Tag: birmingham

Marnz Malone drops video for track ‘Ball 4 U’, dedicated to his friend who passed away

Infamous Birmingham rapper MARNZ MALONE, who is currently incarcerated, has shared the official video for ‘Ball 4 U’ lifted from his previous project ‘Maktub’.

This track is a heartfelt one dedicated to his friend who passed away before turning 18, letting him know that even though he’s no longer with us, he will still be there for him and his family. It shows a deep side to Marnz Malone and how he can bring sentiment to his unique UK rap tracks.

The rising rapper is recognised for his laid-back style of flowing words into intricately pieced together verses that make up his tracks.

Alongside the release of the video, Marnz Malone has also dropped his new project ‘Tina’s Boy’, earlier this month (9th February). The 14-track collection is his third full release, which invites you into his world with tracks such as ‘Tina’s Son’ which talks about him growing up, ‘Went To War’ ft. Potter Payper gives you a snippet of both of their lives, and more tracks full of storytelling and life lessons.

Why not check out the the project at some point…but before you head off, catch the ‘Ball 4 U’ visualiser below…

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Song of the Day: Fade Away – Ricardo Williams

Following a prolific journey in the R&B landscape, RICARDO WILLIAMS unveils ‘Fade Away,’ a soul-stirring R&B slow jam that signals a poignant farewell to a familiar sound and heralds the dawn of an invigorated artistic path. Drawing inspiration from the heartfelt undertones in Summer Walker’s ‘Say My Name,’ Ricardo crafts a narrative that mirrors his own experiences, feelings of loss, and the rediscovery of his artistic essence.

The inception of ‘Fade Away’ came about at a deeply personal space, a time when Ricardo felt detached from his creative self, grappling with a loss of direction in his music. This period of artistic stagnation, characterised by months of being unable to write, urged him to channel the feelings of letting go into the
realm of relationships, creating a metaphor that beautifully depicts his evolving relationship with music.

Ricardo shares, “This song came about from a time when I felt like I had lost my essence as an artist, chasing the wrong things and losing my spark in the process. ‘Fade Away’ is a testament to the journey of rediscovery, using the pain and the detachment as a metaphor woven into a relationship narrative. It marks the end of an era and the exciting beginning of what’s next, a rebirth of Ricardo Williams.”

‘Fade Away’ bears the authenticity of a heartfelt goodbye, a relinquishment of the past, and a warm embrace of the promising future. It resonates as a beacon of renewal, the culmination of one chapter and the eager step into another, carrying the hallmark of Ricardo’s immersive R&B with a fresh and revitalised spirit.

As Ricardo prepares to explore fresh horizons, immersing himself in the studio in anticipation of an upcoming album, ‘Fade Away’ stands as a sincere note to fans, an invitation to witness the transformation and to grow alongside an artist ready to bare his soul in new, profound ways.

Have a listen to ‘Fade Away’ below…

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Song of the Day: All Your Lovin’ – Nigel Hinds (ft. Zara Sykes

Birmingham (UK) native singer NIGEL HINDS’ single ‘All Your Lovin’’ evokes all those bedtime thoughts for a love interest, over a sensuous soulful groove provided by producer Xtof .The single features a dynamic feature from fellow Birmingham native, rapper Zara Sykes who brings a hip hop flare, reiterating Nigel’s steamy sentiments.

‘All Your Lovin” is taking from Xtof’s Mixtape ‘Damian’, released in June and follows previous track “Ghostin’, which has generated over 50,000 streams on Spotify and received firm support from radio stations across the globe.

Over the past few years, Nigel has been pushing out a string of fresh spins of 90s/noughties soul R&B with Xtof via his label SmokingsForCoolPeople; ‘All Your Lovin’ along with Damian Mixtape cements their burgeoning collaboration.

Singing from the young age of five, Nigel always enjoyed singing and listening to different types of music although his main styles are Gospel, Soul and R&B. He has also been a supporting act for Lemar, Jagged Edge and Basement Jaxx to name a few.

