Neru Thee Fourth Fugee Links Up With Bbymutha For New Track, ‘End Daze’

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…

Album Interview: The Answer – B.Eveready

It’s an absolute pleasure welcoming back B. EVEREADY on the blog. The Baltimore rapper was last featured back in 2018 with single, ‘Always Major.’

After lengthy spell away from the blog, he returns to discuss his upcoming album, ‘The Answer’ coming out tomorrow (26th February). Find out what events inspired him to produce the album – trust me, his reasons will truly resonate with you…have a read below...

NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?

BE: Pretty good so far. My family is dealing with some health challenges, we had some COVID scares, but everybody is well & on the road to recovery, so I can’t complain. We’re blessed.

NLM: You are about to drop your album ‘The Answer’, where you dropped singles ‘2BLACK2STRONG’ and The Answer (Intro) ahead of its release. What is the public perception on the singles so far?

BE: It’s been a good reception so far. The Answer (Intro) is a direct response to the book on the cover of the project – “The Negro A Beast or In the Image of God?” – and people are loving the truth I put in the track. 2BLACK2STRONG is a conscious turn up record that everybody has loved from day one. Hopefully it blows up the way I’m thinking it can.

 

NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?

BE: After dealing with the police-involved murders from last year & the protests, I felt like I had to have a project that was exclusively responding to that moment. Not to mention what was going on with the political scene. I felt like if I didn’t have something to say as a Black man, I wasn’t the artist that I thought I was. So I dug deep and came forth with these 7 tracks to speak to the times we’re living in. I feel like this expresses my point of view & thought process as a Black man in America in 2021.

 

NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?

BE: I love the first two singles (The Answer (Intro) & 2BLACK2STRONG) definitely – they stand out for different reasons. The Intro is the mission statement of the project. It just speaks straight to the heart. 2BLACK2STRONG is a record that could spawn TikTok challenges, dances, and go up in a party while giving our people pride. Outside of those, I think it’s a tie between Ferguson & 3:57AM. Ferguson is a record that I definitely shed some tears to once I finished it. It talks about the riots, but also the 3 protest leaders that died under very suspicious circumstances. 3:57AM is a record that embodies the feelings you might be feeling at that time of the morning when you are being consumed by some of these thoughts. It partially feels like a dream, and then you think about what matters most to you as an individual.

NLM: So how would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?

This is a project that is sample-heavy but embraces trap sounds. It sounds like Black Revolution & Black Liberation over a beat.

NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?

BE: It’d probably be Kendrick Lamar, because I feel like this project is my version of To Pimp A Butterfly, and I’d love to hear him over 2BLACK2STRONG.

NLM: Did the Covid pandemic presented any drawbacks in the production of your album?

BE: It presented some challenges when it came to recording because my regular studio was shut down for a while. But we overcame that challenge pretty quickly, so outside of that, we’ve been able to keep it moving.

NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?

BE: I definitely have a bunch more music coming for this year, and I can’t tell you everything that’s coming down the road, but I will tell you this: this will be my most prolific year of dropping music by far. Coming not too long after this project is the deluxe edition of my #GS2 EP, led by a single featuring MC Bravado & Kxng Crooked, so you know I’m serious with it out here.

NLM: How can potential fans find you?

BE: You can find me at my website BEvereadyRap.com, Twitter @BEveready, IG @b.eveready, or at my Bandcamp – Beveready.bandcamp.com.

NLM: Finally, any special shoutouts to those involved in the production of ‘The Answer’?

BE: Well, I definitely want to thank my wife who is a constant source of inspiration. The producers (Anno Domini, Synesthetic Nation, Baltimega, Alex Collins, Makaih Beats, Big Shot Beats), features (Jay Charles & Scholarman), and my studio & engineering folk (Lineup Room Studio, Brandon Lackey, MooseJaw, Beauvallis & Steel Tipped Dove). I appreciate what everyone brought to the table to make this project happen. And thanks to NEW LEASE MUSIC for allowing me to share this project with the world.

And just because y’all are my people, you can stream the project here before it drops anywhere else: https://beveready.bandcamp.com/album/the-answer 

B. Eveready’s album, ‘The Answer’ is out on 26th February

Album Review: Almanac – Neru Thee Fourth Fugee

NERU THEE FOURTH FUGEE‘s highly anticipated album, ‘The Almanac’ comes from the back of the Baltimore emcee spending the past four years on the road, opening and performing alongside the likes of The Roots, IDK and Princess Nokia, and projects ‘The Reincarnation’ and ‘Enlightenment Era’ from 2014, both met with critical acclaim.

Produced by the Neru along with her Hippy Trippy Collective, rap rising star Deetranada, Ill Camille and Baltimore newcomer DopeSol –  all who make appearances on the project – ‘The Almanac’ firmly challenges the prospective listener’s musical taste with its transcendental harmonies and trance-like kaleidoscopic melodies, which merges elements of hip hop, neo-soul, funk, ambient and psychedelic music.

‘The Almanac’ is definitely one of those albums you can kick back and relax to after a long day of hard hustle. So when you have the chance sit back, relax and broaden your musical horizons with this set…

Must Listens: 30 Billion (Doesn’t Matter); xRed xWhite xBlue (RWB), C-Spine

New Music Video: Get Up Dad – Mike Body

Following his appearance on NEW LEASE MUSIC with track ‘Get Up Dad’ back in July, MIKE BODY has just recently released a video for the track that encourages a father and son to rebuild their relationship.

‘Get Up Dad’ was named Song of the Week by the blog in July.

Check it out below:

EP Review: You’re Appreciated 2 – A1

Fiery freestylist A1 is back, slamming down his sequel to his 2015 EP, ‘You’re Appreciated’, which continue to show his undeniable love for the ladies…

If you heard his previous EPs this year, then you know that this slick spitter is renowned for working his magic over some modern R&B classics – so for those who are massive fans of REAL R&B, you’ve come to the right place; you’re definitely in for a treat!

Check it out right here.

Must Listens: It’s A Vibe, So Sexy, Wild Thoughts