NERU THEE FOURTH FUGEE‘s highly anticipated album, ‘The Almanac’ comes from the back of the Baltimore emcee spending the past four years on the road, opening and performing alongside the likes of The Roots, IDK and Princess Nokia, and projects ‘The Reincarnation’ and ‘Enlightenment Era’ from 2014, both met with critical acclaim.
Produced by the Neru along with her Hippy Trippy Collective, rap rising star Deetranada, Ill Camille and Baltimore newcomer DopeSol – all who make appearances on the project – ‘The Almanac’ firmly challenges the prospective listener’s musical taste with its transcendental harmonies and trance-like kaleidoscopic melodies, which merges elements of hip hop, neo-soul, funk, ambient and psychedelic music.
‘The Almanac’ is definitely one of those albums you can kick back and relax to after a long day of hard hustle. So when you have the chance sit back, relax and broaden your musical horizons with this set…
SINCE9INE6IX makes his debut on the blog and slams down a video for his latest single, ‘TapeRecorder,’ featured on new album ‘BLE$$ED (Prod. by Neak).’
Directed by ADaD, this film features his routine of everyday grind, capturing the essence of who he is. The clip also captures the love and appreciation for family members, who provide the motivation and drive to take his music career to another level.
As regional rappers rise up through the barracks of UK music, LIL SAGO is the first to make his debut from the most northern city in England, Carlisle. Teaming up with Risky Roadz for the video release, ‘Taught Him A Lesson’ comes with a burly trap beat and a straight-talking northern accent that is set to shift the spotlight on to the previously untapped scene.
Growing up through the Channel U era and taking inspiration from the raw, vibrant D.I.Y music scene, Lil Sago tucked himself away in the forgotten corners of the north west and invented himself as a bedroom musician. Self-taught through experience and his careful analysis of his favorite musicians, he soon learnt to rap and produce his own records, gaining confidence along the way. Breaking away from the typical career avenues around him, Lil Sago has battled a number of obstacles and negativities to remain focused on his craft. ‘Taught Him A Lesson’ is an ode to the negativity and a reminder that his own passion and progress is paying off.
Building his own repertoire and learning how to self-release, Lil Sago has previously dropped ‘Homer’ with Manchester producer BeatsByAce, self-produced ‘Drippin’ and a seven-track album ‘Real Talk’, an intermixture of Hip Hop, Grime, Trap and Drill. A huge fan and contributor to the scene, he regularly hosts and performs across the county of Cumbria where he’s not only gained a loyal following but also helped build a thriving live scene.
A pioneer of British Black Music from one of the farthest corners of the country, it’s time to keep watch on Lil Sago as he teaches us all a lesson…
Canadian singer/songwriter DORIAN THORSON should be on your radar for 2020. His debut album, ‘The Come Up’, released last October, claimed the blog’s Album of the Week title for two consecutive weeks last month and went on to claim the number five spot on NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Albums of 2019 list.
NEW LEASE MUSIC has linked up with the newcomer-on-the-rise to discuss the album, his plans for 2020 and more…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How’s 2020 treating you so far?
DT: Well thank you for asking me to be a part of it. So far, the year has been great! I was able to play on the biggest stage in my home city (Saskatoon) to end 2019 and two of my featured collaborations have been released already this month. It’s been a great start.
NLM: You released your album ‘The Come Up’ last year (which secured a well-deserved place at #5 on New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2019). Have you received other accolades on the album?
DT: That was a highlight for 2019 for sure. So far, “The Come Up” has gotten some coverage on a few blogs across the world. Your blog certainly showed it the most love up to this point. The biggest milestone from its release was when “Flex” achieved over 100 thousand streams over all platforms.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
DT: I’ve been striving to be a professional musician since I was 13. Early on I was fortunate to be a part of a record label, but that experience was cut short before any real ground was covered. This album holds most of my story from then (2012) until now. The biggest challenge was doing everything myself in the production.
On another note, when you reviewed it back in December, I was really pleased to see you caught on to the “stages of a relationship” concept. My intention was to make a series of singles tell the events that brought me to this point of my life and career.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
DT: My personal favourite is “Better.” Even though the hook from “Done” was the first melody conceived for the whole project, “Better” was the first song completed for the project. The voice recording in the middle of the track was a cool story. I’ve just finished recording most of the song and I send my brother-in-law a clip on snapchat. He called me immediately and what you hear in the voice memo was the phone call. That song signified a change in my style, something really shifted after that song was made. Of course, It’s important to keep growing but it was a big step in the right direction.
NLM: Do you have any plans to release a video for any of the songs on the album?
DT: There are two out already actually. One for the first single “Trust Issues” and one for “Flex.” They are on my YouTube channel.
NLM: So how would you describe your sound to potential fans?
DT: I haven’t really figured that out myself yet, haha. Truth is I don’t really sound like anyone else. I’m heavily inspired by early Mike Posner (when he was a Hip-Hop singer), the pre-pop star version of The Weeknd, Drake, and Ne-Yo. Some compare my style to Tory Lanez because I fit right in the middle of Rnb and Rap, but at the end of the day I’m just my own thing, “Dorian Thorson.”
NLM: If you had the chance to collaborate with ONE mainstream artist on the album, who would it be?
DT: Drake feature would fit perfect.
NLM: If you had three wishes to change the music industry today, what would they be?
DT: I’m just enjoying the ride and thankful I can get paid to do what I love to do, so nothing on the industry’s part. When it comes to the people that I’ve run into outside of the industry, I wish they weren’t such haters. It’s funny how some will congratulate you when you’ve become successful, but their blood leaves their face at the same time. That’s when you know they’re hoping for you fail. I’d say that would be the one thing that I’d like to change. Everyone be more supportive, man! That hater shit is whack.
NLM: How can potential fans contact you?
DT: You can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Tidal, Deezer, and all by searching “Dorian Thorson.” If you want to contact me, Instagram is best. I’m on Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tiktok via @dorianthorson. Twitter is a bit different at @dorthorson.
NLM: Finally, any New Year’s resolution(s)?
DT: I was hoping to take a break from making music for a while, but now I find myself busier than I’ve ever been. I’m just going to be consistent with giving my followers new music and hope to grow the following worldwide. On a personal note, I’m looking to get my physical and mental health back in order.
Two fries and a shake later, A1 bounces back with his third installment of his store run series – ‘Store Run 3′, released on New Year’s day.
Starting off with a sample from Alicia Keys’ hit ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ this mini set continues from the previous store run installments by encompassing a mixture of retro soul, 90s-inspired laid-back soulful R&B with a dash of slum village-esque boombap. The star of the show was the Brookyln’s native rapid-blazing flow ripping through the tranquil bars.
Check out ‘Store Run 3’ HERE and listen to a serious hip-hop contender who’s on a steady rise.
NERU THEE FOURTH FUGEE‘s highly anticipated album, ‘The Almanac’ comes from the back of the Baltimore emcee spending the past four years on the road, opening and performing alongside the likes of The Roots, IDK and Princess Nokia, and projects ‘The Reincarnation’ and ‘Enlightenment Era’ from 2014, both met with critical acclaim.
New Lease Music 