Break It Down : Dusk Till Dawn by Dreemy Sinatra

Breaking down and appreciating Dusk Till Dawn by Dreemy Sinatra, song by song.

Back 2 Work —

The first thing one notices when playing this track has to be the old school sound. The instrumentals are smooth and relaxing like the music your parents listen to, paired with Dreemy Sinatra’s rythmic lyrics. He talks about helping his family, saving the youth from mumble rap and coming up from nothing. Sinatra even describes himself in metaphor.

“A rose trying to grow from the pavement”

Just one of many catchy lines in this track.

Never go Back —

The next track is a promise to move forward from the concrete he grew from. Several times in the song the rapper echos a lyric.

“I can never go back to myself”.

The California Hip-Hop vibe is captured perfectly in this track as he speaks on nerdy kids getting the short end of the stick and modern day materialism. Sinatra expresses that he’s been “running this shit for four seasons”, a testament of his dedication to his own success.

Feel Alright —

This track slows down the tempo of the album so far. The soulful sound of the song matches its contents well. Dreemy Sinatra speaks on violence, police brutality and serious moments of injustice such as Flint, Michigan. He sheds light on the struggle that many young people have to deal with in a country still struggling with oppression and racism.

Gimme a Break —

The track title is spot on with its theme. Sinatra talks about his desire to be different and make a difference. His sound isn’t like everyone else in this new wave of Hip-Hop. He talks about moving from Savannah, Georgia to Waldorf, Maryland. The young and talented rapper shouts out his family for supporting him and swears that he was destined for greatness.

“Since a youngin I knew I live my life on stage”.

Life —

This track is somewhat of an autobiography. Dreemy Sinatra chronicles life over a beat that’s very easy to vibe to. He raps about growing up in Waldorf and living and going to school in Bannister. Shoutouts only a local can really understand. He declares himself the King, even throwing in a Game of Thrones reference and calls out rappers who “don’t tell the truth” about their lives and come-up. He talks about his friends growing up now either being “heartbroken or arrested” and reiterates that he puts his life into his craft. He manages to balance the seriousness of the topics with a futuristic, uplifting instrumental.

Quick Smoke Session —

This song is for all of the Prop. 71 compliant listeners. Dreemy Sinatra raps and opens up about smoking weed, something that isn’t uncommon in the Hip-Hop game, or the world, now.

“I just need a break from the things on my mind”.

“I fade away when I hit the blunt”.

The song is smooth and soulful. Highly recommended for when one is getting high. Singer Taxis Jae adds soulful, angelic vocals, making the track feel like a warm hug on one of those days.

“Imma need a lettuce sandwich, pockets full of romane”.

Diamonds —

The tempo of the album quickly picks up on this track. The bars are so clean and rapid fire that it feels like a Sway in the Morning freestyle. The rapper is boastful and confident. There’s too many lines in the song to go threw them all, so I made a list of a few that encompass the song’s mentality.

“The rap game filled with dope dealers and gold diggers”.

“They don’t need the braille to tell me they feel it”.

“My flow is like i’m sipping liquid gold”.

No Way — ( Too Easy, Dreemy Alpha & Geuice)

No Way takes a break from rapping a little bit and ventures down the R&B route, mixed with the familiar shares of a trap beat. The song speaks on the struggle that an artist may go through while chasing a rap career and trying to maintain a love life. “She said she gonna leave, ok, is she gonna leave? no way”. “I’ve just been rolling this gas bc you stressing me”. It details love pains that Sinatra’s audience can relate to and understand on the same level as himself.

“Girl this my crib so no you not kicking me out”

Passing Me By —

This track continues with an R&B style, seemingly a love letter from Dreemy Sinatra to that special woman in his life. It feels like a high school love story and you can’t help but root for him to get the girl. He pours his heart out on this track and the emotions are tangible. Here’s a few lines from song incase you want to use them for a little woo-ing in your own life.

“As she’s passing me by I look her right in her eyes”.

“You could have a better life, all you gotta do is choose”.

“Dry your eyes, baby girl dry, your eyes, don’t cry no more”

“With a beauty like yours why you put up with the stress”

“I’m the best that’s why them niggas hate me with you”.

