Basic by Trestil

Trestil is look for a girl that’s out of this world. His new single “Basic” assures that he’s on the search for better when it comes to his love life. “Basic” is a smooth R&B track, Trestil puts his vocals on display and delivers a stellar performance. The track is fairly short, allowing listeners to listen to it over and over. The energy of the song makes it perfect to add to your daily playlist. Trestil went above and beyond with this single.

Click here to listen to “Basic” anywhere. 

A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH REESIE WOODS

      

Reesie Woods, a young R&B artist determined to let his spark ignite the music industry. His qualifications are above most, but it’s his spirit that makes his music enjoyable. With a handful of projects and singles under his belt, he has been able to generate an engaged and dedicated audience. Although he’s in the early stages of his career, his knowledge of his craft and his amazing talent are sure to take him much further. I talked to him to learn more about his latest single and what experiences crafted him into a young artist.


You music has a well tuned and mature sound, what are your roots in creating music?

REESIE: First of all thank you! Yes, I believe that my music actually really stems from my actual experiences and growth.When there was I feel like I was (am) growing into myself through these experiences. I feel as if that bleeds in my music, and everything I do creatively. Also my music influences have a big role in it as well. Such as Miguel, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Diddy, John Legend, and of course Usher!


What pushed you to pursue a career in music?

REESIE: What pushed me to pursue to do music was (believe or not) Alicia Keys! I watched a video of her performing on the Soul Train awards on youtube, playing the piano, and singing. The way she was doing it, the way she was so captivating. I just knew I had to at least explore the feeling, so I began piano lessons at 13, and long story short it was wraps! Went to college to study music, discovered my love for singing, started being trained classically. Got my degree in Music Business. Now here I am aspiring to my dreams and aspirations! It hella life lessons that could be taught through learning music, and singing music as well. I am grateful for the rocky process. Truly.

R&B has been rising back into mainstream popularity. What’s something new or back in style that you’re happy about?

REESIE: First of all. This make me extremely happy. Simply because soul music has such an impact in my life. I grew up around various amounts of R&B music being played around me. I love the fact R&B is a little bit more alternative meaning that its incorporating a new sound but with the essences of true R&B. Artist such as SZA, Anderson Paak! Also, please do not sleep on this artist that goes by the name of Yebba!! She has this gospel influence to her! She is the real deal! I love artist who can really go there and really tap into the soul aspect of music. Thats my point tho. I love that the soul aspect is coming back into R&B, BECAUSE that is what R&B is.

Has quarantine helped you or hurt you creatively? How so?

REESIE: I would say it has helped me! It has help me tremendously. I had all this extra time to think, to meditate on so many different thoughts, emotions, fears, and really strengthen myself. To grow in confidence, to forgive, to grow from certain fears. Overall to not stunt my growth as becoming the person I want to be. KEYWORD “I” simply because I was so focused on other peoples opinions when my opinions should be the first and last opinion I think of. Quarantine put so many things into perspective for me, which is why my song Midnight II. just really came so fast, and so naturally. Because I was able to confront my mental barriers. YES that’s a thing. haha Speaking for myself. 

What’s the story or motivation behind “Midnight II”? It sounds like the theme to a good date night.

REESIE: The story behind Midnight is about a girl I was in a situation with. It’s about you two wanting to be together, but these cycles keep happening, and getting in the way of the actual talking phase. Meaning we can never get pass our issues, because of these assumptions. So that why I write the hook. “Love me tease me know you think about me, Hate me but you miss me tell me how you really tryna be” So Midnight II. is literally about a phase in a relationship. Thats why the music video describes it so well. Because by the end of the video is a sense of relief between couple because you know it’s love there but shit keeps getting in the way. Thats Why I say “save me from your midnight” meaning I just want to see you lets talk, lets get through this.

What’s your next step in music as far as keeping fans engaged while concerts are still somewhat far in our future?

REESIE: Definitely more videos! I love video foe real real. More covers, and behind the scene footage of my process. More music is coming, and musical features I am crazily hyped about! Also we have more releases soon with our clothing line Protagnia! So be on the lookout and support!

Will “Midnight II” be a part of larger body of work? When can fans expect more from you?

REESIE: Haha. It still really early for me to tell actually. Because I wrote Midnight II. based off a feeling and I just kinda go with my true feelings. Fans can expect more from me this year for sure. I just getting warmed up. I feel as tho I reach the point were I can really express myself musically, and more is coming sooo sooooon.

