beneficial for the track to be longer, if only for listeners to catch some of the cool loops that only happen a couple times.
Content
Traditional love-stricken words in a ballad format- no surprises there. Also, being that this is a teaser/snippet of sorts- The track does not include any repeated verses or words.Overall
Overall, this track has done its job well- listeners will be teased and anxious to hear more. The mastery and comfortably MNLV has with her own voice is clear to the ear.
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