Olúwamáyọ̀wá by OLOYE “Oluwamayowa” COLDMAN is the reflection of a life saga and true story being depicted in just four tracks, but can be viewed as just a picture in your mind from lines to verses.
It’s a story of how he fractured his wrist whilst playing football and despite being in excruciating pain, he never give up and carried on with a smile.
Olúwamáyọ̀wá aims to inspire each and every soul, reviving the saddened mind and putting a smile of triumph on the faces of people. Have a listen to the inspirational set below…
A year and a half after releasing his critically-acclaimed Fireside Chats album, producer JASON GRIFF is back again with ‘Fireside Chats 2’, flipping punk rock songs into scorching beats featuring over 20 of the best artists in indie rap. Familiar voices such as Defcee and Curly Castro return on the second installment as well as new collaborations with artists like AJ Suede, Fatboi Sharif, Brian Ennals and more.
The Fireside Chats projects are inspired by Griff’s love of the punk rock scene in Chicago in the late 90s, when he often made the trip from the far reaches of the Northwest suburbs to the Fireside Bowl on Fullerton Ave. The iconic bowling alley-turned venue-turned bowling alley again is featured on the cover of the album. Griff came up with the idea to flip punk rock samples during a time when producers were so heavily leaning into flipping soul samples, and he wanted to do something he felt was new and unique to the world of sample-based hip-hop. The result was Fireside Chats.
The second instalment in the series leans more heavily into the collaborative spirit than the first. Eight of the ten songs feature more that one rapper, often highlighting fresh pairings that we have yet to hear, e.g Brian Ennals and Alex Ludovico on ‘KetaMegan’ and Bobby Noble (of PenPals) and Love, Ulysses on ‘Laser Eyes.’ The album is also fortunate to include another posthumus verse from the late Lorde Jones Scorcese, as he pairs with longtime friend and collaborator NiceyMost on the banger ‘PB & J Flow (Ode to Dipset).’ Scorcese had originally recorded the song for the first Fireside Chats, but it was withheld from the album after his passing in order to include it on Fireside Chats 2.
Also featured on this murderer’s row of indie rap talent are Ace Cannons, Teller Bank$, Billa Camp (Low Down Brass Band), King Micah the Infamous, Doampeace (DXA), Rapswell (PenPals), Alaska (Hanger 18, Def Jux), Zilla Rocca, andrew and Jesse the Tree.
Why not check out the fire collection below and the blog’s song recommendations below…
Must Listens: Seen Team, DISCMAN, PB & J Flow (Ode to Dipset), KetaMegan, Laser Eyes
THEO TAMS‘ brand new EP, ‘Trilogy IV,’is a series of energetic and boundary pushing collections of pop and R&B laced jams. The mini set includes single, ‘Kick Back’ a seriously slick R&B joint which offer encouragement just to be ourselves to the potential partner.
Alongside the release of the EP, Theo Tams shares single,’Hit and Run,’ which blends a hard pop edge with disco influences to reflect on the aftermath of a previous relationship. ‘Hit and Run’ finds Tams assessing the damage, looking back at the red flags and learning from them for the future.
“I’m a lot better at spotting bullshit than I used to be, so even though it hurt like hell I’m thankful for what the experience taught me,” he explains.
‘Trilogy IV’ EP was released yesterday (13th October) across various music platforms. Have a listen below…
Bristol based outfit THE SCRIBES (Ill Literate & Jonny Steele) drops the long awaited ‘The Totem Trilogy 2’, the second EP of the three part Totem series. The 8 track EP was made in collaboration with renowned producer Vince Beats.
The project features a wide range of talent from across the UK and US. Dizzy Dustin (Ugly Duckling) joins the group on horn-laden anthem ‘Hype’ for some braggadocious transatlantic wordplay, while Akil The MC (Jurassic 5) returns with a soulful rework of ‘Get Down’.
London based lyricist Donnie Numeric, also brings his trademark thoughtful flow to ‘Focus’, a bouncy and energetic track that also features the breathtaking sound of the 98 piece Birmingham Symphony Youth Orchestra.
The Scribes and their unique blend of Hip Hop combined with Rock, Funk and more have been a stalwart of the UK and international hip hop scene for well over a decade. Firm festival favourites across Europe with frequent appearances at Glastonbury, Electric Picnic, Isle Of Wight, Latitude, Boomtown and many more, The Scribes have shared mics with the likes of Wu Tang Clan, MF DOOM, Macklemore, Rudimental, KRS One and De La Soul. Ill Literate and Jonny Steele compliment each other’s vocals perfectly, with the duo always finding innovative instrumentals to merge their styles, leading to regular airplay on BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC 6 Music.
Vice beats has been steadily amassing a bank of releases that have supported the Bristol based producer to create the only official UK based J Dilla tribute to date. With support from the likes of DJ Premier, Chuck D and BBC introducing to name but a few, his production is gaining traction worldwide. He has worked with the likes of Blu, ASM, A-Plus (Souls Of Mischief / Hieroglyphics), Pseudo Slang, Nutty P, Brotherman and many more with a slew of upcoming projects.
The Scribes x Vice beats – The Totem Trilogy 2, is now out across major digital music platforms. Check it out below…
NLM Recommendations: Sixties, All I Can Say, Get Down
Nashville-based singer/songwriter APRIL KRY‘s new full-length concept album, Krysalis, is the reason why she’s often dubbed as the “tiny girl with a big voice”. Her powerful emotive vocal delivery glides over, at large, the featherlight soulful pop melodies leaves the prospective listener with a tear in the eye.
Speaking of her ten-track project, April says“This body of work was written over a period of 2+ years. It was a transformative chapter of my life where I was forced to look at myself in the mirror and reflect on why I chose to create in the first place. Recording this album while pregnant, and in a global pandemic was challenging, but worth it. In these songs, you will hear moments of self-reflection, extreme highs and lows, and everything in between. Creating life, celebrating love, and examining my time in the music industry. I’ve learned that using my voice to inspire is more important than approval. No one ever talks about the season of growth the caterpillar needs to go through in order to become the butterfly. You don’t know who you are or where you are going. This is the Chrysalis growing stage. and this is the story of my Krysalis.”
The album is a follow-up to her 2018 EP, Sink Or Swim which received national acclaim with songs from the EP landing a spot on the Music Row Country Breakout charts, with plays on numerous radio stations across the country, over 4 million streams across platforms, including a coveted rotation on Radio Disney Country. Her newest album explores the growing stages of life with themes of empowerment and self-reflection.
April Kry has been fortunate enough to write and work with Grammy award-winning songwriters and collaborate with some amazing talent including Nick Jonas and industry veteran, Phil Ramone. Kry pulls in heavy hitters on her new album, like Joshua Gleave (Chris Young, The Swon Brothers) and 9AM Music (Leon Bridges, Celine Dion). Talent and fans alike are drawn to Kry’s meaningful lyrics and soulful, strong, effortless tone.
Krysalis was released last Friday (30th September).Have a listen to April new album below…
Must Listens: Take The Edge Off, Scratch The Surface, B-Side, Seven or Seventeen
New Lease Music 