EP: Chevy Woods – SXSW I Love Texas

The Taylor Gang Rapper Surprises Fans With a 5-Song EP Showing Appreciation for the Lone Star State

3.18.2015

The EP:

Kicking off SXSW by celebrating his appreciation for the Lone Star State, Taylor Gang rapper Chevy Woods surprised fans with the release of his five-song SXSW I Love Texas EP. Produced entirely by Ricky P, SXSW I Love Texas is a smooth offering from the Pittsburgh rapper. Sharing experiences and showing love for all things Texas, Chevy Woods raps about a friend being imprisoned in Fort Worth, his adoration of bad girls from San Antonio, stories of mobbing with his crew through the southern state. “This EP is what I would wanna hear in my ride if I lived here,” Chevy Woods states as he preps to perform at several SXSW showcases. “Salute to all the pioneers from Texas!”

Chevy Woods’ SXSW I Love Texas EP follows his DJ Holiday-hosted Gangland 3 mixtape, which released in January and included features from Taylor Gang cohorts Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, and Ty Dolla $ign, in addition to production from Zaytoven and Sonny Digital. Earlier this month, Woods shared the video for “Gold Chainz Gold Daytons,” which was the latest in a series of video releases from the Gangland 3 mixtape, which also includes WorldStarHipHop-debuted visuals for “Shooters” and “In the Kitchen.”

Chevy Woods has been building up momentum with his mixtapes Red Cup Music, The Cook Out, and the Gangland series, progressing his sound with each release. After years of writing and recording in his home studio, Chevy traded in his keyboard for cash to pay for studio time. In 2004, while recording at Pittsburgh’s I.D. Labs Studios, Chevy encountered Wiz Khalifa and the two instantly formed a bond. “Me and Wiz, we always had each other’s backs. Since we were both recording at I.D. Labs at the same time, we would hold each other down,” Chevy has explained. “Even if it was just picking up Wendy’s for the other one on our way to the studio.”

Listen to SXSW I Love Texas: http://taylorgangent.com/premiere-chevy-woods-sxsw-i-love-texas-ep/

Listen to SXSW I Love Texas on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chevywoods/sets/sxsw-i-love-texas

Chevy Woods showcases during SXSW:

March 18 – The Roosevelt Room, 11:45-12:05AM
March 20 – Monster Energy Outbreak House, 10:15-10:45PM
March 21 – Half Step, 12:00-12:20AM

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Chevy Woods.

Chevy Woods Background:

Chevy Woods has been building up momentum with his mixtapes Red Cup Music, The Cook Out, and the Gangland series, progressing his sound with each release. After years of writing and recording in his home studio, Chevy traded in his keyboard for cash to pay for studio time. In 2004, while recording at Pittsburgh’s I.D. Labs Studios, Chevy encountered Wiz Khalifa and the two instantly formed a bond. “Me and Wiz, we always had each other’s backs. Since we were both recording at I.D. Labs at the same time, we would hold each other down,” Chevy has explained. “Even if it was just picking up Wendy’s for the other one on our way to the studio.”

Links:

official site | facebook | twitter | instagram | soundcloud

SXSW I Love Texas: https://soundcloud.com/chevywoods/sets/sxsw-i-love-texas

“Gold Chainz Gold Daytons”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlFDgFrgnYw

“Shooters”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YifombqxmZg

“In the Kitchen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GW3g_AcoHk

“30 Deep”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L295wjrfTqw

Gangland 3: http://chevywoodsmusic.com/chevy-woods-new-mixtape-gangland-3-is-out-now/

Video: Chris Miles – “Something”

Premiered By GoodMusicAllDay, In the Latest Visual From His Birth Of Cool EP, the Youthful MC Shares His Journey As a Determined Independent Artist Chasing His Dreams

3.18.2015

The Video:

Video: Ikey  – “When We Were Kings”

Preparing For the March 31 Release of His Green Card EP, the Nigerian-American Artist Reflects On Past Leaders In His Latest Visual, Premiered By Pigeons & Planes

3.18.2015

Critical Praise for Ikey:

“His delivery is cool and calm with a bite… Ikey takes this shit to the next level.” – Pigeons & Planes

“…continuing to impress hip-hop fans all over the globe with his melodic and confident flow.” – Okayplayer

The Video:

Born in Spanish Harlem, raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and based in the D.C. area of Maryland, rapper Ikey invades an abandoned building in D.C. and shares his testament of cultural awareness in a commanding visual for his Blvck Rose-produced single “When We Were Kings.” The video, directed by Xavia Inniss and premiered via Pigeons & Planes, acknowledges prolific African political leaders like Patrice Lumumba, while intertwining clips of Nigerian Afrobeat artist/human rights activist Fela Kuti. “Ikey’s ‘When We Were Kings’ represents his culture lyrically and sonically,” stated Pigeons & Planes, “and now the video makes it complete, with striking visuals and escalating intensity.”

From the effects of the Nigerian Civil War to the current struggle with Boko Haram, Ikey’s rhymes teach as much as they entertain. “This was the last song written and recorded for the project,” Ikey says of “When We Were Kings.” “It was recorded about 6 months after we had completed the other tracks. I felt like the project was missing an unfiltered [and] raw view of Lagos. Boko Haram had just bombed Jos not long ago and I remember talking to my Mom on the phone and hearing that the power had gone out. I felt a mixture of sadness, anger and defiance knowing that Nigeria was almost the same as it was years ago when I lived there. I feel like this song takes you there.”

“My job as an artist is to always show my appreciation, represent our story properly and do whatever it takes to make sure we all achieve that American Dream,” Ikey told Okayafrica in an interview feature about his Nigerian roots and how his experiences have influenced his forthcoming project. Leading up to the release of his Green Card EP, which is slated to drop March 31st, Ikey has shared several singles and videos. Complex debuted his “Olodo” video, and stated “the stunning, cinematic video is a pretty inspirational feat for the up-and-coming artist.” Teaming up with SaveMoney rapper Kami de Chukwu on “Lord,” Okayplayer premiered the track, and shared praises, saying “Ikey stays soulful as he stunts, dropping high-syllable-traffic verses that show thanks for finer things,” adding that Ikey “is continuing to impress hip-hop fans all over the globe with his melodic and confident flow.”

Watch “When We Were Kings”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYWM789hKcM

Check out the Pigeons & Planes premiere: http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2015/03/video-premiere-ikey-when-we-were-kings/

Listen to “When We Were Kings”: https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/when-we-were-kings/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Ikey.

Ikey Background:

For Ikey, it’s all about the story. Born in New York, with roots in both Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria, Ike Obioha connected with music at an early age. The diverse palette of his father’s music collection painted a musical canvas that pays homage to everything from Elton John and Journey to the Neville Brothers and Igbo Nigerian highlife singer Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe.

Ikey’s unique, 1.5 generation immigrant experience influenced both the subject matter and creation of his music. Despite pressure to embark upon a more scholarly career, Ikey would ultimately find himself opening for the likes of Big Sean and have his music covered in the Washington City Paper. He balances his penchant for music representing all aspects of the human experience over tracks representative of hip-hop’s golden era while maintaining his unique Nigerian-American identity. “I’m just a young kid straight out of Lagos,” Ikey says. “When I see people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being sampled on Beyonce records, it makes me feel people want that true African story. I just feel there are a lot of Nigerian-Americans trying to tell that story, and I’m trying to tell it the right way.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube

“When We Were Kings”: https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/when-we-were-kings/ // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYWM789hKcM

“Lord” (ft. Kami de Chukwu): https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/lord-feat-kami-de-chukwu/

“Timbuktu”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TScKTDWl8g

“Olodo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEBszOh9hb0

Bio, photos, and more info on Ikey: http://audibletreats.com/ikey

Audible Treats’ SXSW 2015 Roll-Call

Black Milk, Iamsu!, Maxo Kream, and more

3.17.15

The News:

Here’s our easy-to-read list of AT artists heading down to Texas. Come hang with us.

5:00-5:15pm – ProbCause at Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez St

10:30pm – The Outfit at Palm Door on Sixth, 508 E 6th St
11:05pm-11:25pm – Maxo Kream at Palm Door on Sixth Patio, 508 3 6th St

TBD – Maxo Kream at 615 Cardinal Lane
5:20pm – Iamsu! at Club Vongos, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd
5:30pm – Wara From the NBHD at Smokers Club House
8:00pm-8:30pm – Sir Michael Rocks at Gypsy Lounge, 1504 E 6th St
8:00pm-2:00am – Marc E. Bassy at Speakeasy Kabaret, 412 N Congress Ave
9:00pm – Opio x Free the Robots at El Mercado, 1302 South 1st St
9:15pm-9:30pm – Bobby Brackins at The Roosevelt Room, 307 W 5th St
9:45pm-10:20pm – ProbCause at Licha’s Cantina, 1306 E 6th St
11:30pm – Iamsu! at Bar 96, 96 Rainey Street
12:00am-1:00am – ProbCause at Krave Upstairs, 302 E 6th St
12:30am – Sir Michael Rocks at Blackheart, 86 Rainey St.
1:30am-1:50am – Sir Michael Rocks at V Lounge, 409 Colorado St

11:00am – Iamsu!
2:30pm – Black Milk with Live Band Nat Turner at Wonderland, 1104 E 6th St
2:40pm – Opio x Free the Robots at 219 West, 612 W 6th St
4:30pm – Opio x Free the Robots Flamingo Cantina, 515 E 6th St
5:00pm – Black Milk with Live Band Nat Turner at Lit Lounge, 215 E 6th St
6:45pm – Opio x Free the Robots at 301 Chicon St Unit G
8:00pm-2:00am – Marc E. Bassy at Highland Lounge, 404 Colorado St
9:00pm – Sudie at 219 West, 612 W 6th St
1:00am – Black Milk With Live Band Nat Turner at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room
1:10am-1:50am – Opio x Free the Robots at Holy Mountain, 617 E 7th St

4:00pm – Sudie at Shiner’s Saloon, 422 N Congress Ave
8:00pm – Iamsu! at ACL Live, Moody Theatre
10:00pm – Wara From the NBHD at Container Bar, 90 Rainey Street
10:30pm – The Outfit at The Mohawk, 912 Red River St
(RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/820736534665109/)
10:30pm – The Outfit at Palm Door on Sixth, 508 E 6th St
11:20pm – Wara From the NBHD at Palm Door, 6th St

1:00am -Maxo Kream at 409 Colorado St
1:30am – Maxo Kream at Bat Door

ABOUT:

Black Milk

 

– Detroit rapper/producer released solo album If There’s A Hell Below in October via The New York Times
– Begins 30-date headlining “Play Like Hell” tour in March, including three SXSW shows on Thursday, 3/19
– Featured on NPR’s Microphone Check in January

Friday, March 20th
2:30pm – Grand Theft Zamboni SXSW Launch Party @ Wonderland, 1104 E 6th St
5:00pm – Artist Auditions Presents The Artist Lounge @ Lit Lounge, 215 E 6th St
1:00am – CD Baby Showcase @ Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, 323 E 6th St

Bobby Brackins

 

– Grammy-nominated Oakland-bred rapper/songwriter whose “My Jam” single featuring Zendaya and Jeremih currently #1 on  Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart
– “Hot Box” single featuring G-Eazy and Mila J over 4 million plays on Soundcloud, 1.5 million on YouTube
– Songwriting credits include Tinashe’s “2 On,” Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” Ray J’s “I Hit It First”

Thursday, March 19th
9:15-9:30pm – Southern Hospitality Showcase @ The Roosevelt Room, 307 W 5th St

Iamsu!

