Mixtape Review: First Things First – Kid Cut

First things first – no pun intended – KID CUT is not messing around with his debut project, ‘First Things First’ . His ambition for a place in the underground hip-hop scene is felt in his fire-skippy flow and every word he presents.

The collection caught fire from the very beginning, alternating between uptempo blazing beats and laid back, after hours mixture of R&B and hip-hop, driven by a go-all-hard bassline. Deeper into the mixtape and that bassline only gets infectiously dense with KID CUT going all in by putting that extra oomph into his delivery.

I’m telling you, this guy is a real contender; check out his work.

Must Listens: Feel Alive, Scrub, Telling Lies, Unreachable, Love Kid Fuck Cut.

New Track: Hit The Ceiling – Lion Babe

New York-based duo LION BABE have unveiled their song, ‘Hit The Ceiling’. Produced by the band’s own Astro Raw – aka Lucas Goodman – the summer-ready track features a psychedelic (ish)  mix of funk, soul, electronics along with singer Jillian Hervey’s signature sultry vocals.  The latest single is taken from their forthcoming new project, which is set for release this summer.

Earlier this year, the band shared the first taste of the project via the funk jam ‘Rockets’ featuring Moe Moks, which received its first look on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 program. The forthcoming project will be the first studio release from LION BABE since their 2016 debut album, Begin. The album, which was released amid a wave of acclaim and attention, featured the career-defining singles ‘Jump Hi’ and ‘Treat Me Like Fire’ and found the duo collaborating with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Childish Gambino.

Last summer, the duo released the sun-kissed mixtape, ‘Sun Joint’, which coincided with their first headline US tour and a string of international festival performances, including Glastonbury, ESSENCE, Afropunk, Reading & Leeds and more.

Recently, LION BABE’s Astro Raw shared his debut mixtape project, ‘rawmix vol 1’. The 14-track project mixes Astro Raw’s stellar, one-of-a-kind production with his infectious, genre-defying sounds, seamlessly mixing R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk and dance…when you have the time, check it out.

For now, charge up for weekend and listen to ‘Hit the Ceiling’.

 

New Track: Casey Conroy – Something In Mind (Mediatrix Remix)

London producer Nina Moore – aka MEDIATRIX – works her magic on Casey Conroy’s latest single, ‘Something In Mind’, giving the almost stripped back piece an Iberian summer vibe.

Casey Conroy is already generating buzz with her latest single and innovative cover versions online including ‘Answer song’ remixes of Passionfruit (Drake) and Only One (Lido).

The 18 year old Orlando singer/songwriter joins MEDIATRIX’s list of makeovers, which includes remixes for Vlad Lucan and Lenno for Axtone Records (Axwell) plus legendary LA rapper Tairrie B.

Listen to the upcoming master at work…

New Track: Crud – Angel

 

Following the release of reggae/R&B fused track ‘Hi-Grade’, hot property ANGEL comes back, slamming down another banger entitled ‘Crud’.

The irresistibly smooth R&B number is coming from the Londoner’s latest EP, ‘Her’, which cranked up over 2.5 million streams since its release last year.

I’m telling you now: this is too good to pass up; better have a listen.

 

New Track: Opposite Interests – Artan

Cultivating a buzz in the underground music scene, ARTAN elevates the levels even further with the release of his brand new single ‘Opposite Interests’.

Entwining slick melodies with clever rap verses, ARTAN gives a fresh dimension to his music as he makes a seamless transition between singing and rapping- alternating between different flows.

The enchanting instrumental consisting of xylophone and piano samples echoes through the introduction and bleeds into his opening hook. The production, courtesy of Katmundu, oozes with summer vibes and gears us up for the season.

2016 opened the floodgates to a wave of interest following his debut release on Bl@ckbox, where he demonstrated his fiery flow. This consequently lead to an array of support from major online platforms such as Link Up TV, GRM Daily and SBTV for his latest releases.

‘Opposite Interests’ is taken from his debut E.P ‘Breaking Stereotypes’, released last Wednesday, which captures ARTAN’s eclectic sounds and delivery.

So here’s your chance to check out the first installment from his latest E.P.