Tag: hip-hop

Check Out Alus & Cakes Da Killa Sultry Video For Latest Track, ‘Wig’

Coming on the back of her ambitious 52 Shades of Alus series, which saw her release a new original song every week throughout 2020, amassing over one million plays along the way, rising pop-R&B star and singer/songwriter ALUS is back with a new single ‘WIG!’ in collaboration with prolific New York rap house artist CAKES DA KILLA in celebration of Pride Month. The single comes with a captivating new music video and the release of an exclusive NFT auction of the visuals, with proceeds going towards LGBTQ+ charity Transgender Law Center.

Shot and directed by burgeoning filmmaker Sally Tran, with choreography by Omari Brown (Justin Bieber, Ashanti, Chris Brown), the music video for ‘Wig!’ is a choreographed interpretation and embodiment of what using the term feels like. The track sonically evokes confidence, sass and freedom from Alus and Cakes Da Killa, which is what the dance-led video represents in the form of a one-take shot on 16 mm film, featuring a cameo appearance from trans model and actress Yén Nguyen, and a vocal sample from Canada’s Drag Race star Lemon.

Driven by a vision to inspire all and serve as a beacon of solidarity and women empowerment, Alus stems from a lineage of talented musicians and has always been drawn to music, taking inspiration from her touring violinist grandmother who attended the revered Juilliard, and performed with Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack. Classically trained with guitar and piano skills, Alus comes with co-signs from Nicki Minaj, Big Sean and Steve Rifkind, scene-stealing performances at Madison Square Garden, SXSW and Nassau Coliseum, and has been championed by MTV, VIBE Magazine, Ladygunn, Popdust and Flaunt Magazine, among others.

Check out the fierce video for ‘Wig’ below…

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Hip-Hop/R&B Artist Babylung Drops Track, ‘Funny Innit?’ Ahead Of Album

BABYLUNG digs deep into his past with his anthemic and celebratory new single ‘Funny Innit’ which follows the release of previous single ‘Betrayal’ and is the 2nd single from his forthcoming album To Live And Die In Surrey, slated for late on 30th July.

Babylung says of his newest release: “‘Funny Innit?’ is a song reflecting on my juvenile delinquency, now as a young adult with a redemption story to tell. I recently drove past the Surrey Police Department and remembered having to meet monthly with my probation officer when I was 13. Passing by there, now having traveled the world thanks to music, graduating, and working in the music industry, I knew I’d come too far to end up in that dark place again. I’m college-educated, musically gifted, alive – everything I wasn’t supposed to be. Funny innit?’”

For Babylung, ‘Funny Innit’ is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reflecting on his past. On To Live And Die In Surrey (TLADIS), he psychoanalyzes the ego death of his destructive youth and the birth of a new identity found in love, passion, and purpose. The album reveals Babylung’s inner dialogue, touching on his dark past as an at risk youth, his search for meaning as a juvenile delinquent, and the passionate pursuit of his new found life in music. Babylung reflects on his journey, now with an understanding that his past only empowered him to discover his true creative destiny.

Have a listen to ‘Funny Innit?’ below…

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Listen To 705’s Lemon Pepper Freestyle (Drake Cover)

After the successful release of his cover to CJ’s ‘Whoopty’ and Fredo Bang X Kevin Gates – No Security ‘Babarian’ 705 continues the wave of covers and freestyle by jumping on the ongoing ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’ wave, where he talks straight from the heart about family and personal beliefs.

The London rapper says of this latest release: “Before jumping on the beat, I felt with the likes of Meek Mill and Drake dropping dope contents on this beat, I cannot afford to be mediocre. I thought why not just vibes and be your self.”

Why not check out 705’s version of ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’….

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Song of the Day: Menace – BXKS

Hailing from Northampton via Luton, BXKS is a sonic breath of fresh air in the UK rap scene. Her astonishingly quickfire bars and a slick, sharp assurance alongside genre bending and experimental beats full of dreamy samples are all heard through her single, ‘Menace’ produced by P-rallel.

Speaking on ‘Menace’ BXKS says: “Menace is a story about me. It’s about me being aware of my abilities and doing what needs to be done to accomplish my set goal – “please don’t play me”. It’s also a rhetorical question to the listeners :). The artwork (by cocoa juice) is based on “neon genesis” the anime.”

‘Menace’ forms part of BXKS’ debut mixtape ‘Full Time Daydreamer’ released on Friday, 11th June via Marathon Artists. Including previous singles ‘Packed In’ and ‘Work Like ft. KISH!’ which were widely supported by i-D, Target, Mary Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova and Rinse FM (playlisted twice), ‘Full Time Daydreamer’ is an eclectic eight-track “playful playlist” crafted mainly with producers TK and P-rallel, lyrically covering everything from rap brags to being broke, all with a bouncy, deft ease to her delivery, mirroring the fun escapist world BXKS wants the tape to represent.

Here’s your first taste to the mixtape; have a listen to ‘Menace’.

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Song of the Day: Forgiveness – The High Breed

UK-based hip-hop collective THE HIGH BREED make their return to the scene with single “Forgiveness”, their first release of 2021. The track showcases the collective’s unique hip-hop style, effortlessly blending conscious, relatable lyricism with hypnotic, trap-infused production.

‘Forgiveness’ starts with an organ-inspired synth that instantly connects you to the song’s biblical theme, with the rolling drums and piercing hi-hats giving the song the punch it needs to deliver its weighty philosophical message.

Speaking more on the track, The High Breed say, “‘Forgiveness’ is an honest dialogue about what forgiveness truly means to the individual who has done wrong in a world full of self-denial. It is an expression and an acceptance of the ‘shadow self’, a vulnerable confession about the darker nature of our humanity and a poetic discourse on the morality of the human soul, highlighting the battle between virtue and temptation that no person throughout any age has ever been free from.”

Having gained traction with a string of releases last year, such as ‘Star Dwellers’ and ‘Meet the Gods’, and receiving support from BBC Introducing, the independent DIY collective are set to continue their momentum with single ‘Forgiveness’, now on all platforms.

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