– Bay Area rapper/producer whose Eyes On Me mixtape released earlier in February via Billboard
– Has sold over 100,000 singles/albums and has performed on The Late Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and the Arsenio Hall Show
– The New York Times said, “…in his production and his concepts, Iamsu! is gifted with melody and also emotion.”
– Headlining first solo tour in 35 cities for  “Eyes On Me Tour” that begins in March with openers Rome Fortune and fellow HBK Gang cohort Dave Steezy

Thursday, March 19th
5:20pm – Presented by Worldstar Hip Hop @ Club Vongos, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd
11:30pm – Presented by Dr. Martens @ Bar 96, 96 Rainey Street

Friday, March 20th
11:00am – Presented by Rhapsody 12:00am – Presented by Tilly’s @ Clive Bar, 609 Davis Street

Marc E. Bassy 

 

Thursday, March 19th

8:00pm-2:00am – The Blast Live @ Speakeasy Kabaret, 412 N Congress Ave

Friday, March 20th

8:00pm-2:00am – SXSW Showcase @ Highland Lounge, 404 Colorado St

Saturday, March 21st

8:00pm – Okayplayer House @ Bungalow, 92 Rainey St

Maxo Kream

– Houston, TX rapper released his #MAXO187 mixtape in March via Noisey, includes features from Joey Bada$$, Father, Fredo Santana, LE$, Lamb$
– A former crip with a history of home burglary and drug-peddling dating back to grade school
– Previous mixtape, QuiccStrikes named by Complex as on of  Houston’s Best Rap Mixtapes of 2013, song “Whitney Houston” named one of 2013’s best songs by  Cocaine Blunts

Opio x Free the Robots

– Golden era rapper of the Hieroglyphics/Souls of Mischief teams up with pioneering L.A. beat scene producer to create a “future retro” sound
– The Subconscious Mind EP released in February via Red Bull
– Over 42k Twitter followers combined and preparing another collaborative album release for Summer

Friday, March 20th
2:40 or 5:20, Air Up There @ 219 West, 612 W 6th St
2:30 or 4:30, ATX Wildfire @ Flamingo Cantina, 515 E 6th St
6:45pm – Daywalkers Party @ 301 Chicon St Unit G
1:10am-1:50am – Madison House Showcase @Holy Mountain, 617 E 7th St

The Outfit, TX 

– Dallas producer/rapper trio named  “best rap group you’re not talking about (yet)” by MTV
– Dallas producer/rapper trio preparing album release for summer
– Interview by  NPR’s Microphone Check,  Complex, named 5 Best New Artists by SPIN

ProbCause

– Represented by Paradigm agency
– Chicago rapper released ZRO FOX EP with Psalm One aka Hologram Kizzie in January via Consequence of Sound, who said “the EP offers plenty of thought-provoking rhymes and intense production for fans of alt-leaning hip-hop.”
– Over 900k Soundcloud plays on “LSD ft. Chance The Rapper (The Hood Internet Remix)” track
– Previously toured with Cherub and EARPHUNK
– Released solo EP, WAVES, in May via SPIN, who said “its ambitions are bigger than the sampler that ‘EP’ suggests.”
– Concluded 15-city tour with live drummer in February, tour spanned South and Midwest

Thursday, March 19th
5:00-5:15pm – Chicago Made Booth @ Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez St
9:45pm-10:20pm – AudioTree Showcase @ Licha’s Cantina, 1306 E 6th St
12:00am-1:00am – Heroes for a Cause @ Krave Upstairs, 302 E 6th St

Sir Michael Rocks

 

Sudie

Wara From the NBHD

– Atlanta via NYC rapper/producer, in January released If Guns Could Speak EP addressing police brutality
– Last year’s album release, Kidnapped, received 7.7 Pitchfork review, 4/5 HipHopDX review
– Featured in XXL’s The Break, HipHopWired’s Certified Fresh, Mass Appeal’s Rhythm Roulette, HotNewHipHop interview, Pigeons & Planes interview

Thursday, March 19th
5:30 @ Smokers Club House

Saturday, March 21st
10:00pm – @ Container Bar, 90 Rainey Street
11:20pm – Burn One x Ballers Eve x Motion Family @ Palm Door, 6th St

Lyrics Born Announces Release of Eighth Album “Real People” on May 5th

Recorded Entirely in New Orleans, Real People Explores the Depths of Human Connections and is Backed by Star-Studded Line-up

3.12.2015

Critical praise for Lyrics Born:

“Far-reaching flows over throwback electro soul, or street-wise synth-pop for the 20-10… whatever labels you need to apply to it – at day’s end, it’s just good fucking music.” – Okayplayer

“…if Lyrics Born has one defining strength it’s his ability to get structurally and rhythmically adventurous in his flow while still remaining perfectly simple to follow linguistically.” – Pitchfork

“God bless Lyrics Born.” – PopMatters

“The Second Album is life-affirming, with a force few artists in any genre can match.” – NPR

The Announcement:

Tokyo-born, Berkeley-bred rapper/producer Lyrics Born, who played a major role in creating the blueprint for independent rap labels as we know them today, will release his eighth album, Real People via his Mobile Home Recordings label on May 5th. Following the album he released as one-half of Latyrx, which NPR dubbed “hands-down, the best alt-rap album of the year,” Lyrics Born continues to forge new territory with Real People. Enamored with New Orleans’ history and musicians from all the years of touring and playing shows there, Lyrics Born uprooted his digs in The Bay Area to The Big Easy for two weeks to recruit the city’s most talented musicians.

Recorded entirely in The Big Easy by Galactic‘s Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman, the album follows the ethos Lyrics Born has maintained for his 20+ year career: doing things that neither he nor anyone else has done yet. Enlisting the talents of Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville, Galactic, Corey Henry, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, along with guest stars Corey Glover (Living Colour), David Shaw (The Revivalists), Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), and more, Lyrics Born occupies a space rarely seen in rap. No other non-NOLA rapper has dedicated a whole album working with all New Orleans funk musicians. “It might be the last true ‘music town’ in America, maybe in the world,” states Lyrics Born. “As an artist and a person, I identify with the culture, the sensibilities, the lifestyle, and the people. I wanted to do something really soulful, organic, earthy, and with an honest, unpretentious funk feel. That’s basically New Orleans.”

Lyrics Born balances his trademark mix of clever, good-time party ethos with a strong dose of funk with Real People as an honest body of work about the human race. Sharing personal experiences such as emigrating from Japan as a kid, fatherhood, and the direction society has turned in post-great-recession America, Lyrics Born also celebrates adulthood and the pains and joys of growing older. As he explains it, “I talk a lot of foolish shit and cuss my ass off and explore my darker side on certain songs. Hopefully we get a good cross-section of ourselves to explore on this album.” With the upcoming release of the album, Lyrics Born has arrived at a well-rounded sound that is classic and yet futuristic. He hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings, but he’s never been afraid to look to the future, either.

Read Rolling Stone’s announcement of the album here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cali-hip-hop-veteran-lyrics-born-details-real-people-lp-20150224

Pre-sale link: radi.al/LyricsBornRealPeople

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Lyrics Born.

Lyrics Born’s Background:

The first words of Lyrics Born‘s eighth album speak volumes about where the legendary MC stands these days: “Real people do real things. Yes we do.” The Bay Area resident born Tom Shimura has stood at the peak of high-minded underground rap, explored the far reaches of interstellar synth-hop, and blazed trails galore. The Tokyo-born, Berkeley-based artist has owned his career each step of the way, ever since a radio gig at UC Davis’ KDVS put him in the same room as Shadow, the mighty Blackalicious, and his Latyrx partner Lateef the Truthspeaker. As co-founder of the Solesides and Quannum Projects labels, LB was vital in pushing independent hip-hop music into the limelight, dropping a minted classic, The Album, with his duo in 1997. The Same !@#$ Different Day set followed in 2005, rounding up the likes of KRS-One, Dan the Automator, Cut Chemist, E-40, and Morcheeba for a series of radical remixes.

He expanded his palette again with 2008’s Everywhere at Once on historic punk label Epitaph Records. The instrument-heavy LP spawned a Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance with “I Like It, I Love It.” Now, Lyrics Born is proud to officially launch his very own Mobile Home Records with Real People. The new album’s strong focus is a compliment to the wild range of Latyrx’s 2013 return, The Second Album, which featured collaborations with folks from tUnE-yArDs, Decemberists, and Anticon, among others. As always, Lyrics Born remains committed to delivering the unexpected and outdoing himself with ease.

Links:

official site | facebook | twitter | youtube | instagram | soundcloud | myspace

LBVS6: https://soundcloud.com/lyricsborn/sets/the-lyrics-born-variety-show-season-6/s-cMeJU

Bio, pics, and more here: http://audibletreats.com/lyrics-born/

Video: Bobby Brackins ft. Zendaya & Jeremih – “My Jam”

Buzzfeed Premieres Sizzling New Video, Filmed in Puerto Rico

3.12.2015

Critical Praise for Bobby Brackins:

“Brackins has such a specific voice, which is obviously a great quality in a rapper—it’s pinched and rangy, a scratchy pop-art alto that counters the smooth edges around him.” – Jezebel

“We expect to hear much more greatness from Bobby in the future.” – Karen Civil

“…such an addictive bounce repeat listens happen without intention.” – The Smoking Section

“‘Hot Box’ is a steaming track that you’ll find yourself humming instantly.” – XXL

“Brackins sounds like a seasoned vet as he displays his charismatic delivery.” – Complex

“A sensuous, blunted bit of ratchet R&B.” – HotNewHipHop

The Video:

“It’s amaaaaaaazing,” said MTV, regarding the colorful, new video for rapper/songwriter Bobby Brackins’ “My Jam” featuring young starlet Zendaya and R&B singer Jeremih.  Buzzfeed, who premiered the video described the radio-ready single as “a great laid-back party anthem that sounds like how the best summer nights feel – airy, easy-going, and a little sexy,” while Stereogum added “‘My Jam’ follows in the long lineage of songs like ‘Happy’ that can be enjoyed with the same enthusiasm by anyone from 9 to 90.” Jezebel premiered the mp3 last week and Teen Vogue premiered an exclusive clip. Filmed under the red hot sun of Puerto Rico, the video shows the trio enjoying beautiful sights and each other’s company, springing us forward to hot summer nights with strong party vibes.

Holding a track record of penning #1 singles for everyone from Tinashe to Chris Brown and more, Bobby Brackins successfully delivered another banger with “My Jam.” “A song like ‘My Jam’ is going to transcend generations. It’s one of those universal records that has qualities people of all walks of life can enjoy,” Bobby tells Buzzfeed. “I wanted the video to feel real and organic, not staged or scripted and I feel we accomplished that.” Says Zendaya, “It’s always awesome working with Bobby. I’ve known him since I was 12 and he’s like a big brother to me. We have a great time in studio and we just make good music,” adding, “We’ve always had great chemistry. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more active in the process and I’m more involved in the writing and creating the melodies which is really great because Bobby’s always very open to collaboration.”

Last week Bobby was featured in a Forbes interview where he spoke about his career as a hit songwriter, expressing that he’s taking on the biz as a solo artist. This is setting up to be a big year for Bobby Brackins, as Noisey stated in a recent interview, he wrote two of the biggest songs of 2014 – winning his first BMI Award for songwriting credits on Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” and earning industry praises for writing Tinashe’s “2 On,” which Billboard named the #1 R&B Track of the Year. This comes in addition to Bobby Brackins’ own hit single, “Hot Box,” featuring G-Eazy and Mila J, which holds over 4M plays on SoundCloud and 1.5M on YouTube. With “My Jam” currently #1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart, the Grammy-nominated, Oakland-bred artist is ready to step into the spotlight as a writer, rapper, and solo act who’s carving the new California sound.

Watch “My Jam” ft. Zendaya & Jeremih (Directed by Damien Sandoval): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP9A4cs_xQU

Listen to “My Jam” (ft. Zendaya & Jeremih): https://soundcloud.com/bobbybrackins/my-jam-feat-zendaya-jeremih-prod-by-dem-jointz

Check out the Buzzfeed premiere: http://www.buzzfeed.com/kelleydunlap/premiere-bobby-brackins-vibes-with-zendaya-and-jeremih-in-my#.jn2mYvZR7b

Purchase “My Jam” on iTunes: http://Smarturl.it/thismyjam

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Bobby Brackins.

The Background:

Amidst a wave of self-made songwriters, artists and producers, Oakland, California’s Bobby Brackins is at the forefront. With over 25 million YouTube plays, and international radio spins, the established soloist who has written a litany of artists including Zendaya, Trey Songz, and Jeremih is finally coming into his own. Following high school, Bobby Brackins relocated to Los Angeles alongside his producer and close friend, Nic Nac. “I wanted to keep making music with Nic, and I knew that L.A. was more industry-based. That’s where the labels and well-connected managers were,” Bobby Brackins states. Taking advantage of the web early on to brand himself the artist has had a slew of success working with countless artists which led to Bobby Brackins penning and co-producing a #1 record for Chris Brown in “Loyal,” as well as helping Tinashe find the traction necessary to earn a major label album release date with her lead single, “2 On.” The credit is there, is as the chart and viral reaction, assuring the world that Bobby Brackins has his pen, production, and pulse on the people.

Links:

twitter | facebook | youtube

“My Jam” (ft. Zendaya & Jeremih): https://soundcloud.com/bobbybrackins/my-jam-feat-zendaya-jeremih-prod-by-dem-jointz // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP9A4cs_xQU

“Hot Box” (Remix featuring IAMSU! & Too $hort): https://soundcloud.com/bobbybrackins/hot-box-feat-iamsu-too-short-mila-j/

“Hot Box” (Sinden Remix): https://soundcloud.com/bobbybrackins/hot-box-sinden-remix/

“Hot Box” (DJ Mustard Remix): https://soundcloud.com/dj-mustard-1/hot-box-remix-bobby-brackins-feat-mila-j-choice-terrance-martin

“Hot Box” (feat. G-Eazy & Mila J) Video: http://www.vevo.com/watch/bobby-brackins/hot-box/USA2P1467790

“Hot Box” (feat. G-Eazy & Mila J) Lyric Video: http://youtu.be/4X-bOWDGQLI

“Hot Box” (feat. G-Eazy & Mila J): https://soundcloud.com/bobbybrackins/bobby-brackins-hot-box-ft-g-eazy-mila-j/

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/bobby-brackins/

Video: Sudie – “Heartattack”

The 23-Year-Old Dallas Singer/Songwriter/Producer Bares All In the Breathtaking Visual for Her Latest Single, Premiered By Jezebel

 3.11.2015

Critical Praise for Sudie:

“If the work under her belt is any indicator, a staggering talent like Sudie’s could very well be mentioned one day in the same breath as some of North Texas’ most notable women in music.” – Dallas Observer News

“‘Heart Attack’ is the first taste of the 22-year-old’s sound that combines pop sensibilities with classical training and a dash of experimental DIYism.” – Indie Shuffle“

“Sudie is as every bit as talented as has been reported. She has a crowd-pleasing ability to carry a note to improbably soaring heights.” – D Magazine

“Her style fuses the ache of Jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday with the same eccentricity reminiscent of European artists Björk and Karin Dreijer Andersson.” – Saint Heron

“Sudie has been on my radar for some time now, and from the looks of things she’s garnering compliments from others as well with each drop.” – Artistic Manifesto

The Video:

23-year-old Dallas singer/songwriter/producer Sudie lets more than just her guard down in her video for “Heartattack. “As she disrobes, the song submerges itself in its own echos, near-a cappella but for a twinkle of piano that would be extraneous if it weren’t so ginger,” stated Jezebel in their premiere post. “The loss of innocence in the video is mostly about the loss of the innocence of the mind,” Sudie explains. “I didn’t want this to only be about in terms of sexuality, but more as a human being and what comes with growing up out of childhood into adulthood. For me, it was more about how the carefree and insouciant ideology and mental state of a child completely changes as you grow up and take on responsibilities.”

