Montreal-based indie-pop / bedroom rock band FLEECE brings along a soulful funk reminder to all of us to stop overthinking – especially about certain expectations others might have of us – and make life more simple in brand new single ‘It’s The Life’ – so go forth and act like a child, be silly, queer it up and just live your best life!
The song originally started as a live jam in the four-piece act’s practice space that they posted to TikTok. The infectious melody and steel-drum-sounding guitar, provided by producer Gus Van Go, capture the song’s fun, live-jam energy.
Released yesterday (22and March), ‘It’s The Life’ has been a massive hit at their live show as its carefree vibes the energizes the crowd…now it’s time for you to let loose and hit the play button on ‘It’s The Life’ below…
Persian-Native American pop act CHLOE STAR returns with her new single and video, ‘Straight Girls,’ out on all streaming platforms today.
Following her empowering debut release ‘Element,’ Chloe’s second single, ‘Straight Girls,’ is a high energy anthem packed with infectious trap-inspired beats and electro-pop vocals. “The song is about exploring my own sexuality,” says Chloe “I don’t know what it is, but I always find myself dating quote on quote straight girls.” The pairing music video, which was directed by Carlos “Bawwse” (Kali Uchis, Justin Bieber, Emotional Oranges) and Emilio Sanchez (Becky G, 21 Savage), is a sexy and fun-filled visual that further expands the Chloe Star universe.
Chloe Star is an indigenous singer, songwriter, visual artist and tribal advocate. Growing up she split her time between Los Angeles and her family’s reservation in San Bernardino. With a childhood that was chaotic and often unstable, she found solace in journaling and writing poetry. She taught herself to play piano and guitar and soon started transforming her prose into lyrics.
After spending the past few years finding and cultivating her sound, Chloe is now ready to make her introduction to the world. ‘Element’ and ‘Straight Girls’ will be included on her forthcoming EP due out later this year. Check out Chloe’s new single below…
MONIE LOVE has been a pioneer for British Hip Hop in the late eighties and nineties who uses the hip-hop platform to drive the message of love, unity and equality. She joined forces with fellow females emcees such as Queen Latifah, for pro-feminist song ‘Ladies First’, proving that women (who were mainly invisible in Hip Hop at that time) can rap just as well as men can.
After impressive guest performances on songs by De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers and Adeva, Monie was given a recording contract with Warner Bros, an impressive achievement for a British female rapper. Her debut album ‘Down to Earth’ featured two hit singles that were Grammy nominated – ‘Monie in the Middle’ and ‘It’s a Shame (My Sister)’.
With all the achievements she made over the years, there’s no dispute that Monie Love is one of the rap artists who paved the way for female rappers of today. Now almost 30 years later, she returns, still spreading the message of love, unity and equality in latest single ‘1NE People.’
Sporting a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop and R&B, ‘1NE Peope’ sees Monie Love dig deep into her West Indian roots and performs a melodic, reggae chant in Jamaican patois, inspired by the heartfelt mantra by Marcus Garvey – “Out of Many, One People”.
For this single – produced by up and coming music producer/engineer Roctimus Prime and legendary Grammy Nominated hip-hop producer, Baby Paul/BpZy (formerly of Da Beatminerz) – Monie enlists upcoming Ghanaian singer/songwriter Nana Fofie, who just recently signed to Nicki Minage’s new record label. Currently residing in Rotterdam, Nona Fofie drops an infectious verse, delivered in English and French, making it the perfect addition to Monie’s vocals offering a substantial and inspirational tone.
Monie Love recently guest appeared at the curated De la Soul career catalog launch and Plug 2 Tribute event which was held at Webster Hall in NYC. She performed an impromptu segment of the classic song ‘Ladies First’ with Queen Latifah, along with sharing her exuberant energy while on the stage with De La Soul as they ran through a few of their classic songs.
She’s now working on her new music project, #LoveStruck which is executively produced by Baby Paul/BpZy formerly of “Da Beatminerz” with pending collaborations from a few legends and new talent to watch out for. Look for’ Monie project, but for now, listen to ‘1NE People’, which is out now available across various music platforms
Like with so many others championing mental wellness—music has always been therapy for DMV-based Urban Pop Artist LAYNA LAE. Her brand new single titled ‘Throw It All Away’ delivers a “mental pick me up” with big feel good energy!
If a picture could speak a thousand words—the cover art for ‘Throw It All Away’ says it all. The image is an illustration of Layna Lae sitting on the side of a water fountain with the words “pain and fear” and fearful expressions dissolving in the water behind her; and the rainbow coloured water shooting out of the fountains definitely give the vibes of a brighter tomorrow.
