Owner of NEW LEASE MUSIC blog, which showcases the latest releases from indie and unsigned artists, and NEW LEASE MUSIC PROMOTIONS, which promotes indie/unsigned artists via blogs/magazines, radio, independent and Spotify playlists
Following his indefinite break from music and social media over the summer, UK cloud rap artist, producer NTHN returns with single, ‘REINTRODUCTION’, an announcement of his continuation with music and a recount of his journey so far as an artist.
Delivered as spoken word over a haunting, hazy instrumental, he describes his experiences through a stream-of-consciousness approach, directly addressing the listener. In this intimate monologue, NTHN references his previous releases and describes why he continues to create after nearly giving up on music, detailing his struggles with mental health and as an independent artist in a highly competitive industry. The accompanying video shows the artist in silhouette in his home studio where he wrote and recorded his previous project, Skylight EP.
NTHN – also a member of independent collective eighteenSAINT, founded with close friends Fletcher, James & Teorstan – followed up ‘REINTRODUCTION’ with ‘Apologies’, a Dark R&B/Cloud Rap crossover, exploring feelings of unnecessary self-blame and the journey to overcome them.
New York’s Veteran rapper, SONY OF TONY is back with new visual for ‘Fore Thought’ and’ After Thought’ taken from his ‘Son On A Sunday’ project. With production from Tobes and CassoBeatsFore
‘Fore Thought’ is the beginning of a trio of records with no hooks. A bar fest of emotions & collective thought. The intent was simply to provoke emotion in the listener. But it morphed into something greater somehow.
‘After Thought’ continues the pattern but shift’s the content in a way Son of Tony don’t usually speak but finally felt free enough to express.
It’s time to check out the video for singles below…
Following her 2020 debut single, ‘Mistletoe Kiss,’ which went viral on TikTok with over 15K video views and 10 million streams, urban pop princess GIGI VEGA comes through with another slammer called ‘Down Crazy’, which possesses an infectiously thumping bass with melodic R&B tones. The accompanying video features Gigi Vega, having a good time at a summer pool party, which has garnered over five million views since its release in August.
Gigi Vega’s father, who’s a jazz musician, taught her anything there is to know about music from a very young age which led her to write songs from the age of 12. Now a chart-topping artist, Gigi has worked with Grammy-winning producers 1500 or Nothin’ (Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake), Tommy Brown (Ariane Grande), as well as Blaq N Mild (Drake, Beyonce) and Hookman (Jason Derulo). Her music has also received regular attention on iHeartRadio.
Described as a triple threat, Gigi Vega has appeared in the ABC Hallmark movie The Makeover, alongside Julia Stiles and David Walton.Gigi Vega’s single, ‘Down Crazy,’ is out now on all major platforms. Why not take a peep at the summer-filled video below..
After watching The Grammys in 2020, TARAH WHO? noticed the presence of rock acts, particularly female-fronted rock bands, were non-existent, and this weighed heavy on her mind for some time.
Tarah Who? was gobsmacked when she listened to some of the rock band’s views of the changes in the current music industry. This is when Tarah Who? reached boiling point and couldn’t sit on the issue anymore – so she took action.
The result is her upcoming single, ‘Push Me’, which she wrote with YUR MUM, who is also featured in the production. Using her unorthodox and non-conformist style and in-your-face, raw lyrics, Tarah Who? uses this single to call out the music industry by speaking up for the mispresented – rock acts, female-fronted rock bands, and independent musicians who work around the clock to get their music some attention.
A plea to the music industry, Tarah Who? hopes their upcoming single will shake up the misrepresentation within the scene, so rock bands, female-fronted rock bands, and struggling independent and unsigned artists can get fair attention from prospective fans- and also make it to the Grammys!
‘Push Me’ is slated for release next Friday (17th December) on various digital music platforms – so please look out for that. But for now, get a taste of Tarah Who?’s previous releases below…
Following the release of his last single, the soulful and aspirational ‘Up & Up (Heavens Above)’, which was supported by the likes of Capital Xtra, KISS FM, Amazing Radio, No Signal, Wordplay Magazine and GUAP Magazine, among others, British rap artist and producer AKS aka the “three letter man” is back with an introspective and deeply personal new single titled ‘PARITY’, as he continues to tease towards his long-awaited third EP As Plane As Day: Departures & Arrivals, which will conclude the South London wordsmith’s long-running ‘Modes of Transport’ EP series.
Produced by AKS himself, under the veiled moniker #3Letters, with live instrumentation from guitarist Adrian Remedy (Ed Sheeran), bass player Benjamin Muralt (Ledisi, Ill Camille, Pixie Lott) and keyboardist Charlie Stacey (Yussef Dayes), ‘Parity’ is a rich and textured rap track, layered with lush synth keys, glorious melodies and vibrant guitar licks, over which AKS wears his heart on his sleeves in truly captivating fashion. Switching up his rap flow into a bouncy melodic quickfire rhyme iteration that captures your attention, AKS speaks honestly to the pressures and aspirations of a black father.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Parity’, AKS says, “The song is about purpose really. The notion that we do the best we can for our kids so that their starting point in life is beyond where ours was. I’m sure that was also our parent’s aim, and in that from generation to generation, there’s a sense of commonality in that. Parity. I wanted to explore generational differences – both the things that separate us from the generations that came before us, and those points of commonality that unite us. Like, wanting the best for your kids is universal right?”
Unpacking the record further, AKS adds that ‘Parity’ was “born out of conversations I was having with other parents about the hopes and dreams that they had for their kids and the struggles they had with their own parents. More and more, I realised that many of the choices that we’re making as parents are the same choices that our own parents were faced with, and try as we might to step with our best foot forward and usher in a world that we’d be happy for our children to inherit, some of those aspirations don’t come to fruition. We’re all learning on the job. Still, we pour out our best for them”.
Heralded as one of the finest lyricists in the UK by the likes of Hypebeast and Okayplayer, with co-signs from Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Jay-Z collaborator Young Guru, AKS has always had a real sense of palpable excitement around his music from fans and critics alike. While his last EP Train Of Thought earned him two nominations at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards, and his last single ‘Up & Up’ was championed by DJ Semtex at Capital Xtra and KISS FM’s Ellie Prohan, the South London native is excited for what’s to come as he gears up to close out his ‘Mode Of Transport’ series in 2022.
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