“Heartattack” is a song Sudie wrote after a panic attack, learning soon after that her grandfather had coincidentally passed from a heart attack the night before. The breathtaking song and video follows Sudie’s previous single, “Bruise,” which debuted with Indie Shuffle last month. “Sudie certainly channels her inner Björk on this one while still adding her own flavor to the self-produced single,” said Okayplayer of the track.

Sudie is looking to forge new lanes in music with her versatile style, utilizing her wide background in music that ranges from opera and voice training and her teenage experiences in Dubai. Spotlighted in a Dallas Observer cover story last year, she is preparing to release her self-titled debut EP on April 7th via Black Milk‘s Computer Ugly label. “This EP is an intense look into my mind and what goes on in my brain dealing with certain specific situations in my life,” says Sudie. “It is extremely personal and intimate—it’s my way of communication.”

Watch “Heartattack”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3hopVKcM4g

Check out the Jezebel premiere: http://themuse.jezebel.com/submerge-yourself-in-sudies-new-video-for-heartattack-1690522354

Listen to “Heartattack”: https://soundcloud.com/sudiemusic/heartattack

Pre-order Sudie’s self-titled EP: https://sudiemusic.bandcamp.com/album/sudie-ep

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Sudie.

Sudie Background:

Merging classical training with a unique DIY recording process, Sudie is an artist who’s truly forging her own territory. The 22-year-old singer, songwriter and musician, describes her sound as “something jazzy meets kind of crazy… if Bjork had arranged something for Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday to sing over.” It’s a sound she’s crafted all by herself, utilizing a pair of keyboards, a cheap microphone and a MacBook inside the confines of her tiny bathroom in Dallas, Texas, that’s taken her to Dubai and back. The result of that unusual process is a distinctive but accessible musical style, which fuses confessional, personal lyrics with influences from across the musical spectrum. Sudie will release her debut self-titled EP in April 2015 via Black Milk’s Computer Ugly record label.

Links:

facebook | twitter | instagram | soundcloud

“Heartattack”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3hopVKcM4g / https://soundcloud.com/sudiemusic/heartattack

“Bruise”: https://soundcloud.com/sudiemusic/bruise-produced-by-sudie/

“Asiasaurus”: https://soundcloud.com/sudiemusic/asiasaurus

“Affection” (feat. Sudie):  https://soundcloud.com/doandroidsdance/niko-javan-ft-sudie-affection

“Spill”: https://soundcloud.com/sudiemusic/spill

Dallas Observer Cover Story: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2014/06/sudie_dream_believer_cover_story.php

MP3: Wasiu – “Gros Lysick (Freestyle)”

Premiered by HYPETRAK, the 24-Year-Old Montreal Rapper Pays Homage To Notorious B.I.G., Freestyling Over a Familiar Isley Brothers Sample

03.10.2015

The Song:

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Wasiu.

Wasiu Background:

For Wasiu, being a pariah has always been a constant. A child of divorce from a Nigerian Muslim father and Haitian Protestant-Christian mother, he was torn between worlds, seen by both communities as impure, and a “mixed breed”—not entirely Haitian, not quite Nigerian. Even though he’s Québecois (a Québec native), his immigrant parents tainted his claim to the province. Raised by his mother after his father moved to Toronto, he felt obliged to fit in with her side of the family. Resentments towards his father’s beliefs and culture led him to drop his father-given middle name—Wasiu—so that he wouldn’t be teased in his predominantly white school, where he battled black stereotypes by pushing his intellect past expectations.

”I wanted to fit in and didn’t want to feel like a stereotype, so I’d force myself to excel but make it seem like it was no sweat,” he says, “In a sense, I was assimilating myself to white Christian standards, and dropped my middle name to evade humiliation. That same name now is the one I use to represent myself, and it empowers my blackness due to its African origins.”

Overcoming adversity and using those lessons as lyrical fuel is Wasiu’s strongest suit. He is preparing his debut album which funnels his life experiences into a culturally defining opus that balances both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives on human themes. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad,” he says, “and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | soundcloud

“Gros Lysick”: https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/gros-lysick-freestyle

“Blkkkout”: https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/blkkkout

“Stereo Type”:https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/stereo-type-produced-by-nezrio/

“Physical”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cj_6Ed6fjY / https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/physical-kaytranada/

Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wasiu

MP3: Led by Dead Kennedys Singer, Lighouts Cover Joy Division’s “Interzone”

Gowanus-Based Band Announce Maxi-Single For March 10th Release, Share Cover of Joy Division Demo, Premiered by Diffuser

03.09.2015

Critical Praise for Lightouts:

Named one of SPIN’s 2012 CMJ “Next Big Things” & 2013 SXSW “Hottest Acts”

“Lightouts …are enthusiastic singles makers, which suits the snappy, punk-fortified jangle-pop that they specialize in.” – Esquire

“…one of the better white guys-with-guitars songs I’ve heard in a while.” – Death and Taxes

“Melding Sonic Youth’s mangled guitars and monotonic vocal sensibilities with a taut and measured rhythm section, these Brooklynites manage to tap into an ever-expanding history of blown-out guitar rock and laconic vocals without feeling like a rehashing of rock’n’roll’s recent past.” – Colin Joyce, SPIN

10/10 star review: “The great thing about Want is how different it sounds from everything and not in a reactionary sort of way… They aren’t trying to sound original or better than the rest of the bands coming out of Brooklyn, they just are. Essentially Want is the kind of album that rock music was invented for.” – Tim Baker, SYFFAL

“Lightouts have the presence and experience to be something HUGE.” – LX-GOODS

The News:

“Lighouts are everything I like about bands,” said KEXP‘s John Richards during an interview/studio performance session with the Brooklyn-based indie/fuzz rockers a few months back. The Lightouts’ former vocalist Greg Nelson is no longer with the band, as he was replaced by Skip Greer early last year. In addition to working with the Lighouts, Skip was the founder East Bay pop punk band the Wynona Ryders and is also currently the singer for agit-punk legends the Dead Kennedys.

Lightouts are gearing up for a new maxi-single release on March 10th, which is their first release in more than a year. The first track to be shared from the forthcoming maxi-single is a cover song of post-punk’s most definitive band, Joy Division. Premiered by Diffuser, Lighouts’ cover of Joy Division’s “Interzone” is based on the RCA demo version of the song that showed up on a box-set that the band put out a few years back, which the band’s lead guitarist Gavin Rhodes comments on, saying the rare RCA demo is “more raw than the studio version, it sounds like there’s a feral beast howling on the moors of some desolate land.”

Listen to the “Interzone” cover single: https://soundcloud.com/lightouts/interzone-joy-division-cover

Pre-order the maxi-single on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/more-than-ever-single/id963427929

Please contact Michelle if interested in talking with Lightouts.

Lightouts Background:

Gavin Rhodes isn’t one to flit from one musical style to the next; Bowie the Chameleon he is not. And as enthusiastic as he is about new sounds and collaboration, the Lightouts founder/songwriter/guitarist has a clear idea of how he wants his band to sound from one release to the next — even with a new singer onboard. And even if that new singer, Skip McSkipster, also sings for the Dead Kennedys.

Lightouts’ first release with Skip points strongly toward the band’s future. The A-side, “More Than Ever,” smolders along at a midtempo pace as it pays lyrical tribute to a few of the seedier elements of New York, the band’s hometown; the B-side “All We Had,” meanwhile, nails a newly wistful mood, going so far as to work a nocturnal chorus of crickets into the mix. Rhodes’ aim to continue Lightouts’ stylistic thread is realized via striking cover artwork by photographer Jason Knight (whose work also accompanied the Disappear / My My single), as well as through the inclusion of yet another masterfully curated cover, the driving Joy Division nugget “Interzone.”

Rhodes and Skip are understandably excited about making more music together, with plans already well afoot for a second Lightouts LP. Skip puts a fine point on how the pair works best: “I tend to offer more abstract ideas, but Gavin stays very focused and concentrates on exactly what a song needs. I think ‘More Than Ever’ is a good example of the sort of modern-rock progressiveness I hear us creating.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | itunes | soundcloud | bandcamp

“Interzone” (Joy Division cover): https://soundcloud.com/lightouts/interzone-joy-division-cover

“My My”: https://soundcloud.com/lightouts/my-my

“Disappear”: https://soundcloud.com/lightouts/disappear

“The Big Picture”: http://youtu.be/birxOVUgX1Y

“See Clear”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivt_XizkgXU

Want: http://soundcloud.com/lightouts/sets/want

“Want”: http://soundcloud.com/lightouts/want

Adrian Grenier’s WRECKROOM.tv Session for “Want”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2oxgOWu6g4

“Not Today”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgQMlBo3tTk

“The Big Picture”: http://media.audibletreats.com/Lightouts-The_Big_Picture.mp3

“Push” (The Cure Cover): http://media.audibletreats.com/Lightouts-Push_(The_Cure_Cover).mp3

“The Official Ironmen Rally Song” (Guided by Voices cover): http://media.audibletreats.com/Lightouts-The_Official_Ironmen_Rally_Song_(Guided_By_Voices_Cover).mp3 

“The Eloise Suite”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ld9_4VKhdM&feature

“Here It Comes” (Stone Roses Cover): http://media.audibletreats.com/Lightouts-Here_It_Comes_Stone_Roses_Cover.mp3

Bio, pictures, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/lightouts/

Mixtape: Maxo Kream – #MAXO187

The 23-Year-Old Houston Rapper Enlists Joey Bada$$, Father, Fredo Santana For Features On His Sophomore Mixtape, Premiered By Noisey

3.6.2015

Critical Praise:

“This new Maxo Kream project might be one of the best things 2015 currently has to offer.” – HYPETRAK

“Over the last couple years, Maxo Kream has established himself as one of Houston’s most exciting young rappers by way of being one of Houston’s least traditionally minded artists.” – Noisey

The Mixtape:

With more than a year between releases, 23-year-old rapper Maxo Kream is back with a gritty, captivating mixtape #MAXO187. “Maxo Kream has established himself as one of Houston’s most exciting young rappers by way of being one of Houston’s least traditionally minded artists,” states Noisey in their premiere of the project. “This tape is a perfect encapsulation of the sound of hip-hop’s rapid synthesis of styles in the Internet era and the way the genre’s new underground heroes are bridging aesthetic and regional gaps,” Noisey says, adding, “more importantly, it is also fucking cool.”

Maxo Kream’s #MAXO187 mixtape includes features from Joey Bada$$, Lamb$, The Sauce Twinz, Father, LE$, and Fredo Santana. “His storytelling has improved,” praises Complex, “with more thoughtful and varied songs that are drawn from his rough past as a gang member.” For a local Crip with a history of home burglary and drug-peddling dating back grade school, Maxo Kream takes a lighthearted approach to making music.

Dating back to 2014, Maxo has  been teasing  the #MAXO187 release with videos for singles “Clientele,” “End Zone,” and “Trigga Maxo,” as well as last week’s drop of the audio single “Cell Boomin.” Having set the bar high with 2013’s QuiccStrikes mixtape, which Complex named one of the year’s best releases to come out of Houston, Maxo Kream is already catching fire with this sophomore project, #MAXO187, as he’s sure to be making noise in his home state during SXSW in Austin later this month.

Mixtape: A-1 – Thurlian

The Bay Area Rapper Remixes Tracks From Genre-Bending Producers For His Raw, Energetic, Conscious Mixtape

3.5.2015

Critical Praise For A-1:

“A-1′s style has a similar kind of funny, free-for-all feel as post-Mac Dre rappers like [Roach] Gigz, but has a sly rap style that is distinctly his own.” – The FADER

“Easily one of the illest emcees I’ve heard over the last few years.” – OkayPlayer

“…something that sounds so vital and absolutely hyphy that it pretty much had to come from the Bay.” –Noisey

The Album:

After a series of weekly single and video releases, charismatic San Francisco rapper A-1‘s #ThurlianThursday campaign has reached its pinnacle with the unveiling of his Thurlian mixtape. The project finds the MC remixing beats by genre-bending producers Sango, Mr. Carmack, Ryan Hemsworth, Stwo, and BEAR//FACE, while working original cuts by Mikos Da Gawd and Woostar. A-1 merges emotionally charged rap lyrics with raw testimony, ranging from party-ready anthems to message-driven deep cuts. His prolific rhymes have gained attention from outlets such as The FADER, Noisey, FACT Mag, Okayplayer, GoodMusicAllDay, HYPETRAK, Mass Appeal, and more. In their premiere post of A-1’s hyphy single “There I Go,” Noisey raved that the track is “something that sounds so vital and absolutely hyphy that it pretty much had to come from the Bay.”

