Artist Spotlight

Black trauma has been a topic in all facets of multimedia lately portraying heartbreak; hip hop emcee Zayzayy wanted to change the narrative and shine a positive light on African American people overcoming their obstacles to achieve glory by Any Means Necessary with Beyond The Naked Eye.   The LP is composed of eleven personally curated tracks from the Detroit native which encapsulates him dealing with the daily trauma black people face living their daily lives from his perspective and narrative.  Similar to the single War Baby by fellow hip-hop emcee Roddy Ricch, every track is meant to let listeners feel more »

Chicago rapper Loko Wit Tha Mask makes his music debut with the aggressive rap anthem TILT. The ferocious and fierce Katai directed visual features scenes with a pit bull, creepy clown masks, chainsaws and lots of rowdy behavior. This hard-hitting track was produced by Nez from Nez&Rio, who produced Schoolboy Q’s hit ‘Man of the Year.’ Look out for Loko’s debut mixtape Loko Dillinger via Still Alive Entertainment this Fall. Watch TILT below:

Back in April, we caught up with Filipino producer, Mark Redito, for his plush, digital pop single “Cloud Keep” with Abbi Press. Now, in early December, we are gifted another musical elixir of dance pop that feels vintage yet new with his latest single “Right There,” with New Jersey musician, Ehiorobo. Delivering growly basses, punchy dance percussion, and glossy synths, Redito’s production inherits the familiar charm and spirit of his previous songs but with ear-catching groove and grit this time around. It transports listeners back in time but champions a sound that suspends it. The track feels connected to Mark’s other tunes that illustrate themes of digital more »

As I drove through the city of angels listening to one of my favorite radio stations (KCRW) I heard that one of the pioneers of dance music was making their way to the Belasco Theatre this weekend to perform their latest album, Monsters Exist. If you’re not familiar with Orbital they are better known for their 1995 hit “Halcyon” which was a featured in a movie called Hackers featuring Angelina Jolie. I was six years old when I first discovered this amazing duo, and am now 29. After following them for so many years it made my night to finally more »

Back in May, we were given a glimpse of umru’s forthcoming debut EP “Search Result” when he dropped the textural pop opus, “sticky,” with Raveena Golden. Seven months later, we are now treated to the entire full-length project and the hype is much deserved. umru’s dazzling rise in the industry has been a spectacle not often seen nor done by those his age. At just 19 years old, he has had one of the biggest splashes of any artist in 2018. umru has become an overarching brand of quotable tweets, viral memes, hilarious Tik Tok videos, and of course, music. more »

pre kai ro is quite a unique artist and individual, soon to be a huge sensation, standing on some very solid records and numbers where an artist usually begins to take off. pre kai ro is someone you might want to get familiar with now, hailing from Cairo, Egypt and currently calling Dubai home. Already picking up solid steam on his own through most platforms a singer or someone of his sound would, the future is about to be bright for this artist. The musical opportunities over seas are limited, even more so in areas such as Dubai and Egypt, more »

Orange County rapper, WRRY, returns to the center of Soundcloud’s trap scene with the much-anticipated single titled “HOME.” Delivering trendy production that pockets cheerful melodies and snappy drums, WRRY brands popular trap sounds that feel familiar but sonic-ally push it with charisma and bravado that pulls listeners in. Different from his previous two singles, HOME is a straight-up banger that taps into WRRY’s inner MC. The 2-minute track champions the innocence and playfulness of a rated-E video game mixed with flavorful trap sauce. With bars and cadence that will remind one of Comethazine and Duwap Kaine, listeners don’t have to worry for WRRY to more »

As an old skool bass head I remember seeing Coffi play underground shows in Los Angeles as he rose out of the underground into the legendary group that is now known as Gentleman’s Club. If you’re not familiar, it is comprised of Coffi (Lewis Pittham), Soloman (Saul Mountford) and 50 Carrot (Armani Haskins). This dynamic trio individually pioneered a specific sound and single handedly laid down the foundation for many dubstep producers to come before becoming the Gentleman’s Club we know today. The trio was originally formed in 2013 and hail from the United Kingdom. Since then they have toured more »

It wasn’t the most fruitful of summers for hip-hop; the last couple of months have had its ups and downs for the culture: the death of X anguished fans, Mac Miller’s passing rocked fans to their adolescent core, and the inflow of creatively lukewarm projects left avid listeners unfulfilled. The maelstrom of tragic headlines and stories left the hip hop community emotionally exhausted but there were exciting artists that were silver linings during this storm. Maryland rapper, Lil’ Xelly, is a name that has caught our attention so far in 2018. The Rockville product has dropped several projects this year more »

“I’m an Extraterrestrial, bitch i’m no fucking millennial, I don’t fuck with any crazy hoes, the shit I be spittin’ is alien bro” – Worst Nightmare Worst Nightmare is an artist who was raised in Mexico but made in Houston. With various influences from black metal to hip hop. He has shared stages with punk bands AND hip hop legends like Deltron 3030 and ESG of SUC. His aggressive style compliments the darkness of the beats he chooses and is sure to get the crowd jumping with his performances. His new EP “I Am Demon” will be released soon under more »