Cry Together — (Dymezlos)

This song has the ultimate throw back vibes. The high pitched vocals used in the song reminds any old school Hip-Hop fan of Lonely by Akon, sampling Mr Lonely by Bobby Vinton. The song details his emotional journey with his mother and partner.

“Last night, me and my momma, we cried, cried together”.

He vows to do what’s right for the women he cares for in his life and raps about how he’s ready to take the next step with his partner. A feat not easily met by any young artist, yet Sinatra seems confident while speaking on it in the track.

“Los- “I plan to take you to the mother land together wakanda forever”.

“I wonder why you so alone in this house, i’m tryna make it a home”.

Sunshine — (Fahrelle Devine & CAF)

The album returns to its upbeat tempo as the third act and resolution of the project begins. Dreemy Sinatra is hopeful, to say the least, in this track. The hook, “my life full of sunshine”, even gets stuck in your head after a while as a listener. The young rapper cements his future and promises success for himself, his mother and his home town.

“Told my mom i’d never sign until I get a mil, I from the dorf I gotta keep it real”.

He admits that the road to success is difficult and tempting, but he doesn’t sound as if he’s giving up or slowing down any time soon.

Fah- “The devil knocking at my door had to rumble and tussle”.

Distance — (Dymezlos)

Distance maps out his journey as a rapper. The piano and soulful vocals blend with his style of rapping and make the track a truly complete piece. Dreemy Sinatra opens up about the hardships of being young and competing in this cutthroat competition.

“21, tryna follow my dreams”

“I’m dedicated to the things I chase after”.

Sinatra sheds light on the side of the struggle that most successful rappers don’t mention. He talks about the long nights, loss of ambition and feelings that no one is there to support you. The rap game is tough, it’s even harder when you’re in it. He repeats the coined phrase that inspires the title, “I just need distance”.

“ I had to learn I couldn’t do it by myself”.

“I just need you to call and know you’re there for me”.

His openness is refreshing to seeing from a young rapper. He finishes the song with a short, quick transition- “so”.

Thankful — (Dymezlos)

As the project comes to a close, Dreemy Sinatra says his thanks in this outta. He speaks to his significant other in song almost exclusively. He apologizes for being gone and busy, probably while completing this project, and admits his love and admiration for her openly and freely.

“I know i’ve been distant and ain’t been there for you”z

“Swear you’re a product of the things i’m missing”.

“I know sometimes I put you on the back burner but you never bailed on me like Nat Turner”.

Overall, Dreemy Sinatra’s project is polished and calculated. The production is stellar and the features he utilizes improve their tracks ten fold. His shout outs to his family and supporters heartwarming. His lyrical skills set him a part from the new sound in Hip-Hop and presents a bright future for the budding artists. Listening to the album feels like taking the journey along with him. The seams between each chapter are air tight and consistent. This project is definitely worthy of local and global glory.

Meet Mikeyluv - April Issue

By Whitney Richardson

The mission of this series is to give local artists, of any medium, the recognition they deserve. This month, we pushed to get a little more variety in the artists we feature, and Mikey’s vibrant and culturally engaging art is what captured our attention the most. It was a pleasure to sit down and speak with him.

Mikey is a Maryland native artist who grew up in Waldorf. You may have seen some of his artwork spread out across Twitter and Instagram. He blends his passion for painting and his love for the culture and creates unique and flavorful pieces. Mikey first started painting about two years ago, in late November. His first creation was a red spade, from there he simply hasn’t stopped.

He explained to me what art means to him. It lets him express his creativity and deciphers the thoughts and ideas in his head and puts it in a physical form. His motivation to keep creating really increased when he posted his artwork to Twitter. There, Mikey posted several of his completed pieces and the response was unbelievable. He received over five hundred retweets and over twelve hundred likes on one post. The world seemed to like his art as well and he garnered an audience for himself via social media.

The Baltimore born artist has had a tremendous amount of support from the local community since his start. He told me about his art showcases that he regularly puts on at his job, Proud Mary. He sites his mother and cousin as his biggest supporters. Making art your career isn’t always easy for your family to grasp, but Mikey’s family was very supportive of his creative steps. His mother knew from the beginning while his dad was simply happy for him finding his purpose.