“Thurlian is a compilation of songs I’ve been recording over the past two years that all symbolize different aspects of what it means to be ‘Thurl,’ which is to Think (for oneself), Hustle (for one another), Understand (each other), and Really Live (one’s life to the fullest),” A-1 explains. “This project was inspired by my experiences while traveling, seeing different parts of the world and realizing that human suffering is a constant struggle everywhere. As someone with a voice and a following, I feel I have the power to influence those who are willing to listen, and therefore I think I’m somewhat obligated to use that voice for good.”

“I wanted to make an album with a message of love and unity, that would make people think critically about the state of the world, but not in a way that would make them feel depressed or guilty, but rather hopeful and willing to contribute to the change. I hope that people walk away from this project feeling fulfilled, confident and optimistic,” A-1 adds. “My idea is that if one day, modern human beings can finally figure out a way to live peacefully amongst each other, develop clean sustainable method for gathering energy and food, and can live in perfect harmony with Mother Earth, we will have entered a new stage in human evolution.”

Listen to Thurlian: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/sets/thurlian

Check out A-1’s newly launched website: http://www.a-1music.com/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with A-1.

A-1 Background:

Born Adam Traore, a first generation US citizen to West African and Italian parents, A-1‘s music is constructed around vivid stories of growing up in The City while searching for happiness and self awareness. After the release of After School Special, a mixtape based on 90s television shows, he gained a fan base through internet buzz while still living on his friend’s couch.  Soon after, he released his follow-up The Book Of Adam which was received so well, he quit his day job the day after the listening party.  With 2012’s The Thurl Tape, A-1 has been acknowledged by publications such as the FADER and Complex.  Equipped with a heart filled with passion, an insatiable desire for creativity, discerning eyes and ears for quality, and a plan to spread his music to as many people as possible, A-1 is poised to be the first name in music lover’s iPods in the very near future. A-1’s Thurlian mixtape released March 5, 2015.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | tumblr

Thurlian: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/sets/thurlian

“Sunday Love”:https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/sundaylove/

“Good People”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNf8e034Dtg / https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/good-people-w-b-e-a-r-f-a-ce

Thurlian promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEtoZvLR4Oc

“There I Go”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/there-i-go-original-music-by-mr-carmack/

“Doing the Most / Carry the Ghost”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS6zCFdK18

“Parasail”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/a-1-parasail-prod-louis-futon

“Summertime Sadness”:http://youtu.be/4hdqYMkpIj8

“Retinas”: http://youtu.be/V2s5jOsf5mw

“Summertime Sadness” Remix: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/summertime-sadness-prod-ryan

“The Ritual”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2UfwopCI0

Bio, photos, and additional info: http://www.audibletreats.com/a-1

EP: Souls of Mischief’s Opio x Free the Robots – The Subconscious Mind

The Hieroglyphics MC Teams Up With the L.A. Beat Scene Pioneer For A Future Retro EP, Debuted by Red Bull

3.3.2015

Critical Praise for Opio x Free the Robots:

“Free the Robots…taps a dark, psychedelic vein while boasting highly technical hip-hop production prowess.” – SPIN

“Opio’s strengths are found in his flow and wordplay. His cadence is married to each rhythm.” – Okayplayer

“Opio’s ability to utilize intricate wordplay and vivid imagery as a means of putting him ahead of the pack.” – HipHopDX

“Somewhere between the neck-snapping, gritty hip-hop of the FatBeats era, the fuzzy, distorted psychedelia of the 60s & 70s, cool jazz, and the woozy beats scene of the last decade lies the music of Free the Robots.” – Okayfuture

The EP:

Legendary Souls of Mischief hip-hop artist and Santa Ana beatmaker/DJ formed a duo that is undeniably West Coast, Opio x Free the Robots. They’ve released their four-track debut EP, The Subconscious Mind, via RedBull.com, where Free the Robots’ futuristic, melodic beats are complemented by Opio’s classic laid-back, retro lyricism. The release has been gaining momentum from their singles “Blow Sum Smoke” and “Let the Bass Go,” which received praise from Impose Magazine, EARMILK, Okayplayer, and more. “What’s most impressive though is [Free the Robots’] ability to straddle a span of decades within barely four minutes. Dotted by weezing synths and echoey accents, he still manages to demonstrate his deep roots in classic 90s G-funk production, as his beats slink and slide beneath Opio’s signature drawl-funk flow,” Impose Magazine stated in their post of “Blow Sum Smoke.”

The duo, who officially met at FTR’s restaurant in Santa Ana, was a musical force waiting to happen. “Working with Opio brings me back to my musical roots and pushes me to venture to creative places I had either forgotten or have never been to,” Free the Robots tells RedBull.com “A good part of this collaboration with Opio is partly nostalgia, but more so the fact that as one of the legends in hip-hop, he has moved forward as a new artist with new ideas and an open mind for things that I bring to the table.”

Opio, who with his Souls of Mischief crew was recently on Red Bull Academy Live‘s live takeover of San Francisco, adds, “Both FTR and I have strong principles that are rooted in the origins of our respective genres, and bringing those two things together created something amazing.” With The Subconscious Mind, Opio and Free the Robots are exploring new lanes in music, bridging their strengths into a collaboration full of smooth rhymes, futuristic sounds, and good vibes.

Listen to The Subconscious Mind EP: https://soundcloud.com/opiohierosom/sets/the-subconscious-mind/s-Vee8I

Check out the RedBull.com premiere: http://www.redbull.com/us/en/music/stories/1331708349942/opio-and-free-the-robots-subconscious-mind-ep

Buy The Subconscious Mind EP on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-subconscious-mind-ep/id965939542?ls=1

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Album: MAHD – 13

Detroit Rapper MAHD Shares Self-Reflecting Journey on 13 Concept Album, Debut via HotNewHipHop

3.3.2015

Critical Praise for MAHD:

“…equipped with a rapid fire flow and a sharp delivery.” – DJBooth

“The up-and-coming Motor City MC makes a city known for it’s blight beam bright.” – The Smoking Section 

“Like the city he hails from, MAHD’s work represents stark contrasts: grit and beauty, aggression and vulnerability.” – NYLON Magazine

The Album:

Check out the HotNewHipHop premiere: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/mahd-13-new-mixtape.115740.html

Order 13 on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/13/id962862105

MAHD Background:

Hailing from Detroit, the city’s newest artist MAHD is gaining momentum after releasing his first EP, MAHD ALMIGHTY. Previously, he released numerous songs and videos including “Lotus,” a cover of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Otis.” MAHD recently released videos for “HWPO,”“Foundation,” and “Red Lipstick,” from the MAHD ALMIGHTY EP. “Red Lipstick” has garnered positive attention from major music websites and online radio shows. MAHD has been featured on VIBE, 2dopeboyz, Kevin Nottingham, and other music publications. MAHD’s musical background stem from his talented family where he has learned the inner workings of the industry.

After writing and making songs the last several years for other musicians and himself, MAHD broke out with his single “Pretty Ladies.” The song dropped online to great reviews and the official video is featured on World Star Hip Hop. MAHD created another statement, releasing“Detroit’s Savior” in August 2013. In 2014, MAHD earned his first featured on SiriusXM’s Shade 45 radio station with the song “Godfather Favors.” MAHD is valued as a versatile artist, as witnessed by the release of MAHD ALMIGHTY and his latest music videos. MAHD often performs with his band, Fresh Londre, which includes two bass players, a saxophonist, keyboard player, and drummer. Be on the look out for MAHD’s debut album in the first quarter of 2015.

Links:

official site | facebook | youtube | twitter | instagram | soundcloud

13: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/sets/13a

“Can’t Believe/Road Trip”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/cant-believeroad-trip-prod-original-foreign-mister-crowe

“Spaz City”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/spaz-city-prod-yolagang/s-UmCZL

“Rap Better”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/rap-better-prod-original-foreign/

“Out”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/out

“Raptizm”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/raptizm-prod-jeff-gore/s-n6W6m

“Raw Shit”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/raw-sh-t

Bio, photos, and more music from MAHD: http://www.audibletreats.com/mahd/

MP3: Wasiu – “Blkkkout” (Prod. HESK & Paveun)

Premiered by Okayplayer, the 24-Year-Old Montreal Rapper Fights the Power On “Blkkkout,” Which Released in Honor of Black History Month

03.02.2015

The Song:

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Wasiu.

Wasiu Background:

For Wasiu, being a pariah has always been a constant. A child of divorce from a Nigerian Muslim father and Haitian Protestant-Christian mother, he was torn between worlds, seen by both communities as impure, and a “mixed breed”—not entirely Haitian, not quite Nigerian. Even though he’s Québecois (a Québec native), his immigrant parents tainted his claim to the province. Raised by his mother after his father moved to Toronto, he felt obliged to fit in with her side of the family. Resentments towards his father’s beliefs and culture led him to drop his father-given middle name—Wasiu—so that he wouldn’t be teased in his predominantly white school, where he battled black stereotypes by pushing his intellect past expectations.

”I wanted to fit in and didn’t want to feel like a stereotype, so I’d force myself to excel but make it seem like it was no sweat,” he says, “In a sense, I was assimilating myself to white Christian standards, and dropped my middle name to evade humiliation. That same name now is the one I use to represent myself, and it empowers my blackness due to its African origins.”

Overcoming adversity and using those lessons as lyrical fuel is Wasiu’s strongest suit. He is preparing his debut album which funnels his life experiences into a culturally defining opus that balances both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives on human themes. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad,” he says, “and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | soundcloud

“Blkkkout”: https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/blkkkout

“Stereo Type”:https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/stereo-type-produced-by-nezrio/

“Physical”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cj_6Ed6fjY / https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/physical-kaytranada/

Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wasiu

MP3: Ikey (ft. SaveMoney’s Kami de Chukwu)  – “Lord” (Prod. by Marc Andre)

Any Means Necessary and SaveMoney Team Up For a Soulful Cut Off Ikey’s Forthcoming Green Card EP

03.02.2015

Critical Praise for Ikey:

“His delivery is cool and calm with a bite… Ikey takes this shit to the next level.” – Pigeons & Planes

“…continuing to impress hip-hop fans all over the globe with his melodic and confident flow.” – Okayplayer

The Song:

Maryland by way of Nigeria by way of Harlem rapper Ikey brings the soul back on his new single “Lord,” featuring SaveMoney‘s Kami de Chukwu. “Ikey stays soulful as he stunts,” explained Okayplayer in their premiere, “dropping high-syllable-traffic verses that show thanks for fine things like crisp clothes, sunshine and a beautiful woman.” Both Ikey and Kami de Chukwu flex over a jubilant sample that sounds like something Kanye West could have produced circa-2004.

“When I heard the vocal samples on the song, it reminded me of going to church on Sunday to give thanks when I was growing up,” explains Ikey of the production by Marc Andre. “This song just gives me grand and heavenly vibes, but it’s stuntastic too.” Using a double time flow that matches the chaotic energy of the angelic chirps and spastic drums, “Lord” is Ikey at his most regal and energetic.

Whether speaking about the atrocities happening in his home of Nigeria or rapping about the complexities of chasing your dreams against your families’ wishes, Ikey provides a unique perspective steeped in his upbringing. The influences of his time growing up in Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria can be found in the his complex rhyme patterns and penchant for melody throughout his songs. “Lord” is the fourth single from Ikey’s forthcoming Green Card EP, following the Complex-premiered “Olodo,” Pigeons & Planes-debuted “Timbuktu,” and “When We Were Kings,” which dropped via DJBooth.

Listen to “Lord” (ft. Kami de Chukwu): https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/lord-feat-kami-de-chukwu/

Check out the Okayplayer premiere: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/ikey-lord-okp-track-premiere.html

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Ikey.

Ikey Background:

For Ikey, it’s all about the story. Born in New York, with roots in both Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria, Ike Obioha connected with music at an early age. The diverse palette of his father’s music collection painted a musical canvas that pays homage to everything from Elton John and Journey to the Neville Brothers and Igbo Nigerian highlife singer Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe.

