AIDAN SKIRA wrote ‘In Your Shoes’ at a time when people took advantage of him, mistaken his kindness for weakness; he’s always there when his friends needed a shoulder to cry on, but the gesture was never reciprocated when he needed support.
So Aidan tried putting himself in their shoes, imagining what life would be like if he cared about others in the way they cared for him. Showcasing a brooding fusion in melodic R&B and trap-hop, the message behind ‘In Your Shoes is to simply protect yourself from those who drain your good nature – continue to shine and be that kind person who offers support that those really appreciate it.
Jersey’s alternative hip-hop artist and self-proclaimed misfit REG MASON unveils his introspective new single ‘HANDSHAKES’,’ featuring fellow NJ rapper and long-time friend GINI. Surfacing as a stream of charismatic consciousness, Mason separate his childhood dreams of being a musician from being a member of the music business. Produced by CURT, the old-school hip-hop inspired production tickles a nostalgic spot in the brain, filled with soulful, horn-led instrumentals that perfectly lay the foundation for Mason’s ferociously catchy bars to take center stage. ‘HANDSHAKES’ is an ode to entering adulthood, as Mason step into this next phase of his artist career with his eyes set on the prize, all while embracing his newfound mantra of it’s not personal, it’s just business.
According to Mason, the energy between the two emcees in ‘HANDSHAKES’ recreates a snapshot of what it looked and felt like to be rapping as young teenagers growing up in Union, NJ. “We would walk up and down our main street outside of our high school on Burnett Avenue and rap for hours. “HANDSHAKES’” is a recreation of the excitement and creativity that fueled us to rap as kids. The beat reminded me of childhood bliss, so the lyrics practically crawled out of me and took on a life of their own. “HANDSHAKES’” allowed me to reflect on the years I’ve spent creating my own world within my music, including the growing pains and the pushback that came with it.”
The accompanying music video (co-directed by Mason and CURT) is set at Mason’s uncle’s house in Orange, New Jersey, where he spent most of his days as a kid and found his love for music. The scene captures the artist-producer duo creating the track with GINI, shining light on the spontaneous, gritty, no-nonsense Jersey chemistry that fills the room. The scene is interpolated with home-video footage from Mason’s father’s camcorder that was captured when he was a kid, resulting in a whirlwind of nostalgia that serves as a nod to the passage of time, furthering his message of “no matter how much life as a musician throws at me, we’re all just tending to our inner child.”
Alongside ‘HANDSHAKES’, Mason released his debut album TESTDRIVE, last Wednesday (2nd August). The single signifies Mason’s coming into himself as an artist more than ever, crafting a sound uniquely his own while solidifying himself as one to watch as he continues his run of self-reflective, experimental hip-hop…check out the video below…
STATIK SELEKTAH continues his red-hot momentum with a new visual for ‘The New Joe’ featuring NEMS off of his latest album, Round Trip. Directed by Frankie Fire, the video finds Statik and NEMS posted on the block while the ‘Bing Bong’ rapper affirms his status as the new Joey Crack (Fat Joe) of rap.
With hip hop turning 50 this year, Statik’s tenth studio album proves that the genre is alive and well. Round Trip, released in June via Mass Appeal, is a 20-song collab project with legendary acts, promising prospects, and up-and-coming artists who are pushing the culture forward on their own terms. Upon its release, the album racked up press praise from the likes of XXL, HipHopDX, The FADER, AllHipHop, Okayplayer, BET, and more.
Round Trip is a continuation of the boom-bap production style that made the mixtape maverick-turned-media-personality into a cultural mainstay. It’s the follow up to his collaborative project with Kota the Friend, To See a Sunset (Deluxe), and the relevance of the album is all too clear. When you begin to draw parallels between his popular releases of the early 2000s and the current state of his catalog in today’s market, you’ll see that Statik is very selektive about who he works with – and rightfully so.
DOWNTOWN KAYOTO, the project of Zimbabwe born, Hull UK based musician Chiko Chinyadza, has released his new EP ‘Learning in public’. Working with New York based producers Frankie Scoca (Dreamer Isioma, Nina Cobham) and Jack Laboz (María Isabel, Alice Longyu Gao) on its creation, the EP brazenly oscillates between bouncing house, trap and UK grime, dynamic indie-rock-flavoured hip-hop and agile UK-garage tinged R&B.
A voyage of self discovery and ultimately a project fuelled by the act of taking risks, across the six tracks on ‘Learning in public’, Chinyadza explores his own artistry and feelings of futility and listlessness on “Lite”, self improvement and personal growth on “Changed it” and “Run from you”, and examines his own relationships on “In2you” and “Poison”, with the latter going deeper into themes of self pity, accountability and empathy within those relationships. Check it out below…
After claiming the Blog’s Music Video of the Week title with visuals for ‘Get Up Dad’ on US Father’s’ Day, MIKE BODY bounces right back with another visual for infectious track, ‘Reach 4 The Stars’. Check it out below…
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