We went on to break down his inspirations. Mikey has always been a fan of cartoons such as ‘The Boondocks’ and ‘Hey! Arnold’, however, he’s not much of a fan of the newer cartoons. This is what lead him to recreate his favorite cartoons in his pieces and make them his own.

Vibrant colors in whatever I do, unless it has a meaning.

He uses faceless characters in order to pay homage to the Black Lives Matter movement. He cares deeply about the system and the unlawful murders and convictions of African Americans and he uses his platform to keep that awareness going. I asked him who would be his dream client to complete a painting for would be. His top pick, the late and great Tupac, with J Cole, Lil Yachty and Joey Badass following.

In the future, Mikey would like to be an art teacher. Although he doesn’t agree with the current structure of art classes in public schools, he wants to teach the technique and let students find their niche in the art world. “You have to have the audience to teach”, he explained to me, “I want art to ultimately be a thing to escape to”. He wants the next generation to see his own art and feel that they can do whatever they want, as long as they work hard and do what it takes to make it happen.

Mikey has a lot of big plans for himself and his mission to get art back into the community. He wants to set up a paint session for others in the DMV area and encourage others to express themselves through art. He’s also in the early stages of creating his own clothing line, merging fashion with his artwork.

Mikeyluv’s Socials

Twitter: Mikeyluvv__

Meet Fó Bligg — March Issue

By Whitney Richardson

This is the third installment to our monthly features and the talent is only getting better and better. The DMV is a salad bowl of different cultures and influences and in this month’s article, we put a spotlight on an artist that blends his Gambian roots with the sounds of the city- Fó Bligg.

From the beginning of the phone call, I knew the conversation between Fó Bligg and myself was going to be interesting. His energy was high level mirrored the energy often heard in his music, like Bad Ting. We introduced ourselves and jumped right into to the interview. I wanted to understand who Fó Bligg was as a person before an artist, which is where our conversation started off.

Fó Bligg, aka Foday, was born in Gambia in Western Africa and moved to Silver Spring when he was eight years old. Fó talked about his childhood and what it’s like growing up African in America. A culture switch such as that is huge for anyone, let alone a child. Do to the sudden change and he not knowing english, Fó recounts how quiet he was growing up. There was some bullying throughout the years, but he used his time alone and began making music, beats specifically, a language anyone could understand.

His musical ear started with his family. Fó explained how he’s always had music in his life. He didn’t have cable in his house growing up, therefore each room was filled with music, ranging from Arabic music to dance hall. He gained many of his musical influences from his family and artists like Akon, Usher, Biggie and Sean Paul, to name a few. This musical environment made it almost inevitable for Foday to be an artist. He started off making beats and developed into a producer. He credits his first creation as a track he made on a snow day off from school. As he perfected his craft, Fó set his eyes on getting a rapper on one of his tracks.

Fó sent his beats to local artists, trying to get someone to rap on them. After some time of little traction, Fó hopped on his own beats and put them on SoundCloud himself. He fell in love with being able to say whatever and make whatever he wanted. He didn’t take rapping seriously until his friends and family pushed him to reach his full potential. The second part of his name, Bligg, comes from his brotherhood of fellow artists. He shouts out his family, The Bligg, Parliament, Ajhebeh, Mehki Adams, and Daja Page as his support group and the people who push him and love him the most. And he never takes that love for granted. The people who support him mean everything to him.

I asked him about the message he wants to send out to his listeners. Fó explained that he wants to represent Africans among African Americans. He told me more about his middle school days of maneuvering amongst African Americans while learning the culture and the language. He credits this time of his life for making him tough and developing a thick skin.

You don’t have to go with the crowd

He built confidence and inherited his own style in high school. He got into sneakers and thrifting. He raved about thrifting and all of the good pieces you can find and make your own, if you actually look hard enough.