Click here to listen to “Midnight II” anywhere.

Amare Blvd by Amarelovesyou

The world has been nothing but stressful these past few weeks, and Amarelovesyou has managed to make all that craziness slip away through his new EP Amare Blvd. The EP consists of four tracks that drift between styles. The euphoria begins with “Come Thru”. You’re unexpectedly swept away by soft ukulele chords and Amare’s whimsical vocals. The chorus is catchy and all too relatable.  “I’m just trying to come through tonight. Tell me, why you trippin’ baby? Why ain’t gotta fight. Regards, baby Imma come through.” It’s a group of words that can be served justice if you hear from Amarelovesyou himself. 

The high energy continues with “I Gotchu”. Amarelovesyou seems to have crafted the perfect summer collection. “I Gotchu” has a similar energy to a late night of going to parties, kickbacks, or mountain tops. It’s the summer you’ve seen in movies and have always dreamed of having. Amarelovesyou’s writing takes his music to a level that’s supreme- but uniquely his own. “To Yo Face” is a more in-your-face and raunchy Amare. You wouldn’t want to repeat these lyrics to your grandma, or maybe you should... for content. 

“On My Lonesome” brings the EP to a close. The suspense built with jittery high hats and reveals a confident Amarelovesyou somewhat breaking the fourth wall. He addresses his path, personal relationships, and dives into more down-to-earth topics. “I’m been on my lonesome. Trynna secure that income. Shawty think she know something. She don’t even know nothin’. And as quickly as Amarelovesyou took into you his world, he pushes you out of it with an abrupt cut. The rest of the it is up to you.

Click here to listen to Amare Blvd anywhere.

NewDecadeNewSeason By Hefna380

Hefna380 is walking on stars. His newest single “NewDecadeNewSeason” produced by RichBoyDior is a rejuvenating party song with melodious timbre. The intro catches the ear then the chorus comes to lock you in. Hefna380 is cocky and cool on this track. One can assume from its title that this song is his mantra for 2020. He’s making his best moves from here on out.

Click here to listen “NewDecadeNewSeason” on SoundCloud.

Away by Dev Soul

Dev Soul gives an emotional performance in his newest song “Away”. Featuring production by Timothy Infinite, Dev Soul lets his vocals stand at the forefront, his harmonizing is southing. The soft guitar strings carry his testimony. As a vocalist, Dev Soul is at his best. The music video, directed by Twon Carter, mimics his minimalistic approach to the ballad. Love and candlelight.

Click here to watch “Away” on YouTube. 

Don’t Believe By Benkasso

Benkasso isn’t in the rap game simply for the money; he’s in it for the impact. His most recent music video, “Don’t Believe” is a testament to Benkasso’s commitment to bettering his community. His music speaks the truth and bring light and inspiration to his listeners. It was only right that the young rapper base the video in his home town. He goes above and beyond as a symbol to his local youth about the infinite possibilities beyond the world we know.

Click here to watch “Don’t Believe” on YouTube.

Sins by Lil Spirit

Lil Spirit is one of the best at keeping promises. He stuck to his word and dropped his single “Sins” Friday morning. The blues track, co-produced by mjNichols and Alec Wigdahl, resembles the ‘90s or an early 2000s RnB hit. Lil Spirit is evidently most comfortable with this style of music. His vocal performance is more dynamic in this song than his previous singles. It’s possible that Lil Spirit Boy is gearing up to launch a project with a similar tone as “Sins”. But, it’s 2020, and Internet Money could have anything up their sleeves.

Click here to listen to “Sins” on SoundCloud.

Hunger by Jaelin Westbrook

Sometimes time is all we need to come back better and stronger than ever. Jaelin Westbrook has returned to the scene for the first time this year with his single “Hunger”. From the message of the song, one can tell Jaelin is focused and more determined to make this music thing work. The song is inspiring and catchy, the perfect hook to reel in new listeners.

Click here to listen to “Hunger” on Apple Music.

Blue Lime Pie by LUVGRIP

Blue Lime Pie is the most recent creation by producer LUVGRIP. He utilizes emotion and experimental sounds to create the perfect instrumental. His catalog is meant for any artist searching for something outside of the box. No two beats of his are alike and they're bound to inspire a new way of approaching your next track. Blue Lime Pie is tranquil, even angelic. His use of echoing, melodic hums adds an almost eerie. LUVGRIP leave space for interpretation within his beats, allowing them to mold to the artist's needs.

