The Detroit music scene has begun to take notice of Rashmi Pandian – otherwise known as MYNA – after releasing her debut EP, ‘ROY G. BIV’ in 2018 fresh out of High School.
Her debut single from the EP ‘Lemon Tree’ has received over 30,000 streams and she was chosen as one of four finalists for the Inaugural 2019 Motown Musician Accelerator, beating over 400 local Detroit based applicants. The young songstress was also selected as a featured artist to represent Detroit at the 2020 SXSW Music & Media Conference in Austin TX.
2020 also saw the release of her second album, ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Here’, a collection of 14 new original songs which possesses a more risque sound, reminiscent of Rhiana’s ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’. Lifted from the 2020 album, MYNA kicks of the year with single, ‘Shady B!tch’. Boasting a strong driving groove, MYNA’s new single talks upfront about two faced friends.
This is one HARD joint…check out the visuals for ‘Shady B!tch’ below…
At the forefront of the Scottish Rap scene, RANSOM FA has built a catalogue of outstanding music which thrust him into the centre of UK Rap, conversations with tastemakers and on to line ups with the UK’s most respected stars including Skepta, Mist and M Huncho. His remarkable lyricism and audible accent makes his music stand out from a competitive crowd, as demonstrated in his starring role in season 1 of the BBC’s ‘The Rap Game’ hosted by DJ Target, Krept & Konan and on recent single ‘Table’ which hit the BBC Radio 1Xtra playlist as BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Week’ and was also handpicked as Jack Saunders ‘Next Wave’ on BBC Radio 1.
Celebrating his wins and affirming his position as ‘Man of the Moment’, Ransom FA’s latest single, comes with production from PenHouse and breathes an air of bold, confident lyricism from the Scotsman.
Ransom FA’s sign out of 2020 is a well-deserved one. A passionate activist in using his platform to pass on opportunities for young Scottish artists, his achievements are a result of his motivation to become a notable black figure in the Scottish music industry and not only inspire but also help to pass on his knowledge. Having built his own studio ‘Ransom HQ’ in Aberdeen to give access to upcoming local musicians, Ransom FA has also completed his own TV show alongside Scunthorpe based rapper F.O.S. on BBC 3 – ‘The Rap Trip’ where the duo travelled the UK to discover and explore the burgeoning Rap communities emerging across Great Britain.
2020 has also seen a slew of releases across YouTube and digital platforms, collaborations, premieres with tastemaker sites Link Up and GRM Daily, support across national radio and celebrated entertainment sites, collaborations with Amazon to grace the pages of Notion magazine and has continued to build his upward spiralling fanbase of over 55,000 followers to go alongside the hundreds of thousands of YouTube views and streams that sit across his online repertoire.
Set to have a momentous 2021 that will continue to break through boundaries and elevate his work in music, TV and philanthropy, like Ransom FA is going to be the ‘Man of the Moment’ for the foreseeable future.
Be sure to check out his EP ‘Momentum’ dropping soon…for now, hit play
So here it is…NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Songs of 2020!
Here you will find an electric mix of genres – from rock/rap, adult contemporary to fun filled UKG and EDM/pop. Some of the tracks featured reflects the events of 2020, while others serves as great escapism songs.
So knock yourself out and check out the top ten list below…
10. Y -THBENJ
9. M TO THE B – MILLIE B
8. DANK’O’HOLIC – MARINA MASSANOVA
7. FEELS LIKE THE WORLD’S STOPPED TURNING – DARREN PARRY
Rapper/singer, multi-hyphenate LYRIC JONES starts the year with a massive BANG with the John Benneche-directed music video for ‘Rock On’. The hard-hitting, Nottz-produced song is from Jones’s latest album ‘Closer Than They Appear’, which was released to critical acclaim in October of last year and made some notable year-end lists.
With about a decade-long career already under her belt, Lyric came onto the scene with debut album, ‘Jones St’, which features collaborations with the late Phife Dawg (of A Tribe Called Quest) and Esperanza Spalding.
Lyric has also collaborated and toured with her mentor Rah Digga, and shared stages with Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Dilated Peoples, Robert Glasper and Avery Sunshine.
Check out Lyric’s slamming visuals for ‘Rock On’ below…
Danish singer and producer MARIE DAHLSTROM teams up with London-based producer Dan Diggas and Canadian rapper Aligo for single, ‘Fall Down’.
The single represents the point in a relationship where a couple’s resolve is being tested. A delicate blend of hip hop, soul and R&B; soothing late-night R&B-flavoured production provides a luxurious base for Dahlstrom and Aligo’s considered vocal interplay.
‘Fall Down’ serves as the lead single of Marie’s EP,
The ‘4inARow’, out January 15th via JFH Records. ‘4inARow’ follows Marie Dahlstrom’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Like Sand’ released in May earlier last year, and arrives hot on the heels of standalone single “Good Thing”, released in October – all released via Marie’s own label JFH Records – named after the block of flats where Marie, Dan and Aligo all live together.