Ikey’s unique, 1.5 generation immigrant experience influenced both the subject matter and creation of his music. Despite pressure to embark upon a more scholarly career, Ikey would ultimately find himself opening for the likes of Big Sean and have his music covered in the Washington City Paper. He balances his penchant for music representing all aspects of the human experience over tracks representative of hip-hop’s golden era while maintaining his unique Nigerian-American identity. “I’m just a young kid straight out of Lagos,” Ikey says. “When I see people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being sampled on Beyonce records, it makes me feel people want that true African story. I just feel there are a lot of Nigerian-Americans trying to tell that story, and I’m trying to tell it the right way.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube

“Lord” (ft. Kami de Chukwu): https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/lord-feat-kami-de-chukwu/

“When We Were Kings”: https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/when-we-were-kings/

“Timbuktu”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TScKTDWl8g

“Olodo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEBszOh9hb0

Bio, photos, and more info on Ikey: http://audibletreats.com/ikey

Video: Montana of 300 – “Trap Queen” (Remix) (ft. Jalyn Sanders)

The Chicago Artist That Passion of the Weiss Calls the “Best New Rapper” Shares His Latest Visual, Remixing Fetty Wap’s Hit

02.27.2015

The Remix: 

Chicago rapper Montana of 300 takes Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” and makes it his own banger, crushing the track with his witty rhymes. “We’ve heard quite a few rappers try their hand at Fetty Wap’s buzzing single, ‘Trap Queen,’ but few have recreated the hook as faithfully as Montana Of 300,” said HotNewHipHop of the remix, which features singer Jalyn Sanders.The “Trap Queen” remix has Montana of 300 flexing his ceaseless energy as he effortlessly raps about sticking with the real ones, getting hype with his crew, and his life as an MC, rapping “I got bars like a prison” and “[I] invested in myself just like vending machines I’m stacking chips.” The versatile rapper has been building a strong following with a series of remix videos (“Try Me,” “Coco“) and a recent mixtape release, Cursed With A Blessing.

“Montana of 300 is the best new rapper,” stated Passion of the Weiss in a new feature spotlighting the artist. Often referred to as “Rap God,” Montana of 300 got his start back in 2008 when he and his crew named themselves after the movie 300, adopting the movie’s underlying motif “No surrender, no retreat” as his own anthem. His latest project, Cursed with A Blessing, shows his range of lyricism and creativity. The FADER referred to his single “Ice Cream Truck” as “a hittas anthem that’s at once sweetly melodic and a true banger.” Having gained over 35+ million YouTube views, Montana of 300 has proven time after time that he can deliver and that he’s more than just another Chicago rapper.

Watch “Trap Queen” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4V2qocqoSc

Read the Passion of the Weiss feature: http://www.passionweiss.com/2015/02/26/montana-of-300-chicago-ice-cream-man/

Listen to Montana of 300’s Cursed With A Blessing: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/31065/montana-of-300-cursed-with-a-blessing.html

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Montana of 300.

Montana of 300 Background: 

Montana of 300 is an independent rapper from the South side of Chicago. Wearing a bandana underneath his rope like/twisted dreads and covered in tattoos, Montana’s YouTube presence has blown up, with his remixes of Dej Loaf’s “Try Me” racking in almost 8 million views and “Chiraq” clocking 7 million views, to name a few.  Often referred to as “Rap God,” Montana of 300 got his start back in 2008 when he named himself after the movie 300, adopting the movie’s underlying motif “No surrender, no retreat” as his own anthem. Known for his back-to-back flurries of mind-blowing metaphors, unforgettable quotes, inspirational stories of struggle and his aggression, Montana’s music is spreading fast, keeping the people talking and running to tell the next. Being versatile and dropping hits like “Holy Ghost,” “Ice Cream Truck,” and “All I Ever Wanted,” he shows us that he’s way more than just another Chicago rapper. He never fails to crush all the competition and his fans go nuts every time. Montana of 300 has been turning down record deals, saying he’s comfortable with how he’s doing while planning on staying independent.

Links:

twitter | facebook | soundcloud

“Trap Queen” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4V2qocqoSc

“Planet of the Apes”: http://vevo.ly/LYgSw7

“Coco” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g1xGqHPCpQ

“Ice Cream Truck”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEC2avceTxY

“Try Me” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPPTC7HePQ

“Holy Ghost”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OfiCyBHvBI

Cursed With A Blessing: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/31065/montana-of-300-cursed-with-a-blessing.html

MP3: Maxo Kream ft. Father – “Cell Boomin” (Prod. by Wxlf Gxd)

With His #MAXO187 Mixtape Releasing Next Week, the Houston, TX Rapper Enlists Awful Records Artist Father For An Ode To the Trap and Instagram, Premiered By Complex

02.26.2015

The Song:

Inspired by the trap and Instagram, gold-grilled Houston rapper Maxo Kream releases an ode to hustling-by-phone with “Cell Boomin,” featuring Mr. “Flip Phone Nokia” Father. The Wxlf Gxd-produced trap rap anthem premiered via Complex, and it’s the latest single from Maxo Kream’s #MAXO187 mixtape, which releases March 5th and includes features from artists Joey Bada$$, the Sauce Twinz, and Fredo Santana.

“Cell Boomin” is an aggressive track, yet it drives with its minimal, cell phone-sampling production. “The ups of trappin’ on the phone is that people don’t knock on your door,” Maxo Kream explains, adding “the downs is that they blow your phone up when you’re out.” Maxo tells Complex in their premiere post that he met the featured Awful Records rapper at Fools Gold Day Off in Miami, and he chose to get him on the track because “he knows about phones and Instagram bitches.” Following video singles “Clientele,” “End Zone,” and “Trigga Maxo,” “Cell Boomin” supports Maxo’s unmistakable persona, giving audiences a glimpse before the release of his highly anticipated project, #MAXO187.

Maxo Kream’s previous release, QuiccStrikes, was named by Complex as one of 2013’s Best Houston Rap Mixtapes. Additionally, Noisey interviewed the rapper about his “beautiful, terrifying, and amazing” video for “Lewinsky,” and he received praise from Cocaine Blunts who named his “Whitney Houston” single one of 2013’s best raps. With more than a year between releases, Maxo Kream’s long-awaited #MAXO187 mixtape is releases March 5th.

Remix: ProbCause & Manic Focus Remix Exmag ft. Gibbz – “Tilt Mode”

The Chicago Rapper and Electronic-Soul Producer Flip a Funky Remix, Premiered By ThisSongIsSick

02.26.2015

Critical Praise for ProbCause:

“ProbCause nimbly rides fusion-friendly hip-hop tracks; there’s the DJ Screwed-up dubstep buzzer ‘Ego Trip’ and the ecstatic rap-rock track ‘Neon Dreams.'” – SPIN

“He’s a great rapper who you can imagine killing it at open mics, cyphers and old-school styled club nights.” –  PotholesInMyBlog

“You’ll find WAVES incorporates several different genres within it’s overall hip-hop vibe– electronic, rock, and blues are some of the other elements tapped…” – HotNewHipHop

“The rising rapper […] has continued to dominate his own lane… Prob will have you locked in.” – XXL

“…just one conversation with ProbCause is enough to make you realize that he’s deeper than even his most serious lyrics suggest.” – Chicagoist.com

“The lanky MC’s vocal gymnastics have an elastic flow… he raps like a fan in the crowd hollering at the DJ to pump up the volume.” – Chicago Reader

“It’s diverse, veering from slower flows erring in the sub-genre of jazz-rap to hard-hitting, hard-spitting electro-rap. It’s a perfect summer project…” – HillyDilly

“In Chicago and beyond, ProbCause is one to watch. His skills, creativity and persona are refreshing and unlike much else. There is a spin on everything that sounds and feels distinctly his. In both the rap game and the art world he is changing the rules.” – FakeShoreDrive.com

The Remix:

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with ProbCause.

ProbCause Background:

ProbCause is a prolific rapper and a painter too. Between performing at SXSW, North Coast, Costa Rica, and tour dates nation-wide, ProbCause is keeping busy and inspiring fellow students at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. His sound, which jumps from hip-hop, to electronic, to RnB, and then back to a classic boom-bap gritty rap, helped get him signed to high-profile booking agency Paradigm. With stories that make you reminisce and a percussive delivery that highlights his versatile production skills, ProbCause is at the head of the pack of promising new Chicago artists.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | soundcloud | bandcamp

“Tilt Mode” – Exmag ft. Gibbz (Manic Focus and ProbCause Remix): https://soundcloud.com/manicfocus/exmag-feat-gibbs-tilt-mode-manic-focus-and-probcause-remix

ZRO FOX EP: https://soundcloud.com/bonafyderecords/sets/zro-fox

“Might Not” ft. Sasha Go Hard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05jiqtBg1jY

“Might Not” ft. Sasha Go Hard: https://soundcloud.com/bonafyderecords/might-not-ft-sasha-go-hard

WAVES EP: https://soundcloud.com/probcause/sets/waves

“Chicago Style”: http://youtu.be/-msZxXK6xXg

“Chicago Style”: https://soundcloud.com/probcause/chicago-style

“LSD” (Hood Internet Remix): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/lsd-ft-chance-the-rapper-hood-internet-remix

“LSD” (feat. Chance the Rapper): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfwGplBrAKc

“Flex”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwjG7ZRTcNQ

“LSD” (feat. Chance the Rapper): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/lsd

“Three Course Meal” (feat. Action Bronson and Chance the Rapper): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/probcause-three-course-meal

Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/probcause/

Podcast: Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 171

New Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 171 Features Bobby Brackins, A-1, Opio x Free the Robots, Iamsu!, and Wasiu

02.25.2015

The Podcast:

We’re kicking off Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 171 with “My Jam” by Bobby Brackins, which features February Teen Vogue cover girl Zendaya and R&B singer Jeremih. The track is yet another hit from Brackins, who penned Tinashe’s “2On” and Chris Brown’s “Loyal.” With increasing recognition as a solo artist, Bobby is ready to step into the spotlight in 2015. Following “My Jam” is prolific San Francisco rapper A-1’s single “There I Go,” which features production from Mr. Carmack. The track received rave from Noisey, who premiered the track saying “A-1 takes an absolute monster of a Mr. Carmack instrumental and cowties it into something that sounds so vital and absolutely hyphy that it pretty much had to come from the Bay.” Continuing the podcast with more West Coast vibes is “Let the Bass Go” from a new duo featuring legendary Hiero rapper Opio and Los Angeles beatmaker Free the Robots. The pair experiments with psychadelic, progressive sounds on their forthcoming EP, The Subconscious Mind, which releases March 3. We follow the heavy tune with “Nothin Less” from Iamsu!, one of the main architects responsible for the “New Bay” sound that’s dominating airwaves. Iamsu! premiered his new EP, Eyes On Me, this week via Billboard. “The song is about progression…The lyrics describe my aspirations as a artist and a man. I want to give kids bigger aspire to. I things to talk about owning companies and employing people, I want to be a boss and an artist like Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, or Master P.” Next, we’re ushering in Montreal rapper Wasiu with his single “Physical.” The track is an oscillating production guided by whistles and softly-stricken piano keys. The visual for “Physical,” which premiered via Noisey, shows Wasiu rocking over $40,000 worth of outfits, including pieces by Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Margiela, and Bape, along with a Louis Vuitton duffle bag while he lays down the truth to his side chick—she’s just a number. This concludes Podcast 171; we hope you enjoy this collection of slappers while planning your next trip to the West Coast. Stay tuned for more.

Listen to Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 171: https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-171

Links:

Subscribe to the Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast/id111088410?mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 170 – Zion I, MAHD, Ikey, Rey Resurreccion, and ZRO FOX:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-170/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-170

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 169 – (Best Hip-Hop of 2014):
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast/id111088410?mt=2#
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/sets/audible-treats-the-best-of-hip

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 168 – C-Money, Marc E. Bassy, Jahzel, Chris Miles, and Lyrics Born:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-168/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-168

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 167 – Lyrics Born, Jahzel, Devin Miles, Wara From The NBHD, and C-Money:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-167/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-167

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 166 – C-Money, Devin Miles, Kilz, Black Milk, and THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-166/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-166

Video: Jahzel – “The Vision”

Premiered by Chicago’s RedEye, the Windy City Rapper Follows the Release of His Album, The Wake Up, With a Captivating Visual

02.25.2015

Critical Praise for Jahzel:

“Jahzel’s first impression is a solid one.” –  The Smoking Section

“This is music with few hang-ups…perfect for a summer hip-hop playlist.” – PrefixMag

“Jahzel’s future brightens with every new release… we’re excited to hear more.” – HotNewHipHop

The Video:

MP3: Tommy Brown ft. Travi$ Scott & Eric Bellinger – “Trippin’ On Me” (Prod. by Tommy Brown)

Multi-Platinum Producer For Ariana Grande, T.I., Meek Mill Stays Behind the Boards, Also Steps To Mic On New Single, Premiere via The FADER

02.25.2015

The Song:

Multi-platinum producer Tommy Brown remains behind the boards, also steps to the mic on his contagious debut single, “Trippin’ On Me,” which features Travi$ Scott and Eric Bellinger, and was premiered by The FADER. Earlier this month, Tommy Brown was spotlighted in the Pittsburgh City Paper for his work on Grammy-nominated albums by Ariana Grande and Chris Brown.

“Trippin’ On Me” shows the trio’s take on girls, honesty, and trust, though anyone can chime along to the catchy hook. Along with producing the track, Tommy Brown raps the opening verse and harmonizes on the song’s chorus, getting listeners to think about complications around trust issues in relationships. Brown previously worked with Travi$ Scott on GOOD Music’s “Sin City,” a song that they co-produced, and was a primary contributor to the production on Eric Bellinger’s early work. “Being around them both early in their career and knowing they were both artists starting from ground zero, focused on what they were doing, but coming from opposite worlds, I thought it would be cool to bring those two together and work on an idea that would mess people up,” Tommy Brown tells The FADER.

