Tag: hip-hop

Review: Richie Ashwin –Richie Ashwin

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1. Glass Heart
2. Hold Your Breath
3. Until We Bleed (Ft. Lykke Li)
4. Chasing Summer
5. Dear Ex

Blessed with good looks, you could say that RICHIE ASHWIN could easily fit in a manufactured boy band. But beyond the mesmerising exterior, lies some serious (and I mean serious) talent that definitely is too good for any mainstream group (sorry!)

The British singer, songwriter and producer recently released his self-titled EP on SoundCloud and so far he has developed a fan base particularly in Chicago! This five track album offers atmospheric R&B infused with an element of dubstep and hip-hop, coupled with lyrics that exposed pure love, lust and some serious heartache (man, who hurt this guy!)

Ever wondered what atmospheric R&B sounds like? Listen to Glass Heart. If you’re unfamiliar with Ashwin’s work, Glass Heart is the perfect introduction, as the second you hear this Londoner’s cool and collected vocals, you’ll realise that this guy means business!

Well, I thought Glass Heart was an eyebrow-raising moment for me, until I heard Hold Your Breath. As I was enjoying the oh- so-smooth vocals, Ashwin suddenly breaks into an equally soothing rap – I was surprised, pleasantly surprised! To top it off, I was exposed to more of his casual-rapping style in Until We Bleed and dubstep-infused Chasing Summer. It suddenly dawned on me that Ashwin is not just a talented singer/songwriter, but a super fly rapper that could easily make it in the mainstream.

The EP ends with a high with the hip-hop infused Dear Ex where you really appreciate this multi-talented guy as a rapper. As I said before, this is an excellent introduction to this artist – I think I’ve witnessed a birth of a star…DRAKE, move over!

I’m begging you, have a listen to this EP and rest assured, you’ll enjoyed it as much as I did! If you’re loving the songs –I have good news for you- you can download the entire EP for FREE (yes, free) on SoundCloud!

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Young Johnnie Handsome – Born II Win

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I feel there’s definitely something missing from the music industry today – and that’s good old fashion hip-hop. Upcomer Rashid Hall, better known by stage name Young Johnny Handsome is not afraid to bring back that missing hard-hitting hip-hop with his debut EP, Born II Win. The leading song, Sucka MC’s, produced by big time producers the Dream Team, is jam packed with head nodding, infectious beats coupled with super fast rapping and quick-witted-straight talking lyrics, which definitely brings me back to LL Cool J in his heyday.

The leading single certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Since the release of Sucka MC’s, Young Johnnie Handsome has rapidly gained a solid fan base and has already been widely compared to an early Nas (Hmmm, not sure about that – he definitely reminds me of a young LL Cool J). Things are quickly gaining momentum for the 25 year old – his video to Sucka MC’s was featured on a host a music websites, including Hot ’97 and has caught attention of a string of mainstream producers.

So what’s the next step for Young Johnny Handsome? With thousands of screaming fans and big producers knocking (no scrap that) BANGING at his door, who knows – anything is possible for this New Jersey rapper. Maybe this time next year (or even sooner), his forthcoming singles will become a very firm fixture in the charts.  So just remember the name – YOUNG JOHNNIE HANDSOME.

 

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