‘Phone Calls 4’ is packed with 12 new songs that show a different side of slick rapper DESHAUNJAY when comparing this new release to his last album, ‘Pinky’s Boy’. Both projects are filled with solid song structure and verses that are mixed well with the chosen production for each track, but there is one key difference between both albums.
“Pinky’s Boy was my first actual rap album so I wanted to make a statement as far as my ability to adapt to different types of beats as well as my ability to rap in general” says Jay when speaking on the comparison of the projects.
In his own mind, the San Antonio native is taking somewhat of a gamble releasing an album that isn’t what his fans are used to hearing from him, and releasing no single before the drop made it even clearer that the artist was ready to take a huge leap with ‘Phone Calls 4’. DeShaunJay finds himself in the midst of late night hook ups and potential relationships as he speaks on those topics with verses like “Pull up to the spot/bullin with the squad just wasn’t expecting your presence/couldn’t run from it/didn’t need your number I knew how to send you a message/RnB name/coke bottle frame/and plus she had Mya’s complexion” on third track, ‘Only’. His tenth effort ‘Outside’, has Jay somewhat infatuated with a female as he is ready to switch things up and drop everything for her, including any side pieces.
DeShaunJay enlists help from producers Trevv, Vovo, NoSalez, Dionso, Kyduh, Ricci, Havio Beats, and PK, with a lone feature from D’Shaun as he provides his talents with the hook on ‘Switch’. ‘Phone Calls 4’ is a ride filled with emotions, love and lust, with each song sharing a different insight into Jay’s recent roller-coaster of a love life. It’s time to check out the album plus the blog’s songs recommendations below…
JUICE CANNON‘s latest album ‘Marriot Hotels’ is his first full-length R&B project, adopting warm atmospheric glow inspired by 90s afterhours R&B (as featured in ‘Ghost’ and ‘You’), while tracks ‘P Valley’, Ride 4 Me’ and concluding track, ‘Toxic’ bring on the infectious bass-heavy anthems that’s very fitting for creating those party vibes in the upcoming warms months.
Juice enlisted a pretty decent line-up (Anthiny King, Londa B, 3rd Na’ tree) whose vocal performance further evoke the overall comforting feel from the collection.
‘Marriot Hotels’ is Juice Cannon’s first release since last summer, due to a unfortunate situation beyond his control. After grinding for over a decade, building his name within the underground hip-hop scene in his hometown New York City, and gaining an impressive online presence of over 26 millions streams, Juice Cannon was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which forced him to take a break.
At the turn of 2023, he bounces right back into the spotlight with a new silky mesmeric sound – a far cry from his previous full-on braggadocious projects.
So, get comfortable and hit the play button on ‘Marriott Hotels’ below…
THYRA HILDEN’s new, EP ‘Lucid Dreampop’, features five tracks of dreamy pedal steel and saturated bass, leaving you in a sensual trance, feeling like slowly passing through a mirror. The lyrics are Nordic existentialism, mapping out the land between passionate love and insanity, in a humorous way.
An internationally recognised visual artist, Danish-born Thyra Hilden has been regularly interviewed by the BBC, CNN, EURONEWS and more. In 2021, she debuted as a musician and quickly gained attention for her existential POP in both radio and press. Thyra’s songs are full of dreamy Nordic melancholy in both lyrics and vocals. She has an airy voice and deliberately understated style. There are only a few artists who make existential pop and Thyra is central to this small niche. Most POP is about him, her and couple issues, whereas Thyra’s lyrical universe with humorous metal layers delves into illusion, confusion and paradoxes of what is real.
Have a listen to Thyra’s stunning collection below…
Must Listens: Who Am I?, Show Me How,I Miss You Watching Me
It took a while for SAMUEL VINCENT to finally release his music to the world, but once he started, he had no plans of stopping. His newest release, ‘Rivalry’, manages to cover a multitude of internal conflicts while maintaining his integrity in an industry that has drastically changed its priorities.
‘Rivalry’ consists of a brief introduction followed by five hard-hitting tracks. The EP is a manifestation of Samuel’s thoughts on his upbringing, the culture, and his competition, all blended into straight up bars. The never-ending mental struggle of a man battling himself is perhaps only overshadowed by entertaining and approachable yet complex bars.
