Song of the Day: Welfman – Wolf Castle

A follow up to the Apple Music-playlisted track ‘Gunna’, Canada-based Indigenous rapper/producer, Tristan Grant – aka WOLF CASTLE‘s single, ‘Welf Man’ demonstrates a blistering display of Grant’s penchant for cadence and rhythm, marrying influences drawn from Mac Miller’s LIFE, DaBaby, Tyler the Creator and Vince Staples. Thematically, the new single is a de-colonial, working-class banger all about being dope, stylish and intelligent.

“Welf” was an insult when I was in school, short for “Welfare” used to make fun of people who were poor,” explains Grant. “My family has had their struggles and so have a lot of other people where I’m from, so I wanted to make a song that said it was okay to be from that and to do what you had to do to get by. It was my way of saying “Screw you” to those people. The insult ironically also sounds like “Wealth” and I also wanted to abbreviate it to “W.E.L.F” standing for “Working Everyday Living Famous”.

‘Welf Man’ is the second installment from his forthcoming EP, ‘Da Vinci’s Inquest’ out via the Halifax, Nova Scotia label, Forward Music Group on 6th August. ‘Da Vinci’s Inquest’ follows on from his 2020 EP Gold Rush – which scored Grant nominations for two East Coast Music Awards: Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year and Indigenous Artist of the Year.

Check him out below…

Check Out Banggz’s Video For Single, ‘Open Up’

Hailing from Ottawa, Canada BANGGZ‘s official video for single ‘Open Up’ paints a picture of a rather noxious relationship between a love interest and the man himself.

The three-minute production features the 22-year-old artist going on with his daily activities, ignoring his beau’s calls – but he eventually text her as though she had been on his mind throughout the day – ouch! With the vivid storytelling and descriptive video scenes, this piece is Banggz’s attempt to portray how toxicity affects relationships.

‘Open Up’ follows his hip-hop track ’21’, which, like his latest offering, is inspired by his life experiences. Being Nigerian, Banggz has also produced and released afrobeat influenced singles including ‘Jostice’ and ‘Yawa’.

Why not check out the video for ‘Open Up’, directed by Tani Olorunyomi under Banggz’s production company ‘Twelve07’.

Song of the Day: Twerkulator – City Girls

Hip-hop duo, CITY GIRLS‘ track ‘Twerkulator’ is one club-ready banger that showcases their unmatched confidence and a wily sense of humor over a punchy sample of the 80’s classic ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force.

For the last several months, a snippet of Twerkulator has seen a massive run on TikTok with over 1.2M+ Creates and 750 Million Views on the platform. Now, with the official release of the track available to stream, City Girls are primed and in serious contention for another song of the summer.

Check out the video for the fierce track below…

Rapper Wallie The Sensei Drops Track ‘Lamb’, Ahead Of ‘Golden Child’ Mixtape

California rapper WALLIE THE SENSEI continues his recent hot streak with a luxurious, emotional new single, ‘Lamb,’ out yesterday (18th June) on Capitol Records. The track is featured on Wallie’s new mixtape, Golden Child, out 2nd July.

The lush throwback finds Wallie effortlessly singing over a buttery beat, showcasing his one-of-a-kind flow and knack for incisive lyrics about his rise from hustling street grinder to global rap star.

‘Lamb’ comes alongside an extended run of excellence for Wallie, who dropped the low-key summertime anthem, ’03 Flow,’ in late May. The track also follows Wallie’s team-up with Detroit talent 42 Dugg on the enthralling remix of Wallie’s own hit single ‘Scandalous.’

Since the release of Wallie the Sensei’s No Love EP at the beginning of 2020, he’s quickly become a West Coast artist to watch. Respect magazine praised the ‘Scandalous’ video for showcasing Compton’s “camaraderie, hustle, and rawness,” while Rosecrans Ave highlighted Wallie’s storytelling abilities, saying he is “providing guidance to those who come after” with his pain-stricken tales. After the hit of the ‘Scandalous’ remix, Wallie the Sensei’s proved that his skyrocketing success is no fluke.

‘Lamb’ is poised to reach even more open-minded listeners. It’s an anthem for hustling Cali natives and anyone who craves a little bit of glow-up magic. Check out the video for the track below…

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…