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Click here to listen to more instrumentals by LUVGRIP. 

Bieber by skaiwater

Skaiwater is back with another unique track. His latest, titled “Bieber” is one of his most obscure, but catchy songs to date. Produced by Judge, Skaiwater raps over a drummed up beat and uses auto tune like no other to belt out his admission: he’s the next Justin Bieber.

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Click here to listen to skaiwater on SoundCloud. 

Lost by Sorry X

Lost is an explosive performance by Sorry X, continuing her reputation of letting go of all of her emotions when recording. Her vocals are polished, relaxing even with the booming bass through the mid-tempo beat. This single is the perfect selection for a nice car ride this fall. Though its topic may be a soft spot for Sorry X, Lost is sure to bring comfort from its already thousands of listeners.

Click here to listen to Lost on Soundcloud.

Broken by XanMan

It happened.

It finally happened.

Sunday morning, Xanman took to Twitter and announced that his long-awaited album Broken would be released to all streaming services “Tonight”. His Twitter followers were suddenly in a frenzy, myself included. I thought, “If this really drops, the months-long wait is finally over. Sure enough, Broken, the album consisting of fifteen tracks was published. And it took off.

Only twelve hours after Broken’s release, it has entered into iTunes Top 50 Albums chart. Surpassing artists such as Lizzo, Tyler, The Creator, and Megan Thee Stallion. It's in the works to possibly dethrone stars Lil Nas X and Trippie Redd. The suspense he's built up the last few months has surely paid off. The project is pieced together perfectly. From the beginning, Xanman bounces between an R&B style and his hardened trap flow with the songs Broken, Pt. 1 and Not. The pattern continues almost seamlessly.

Xanman shows off a skill that he's been practicing and perfecting for most of the year. Stepping into a melodic, blues-style sound isn't new to him. He's remixed a handful of R&B classics, his cover of Alicia Keys’ No One is one of his most popular renditions. A trend that may have started as a joke proved to be a strength for Xanman, and a favorite for his fans. The young rapper has managed to make a form of Emotional Trap like no other.

Click here to listen to Broken anywhere.

A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH ANT FLOW

Ant Flow is an up-and-coming artist with a talent that’s long in the making. His music captures that calming energy a lot of us are looking for when escaping life’s stresses. He works hard for his craft, but his listeners may not know much about the mind behind the magic. I asked him a couple question about how his beginning in music came about.

What was your first experience with creating music

ANT: My first experience with creating music was when that Drake and Josh movie came out. And I kept watching it over and over. And I remember asking my dad could he teach me how to write a song. And he did lmao. We used the same melody as the song in the movie “make me happy”. Shit was like crazy to me. It’s like my mind was exposed to another realm of creativity. I was just hungry for more.

How has your hometown affected your sound?

ANT: I think it’s the mysteriousness of how lowkey it is. Like Waldorf, Maryland is out the way. Not a whole lot going on but it’s definitely a vibe where we all hungry for something to happen. Like when we throw a show with little to no effort of promo people come out bc it aint shit to do. So when it comes to my sound, I get that chill vibey shit from the emotions that come from all the late night car rides and them moments where it’s just nothing but thirst for that chance to do something memorable for yuh city.

Does musical talent run in your family?

ANT: Yea music is definitely something that runs in the family. Shit my Dad played trumpet in high school, played congos for a gogo band and used to sing. My mom used to be in a church chior. She used to do competitions against Mary J Bladge’s choir back in the day. My lil brothers all play instruments too. And it’s a lot more people in my family that do music too.

Who was your first supporter?

ANT: I would say my first supporter would be my homie Kamal. Like when i first started taking my craft seriously he was the first one pushing me to be better. Like he was there when I dropped my first song and the shit was only playing in the left ear lol. I mean don’t get me wrong I had a lot of people in my corner but this nigga was a fan too. he was passionate bout my shit. so big s/o to Mally Mal.

Do you see yourself venturing into different genres?

ANT: 5. Yea as I continue to grow I tap into different genres bc I’m so open and inspired by different sounds. Like it’s crazy how comfortable I can be listening to something outta my comfort zone and instantly get inspired. And I feel as tho no great musician or artist sticks to one genre they whole career that’s boring lol.

Click here to catch up on Ant Flow’s music and journey.