We finished the interview off with talks about the future. His next tape, he said, will be a mix of everything. He doesn’t want to sound like anyone else in the area. His sound is fresh and his musical versatility is unique due to his background. The best advice is to expect the unexpected. In five years, he wants to build a foundation here and have a couple tapes under his belt. His major goal is be to a global artist. He want his music to be known in his home country, Gambia, all over Europe and the rest of the world

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Fo Bligg’s Socials

• Twitter: fobligg
• Instagram: _stunnafo
• Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/fobligg

Meet AlmightyHeezy — February Issue

By Whitney Richardson

As February comes to a close, its time to introduce our artist for this month to the world. This time around, we focused on who our audience thought deserved the spotlight the most and you guys introduced us to him, AlmightyHeezy. And yes, we definitely agree with your choice.

The Experience: Where are you from?

AlmightyHeezy: I’m Nigerian. I was born in DC but I grew up in the Lanham, Bowie area.

TE: When did you first start rapping?

AH: In 5th grade, I and a friend did a remix to “The Motto” for an MSA Pep Rally and while performing he froze and forgot his verse so I had to take the mic and finish it for him. Even before then I would always be writing verses trying to learn how to rap because we used to have rap groups come to church for events and I thought it was dope. I even first started recording with an iPhone earphone and taped a paper over it for a pop filter in my dad’s office.

With this in mind, AlmightyHeezy’s budding career doesn’t come as a surprise. He’s been around music since day one and has held a drive to become a rapper since he was little. He holds a level of confidence in himself and his music that only someone with a well-set plan could muster. His determination and focus are what led him to where he is now, and he’s not far from breaking the glass ceiling.

TE: How did you come up with the stage name “AlmightHeezy”?

AH: Couple years ago everybody had their squad groups and some were named off real artists. For example, there was a squad called “Guwop” based off Gucci, so I and my friends made our group almighty from chief keef, in the chat everybody’s name was Almighty with their nickname at the end. This girl gave me the nickname Heezy when we met each other in a group chat and found out both our names started with H’s so that’s what we called each other and I stuck with it.

TE: Do you feel your family has influenced your taste in music?

AH: Yeah, in a way. My brother is a producer in California he produced the beat for Nike Boots by Wale and has come up and worked with numerous big-name artist over the years and he’s really one of the people I look up to and he motivates me to do what I do and basically coaches me about the music industry so I don’t make the same mistakes he did as a young producer coming up in the game. I wanna be able to relieve my mom of financial stress so I do this for her because she’s been through so much like losing my father to cancer but she stays strong for all of us so it’s only right that she deserves the best. Even losing my father took a big toll on my life because that was the first close death I experienced, so yeah, everything with my family and my life, in general, has made what my music is today.

TE: When did you start taking your music seriously and knew you wanted to make it a career?

AH: I started taking music seriously around freshman year in high school, a lot of people I started making music with from middle school don’t make music now and I just held on to it and kept pushing getting better by the project song after song.

His solid support system from his family surely gives him an advantage that most up-and-coming artists may not receive. But who Heezy is an individual and an artist is completely organic and molded by himself. He takes his work seriously, and his passion for quality and consistency is all found in his songs. None of them are throwaways and some are even produced by him. The advice from brother over the years seems to be paying off. AlmightyHeezy essentially runs a miniature label for himself: he’s his own manager, producer, and publisher, another aspect of the game that many can relate to. Heezy is the boss regarding his career. He pushes his own music and doesn’t wait for anyone to do it for him. His music is available on iTunes, the big step for any independent artists wanting to turn their musical talent into a lifelong career.

TE: How did you find your sound and style? Your flow is distinct and refreshing, what was the process of finding who you are as an artist?
AH: It took a long process to get the sound I have today. I used to get critiqued for sounding like my bro “BetSheWillz” for a time period because he was another influence on me when I first started using auto-tune but he would just get on me about it. And it got me to the point where I branched out completely to find my sound and style that people can identify with ease when they hear me on a track. Now that I produce I can literally make the song in my head as I create the beat and it’s easy because I know the sound that I want.

TE: A lot of people say that the DMV has a hard time showing each other love when it comes to the rap game. What’s your experience regarding that statement?

