After more than seven years, D’Z and two-time Grammy Nominee Sandra St. Victor have teamed up for the remake of George Michael’s hit song ‘FREEDOM’ to create a funky party vibe with a new arrangement featuring tight horns, a groovy rhythm section, and the soulful voice of Sandra St. Victor.
Sandra, known for her work with Prince, Curtis Mayfield, Paula Abdul, Nile Rodgers, and being part of soul/funk trio The Family Stand, was immediately drawn to the re-imagined version of ‘FREEDOM’ and gladly lent her voice to the song.
d’Z – real name Hans-Peter de Zeeuw – is a Dutch drummer, composer, songwriter, and producer who frequently collaborates with international artists, including Katie Léone, former singer of the band Incognito, and has won several music awards.
The remake of ‘FREEDOM’ is now out on all streaming platforms. Have a listen below…
Toronto’s THEO TAMS released his take on the R.E.M. single, ‘Losing My Religion,’ on June 1st to coincide with Pride Month.
The artist’s moody and intense rendition of the song has a personal resonance, given his queer identity and the toxic role that religion played in his upbringing. Beginning as a piano ballad, the song develops a darkly electronic tone as it unfurls.
“There are so many members of the LGBTQIA community that have been burned by religion and the hate that is often disguised as ‘Christian love.’” says Tams.
“I was raised in a really strict reformed Christian household where I felt from the get go that who I was at my core was ‘wrong’ and needed to be ‘cured.’ So many lyrics of this song resonated with me; I often felt like I had to choose being my authentic self or push it all down and choose God. It’s such a dangerous and sickening way of growing up.”
The song’s themes extend to Tams’ design choices for the single cover, which he describes as having a ‘Jesus-esque’ look about it.’ The rainbow sunbeam serves as an accent to this religious imagery.
“I’ve always held on to the light of authenticity and truth throughout these moments of darkness and judgement,” Tams adds. Have a listen to Theo’s take on ‘Losing My Religion’ below…
Canadian singer Bryan Adams released his hit single ‘Summer of ’69’ on 17th June 1985. On the heels of the Rock anthem’s 38th anniversary, the viral rap sensations known as THE HOODIES share their take on the original song’s concept. Released to all major digital streaming platforms on this year’s summer solstice (21st June), the new single finds brothers E-Class and Young Poppa claiming dominance ahead of the season with braggadocious raps over producer A2’s chopped sample of the original melody and famous guitar riff.
Hailing from New York, The Hoodies are brothers Eben “E-Class” Nettles and Umar “Young Poppa” Abrams. The duo’s name serves as a tribute to the unjust government-sanctioned killings of young Black men, reclaiming the often demonized symbol of a Black man in a hoodie. Together, older brother E-Class (25) and younger brother Young Poppa (17) embody the fusion of two disparate generations and, consequently, imbue Hip-Hop’s throwback era as well as its promising future.
Best known for their viral social media freestyle series ‘In The Whip’, the two young emcees have been honing their craft since the ages of nine and four respectively. With impressive wordplay matched by sharp flows and an unrivalled ferocity in their delivery, The Hoodies first became internet sensations in 2016 when a video recording of the two trading bars over Jadakiss and Styles P’s “One More Step” in the front seats of their mother’s car racked up over three million views on Facebook within a month. The clip eventually caught the attention of famous fans like D.L. Hughley, and even landed the two brothers on The Ellen Show.
Since then The Hoodies have gone on to release a full-length album (Blood Thicker) in 2019 and an EP (Where Should We Land) in 2020. They’ve also gone on to deliver electrifying performances for just about every online freestyle platform, including Hot97’s Funk Flex, Sway’s OVERTIME, Bars On I-95, and many more. Rap legends such as Black Thought, Fat Joe, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Jadakiss, and Styles P have all vehemently co-signed the duo. With rightful comparisons to The Notorious B.I.G, Young Poppa’s talents extend beyond Rap and onto the small screen with supporting acting roles in shows like NBC’s The Last OG and Law & Order, Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and more.
Check out the video below, directed by Corey Hallam and Tiffany Abrams…
After working on their successful underground R&B single ‘Magic,’ which is now at 30 plus weeks on BET Soul, DJ DAP and Kent Jones have decided to drop their next single, ‘For The Streets’, a never before released project which Jones worked on with the likes of super star Memphis rapper Yo Gotti along with other superstars Ty Dolla $ign and K Camp.
Kent Jones dropped a mixtape back in 2016 with the track then called ‘Hello’ and teamed up with DJ DAP to release the project under 850 Records for DJ DAP’s anticipated album, From Panama City To Tallahassee.
“I’m Super excited to be working on this project with a brother like Kent Jones who understands the importance of coming back home and working with the hometeam to elevate the city,” says DJ DAP.
Montreal-based singer and songwriter ANNABEL GUTHERZ returns with a reimagined version of her latest single, ‘Retrograde (Epic Remix).’
For the remix, Annabel worked with Los Angeles-based producer Bret “Epic” Mazur to put a lively new spin on the track. While many know Epic from his role in the band Crazy Town, he is also an accomplished producer who has helped develop some of the biggest names in music (Black Eyed Peas, New Edition, BBD).
“It was so amazing and humbling getting to work with Bret ‘Epic’ Mazur on this remix,” Annabel says. “I am so grateful for his talents and for the summer spin on he put on the song.”
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