Parachuting into Spotify playlists and dropping hit remix after another, artist Laxcity is sending shockwaves throughout the industry. So far this year, the Zambia-born beatsmith has snowballed an impressive slate of singles that have garnered a salary-figure of plays on Spotify as well as Soundcloud. And Lax brings forth that amalgamation of sonically lavish ambience and multi-dimensioned soundscapes to his latest single “Changing” with budding singer Lani Rose. With subtle foley percs and drums, “Changing” is a metamorphosis that suspends the listener in its gravity. The hypnotic ambience and infectious vocals create an atmosphere for listeners to soak their ears more »

Soundcloud twitter is a universe crowded with memes and quotable tweets. Cartoonish personalities and characters that govern a community that feels cooler than the audio distribution platform itself. If you heard this past week that there was a “Minecraft Party” where Charli XCX showed up, you were correctly informed. For one night, Minecraft was the festival ground for a 13+ artist lineup that included Soundcloud favorites Y2K, Valentine, umru, William Crooks, Cavan Brady, Sadkey, Yitaku, Ramen Boy, and Gupi to celebrate SLEEPYCATT’s 21st Birthday. It’s as if Brownies and Lemonade was boxed in the 3-D space of Minecraft, or if Kaytranada’s more »

Low Hanging Fruit released their first full length album, The Fruit Tape, in mid 2017, around the beginning of CU Boulder’s fall semester. With summer break over and students eager to return back to the land of day drinking under the Colorado sun, wild night-time ragers, and beautiful adventures in the mountains. The Fruit released an album that aimed to encompass the identity of Boulder’s party scene.  full of bumpin’ beats and witty rhymes, the 23 track album is comprised of songs that for the most part are meant to be party bangers. However, meaningful and elaborate lyrics are thrown more »

After a whirlwind of remixes and co-production work alongside A.G. Cook for Charli XCX’s Pop 2 Mixtape, 19-year old, New York-based producer umru returns to the fold with LA songstress, Ravenna Golden, to release “sticky.” Originally planned as a remix of Ravenna’s Machete, the pair turned their heads towards creating something new and fresh for audiences to hear. At center stage are Ravenna’s airy, autotuned vocals that contrast with umru’s mammoth percussion. Detailed with otherworldly, futuristic sound design, umru alchemizes squeaky textures, hyperreal soundscapes, and SOPHIE-inspired percussion into a refreshing take on pop that remains explosive and electric at its center. Ravenna’s ethereal more »

Making waves in the online rap community, Pet Zebra shares his music video for his ethereal banger “Vanilla” off his new album BLOSSUM. Laced with trippy visuals, fast crash zooms, and fish-eye lensed angles, the video for “Vanilla” is eye and ear candy for followers of Pet Zebra’s work. Featuring a catchy hook that will stay in your head for days, Vanilla is a non-stop thrill ride that corrals Pet Zebra’s best flow and rhyme schemes. Unlike “Language” and “Theme Song” that lax out listeners with smoother, jazzier beats, Vanilla is a dragon-energy fueled package that slaps yet it keeps more »

Prolific electronic, Filipino producer, Mark Redito, returns to the fold with his vibrant new single, “Cloud Keep,” featuring Brooklyn Songstress and Producer, Abbi Press. Recovering from a lengthy writers block and subsequent disappearance, “Cloud Keep” is Redito’s first original follow-up since 2016’s “You’ll Only Love Me When I’m Gone.” Bounded by personal matters, Redito’s creative spirit hit a speed bump in 2016 – a fruitful year full of career accomplishments that included the successful debut of Likido, a concert series focusing on people of color, women and LGBTQ producers. “ “I felt burnt out and unmotivated,” Redito says of his more »

The Orange County music scene is thin. Aside from its crowded surf/ punk/ garage rock community that populates its underground music scene, Orange County is barren of accessible hip-hop talent making an impact on the culture. Now before I have the entire DIY community hate me for this assertion, let me be clear that beat showcases and collectives such as Beat Cinema and SXN have allowed an avenue for hip-hop and lo-fi producers to perform locally in cities such as Anaheim and Fullerton. Their efforts to colorize the hip-hop music scene in Orange County should not be overlooked. However, Orange more »

SOB x RBE are making noise with their brand-new album, Gangin. The group is blowing up with their laidback rhythm and smooth lyrics.  SOB X RBE caught the attention of super stars such as Post Malone and 21 Savage and will be going on tour together this year. Check out the hit song of the album, “List.” The song projects a poppy bass line under the artists’ head bobbing lyrics. This care free, feel good song is exactly what SOB X RBE are all about. “List” gives Hip Hop a fresh new twist and is one of the best tracks more »

While Lil Peep is no longer with us, his music lives on. Teddy unveiled the collaboration track with Lil Peep entitled “Dreams & Nightmares.” This unexpected release is the perfect way to pay homage to Lil Peep. Teddy has been climbing the ranks after dropping big tracks with ILOVEMAKONNEN and Rich The Kid. His vocals are tasteful and embrace a mixture of singing and rapping. “Dreams & Nightmares” strikes an emotional chord. The wavy pads and choir in the intro give the track its emotional undertone. Lil Peep and Teddy rap from the heart making the track an irresistible ballet. more »

If you haven’t heard of Cuban Doll, you better start listening to her music because she’s next up. Hip-hop is changing right in front of us. The rise of Cardi B has given female rappers a legitimate platform in Hip-hop and Cuban Doll is taking the stage. At only 19 years old, Cuban Doll has amassed a huge social media following and fans are going crazy over her new song “Bankrupt.” The rap banger is trending on Soundcloud with over 1 million views. It’s no surprise this song went viral. Cuban Doll’s incredible flow has a cadence similar to Tee more »