Category: New Albums

The Scribes Return With New EP, ‘The Totem Trilogy Pt.2’

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

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April Kry’s New Album ‘Krysalis’ Will Leave You Totally Breathless

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

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Check out FLVME’s Highly-anticipated EP ‘Germander II’

After two highly successful singles in the lead up to a highly anticipated EP, FLVME has solidified his position among the best Hip Hop artists coming out of South Africa. He now releases the ‘Germander II EP.’

Germander is a species of flower that is known to have medicinal benefits, and as such, since the inception of the title ‘Germander’, Flvme made this project through the lens of this flower’s life cycle, with the intention to heal all those that consume it.

“I feel this best describes me, I am that flower, a seed planted, watered, left to dry up, revered in my season of blossoming and allowed to bloom, and that’s what the title is for,” he says.

‘Let Me Down’ was the first release of 2022 from the project and is a song about reflecting on past relationships and how they helped shape who he is, “Accepting everything for what it is and understanding that I have to go through a lot in order to grow .. overall it’s just about finding peace within myself,” he says.

Followed by ‘Prayers Up’, the second single from the EP, Flvme raps about his faith and relationship with God, of which he said, “Living in the world and how it is today, I feel like it’s only right to stay prayed up. It’s also about embracing myself as a flawed human being and understanding that the future is never promised.

Germander II finds the artist on a quest to find balance between all the high and lows of life and his career, while remaining ready for any outcome, while remembering to live in the moment. Check it out below…

Must Listens: Prayers Up, Rock For Life, What’s On Your Mind? BE Okay, Workin’ On Me

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Check out POP Buchanan’s New Album, ‘Sober Is Dope’

‘Sober is Dope’ is the second album by rapper POP BUCHANAN which highlights his entire life and his road to recovery from alcoholism.

Produced by Nudgi-Nudge, ED-APE, Scott Freebase, and K. Miles, the ‘Sober is Dope’ album is dedicated to POP’s late Uncle “Atiim” Lyn Ferguson”, Kevin “Brick Jones” Byrdsong, and the addiction recovery community. Recorded in a unique podcast style, this album brings together the Sober is Dope podcast with POP Buchanan’s music thus bridging together both worlds. With hints of motivation, real-life testimonies, raw Boom Bap beats, and solid lyrics, “Sober is Dope” is an album that Pop hopes can inspire and stand the test of time.

‘Sober Is Dope’ was released last Thursday (29th September) across various music platforms. Check it out below…

Must Listens: Dear Poppy, Black Irish, Legacy

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Preyé Shares Her Seductive EP, ‘Don’t Look Down

Nigerian singer-songwriter PREYÉ delivers her much anticipated seven-track debut EP, ‘Don’t Look Down!’ – centred around love and self-discovery. The budding songstress is unburdened and carefree as she floats on every beat, teasing unique flows and using her honeyed vocals to sing us through the many stages of finding and loving herself and the people around her.

‘Don’t Look Down!’ achieves everything a solid R&B/Soul record should – head-nodding production, evocative storytelling and an attitude that reminds you that indeed, this artist is one to pay attention to.

To anchor the release of Don’t Look Down! Preyé enlists Nigerian rapper LADIPOE for the project’s lead single ‘Love, Today’ – a perfect end-of summer track. As the two artists exchange flows over pulsing 808 drums and a lingering guitar loop, we experience a genuine chemistry and connection.

On Preyé’s ‘Love, Today’, LADIPOE delivers one of his most personal verses to date, opening up about balancing the realities of his recent success with his continuous quest to find peace and never lose sight of who he is. Preyé’s enchanting refrain, “Don’t let them waste it, we got love, today .. we got love, today!” soulfully reassures her listeners that: although life can be unpleasant, there is always something to be grateful for. Preyé wrote this song after a period of feeling stagnant and her delivery is charged with the same sense of reassurance she herself needed at the time.

Preyé continues to show a level of mastery with her writing and vocals that is truly exceptional and highlights a star in the making. In June, Billboard listed her single single ‘Malibu’ as one of their Top R&B finds. She was also recently selected as one of six artists for Spotify’s Africa Month global campaign, Spotify Sounds of Africa, alongside LADIPOE, Zoë Modiga, Nomfundo Moh, Chris Khaiga and Nikita Kering. Have a listen to Preyé’s latest EP below…

Must Listens: Red Wine, Love Today, Malibu

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