In 2014, Nigel released his debut EP entitled ‘Gotta Get Away’. His smooth falsetto throughout the six track set, demonstrated his prowess as a creditable R&B singer in the UK music scene.

Nigel is currently performing regularly at top music venues around the United Kingdom with Sing Baby Sing, a vocal tribute group to the Stylistics

Rapping/singing since the age of just ten, Zara has worked with Grammy nominated producer, formerly known as Ecks music, as well as collaborating with various artists including KID the Artist, Raju, Cassie Rowe, Soundmasters, Redstarr and Superbamz. She also supported Jay Z & Kanye West’s Watch the Throne (Birmingham LG Arena) Tour in 2012.

In 2014 Zara Sykes received her first official award ‘Inspiring Entertainment & Achievement Award’ by Be Inspired Youth Award in association with Somewhereto and AJN’s Annual Gala.

Her latest single, ‘Excuse Me’, also taking from Xtof’s Mixtape ‘Damian’, was supported by Jacqueline Shepherd on BBC London’s The Scene.

‘All Your Lovin” is now available across various music platforms. Check it out below…

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Song of the Day: Excuse Me – Zara Sykes (ft. Xtof)

With a sound that looks to pay homage to the smooth and romantic sound of 80s era R&B, emerging artist ZARA SYKES has shared her latest heartfelt swoon ‘Excuse Me’, featuring producer XTOF.

Lifted from XTOF’s latest compilation album ‘Damian’, ‘Excuse Me’ perfectly encapsulates the warm and breezy textures, elevated by Skyes’ stellar vocal performance.

Speaking about the release, “This track is an ode to and paying homage to Zapp and Roger’s ‘Computer Love’. Both of us are children of the 80s who grew up listening to songs such as this along with the 90s R&B and hip-hop. We wanted to take a track like ‘Computer Love’ with all its technological prowess for its time, and to put a contemporary feel to it.”

Rapping/singing since the age of just ten, Zara has worked with Grammy nominated producer formerly  known as Ecks music and has worked with various artists including  KID the Artist, Raju, Cassie Rowe, Soundmasters, Redstarr and Superbamz. She also supported Jay Z & Kanye West’s Watch the Throne (Birmingham LG Arena) Tour in 2012.

In 2014 Zara Sykes received her first official award ‘Inspiring Entertainment & Achievement  Award’ by Be Inspired Youth Award in association with Somewhereto and  AJN’s Annual Gala.

After cutting demo tracks which were used by likes of R&B group Immature, Xtof – real name Christof Jennings – started his indie label SMOKINGSFORCOOLPEOPLE this year, where he released first single ‘Excuse Me’ and his first compilation album release, ‘Damian’ this summer. Have a listen to the epic track below…

Follow Zara Banks via:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/zarasykes/

Follow Xtof via
IG: https://www.instagram.com/christofjennings/

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Jaydonclovers Shares Lyric Video For New Melodic Single, ‘But My Sister’

Birmingham’s best kept secret JAYDONCLOVER graces the blog with a lyric video for her new single, ‘but my sister’, produced by long-time collaborator and fellow 0121 resident dylantheinfamous, and with a guest feature from Bel Cobain.

Blending R&B with lo-fi hip hop, ‘but my sister’ is a hazy summer song that evokes a perfumed boudoir, where Jaydon’s sisters attempt to dissuade her from lovers that they feel are beneath her, despite her insistence that looks aren’t everything. In her own words:

“Oftentimes I run my crushes past my sisters because I know they’ll always be honest, but most times they’re a little too honest! ‘but my sister’ is about the relationships I, and many others have with their sisters; we all just want the best for each other and if it’s not the best we will let you know. After having those sisterly chats with Bel over wine and cocktails, I knew she was the sister for this feature.”

Jaydon has previously collaborated with the likes of BXKS, Jadu Jadu, phil, Black Josh & Danny Sanchez, and supported by the likes of Clash, DIY, Dummy, Trench, BBC Radio 1Xtra and KCRW.

Have a singalong to ‘but my sister’ below…

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