To understand the emerging reign of NEILAWORLD, I simply had to dive right into it. I picked their latest release from their official Twitter account and opened myself up to whatever would come next. All I knew was that these guys were creating quiet a buzz across the country. They were too hard to ignore after a few more than a few of their tweets and collaborations continued to find their way to my screen. It was for the best that I went in with an open mind; within a few seconds, it was easy to understand why.
Their energy is carefree but methodical at the same time. Each song, along with its artist, are different. The releases appear to be well thought out and every addition to the group is a piece to a puzzle where you slowly start to see the final image as you go. The group’s latest EP Supernova, available on Soundcloud, hosts multiple interpretations of hip hop. From heavy bass to vocal layering and futuristic techno beats, artists Kevin Kazi and Lil Turbo are bricking together their own sound. They’re bound to catch you with at least one from a body of work. Most importantly, they offer their supporters variety.
With the new understanding of the groups intentions, I had to know who exactly who these guys are. According to their Twitter, they follow their roster, meaning their currently 42 members. I couldn’t possibly go through them and not write their entire biography. So, I started at the top of their feed and worked my way down.
The first artist I came across was hanzo. hanzo is a producer and a recording artist. His talents cross, but are limited to, rapping, writing, and producing. Overall, it’s evident that he’s a master of creating what the kids call a “mood”. Whether it’s with his own original songs or via a beat he produced layered under popular rappers uverses like Lil Uzi, Gunna, and Lil Pump just to name drop a few. He almost seems to know exactly what fans want to hear. His original song ‘Frozen’ is slow and melodic, paired with a calm and inviting beat to lock you in. It’s sharply different from the beat made for ‘Multi Millionaire’ by Lil Pump featuring Lil Uzi Vert, produced by hanzo and Danny Wolf. The two producers have worked together in the past. This song alone has gained over three million streams in less than two weeks.
NEILAWORLD doesn’t just add anyone to their group; their roster has top tier talent. The next artist I checked out was Belis, a female vocalist from North Carolina. One of her most popular singles, Sunset, is nearing a thousand likes and twenty thousands plays on Soundcloud in a little over two months. The song’s video on Youtube has also drawn in thousands of plays. A sunset is the perfect symbol for the energy of the song. It’s captivating and warm. The music coupled with Belis’ vocals pings that spot of the brain that tells you a good song is simply a good song.
It’s hard to tell who the “leader” of NEILAWORLD is. When you scroll through the group’s roster, no one claims themselves to be the owner, creator- or even the much heard title amongst bios throughout the internet- “CEO” of NEILAWORLD. Their official Twitter bio describes the group as a “collective of artists”, meaning no one holds a greater importance or say than the other. At least from what I could gather. The umbrella of NEILAWORLD features producers, vocalists, engineers, graphic designers, illustrators- you name it. The entire group is created of everything a starving artist would need to help build them up to their big break. It keeps all the necessary inner-workings in the family. Everyone gets taken care of, everyone gains.
It seems like you would have to work hard and be the best at whatever you do to be eligible. Each artist has their individual career and pursuits, but they come together when necessary and members make projects together regularly. A handful of producers have worked with rappers such as Lil Xelly, Chief Keef, and Yung Bans. The recording artists of the group bring in their own following and create EPs with the producers and engineers. Finally, the graphic designers whip up the perfect designs, videos, and cover arts to entice their listeners. It’s the modern day DIY record label.
NEILAWORLD is what the feature of music will look like for all genres. The internet has made a ton of things possible and self sufficiency is one of the biggest benefits. The idea that artists and friends can band together to make their dreams come true has never been more true. Technology turned a hundred miles to send a message into less than a second away. Tracks and files can be sent in minutes and a hit could be made literally overnight. Having all the tools and specialists to make that possible at the click of a few buttons is forcing the music industry into unpredictable territory. The minds within NEILAWORLD are on track to take advantage of this while the picking is still good. And it’s hard to blame them. With the load out I’ve witnessed, they’re bound to be the picture of big collectives in popular music very soon.
NEILAWORLD Socials
- Twitter: @neilaworld
- Instagram: @neilaworld
- Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/neilaworld/sets/new-releases-from-neila-world