AH: It’s true, even till this day I still find it hard to find support from my own friends, and other artists in the area are too stuck up to work together. I also feel like artists that come up from the DMV aren’t doing enough to put people on in the area. There are people that really got talent and are working hard out here but just don’t get the attention they need because the DMV music scene is a clout thing and a lot of people only flock to what they see everybody else listening to. I’m going to change that when I get up if nobody else wants to. I’ll be more focused on bringing people up then actually putting music out after a while, I already got plans for my brothers I make music with and I plan to bring others along with me.

TE: You’ve produced some of your own released music, how did you start producing?

AH: I picked up producing a couple years ago, but never took it as serious as I do now. I lost a close friend last year, December, and it really motivated me to take it seriously, so I made a beat and did a song with him on the cover. After that, I knew I could do it full fledge. Then, I produced the beat for slime and from there I took off.

AlmightyHeezy is a soon-to-be star in his own right. The potential he sees for our area and its sound is inspiring, to say the least. He’s an artist with integrity and a great head on his shoulders. His humility and promise to help the community, in the long run, are admirable. It’s obvious that he truly cares about the love and support he receives from his music and not simply the fame that comes with it. We’ve seen greedy and egotistical artists before, and we all know how they usually turn out. Thankfully, Heezy doesn’t seem to be that type.

TE: What are your top 3 favorite artists, of any genre?

AH: Lil Uzi Vert is my favorite artist right now. Drake is another one, he’s a legend he knows how to keep his name relevant. Quavo got the smoothest voice and can lay any hook flawlessly and is crazy versatile.

TE: Your song “Too Late” takes a different approach musically from the rest of your Numb EP, as an RnB song. Will we see more of this in the future?

AH: My brother actually produced that one. Summer is coming around so the rap side is going to be coming out of me. Numb was an r&b project more so for the female crowd and I dropped it right before it started getting warm outside so it’ll carry on to the next season plus I made some upbeat songs that could be also translated to summer tracks as well. You’ll definitely hear more of that style down the line. Right now I’m sitting on multiple projects just waiting for the right time to drop them.

TE: Where do you want to be with your career in the next 5 years?
AH: In 5 years I want to be established to the point where I can put my friends on and help people who are in the position that I’m in now and give them the platform they need to show people what they really got. I want to be able to buy my mom whatever she wants and let her enjoy the rest of her life, make sure my siblings are good and just take care of all my loved ones.

TE: What message do you want to send out to your listeners?

AH: I got at least 2 projects that I’m dropping before the year ends. Keep believing in me all the way. I got a lot of music on the way, coming sooner than you know so just keep cheering me on and supporting me for better for worse.

We’ll definitely be on the lookout!

The Experience: Any shoutouts or extra comments you’d like me to mention?

AlmightyHeezy: Shoutout to Shifiano, BetSheWillz, Skinny, Lord Mikey, RapKenji, Lean, & Rapsvmm it’s a lot more but this is my music family and we’re gonna make a lot of noise this year so watch out for us!

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AlmightyHeezy Links

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/almightyheezy/1336794433

Youtube: www.youtube.com/oCZQ00C0DC0

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/heezalmighty

The Experience Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/experiencecoll

Instagram: https://instagram.com/experience_coll

Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC2P-a1yBJYuBa08XlBaGglA

Meet YVE$AIN’TLAURENT — January Issue

By Whitney Richardson

Coming into 2018, we at The Experience wanted to highlight artists and creatives across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Each month we plan on showcasing local artists with a variety of talents. From music, to clothing, design, sports, entrepreneurship- anything that displays the creative future of the DMV. Searching for the first artist of the year was difficult. After calling out to the community, getting a variety of responses, and several days of looking through portfolios and profiles, we thought of no one better to be our January feature than YVE$AIN’TLAURENT.