In addition to working with the aforementioned Ariana Grande and Chris Brown (“Drunk Texting”), Tommy Brown has produced records for T.I. (“New National Anthem,” “Stay”), 2 Chainz (“36”), Meek Mill (“When You’re Around), B.o.B. (“Lean On Me”), and Black Eyed Peas (“Just Can’t Get Enough”), Tommy Brown is ready to take on a new branch in his musical career while still staking his claim as one of today’s top producers and most influential tastemakers. “Some people are so creative they don’t even know how to get it down,” Tommy Brown explains. “I’m somebody that an artist could bring their ideas to and we’ll take it to the limits, to a place you never thought it could go.”

Listen to the “Trippin’ On Me” ft. Travi$ Scott & Eric Bellinger: https://soundcloud.com/tbhits/trippin-on-me-feat-travis-scott-and-eric-bellinger/

Check out The FADER premiere: http://www.thefader.com/2015/02/24/tommy-brown-ft-travis-scott-and-eric-bellinger-trippin-on-me-premiere

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Tommy Brown.

Tommy Brown Background:

Tommy Brown wants to rewrite the music industry rulebook. The super producer, who has supplied marquee artists like Ariana Grande, T.I. and Chris Brown with boundary-shifting tracks, spent the past few years surveying the scene and witnessed how difficult it can be for up-and-comers to connect with more notable writers and producers. His solution: create the Facebook of the music community, where newer musicians can pay various price points and access exclusive instrumentals and get their music heard by a wider audience. In 2012, he signed with BMI, which in turn led to an independent production deal with Sony ATV. Since then, he’s become one of the hottest producers across genres, helming T.I.’s “New National Anthem,” G.O.O.D. Music’s “Sin City,” and four songs on Grande’s chart-topping sophomore album My Everything.

Links:

twitter | instagram | soundcloud

“Trippin’ On Me” ft. Travi$ Scott & Eric Bellinger: https://soundcloud.com/tbhits/trippin-on-me-feat-travis-scott-and-eric-bellinger/

For bio, pics, and more: http://www.audibletreats.com/tommy-brown/

Mixtape: Iamsu! – Eyes On Me + Tour

Iamsu! Drops His Most Mature Effort to Date With His Latest Mixtape, Premiered by Billboard 

02.24.2015

Critical Praise for Iamsu!:

Best New Artist – SPIN

“Iamsu! is gifted with melody and also emotion” – The New York Times

“…[Iamsu! is] not just an underground rap star, but an artist with emotional range” – Rolling Stone

“[Iamsu!] is making some of the catchiest and most pleasant music in all of rap right now.” – Stereogum

“Iamsu!’s confident and fluid rhymes shine.” – Complex

“[Iamsu!] asserts himself as a hip-hop tour de force with fluid, confident rhymes.” – The FADER

“…a standout in the Bay’s young, emerging pool of talent.” – HipHopDX

“[Iamsu!] is very easy to like, and…he flashes an intensity to match.” – Pitchfork

“It truly seems that Iamsu! is incapable of making a bad song.” – VICE

“[Iamsu! is] the biggest star to come from The Bay since E-40 and Too $hort.” – The Source Magazine

The EP: 

Iamsu! hit the ground running in 2015. After a huge but turbulent year in 2014, Iamsu! is an artist reinvigorated. “I’m at a very exciting time in my career. A challenging time, I’ve had some amazing high moments and some moments that made me want to give it all up, but it’s a test of my drive and I’m ready to takeover,” says Iamsu!. On his new mixtape Eyes On Me, which debuted via Billboard, Iamsu! is a man possessed. His newest effort proves his rhymes tighter, concepts more developed, and overall musicianship refined.

On Eyes On Me, Iamsu! revels in his newfound artistic clarity. When asked about the album Iamsu! says, “I’m creatively free on this project experimenting with different styles different flows expanding as far as production. I think its an exciting ride.” Eyes On Me is darker, more mellow, and more urgent than any release we’ve seen from him. Songs like “They Say” and “Cartier” sound like they could have been made just as easily on Mars than in the Bay. Iamsu! has evolved into an artist that is bigger than the new Bay sound he ushered into the public consciousness a few years ago.

In The Fader‘s premiere of “Nothing Less” produced by DJ Mustard, Iamsu! explained, “The song is about progression. It sounds like being on the 90th floor in a high-rise building as you’re about to step into a meeting…I want to give kids bigger things to aspire to. I talk about owning companies and employing people, I want to be a boss and an artist like Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, or Master P.” The song is an aspirational anthem for one of the Bay’s most inventive characters and current architects. Iamsu! continues the mixtape’s progression with “Hella Good” featuring Tyga and premiered via Stereogum. On “Hella Good” Iamsu! takes the producer reins and crafts a grimy and sinister banger. The hook is hypnotic and sees both Iamsu! and Tyga creating a song that is infectious enough to be the breakout anthem of the spring.

In March, Iamsu! begins the Eyes On Me tour, tickets and dates here.

Stream Eyes On Me: https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/sets/eyesonme

Read the Billboard premiere: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6480341/iamsu-eyes-on-me-listen

Tour dates here: http://www.hbkiamsu.com/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Iamsu!.

Iamsu! Background:

HBK Gang Background:

If you haven’t yet heard of the HBK Gang, it’s time to get acquainted. Producer and rapper Iamsu! is considered one more of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful young independent artists in rap with his hits with E-40 (“Function”), Wiz Khalifa (“Bout Me”), 2 Chainz  (“Livin'”), LoveRance (“Up”), and more. Producer P-Lo (of The Invasion) has the driving force behind the West Coast’s current, radio-dominating sound; he’s produced singles for Yo Gotti (“Act Right”), Wiz Khalifa (“‘Bout Me”), and more; Sage The Gemini has been equally prolific, with the above-mentioned single, “Gas Pedal” and now “Red Nose,” which was certified gold and is charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The rest of the crew includes members Skip, Rossi, CJ, Jay Ant, and Kool John, who were all featured on the recently released crew mixtape, Gang Forever. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | bandcamp | soundcloud | last.fm
Eyes On Me: https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/sets/eyesonme
“Hella Good”: https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/iamsu-hella-good-feat-tyga-prod-by-iamsu
“T.W.D.Y”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFI-M8kB-IQ
“T.W.D.Y. Behind the Scenes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJEk6-tOhV0
“Stop Signs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VI1FyM0Snk
“Love My Squad”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGl0rS-ZcV4
“Only That Real”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-only-that-real-feat-2/
“Never Goin’ Broke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGPMjyp-nI
“Quit Cattin'”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAFXo5JYVok
“Hipster Girls”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8emZMYkkwk
“Go Crazy” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KP9yxahwKA
Gang Forever: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/23289/hbk-gang-gang-forever.html
“Go Crazy”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/go-crazy-iamsu-skip-p-lo-feat
“STU Freestyle”: http://youtu.be/3In8mkFo6Ug
KILT 2 Deluxe Edition: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kilt-ii-deluxe-edition/id667633453
“The Realest” Ft. Problem: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/the-realest-feat-problem
“Father God”: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/iamsu-honors-his-faith-in-father-god-premiere-20130702
“Rep That Gang” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohxFESLrT4A
KILT 2 Mixtape: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/22185/iamsu-kilt-2.html
“Rep That Gang”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-rep-that-gang-from-kilt
“100 Grand” Video: http://www.trillhd.com/video/3242/iamsu-feat-juvenile-problem-kool-john-100-grand-remix
“Goin Up” Ft. Wiz Khalifa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
“Losin” Ft. CJ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiaNsDc4mNQ
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnWhrjt0iE
330 Ritch Recap Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKWjTNnzEfs
“On My Mind”: http://noisey.vice.com/music-video-premieres/iamsu-on-my-mind-official-video
$uzy 6 $peed: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/19377/iamsu-uzy-6-peed.html
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin’” MP3: http://www.soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/mobbin
Stoopid Mixtape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
KILT Deluxe Edition Mixtape: http://klp.virb.com/kilt-iamsu-karmaloop-music-deluxe-editio
“Over”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNgN4jxIAo
“2 Milli”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRd-p_dkjY
KILT Mixtape: http://t.opsp.in/1D4C2
“Cancelled Plans”: http://tinyurl.com/cancelledplans
“HBKJoe Beat” Ft. P-Lo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRIpDcxOjY
The Miseducation of Iamsu!: http://t.opsp.in/17cAC

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/iamsu/

MP3: MAHD – “Can’t Believe/Road Trip”

In Preparation of His Next Week’s 13 Album Release, the Motor City Rapper Turns a Ballad to a Banger On His Latest Single, Debut via PotholesInMyBlog

2.24.2015

Critical Praise for MAHD:

“…equipped with a rapid fire flow and a sharp delivery.” – DJBooth

“The up-and-coming Motor City MC makes a city known for it’s blight beam bright.” – The Smoking Section 

“Like the city he hails from, MAHD’s work represents stark contrasts: grit and beauty, aggression and vulnerability.” – NYLON Magazine

The Song:

Check out the PotholesInMyBlog premiere: http://potholesinmyblog.com/potholes-premiere-detroit-rapper-mahds-impressive-single-cant-believeroad-trip/

Pre-order MAHD’s album, 13, on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/13/id962862105

MAHD Background:

Hailing from Detroit, the city’s newest artist MAHD is gaining momentum after releasing his first EP, MAHD ALMIGHTY. Previously, he released numerous songs and videos including “Lotus,” a cover of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Otis.” MAHD recently released videos for “HWPO,”“Foundation,” and “Red Lipstick,” from the MAHD ALMIGHTY EP. “Red Lipstick” has garnered positive attention from major music websites and online radio shows. MAHD has been featured on VIBE, 2dopeboyz, Kevin Nottingham, and other music publications. MAHD’s musical background stem from his talented family where he has learned the inner workings of the industry.

After writing and making songs the last several years for other musicians and himself, MAHD broke out with his single “Pretty Ladies.” The song dropped online to great reviews and the official video is featured on World Star Hip Hop. MAHD created another statement, releasing“Detroit’s Savior” in August 2013. In 2014, MAHD earned his first featured on SiriusXM’s Shade 45 radio station with the song “Godfather Favors.” MAHD is valued as a versatile artist, as witnessed by the release of MAHD ALMIGHTY and his latest music videos. MAHD often performs with his band, Fresh Londre, which includes two bass players, a saxophonist, keyboard player, and drummer. Be on the look out for MAHD’s debut album in the first quarter of 2015.

Links:

official site | facebook | youtube | twitter | instagram | soundcloud

“Can’t Believe/Road Trip”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/cant-believeroad-trip-prod-original-foreign-mister-crowe

“Spaz City”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/spaz-city-prod-yolagang/s-UmCZL

“Rap Better”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/rap-better-prod-original-foreign/

“Out”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/out

“Raptizm”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/raptizm-prod-jeff-gore/s-n6W6m

“Raw Shit”: https://soundcloud.com/iammahd/raw-sh-t

Bio, photos, and more music from MAHD: http://www.audibletreats.com/mahd/

MP3: Wasiu – “Stereo Type” (Prod. Nez & Rio)

Montreal’s Newest Rookie Gets Reflective On His New Single, Premiered by Earmilk

02.23.2015

The Song:

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Wasiu.

Wasiu Background:

For Wasiu, being a pariah has always been a constant. A child of divorce from a Nigerian Muslim father and Haitian Protestant-Christian mother, he was torn between worlds, seen by both communities as impure, and a “mixed breed”—not entirely Haitian, not quite Nigerian. Even though he’s Québecois (a Québec native), his immigrant parents tainted his claim to the province. Raised by his mother after his father moved to Toronto, he felt obliged to fit in with her side of the family. Resentments towards his father’s beliefs and culture led him to drop his father-given middle name—Wasiu—so that he wouldn’t be teased in his predominantly white school, where he battled black stereotypes by pushing his intellect past expectations.

”I wanted to fit in and didn’t want to feel like a stereotype, so I’d force myself to excel but make it seem like it was no sweat,” he says, “In a sense, I was assimilating myself to white Christian standards, and dropped my middle name to evade humiliation. That same name now is the one I use to represent myself, and it empowers my blackness due to its African origins.”

Overcoming adversity and using those lessons as lyrical fuel is Wasiu’s strongest suit. He is preparing his debut album which funnels his life experiences into a culturally defining opus that balances both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives on human themes. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad,” he says, “and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | soundcloud

“Stereo Type”:https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/stereo-type-produced-by-nezrio/

“Physical”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cj_6Ed6fjY / https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/physical-kaytranada/

Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wasiu

News: Black Milk Announces “Play Like Hell” Tour

Producer/Rapper Set to Tour U.S. This Spring and Summer With His Live Band, Nat Turner 

 02.23.2015

Critical Praise for Black Milk:

“Black Milk’s solo career represents a constant cycle of adopting and mastering new production styles and then abandoning them before they become crutches.” – Pitchfork

“His samples are elegant, his rhythms challenging and his drum kits tight.” – NPR

“Cross has no need for these extras; in his world of soul-tugging productions and machinegun-as-velvet delivery they are merely distractions. On this realization, and in the moment, it was hard not be floored by the obvious: this is what talent with genuine poise really looks and sounds like.” – Dallas Observer

“Striking an impressive balance between being rehearsed and spontaneous, he proved his chops as a multitalented artist once again.” – Okayplayer

“It feels like Christmas every time Black Milk blesses us with a new record.” – FreeOnSmash

The Tour:

Critically acclaimed rapper and producer Black Milk will be touring the U.S. this spring and summer on his Play Like Hell Tour. The tour, which features live band Nat Turner (keyboardist/vocalist Aaron “Ab” Abernathy, bassist Malik Hunter and drummer Z Horton), stops in multiple U.S. cities with more dates to be announced. Select shows will include performances by Mos Def, Fashawn and Lyrics Born.

