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

New Track: New Breath – Fliptrix

As one of the leading lights in the thriving UK hip hop scene, last month’s announcement of FLIPTRIX‘s album release for ‘INEXHALE’ caused a riot of excitement. Already teasing us with the video releases for album tracks ‘It’s Like That’ and ‘Bagging Up Music’, the conscious emcee now launches into full album mode as he drops the Chemo-produced single ‘New Breath’, premiered by DJ Target on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

With his trademark mellow tone FLIPTRIX takes us on a luscious melodic journey, delving into a variety of flows as his lyricism explores purpose in life and the social constraints around us on a daily basis.

After revealing the full tracklist for the album this week, which is produced by Chemo, Molotov & Joe Corfield, fans and music critics are itching to hear as much as they can before the album is officially released on 24th August. With UK Hip Hop royalty Skinnyman, Ocean Wisdom, Capo Lee, Coops, Carmody and more all featuring across the 16 tracks, the album provides new talent, varying genre flavours and highly respected pioneers of the UK sound.

‘New Breath’ was released on his own label High Focus Records, which has grown to be the biggest independent Hip-Hop label in the UK over the last 8 years, being home to Rag’n’Bone Man’s early projects and most recently achieving an independent Top 40 with Ocean Wisdom’s Wizville album earlier this year, FLIPTRIX has released a staggering 7 projects since 2007. He is also a member of super group The Four Owls, who dropped 2 of the most classic records in UK Hip Hop history (‘Natures Greatest Mystery’ in 2011 & ‘Natural Order’ in 2015) and have successfully toured the world numerous times and collaborated with the legend DJ Premier on the monumental ‘Think Twice’ single.

Check out the video for banger ‘New Breath’ – and if you’re in the London area on the 26th August, be sure to catch FLIPTRIX headlining his show at Jazz Cafe.

New Music Video: Celebrate – K*Ners

Connecting the dots between the worlds of Ragga and hip-hop, K*NERS is the latest in a succession of musical innovators from Bristol and he has just released the visuals for his conscious single ‘Celebrate’ via GRM Daily.

Capturing a deep sense of nostalgia, the track is laced with an old school hip-hop sound…check out the video.