A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH KIDSSYKO

SoundCloud always has a way of throwing out gems as soon as you were about to give up. That’s how I happened across KIDSSYKO, a young talent from the south. His latest single, In My Eyes produced by Nicholas Allan, is nearing 20,000 plays on SoundCloud only a month since it’s release. After filtering through his discography, I felt this guy’s fun, genre-bending sound and online presence are intriguing enough to dive deeper.

Where are you from?

SYKO: I’m from New Smyrna Beach Florida.

When did you first get into music?

SYKO: I first got into music almost 3 years ago. just wanted to do something different then what i usually do and really lil uzi made me want to rap

You recently transitioned from Stendo to Kidssyko, what does the transformation mean to you?

SYKO:  i wanted a more timeless name something i could stick with and something that no one had!

What inspires you creatively, especially when you have writer’s block?

SYKO: what inspires me is seeing people i love struggle it pushes me to keep going to try and get where i need to be.

What was that big moment for you that made you realize you could do this as a career, even for the rest of your life?

SYKO: when i did my first show and i had the crowd rocking with me i was like oh yeah it’s up from here.

Is there anyone who’s always been with you through this journey?

SYKO: yeah my boys grezy nightlen and 3.0

What can your listeners expect next form you?

SYKO: they can expect some crazy fucking music that is going to shock the world!!

Click here to listen to KIDSSYKO on SoundCloud.

BIGBABYGUCCI Beats The Odds

Send Help by BIGBABYGUCCI is one of the hottest releases from an independent artist this summer. Oddly enough, the Charlotte, North Carolina born recording artist’s career was on a much different trajectory this time last year and staying independent was the furthest thing from his target, like most artist. However, his individuality in his sound can only be mimicked by his career path. Major sparks of progress and a star-like momentum occurred for him after snagging and dropping his deal with Ultra that was finalized last year, after weeks of fan speculation online. This begs the questions, what does BIGBABYGUCCI have that a label doesn’t?

Humanity. Send Help is a doorway into the 23-year-old’s mind and heart. He falls into the sub genre of Hip Hop that is emotional and melodic rather than aggressive and boisterous. Online, his passion lives beyond his music and amongst his supporters. His Twitter timeline is filled with Retweets from listeners posting or talking about his music, playing it for their friends and so on. He engages with and appreciates everyone who takes the time to listen to his music. Because of this, his supporters genuinely want to see him succeed, everyday they see how much time he puts in. Through snippets and live-streams on Instagram, they’re always invited along for the journey.

Personality. “BIGBABYGUCCI” is a big personality. From his sometimes taunting lyrics, bold beat selection and a candid online presence, he’s a lot to contain. He doesn’t leave much unsaid. On Twitter, he’ll let you know exactly how he’s feeling and what’s on his mind. A label would surely ask him to delete these sometimes foul, but often humorous and relatable tweets. Corporations don’t understand, these interactions are how his audience gain a bond and familiarity with him. Billboards and posters can’t do the same. He doesn’t follow any basic routine for releasing his music. Snippets can be released at any time, on any platforms. Listeners must stay engaged and up to date on all of his social media. And with this transparent mentality, his supporters push his music simply from engaging with their new favorite artist.

Heart. This kind of piggybacks off of humanity, but when you’re going against the big boss, you’re forced to throw in a double whammy. BIGBABYGUCCI has created his career by himself. He’s built his foundation, dealt with personal matters and sacrificed for his craft, but he’s seen and reached a point that many independent artists dream of —signing with a label. Along the way, his path took an often unredeemable turn after he left Ultra. But that didn’t stop him. He kept his devoted group of supporters engaged and entertained with independent releases and promised to come back with more. Send Help was what they’ve all been waiting for. His first EP as a, let’s say “born again” independent artist, is the biggest step to determine the rest of his career. And he did it on his own.

BIGBABYGUCCI went against the odds and believed in himself over what he may have been expecting from joining a label. He took what he learned from the beginning of his journey and applied it to take the leap necessary to flourish independently. His hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Send Help, his fourth major project, has hit milestones for the artist in the short weeks since it’s release, even breaking 250 thousand streams in the first week. A label couldn’t have produced such an organic buzz and desire to see this young talent succeed.

All Tinted by Wolftyla

All Tinted is one of the last hits of the summer, boasting over a hundred thousands SoundCloud plays in its first week. Wolftyla takes her listeners on a rhythmic adventure layered with her smooth vocals. The track sounds like a sunset and captivates the energy of a summer that will be very much missed.

Click here to listen on Apple Music.