There’s a universality to most of his music, but what makes these tracks unique is his self-taught journey. This is his approach, his voice. Coming from a broken home, without the time to second-guess himself, the soul of Samuel lies in knowing what makes a comedian’s life so tragic.
Samuel started out with nothing but a pencil, a pad, a keyboard, and his father’s tape recorder inside a small condo smack dab in the centre of New Jersey. Spending countless evenings trying to transcribe lyrics from influential artists like Cassidy, DMX, Biggie, Ludacris, Jadakiss, Petey Pablo, and a slew of other legends in the game, he’s had several decades of writing experience and linguistic interpretation under his belt.
So here’s your chance to witness a spitter on-the-rise; check out Samuel’s EP below, released last Friday (27th January) across various music platforms.
Ahead of the release of her deluxe album ‘CH III: The Come Up’, released yesterday (24th January), multifaceted Canadian powerhouse and visionary STORRY generated quite a buzz after linking up with Stormzy on the titular track of his album ‘This Is What I Mean’, lending her indelible vocal talents to the capstone of the British hip-hop scene.
The prowess that has defined STORRY’s irresistible artistry to date is given a pedestal on the track, with her operatic vocals perfectly complementing the grandiose that has catapulted Stormzy to the top of the charts in the past half decade. Her angelic vibrato pierces through an instrumental that sounds like a march up a mountain, complimenting the sense of urgency that Stormzy exudes as he refuses to descend from the summit.
The album’s release is accompanied by a premiere video spotlighting STORRY alongside a star-studded cast of collaborators such as P2J, Sampha and Jacob Collier, attaching her face to the posterboard of prodigies and mainstays who base themselves in and around London. The Toronto native will also be named on the LP’s list of creative contributors.
Speaking on her role on the project, STORRY details: “I had met and worked with P2J on several tracks before – previously writing and recording together – including singing operatic vocals on Burna Boy’s Grammy Award Winning ‘Alarm Clock’. When I first moved to London, P2J called me back in for some more of that operatic sauce. Though hot sauce isn’t the main part of the meal – it definitely adds that extra kick. So, I’m excited to play a part in this collaborative record. There are so many amazing artists on this new album. What I love about Stormzy – besides his obvious musical talent – is his kindness and care for inclusivity and equity. You can see that with his collaborators and team. I too am working to build an inclusive safe space in the industry that I never felt I had – especially for womxn, POC and queer folx. I’ve met a lot of my idols and they would often disappoint me as humans. I’m happy to say that Stormzy holds to his name and that is something I stand by.”
With this feature, STORRY is receiving a huge kickstart in light of the arrival of her forthcoming deluxe album , a brutally honest and unapologetic effort that equates the misogynistic devaluement of the sex industry to that of the music world. The tracklist amounts to an adamant call for the respect of women in all facets, emphasising the strength of their resolve against oppression through presenting stories withheld by herself and other women in order to display the people that they are rather than the flesh that surrounds their bones. The concept album was written, produced and funded in its entirety per her own accord and earned a 2021 JUNO Award nomination alongside Alanis Morrissette and Celine Dion.
STORRY elaborates on the album: “CH III: The Come Up is a record about a woman trying to leave the sex-industry – which she was coerced into – and get into the music industry, only to realise that both are equally misogynistic and problematic. She grapples with her relationship with her mother, family, romantic relationships, money and her career. That woman is me.”
Whether working out of Toronto or London, STORRY lets the candidness of her craft speak for itself. Refusing to confine herself to a box, she hops in and out of niches from hip hop and reggae to opera and musical theatre, all coming together to hold female empowerment to a bright light with a gritty and enigmatic presence that cannot be shunned.
STORRY’s deluxe version of ‘CH III: The Come Up’ was released yesterday (24th January). Have a listen to this stunning collection below…
Must Listens: Bow Down, I Don’t Wanna Get High, Suburban Bitches, A Lost Find, Wanna Get High (Junia-T Remix)
New Lease Music 