With more than a decade of industry experience and a rich catalog of recordings, Black Milk has transitioned from one of hip-hop’s young rising stars to a veteran with a uniquely well-rounded pedigree. His most recent works include collaborations with Bun B, Danny Brown, Black Thought, Robert Glasper, Adrian Younge, Pete Rock, BadBadNotGood, and Blu. He released his fifth and latest solo album, If There’s A Hell Below in October 2014 via his own record label Computer Ugly. “I’m never one to say which album of mine is the best, that’s for the fans to decide,” says Black Milk, “but at this point I feel like I’m making the best music of my career on a creative level and on a technical level. I think you’ll hear that in this new album.” Black will perform songs from If There’s a Hell Below and previous albums.

Black Milk “Play Like Hell Tour” with live band Nat Turner

Tickets: blackmilk.biz/tours

3/19 Dallas at Three Links
3/20 Austin at SXSW
3/22 New Orleans at Gasa Gasa
3/23 Atlanta at The Basement
3/24 Charlotte at Snug Harbor
3/25 Asheville at Asheville Music Hall
3/26 Little Rock at Stickyz
3/28 Boise at Knitting Factory (Treefort Music Fest)
3/30 Denver at Cervantes’ Other Side*
4/01 Phoenix at Monarch Theatre
4/03 Las Vegas at Beauty Bar
4/04 Fresno at Catacomb Party
4/09 Albuquerque at El Rey Theater**
4/10 Los Angeles at Los Globos
4/11 San Francisco at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
4/12 Sacramento at Harlow’s
4/14 Salt Lake City at Urban Lounge
4/16 Portland at Alhambra Theatre (Soul’d Out Music Festival)***
4/18 Detroit at Hello Records
6/16 Washington, DC at Rock & Roll Hotel
6/17 Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s
6/18 New York at The Studio at Webster Hall
6/19 Boston at Church of Boston
6/20 Detroit at TBA
6/21 Chicago at TBA
6/22 Minneapolis at 7th St Entry
6/24 Missoula at The Real Lounge
6/25 Calgary at TBA
6/27 Vancouver at Fortune Sound Club
6/28 Seattle at TBA

* with Fashawn
** with Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def
*** with Lyrics Born
^ Black Milk Solo Beat Set

Stream and purchase digital and physical versions of If There’s A Hell Below: https://blackmilk.bandcamp.com/album/if-theres-a-hell-below

Purchase the album on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/if-theres-a-hell-below/id917026740

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Black Milk.

Black Milk Background:

As one of the most celebrated producers and rappers of his generation of hip-hop artists, Black Milk has conditioned fans and critics to expect the unexpected with each release. Few producers have earned the notoriety and respect he has as a musician, and when that is coupled with commanding talent as an emcee, it’s no surprise that his solo releases are met with exalted anticipation. His new full-length album, If There’s A Hell Below, continues Black’s trend of releasing material that maintains his signature sound while pushing it into new territory.

With more than a decade of industry experience and a rich catalog of recordings, Black Milk has transitioned from one of hip-hop’s young rising stars to a veteran with a uniquely well-rounded pedigree. After scoring his first production credit for Slum Village as a teenager in 2002, he eventually worked closely with the group and co-produced much of their two following albums. His self-released, full-length project Sound of the City (2005) led to his first record deal, and he began to gain international attention for the soul-sample driven style on his proper solo debut Popular Demand (2007). With five solo rap albums (Popular Demand, Tronic, Album of the Year, No Poison No Paradise and Glitches In The Break), an instrumental album (Synth or Soul), numerous collaboration albums (Caltroit with Bishop Lamont, The Set Up with Fat Ray, Black and Brown with Danny Brown, Random Axe with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson and Burning Stones with Mel), and 2 singles with Jack White behind him, Black Milk remains one of hip-hop’s most consistent artists.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud | bandcamp

“What It’s Worth”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL5G-Kal7FQ
If There’s A Hell Below: https://blackmilk.bandcamp.com/album/if-theres-a-hell-below
“Scum” ft. Random Axe: https://soundcloud.com/blackmilkofficial/scum-ft-random-axe
“Gold Piece” ft. Bun B: https://soundcloud.com/blackmilkofficial/gold-piece-ft-bun-b/
“Detroit’s New Dance Show”: https://soundcloud.com/blackmilkofficial/detroits-new-dance-show
“What It’s Worth”: https://soundcloud.com/blackmilkofficial/what-its-worth
No Poison No Paradise stream: http://blackmilk.bandcamp.com/
Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/black-milk

MP3: Iamsu! (Feat. Tyga) – “Hella Good” 

Iamsu! and Tyga Are Feeling Hella Good On their New Single, Premiered by Stereogum 

02.20.2015

Critical Praise for Iamsu!:

Best New Artist – SPIN

“Iamsu! is gifted with melody and also emotion” – The New York Times

“…[Iamsu! is] not just an underground rap star, but an artist with emotional range” – Rolling Stone

“[Iamsu!] is making some of the catchiest and most pleasant music in all of rap right now.” – Stereogum

“Iamsu!’s confident and fluid rhymes shine.” – Complex

“[Iamsu!] asserts himself as a hip-hop tour de force with fluid, confident rhymes.” – The FADER

“…a standout in the Bay’s young, emerging pool of talent.” – HipHopDX

“[Iamsu!] is very easy to like, and…he flashes an intensity to match.” – Pitchfork

“It truly seems that Iamsu! is incapable of making a bad song.” – VICE

“[Iamsu! is] the biggest star to come from The Bay since E-40 and Too $hort.” – The Source Magazine

MP3: 

Iamsu! takes it to the dungeon on his new song, “Hella Good” featuring Tyga, premiered by Stereogum. The second single from Iamsu!’s new mixtape, Eyes On Me, sees the rapper/producer flexing his knack for hypnotic melodies over trunk-rattling bass. When Iamsu! gets behind the boards it’s undoubtedly a problem and “Hella Good” is the HBK General taking his bay influenced sound to its grimy and sinister extreme.

Over a sparse and luscious beat, Iamsu! spits a hypnotic hook about feeling “Hella Good” in the face of his many detractors. When talking about his new song he says, “I wanted to make something that sounds like the parties we [would] go to when we were young. They’re called functions. I wanted it to sound like something that could be played out of a cell phone on the bart train.” However, “Hella Good” is more than just another song at the function. It represents Iamsu! taking his sonic palette to the next level.

The lurching beat feels cavernous when juxtaposed against Iamsu!’s increased confidence and vocal delivery on the mic. When describing where he is at in his career Iamsu! says, “A challenging time, I’ve had some amazing high moments and some moments that made me want to give it all up. But its a test of my drive and I’m ready to takeover.” The added brashness is in full effect as Iamsu! brings the listener to his new dark and apocalyptic soundscape. Even when Tyga shows up the California rapper takes his vocal cues from the track’s leading man. “Hella Good” will definitely be a standout on Iamsu!’s Eyes On Me mixtape, which releases February 24, and upcoming tour of the same name.

Stream “Hella Good”: https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/iamsu-hella-good-feat-tyga-prod-by-iamsu

Read the Stereogum premiere: http://www.stereogum.com/1740091/iamsu-hella-good-feat-tyga-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/

Tour dates here: http://www.hbkiamsu.com/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Iamsu!.

Iamsu! Background:

HBK Gang Background:

If you haven’t yet heard of the HBK Gang, it’s time to get acquainted. Producer and rapper Iamsu! is considered one more of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful young independent artists in rap with his hits with E-40 (“Function”), Wiz Khalifa (“Bout Me”), 2 Chainz  (“Livin'”), LoveRance (“Up”), and more. Producer P-Lo (of The Invasion) has the driving force behind the West Coast’s current, radio-dominating sound; he’s produced singles for Yo Gotti (“Act Right”), Wiz Khalifa (“‘Bout Me”), and more; Sage The Gemini has been equally prolific, with the above-mentioned single, “Gas Pedal” and now “Red Nose,” which was certified gold and is charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The rest of the crew includes members Skip, Rossi, CJ, Jay Ant, and Kool John, who were all featured on the recently released crew mixtape, Gang Forever. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | bandcamp | soundcloud | last.fm
“Hella Good”: https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/iamsu-hella-good-feat-tyga-prod-by-iamsu
“Nothin’ Less” (Prod. by DJ Mustard): https://soundcloud.com/iamsu-4/nothin-less-prod-by-dj-mustard
“T.W.D.Y”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFI-M8kB-IQ
“T.W.D.Y. Behind the Scenes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJEk6-tOhV0
“Stop Signs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VI1FyM0Snk
“Love My Squad”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGl0rS-ZcV4
“Only That Real”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-only-that-real-feat-2/
“Never Goin’ Broke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGPMjyp-nI
“Quit Cattin'”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAFXo5JYVok
“Hipster Girls”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8emZMYkkwk
“Go Crazy” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KP9yxahwKA
Gang Forever: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/23289/hbk-gang-gang-forever.html
“Go Crazy”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/go-crazy-iamsu-skip-p-lo-feat
“STU Freestyle”: http://youtu.be/3In8mkFo6Ug
KILT 2 Deluxe Edition: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kilt-ii-deluxe-edition/id667633453
“The Realest” Ft. Problem: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/the-realest-feat-problem
“Father God”: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/iamsu-honors-his-faith-in-father-god-premiere-20130702
“Rep That Gang” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohxFESLrT4A
KILT 2 Mixtape: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/22185/iamsu-kilt-2.html
“Rep That Gang”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-rep-that-gang-from-kilt
“100 Grand” Video: http://www.trillhd.com/video/3242/iamsu-feat-juvenile-problem-kool-john-100-grand-remix
“Goin Up” Ft. Wiz Khalifa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
“Losin” Ft. CJ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiaNsDc4mNQ
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnWhrjt0iE
330 Ritch Recap Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKWjTNnzEfs
“On My Mind”: http://noisey.vice.com/music-video-premieres/iamsu-on-my-mind-official-video
$uzy 6 $peed: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/19377/iamsu-uzy-6-peed.html
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin’” MP3: http://www.soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/mobbin
Stoopid Mixtape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
KILT Deluxe Edition Mixtape: http://klp.virb.com/kilt-iamsu-karmaloop-music-deluxe-editio
“Over”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNgN4jxIAo
“2 Milli”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRd-p_dkjY
KILT Mixtape: http://t.opsp.in/1D4C2
“Cancelled Plans”: http://tinyurl.com/cancelledplans
“HBKJoe Beat” Ft. P-Lo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRIpDcxOjY
The Miseducation of Iamsu!: http://t.opsp.in/17cAC

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/iamsu/

MP3: A-1 – “Sunday Love”

Premiered By Mass Appeal, the Bay Area Rapper Celebrates the Weekend On the Latest Single From His Forthcoming Thurlian Album

02.20.2015

Critical Praise For A-1:

“A-1′s style has a similar kind of funny, free-for-all feel as post-Mac Dre rappers like [Roach] Gigz, but has a sly rap style that is distinctly his own.” – The FADER

“Easily one of the illest emcees I’ve heard over the last few years.” – OkayPlayer

“…something that sounds so vital and absolutely hyphy that it pretty much had to come from the Bay.” –Noisey

The Song:

Bay Area rapper A-1‘s anticipated forthcoming album, Thurlian, is releasing on March 5, and he’s been flexing his lyrical muscle in a weekly series of single releases as part of his #ThurlianThursdays campaign. Premiered by Mass Appeal, this week A-1 shares “Sunday Love,” which features fellow Bay Area artist Cole singing on the chorus and flips a sample of Cherrelle‘s soul/funk stepper “Saturday Love.” “Before me and my sister started taking the bus to school, my mom used to play KFRC, the oldies station, every single morning in the car on the way to drop us off at elementary,” explains A-1.  “I grew up hearing that song ‘Saturday Love’ and I always loved that record.”

“Sunday Love” is the 2015 version of Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” mixed with Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” and a little flavor from the bay. Within his first few bars A-1 makes it known that his newest song, “Ain’t a modern day trap banger, this the life of a modern day rap singer.” “Sunday Love,” is a humor-filled look into the hip-hop minutiae that encircles one of California’s rising MC’s. Amid bars about drugs and alcohol are relatable quips about staying home and catching up on episodes of Breaking Bad while eating enchiladas.

With “Sunday Love,” A-1 delivers a 9-to-5 anthem for everyone grinding for that first hint of Friday night freedom. “I wrote this track in honor of all the weekend warriors out there,” says A-1, adding that he’s referring to “the people who work their asses off during the week just for a tiny break in monotony when the weekend comes.” On the forthcoming Thurlian album, A-1 blends a mix of original production and his own remixes of beats by genre-bending producers like Mikos Da Gawd, Woostar, Mr. Carmack, Sango, XXYYXX, Ryan Hemsworth, Stwo and BEAR//Face, delivering something new and creative to the world of hip-hop.