With anxiety disorders being one of the most common mental health concerns in the United States (approximately 19.86% adults and 7% children ages 3-17)— Layna Lae is more relatable than ever as she conveys a powerful uplifting message through her own personal experiences battling lifelong fears and painful pessimistic-induced regrets.
Since Lae’s 2019 debut of her self-titled single ‘LAYNA LAE’— Layna Lae has created a new wave of her own with her ambiguous topics on lesbian relationships and nonchalant style of delivery. On a mission to make it, Layna Lae has since been nominated for various awards and performed live for the late WPGC 95.5 radio host DJ Tony Redz, Hot 97’s DJ Drewski, & Love and Hip- Hop’s reality star/rapper Trina. From her diverse ability to sing and rap, which Lae delivered in her 2022 emotionally-drenched heartfelt tribute titled ‘1949’— released after the passing of her grandfather. She followed up with a blend of pop and hip-hop melodies with her catchy and almost animated brand new single, ‘Copycat’.
Layna Lae continues to show the world a new layer of herself that can be much desired…have a listen to her euphoric single below…
Three years after the release of her seminal debut album ‘The Almanac’, which was championed by the likes of COLORS, HotNewHipHop, and Ladygunn, among others, multidimensional Baltimore lyricist, songwriter, composer, and producer NERU THEE FOURTH FUGEE is finally ready to go again, as she begins to share details of her long-awaited sophomore album titled ‘Greater Than’, which is set to be released in the summer. To whet the appetite for the highly anticipated project, the Maryland native has unveiled the project’s lead single ‘End Daze’ featuring US rap royalty BbyMutha.
Written, arranged, and composed by Neru Thee Fourth Fugee herself, with additional production from Serbian beatsmith Shotta Beatz, ‘End Daze’ is a hard-hitting collaboration from two female rap powerhouses, which sees both Neru and BbyMutha in incomparable form, as both artists flex their lyrical prowess throughout the track from start to finish. ‘End Daze’ is signature braggadocious rap in its best form, with Neru and BbyMutha addressing any detractors, whether those are old school classmates trying to act familiar, or their rap competitors, or the “bxtches hating” on them.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘End Daze’, Neru says, “The song was inspired by MF Doom and Vince Staples, while the title itself is a double entendre on ‘End Days’, referencing a catastrophic end-of-the-world event, and ‘In Daze’ connecting those moments when you find yourself lost inside your thoughts. ‘End Daze’ brings a lot of boastful and confident energy, and that’s how I want my listeners to feel when they hear the single – powerful and confident like they can take on the world. I wrote ‘End Daze’ to continue to create balance with my music, but to also show that I cannot be categorized or boxed in – my music and style transcend genres”.
With a genre-defying sound that fuses hip-hop with neo-soul, ambient, funk and psychedelic music, to create her own musical universe, Neru Thee Fourth Fugee stands out for her abstract lyricism, transcendental harmonies, and trance-like kaleidoscopic soundscapes – her music offers a thought-provoking mind-bending listening experience that allows you to use both hemispheres of your brain simultaneously. Neru Thee Fourth Fugee might remind you of early Parliament Funkadelic music, with sprinkles of the great Ms. Lauryn Hill, but she remains firmly in her own artistic lane.
Neru Thee Fourth Fugee is also the founder of Baltimore creative community, AstroKnot Collective, which she birthed in 2021, and has grown to become a staple in Baltimore’s art scene. With a common goal to elevate, cultivate, reciprocate and be great, Neru currently mentors fifteen different artists across the US, through AstroKnot. Made up of diverse musicians, visual artists, designers, and activists, among others, Neru’s AstroKnot collective curate youth drives, art residencies, music videos, concerts, community events, and more, all over the city of Baltimore.
With two critically acclaimed EPs and a seminal album already under her belt, Neru has also shared the stage with stalwarts like The Roots, Danny Brown, Oddisee, Princess Nokia, and JPEGMafia, just to mention a few, while she counts the likes of Pigeons & Planes, COLORS, Brooklyn Vegan, HotNewHipHop, and Sway’s Universe among some of her supporters. In 2023, she plans to release her sophomore album titled ‘Greater Than’, which is set to feature Wu-Tang’s Killah Priest, Metaphor the Great, and BbyMutha, with whom Neru has unveiled her brand new single, ‘End Daze’. Check it out below…
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