202 Baby Remix

Big Trap teams up with Xanman to remix, recently released, 202 Baby. Produced by DiamondInTheDirt, 202 Baby is a song that’ll definitely hype you up for a car ride or keep you up-to-date with local hits. The 202 Baby Remix shouts out the 202 and the cover art itself is a tip of the hat to the Landover area.

Click the link below to listen!

https://youtu.be/HVsHQrDGxyM

This Is Goodbye by Jus10

This Is Goodbye is the latest project released by local artist Jus10. It features seven tracks and is a few minutes shy of half an hour long. Each song has its own vibe and concept. Jus10 is a lyricist and keeps you locked-in on all of the story telling. From Angry Flows, rapping about the current climate of the rap game to 10PM in Frostburg; Jus10 details his heartbroken experiences effortlessly.

The EP is available on multiple streaming platforms.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/this-is-goodbye/1423441824

https://m.soundcloud.com/jus10yag

Kooda Remix by CloutedUp

CloutedUp, of DMG, released the music video for his remix of Tekashi69’s “Kooda”. It’s a nice change of direction from the original with CloutedUp’s own style and sound. The video is directed by 1drince and the remix is off of his newest mixtape, Oso Insane.


Check the link below to watch the video!


https://youtu.be/pPUHGrbuX_k

Meet Lil Xelly

Photo via Shotsbymike_

Lil Xelly has been taking the rap game by storm these last few months. With his constantly increasing discography, his boost in popularity goes without saying. His work ethic is seemingly unrivaled at the moment and it's only a matter of time before he seals his first record deal. Lil Xelly's schedule is packed with studio sessions and performances across the east coast, and we were able to ask him a few rapid-fire questions to get to know him a little better.

Lil Xelly is from Rockville, Maryland, despite this, his music has reached areas such as Chicago, Houston and even as far west as Los Angeles. He has been rapping for eight years now, but his music on soundcloud only dates back over a year. His development can be heard from his first track on the site, Xool. Xelly pushes out projects like no other. He has released over twenty projects and garnished a fanbase that appreciates his grind. It's not hard to find at least a single song of his that one may like.

He has an appreciation for artists from the DMV area, specifically: Wifigawd, The Khan and Q Da Fool. He's managed to balance his inspirations with developing his own sound and space in the music world. When asked about the comments about him rapping "off beat", he had this to say.

I don't care about that off beat sh*t. I do me.

Lil Xelly is definitely ready for the rumors and harsh comments that come with being a celebrity. He keeps his focus on himself and finds the motivation to do better and continue the momentum he's started. We wanted to know what exactly that motivation came from. He told us he simply likes music more than others. He's willing to put in the time and effort to keep the attention of fans that we think will soon catch the eyes of major music labels.

Lil Xelly grew up with hip hop surrounding him and the experiences of his brothers rapping encouraged him to do it too. After six years of rapping, his work developed an audience. Ever since then, he has been working non stop and has taken consistency to a completely new level.

He's teamed up with a number of artists in the last few months. One of his most frequent collaborations are with Noir Brent from Chicago. The two of them have already finished and released five tapes, Lucky Charms vols 1-5, and his collaborations don't stop there. Lil Xelly has featured on songs and mixtapes with different artists and producers across the country. His allure doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Lil Xelly is adding a new sort of pressure to the rap game whether he's trying to or not. His lack of long breaks between project releases keeps his audience entertained and infused in his music. It's always interesting to see what he'll make next and staying current with his mixtape drops is a task his fans are willing to handle. Finally, we asked him if he had any advice for artists in a position similar to his own. His response,

 

Don't let them ignore you.

Lil Xelly’s Socials

• Twitter: @lilxelly
• Instagram: @lilxelly
• Soundcloud: Lil Xelly

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