Listen to “Sunday Love”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/sundaylove/

Check out the Mass Appeal premiere: http://massappeal.com/premiere-a-1-sunday-love-prod-by-kaytranada/

Watch the Thurlian promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEtoZvLR4Oc

Check out A-1’s newly launched website: http://www.a-1music.com/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with A-1.

A-1 Background:

Born Adam Traore, a first generation US citizen to West African and Italian parents, A-1‘s music is constructed around vivid stories of growing up in The City while searching for happiness and self awareness. After the release of After School Special, a mixtape based on 90s television shows, he gained a fan base through internet buzz while still living on his friend’s couch.  Soon after, he released his follow-up The Book Of Adam which was received so well, he quit his day job the day after the listening party.  With 2012’s The Thurl Tape, A-1 has been acknowledged by publications such as the FADER and Complex.  Equipped with a heart filled with passion, an insatiable desire for creativity, discerning eyes and ears for quality, and a plan to spread his music to as many people as possible, A-1 is poised to be the first name in music lover’s iPods in the very near future. A-1’s Thurlian album will release March 5, 2015.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | tumblr

“Sunday Love”:https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/sundaylove/

“Good People”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNf8e034Dtg / https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/good-people-w-b-e-a-r-f-a-ce

Thurlian promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEtoZvLR4Oc

“There I Go”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/there-i-go-original-music-by-mr-carmack/

“Doing the Most / Carry the Ghost”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJS6zCFdK18

“Parasail”: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/a-1-parasail-prod-louis-futon

“Summertime Sadness”:http://youtu.be/4hdqYMkpIj8

“Retinas”: http://youtu.be/V2s5jOsf5mw

“Summertime Sadness” Remix: https://soundcloud.com/adamraps/summertime-sadness-prod-ryan

“The Ritual”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2UfwopCI0

Bio, photos, and additional info: http://www.audibletreats.com/a-1

Video: Montana of 300 – “Planet of the Apes” (ft. Talley of 300)

The Gritty Chicago Rappers Enter a Forest Reserve Outside of the City for An Extended Version of the Single From Montana of 300’s Cursed With A Blessing Mixtape

02.20.2015

Video: 

“Horrorcore is alive and well in Chicago,” said Complex, who included Montana of 300‘s “Ice Cream Truck” in their Bout To Blow feature, which highlights songs that they project viewers will be hearing everywhere soon. The gritty Windy City rapper returned this week with “Planet of the Apes,” an extended video version of a single from his Cursed With A Blessing mixtape that released in December. Joined by Talley of 300, the rappers sport camouflage hunting gear in a visual that was filmed at a forest reserve in Maywood, IL, right outside of Chicago. “I started rapping with Talley, literally,” explains Montana of 300. “We both decided to write raps in class together during freshman year in high school. I’ve got money with bro, been broke with bro, and have been in life threatening situations with him.”

Adding on to the critical praise Montana of 300 has been receiving, The FADER referred to “Ice Cream Truck” “a hittas anthem that’s at once sweetly melodic and a true banger.” Upon releasing his Cursed With A Blessing mixtape, FakeShoreDrive added, “I can’t lie… I was excited for the to drop.” Also known for his remixes of popular songs, Montana of 300’s “Try Me” remix has surpassed 7 million YouTube views and his “Coco” remix video is over 2 million views.

Watch “Planet of the Apes” (ft. Talley of 300): http://vevo.ly/LYgSw7

Listen to Montana of 300’s Cursed With A Blessing: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/31065/montana-of-300-cursed-with-a-blessing.html

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Montana of 300.

Links:

twitter | facebook | soundcloud

“Planet of the Apes”: http://vevo.ly/LYgSw7

“Coco” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g1xGqHPCpQ

“Ice Cream Truck”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEC2avceTxY

“Try Me” (Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPPTC7HePQ

“Holy Ghost”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OfiCyBHvBI

Cursed With A Blessing: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/31065/montana-of-300-cursed-with-a-blessing.html

Video: Souls of Mischief’s Opio x Free the Robots – “Let the Bass Go”

The Hieroglyphics MC Teams Up With the L.A. Beat Scene Pioneer For A Forthcoming EP, Releasing March 3rd, First Visual Premiered by Okayplayer

2.20.2015

Critical Praise for Opio x Free the Robots:

“Free the Robots…taps a dark, psychedelic vein while boasting highly technical hip-hop production prowess.” – SPIN

“Opio’s strengths are found in his flow and wordplay. His cadence is married to each rhythm.” – Okayplayer

“Opio’s ability to utilize intricate wordplay and vivid imagery as a means of putting him ahead of the pack.” – HipHopDX

“Somewhere between the neck-snapping, gritty hip-hop of the FatBeats era, the fuzzy, distorted psychedelia of the 60s & 70s, cool jazz, and the woozy beats scene of the last decade lies the music of Free the Robots.” – Okayfuture

The Video:

Sit back, relax, and let your subconscious mind unravel. Hieroglyphics/Souls of Mischief rapper Opio and veteran L.A. beat scene producer Free the Robots have released the visual for their single, “Let the Bass Go,” via Okayplayer, who referred to the music as “akin to Dilla’s Kraftwerk phase,” adding that the video directed by Unjust delivers a “kaleidoscopic visual treament.” “Let the Bass Go” is the second single of their upcoming The Subconscious Mind EP, following “Blow Sum Smoke,” which premiered with IMPOSE Magazine, who stated “try as you might, you probably could not get more West Coast than Opio and Free the Robots’s new California coast-spanning collaboration.”

Featuring the EP’s artwork and a collage of obscure vintage cartoons and movie scenes, the video is a therapeutic treat for the eyes. “Let the Bass Go” features a rumbling bassline with a series of torpedoing synths as Opio contributes his confident, nasally flow, utilizing the production to explore his inner thoughts and his devotion to music through intricate rhymes. “My direction was very bass heavy, with slower hip-hop rhythms,” explains Free the Robots of “Let the Bass Go.” “I let my subconscious drive this song lyrically,” adds Opio, “I remembered the time I was first introduced to heavy bass, a time when all my big brothers had dope old schools with big systems.”

As one of the pioneering artists to come out of L.A.’s beat scene, Free the Robots continues to expand minds around the world with his lineup of original recordings and energetic live performances, with a knack for producing psychedelic, jazzy hip-hop soundscapes. Teaming up with Hiero rapper Opio, the duo is ready to release their new project, which pushes a forward-thinking, progressive sound. Opio and Free the Robots’ The Subconscious Mind EP releases March 3rd, and is available for pre-order on iTunes.

Watch “Let the Bass Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS2jeShrhmI

Listen to “Let the Bass Go”: https://soundcloud.com/opiohierosom/let-the-bass-go/

Check out the Okayplayer premiere: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/opio-free-the-robots-let-the-bass-go-video.html

Pre-order The Subconscious Mind EP on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-subconscious-mind-ep/id965939542?ls=1

News: Iamsu! Announces Another Collaboration with Pink Dolphin To Be Released on HBK Day, Feb 22nd

HBK Day To Include Clothing Capsule Release & EP Signing, Followed By a Secret Show

02.17.2015

Critical Praise for Iamsu!:

Best New Artist – SPIN

“Iamsu! is gifted with melody and also emotion” – The New York Times

“…[Iamsu! is] not just an underground rap star, but an artist with emotional range” – Rolling Stone

“[Iamsu!] is making some of the catchiest and most pleasant music in all of rap right now.” – Stereogum

“Iamsu!’s confident and fluid rhymes shine.” – Complex

“[Iamsu!] asserts himself as a hip-hop tour de force with fluid, confident rhymes.” – The FADER

“…a standout in the Bay’s young, emerging pool of talent.” – HipHopDX

“[Iamsu!] is very easy to like, and…he flashes an intensity to match.” – Pitchfork

“It truly seems that Iamsu! is incapable of making a bad song.” – VICE

“[Iamsu! is] the biggest star to come from The Bay since E-40 and Too $hort.” – The Source Magazine

News: 

Prepping for the release of his newest EP, Eyes On Me, rapper/producer Iamsu! is proud to announce the release of his HBK Gang‘s second capsule collection with Pink Dolphin on the second annual HBK Day, February 22nd, 2015.  With a meet-and-greet scheduled at the revered streetwear company Pink Dolphin flagship store in San Francisco, fans will get the chance to grab the new EP two days before its official release along with tickets for a secret show later that evening. Last year’s HBK Day saw over a couple thousand supporters come out in celebration of Iamsu!’s $uzy 6 $peed mixtape release as they rapped along with Iamsu!, Sage the Gemini, P-Lo, Skipper, Kool John, CJ, Rossi, and Jay Ant throughout the HBK Gang’s performance.

Consisting of t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and beanies, the new capsule features a flip of the HBK logo blended with elements of Pink Dolphin’s brand, giving the pieces a three-dimensional feel. “The collection reflects that we are multi-faceted,” Iamsu! explains. “We represent the youth. We care about setting an example for the next group of creative people in the Bay Area.” The capsule collection will be available exclusively at Pink Dolphin’s San Francisco flagship location (1431 Haight Street) on Sunday, February 22nd from 12-4pm.

Pink Dolphin pushes the message of positivity, which is one HBK Gang’s core focuses. “We give back to everyone who has been supporting both of our movements. We give out free music, throw a free concert, as well as make dope clothes,” Cena Barhaghi, Creative Director of Pink Dolphin, explains. “It’s a time for everyone to come together and just have a great time.”

Having been featured on publications such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The FADER following the release of his album Sincerely Yours, Iamsu!’s momentum isn’t stopping anytime soon. Last week he released his new single, “Nothin Less” (Prod. by DJ Mustard), via The FADER, who raved “[Iamsu!] sounds like Kanye; he’s out here engaging kids like J. Cole.” With the release of Eyes On Me and his upcoming tour, Iamsu! is ready to reach new heights in 2015. “It means a lot to have the support of the people after all these years,” says Iamsu!. “It lets me know we are moving in the right direction.”

Iamsu! x Pink Dolphin in-store event details: 

Sunday, February 22nd from 12-4pm
1431 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1449584465331581/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Iamsu!.

Iamsu! Background:

HBK Gang Background:

If you haven’t yet heard of the HBK Gang, it’s time to get acquainted. Producer and rapper Iamsu! is considered one more of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful young independent artists in rap with his hits with E-40 (“Function”), Wiz Khalifa (“Bout Me”), 2 Chainz  (“Livin'”), LoveRance (“Up”), and more. Producer P-Lo (of The Invasion) has the driving force behind the West Coast’s current, radio-dominating sound; he’s produced singles for Yo Gotti (“Act Right”), Wiz Khalifa (“‘Bout Me”), and more; Sage The Gemini has been equally prolific, with the above-mentioned single, “Gas Pedal” and now “Red Nose,” which was certified gold and is charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The rest of the crew includes members Skip, Rossi, CJ, Jay Ant, and Kool John, who were all featured on the recently released crew mixtape, Gang Forever. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | bandcamp | soundcloud | last.fm

“T.W.D.Y”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFI-M8kB-IQ
“T.W.D.Y. Behind the Scenes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJEk6-tOhV0
“Stop Signs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VI1FyM0Snk
“Love My Squad”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGl0rS-ZcV4
“Only That Real”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-only-that-real-feat-2/
“Never Goin’ Broke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGPMjyp-nI
“Quit Cattin'”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAFXo5JYVok
“Hipster Girls”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8emZMYkkwk
“Go Crazy” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KP9yxahwKA
Gang Forever: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/23289/hbk-gang-gang-forever.html
“Go Crazy”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/go-crazy-iamsu-skip-p-lo-feat
“STU Freestyle”: http://youtu.be/3In8mkFo6Ug
KILT 2 Deluxe Edition: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kilt-ii-deluxe-edition/id667633453
“The Realest” Ft. Problem: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/the-realest-feat-problem
“Father God”: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/iamsu-honors-his-faith-in-father-god-premiere-20130702
“Rep That Gang” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohxFESLrT4A
KILT 2 Mixtape: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/22185/iamsu-kilt-2.html
“Rep That Gang”: https://soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/iamsu-rep-that-gang-from-kilt
“100 Grand” Video: http://www.trillhd.com/video/3242/iamsu-feat-juvenile-problem-kool-john-100-grand-remix
“Goin Up” Ft. Wiz Khalifa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
“Losin” Ft. CJ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiaNsDc4mNQ
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnWhrjt0iE
330 Ritch Recap Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKWjTNnzEfs
“On My Mind”: http://noisey.vice.com/music-video-premieres/iamsu-on-my-mind-official-video
$uzy 6 $peed: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/19377/iamsu-uzy-6-peed.html
“Don’t Stop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_1Iy7ITC4
“Mobbin’” MP3: http://www.soundcloud.com/thehbkgang/mobbin
Stoopid Mixtape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds_z1jXIJw
KILT Deluxe Edition Mixtape: http://klp.virb.com/kilt-iamsu-karmaloop-music-deluxe-editio
“Over”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNgN4jxIAo
“2 Milli”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRd-p_dkjY
KILT Mixtape: http://t.opsp.in/1D4C2
“Cancelled Plans”: http://tinyurl.com/cancelledplans
“HBKJoe Beat” Ft. P-Lo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRIpDcxOjY
The Miseducation of Iamsu!: http://t.opsp.in/17cAC

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/iamsu/