A couple weeks ago I got to talk with YVE$, a young, talented artist from Silver Spring, Maryland, over the phone. I got to ask him all of the questions I had after going through his musical arhive. His lyrics are the first thing that stood out to me. YVE$AIN’TLAURENT’s lyricism is definitely above par. His vocabulary is broad and he uses it to his advantage. His capability of switching tempos and evolving his flow along with the fact that he doesn’t use the popular triplet rhythm that’s making its way through today’s rap music. He’s creating his own wave. All of this puts him in the top ranks of up-and-coming artist, without even mentioning the fact that he’s only seventeen. YVE$ shouts out the DMV in his music and collaborates frequently with his equally talented and unique friends. I also noticed his style and the 80’s, 90’s hip hop influences within his production. With all this in mind, I knew our conversation was going to be interesting, to say the least.

YVE$AIN’TLAURENT and I introduced ourselves and we dove into the interview. First, I wanted to know the origin of the artist. YVE$ described where he was from and gave me insight into his background. He’s a mix of West and Central African. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and moved to Burtonsville when he was in elementary school. While in Silver Spring, he grew up in 16th Street Summit Hills Apartments with his parents and older brothers. This is where his early musical influences were developed. He notes his brothers listening to Go Go and Rock in his early life, before he really got into hip hop. It wouldn’t be until a few years later, in 2007, that he would start listening to rappers like Lil Wayne and Nas.

From there, YVE$AIN’TLAURENT says his taste for music evolved. In his early high school years he mostly listened to New York and southern hip hop artists. He frequently listened to artists like the Underachievers, Joey Bada$$ as well as DMV artists Fat Trel, Oochie and Young Gleesh. Now, he listen to his favorite Go Go bands, hip hop legends such as Pac and Nas, and a number of DMV artists. His ear for older rap resonates in his music. His freestyle, One Time 4 Ya Mind, and song, Don’t Sleep, display this the best. The flow is cocky but smooth, similar to most 90’s rap music. His delivery is phenomenal and way above his age bracket. YVE$ likes to incorporate sounds from the music he personally likes. He told me, he tends to merge the sound behind the culture, from places such as Houston and Louissiana, into his music. In the outro of his collaborative project with his friends, Yams World 2, that southern vibe is present and makes it an instant hit.

YVE$AIN’TLAURENT went on to tell me about the beginning of his features with his friends. He teamed up with his friends in early 2015 to establish their rap brotherhood called Yams. They are a collective of versatile, driven young artists with a passion for hip hop, and each has their own solo rap career. YVE$ broke down the members of the group to me: CMack, Dazz , Hughe$, Lil Kenny and his brother 1Z Ka$hh. They have one mixtape named after their brotherhood, Yams World 2, out now. Their friends created No Limit, which the group wears and represents heavily. Brothers Bobby, Isaiah and Jafari, from NoLimit (a crew heavily associated with Yams), are the masterminds behind the brand NoLimit247 Clothing. Each artist has their own style and brings something refreshing to the table and they all benefit from each collaboration the do. The mixtapes are filled with underground hits and the variety of sounds it utilizes are bound to resonate with a listener on at least one track.

To finish the over-the-phone interview, I asked YVE$ about the message he wants to send out via his music. With lyricism as promising as his, he’s capable of packing a message into two and a half minutes of an entertaining and socially conscious song. He says he does keep it in mind. He’s aware of the “mumble rap” title that has been going around over the last couple of years. YVE$ told me that he plans to slip in commentary and knowledge while putting his lifestyle into his music, the good and the bad. He invites his listeners to experience life and grow with him.

Before signing off, YVE$AIN’TLAURENT gave us the exclusive on what he and his group have coming up in the next couple of months. He revealed that he has his own tape Mr Indecisive rolling out, along with visuals and the second installment to the Yams World mixtapes with his brotherhood. At seventeen, and college in the near future, YVE$ is putting everything he has into his music. His versatility and awareness of the game make him a strong competitor for who’s truly up next from the DMV.

Links

• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/tracks
• One Time 4 Ya Mind: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/one-time-4-ya-mind-freestyle
• Don’t Sleep: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/dont-sleep-prod-by-max-freetown
• Outro: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/outroSpinrilla: https://www.spinrilla.com/YVESAINTLAURENT
• Twitter: @Illmaticyves
• Yams Members:

@FoolAssCmack_
@DazzTheGoon
@YeahhLang
@CaptainIz_
@dopetawfik
@Strip4Kenny
@NoLimit247