On Valentine’s Day, Manchester’s rapper, songwriter and record label owner of Manchester Music Group, MR. JONES has dedicated his new single, ‘You’ to his significant other over a bed of heavenly tones that’s reminiscent of the golden hip-hop era of the late eighties/early nineties. The track features his label mate, Soul 31, who graces the chorus with his velvety smooth vocal performance.
Mr Jones hit the ground running with his debut album, ‘Long Running’ and follow-up project, ‘No Time To Waste’, which collectively received way over a million streams. Quickly becoming known for his witty bars and clever rhymes, this smooth wordsmith is currently working on his third album, coming out later this later.
DFLExXx has started 2023 on a chilled vibe with ‘City Lights’, inspired by H.E.R’s hit ‘Slide’. A perfect addition to any summer playlist, the catchy chorus of this smooth RnB joint has been dominating the radio airwaves since its release late last month.
25-year-old Cardiff born Welsh rapper Darnell Ramone Williams (DFlexXx) has a unique, credible and commercial sound that is a blend of Hip Hop and Trap, predominantly rooted in the contemporary UK Rap scene. He developed his performing skills from the young age of six as part of dance troop, Jukebox Juniors, who achieved traction following their feature in a BBC Documentary and went on to appear in children’s TV shows & in films. After studying music at Bridgend College and ACM London, he discovered his natural talent for rapping and songwriting, and so decided to pursue the path of a professional rapper. Subsequently, he has released three other singles and promises a bright future in the music industry.
Well it’s time to check out DflexXx’s ‘City Lights’ below…
It took a while for SAMUEL VINCENT to finally release his music to the world, but once he started, he had no plans of stopping. His newest release, ‘Rivalry’, manages to cover a multitude of internal conflicts while maintaining his integrity in an industry that has drastically changed its priorities.
‘Rivalry’ consists of a brief introduction followed by five hard-hitting tracks. The EP is a manifestation of Samuel’s thoughts on his upbringing, the culture, and his competition, all blended into straight up bars. The never-ending mental struggle of a man battling himself is perhaps only overshadowed by entertaining and approachable yet complex bars.
There’s a universality to most of his music, but what makes these tracks unique is his self-taught journey. This is his approach, his voice. Coming from a broken home, without the time to second-guess himself, the soul of Samuel lies in knowing what makes a comedian’s life so tragic.
Samuel started out with nothing but a pencil, a pad, a keyboard, and his father’s tape recorder inside a small condo smack dab in the centre of New Jersey. Spending countless evenings trying to transcribe lyrics from influential artists like Cassidy, DMX, Biggie, Ludacris, Jadakiss, Petey Pablo, and a slew of other legends in the game, he’s had several decades of writing experience and linguistic interpretation under his belt.
So here’s your chance to witness a spitter on-the-rise; check out Samuel’s EP below, released last Friday (27th January) across various music platforms.
New York rapper NEEK BUCKS released a visual yesterday for his new single ‘Red Light,’ available now on all streaming platforms via MNRK Music Group. Produced by Hitmaka and Smatt, Neek’s storytelling is fully displayed with this latest offering. His infectious hooks speak about different scenarios on how stopping at the red light can be dangerous for himself or any of his enemies.
‘Red Light’ is the follow-up to ;Mask Up’ and ‘Count On,’ featured on Neek’s debut album ‘Blessed To The Max’. The album is executive produced by GRAMMY Award winner Hitmaka and will be released on 17th February. Both Neek and Hitmaka pride themselves on the album’s production as it covers various topics, from what is happening in the streets around him to life issues. The album also features a diverse range of talents, such as Ivory Scott and Vory, mainstream acts, such as 2Chainz and Wiz Khalifa, to legendary acts, such as CeeLo Green and Raekwon.
North Carolina’s old-school hip-hop revivalist OG SPLIFF has recently released a two-pack single offering, consisting of self-reflective tirade ‘son of toga’ and its restorative, complement, ‘building.’
The poet-turned-rapper’s introspective delivery has a nonchalant swing to it, as his syrupy bars effortlessly marry the soulful, sample driven instrumentals produced by Argov. Largely inspired by the black experience and the dialogue between himself and the man in the mirror, ‘son of toga’ sees the rising artist acknowledge his toxic traits, wanting to change but not ready to commit, while ‘building’ sees him come to terms with the reality that he will have to live with his scars, searching for a way to move forward.
OG Spliff’s life has always been steeped in a variety of musical influences. He explains, “My pops was a DJ growing up, which fostered my love for music, especially house music. He opened my world to all sorts of sounds. Some of my earliest music memories with him are from our trips to the local hood gas station, where we’d go buy rap CDs from the bootleg man, ranging from East Coast rappers Fat Joe and Wu-Tang Clan, to West Coast staples, like N.W.A. and Snoop Dogg.”
“son of toga” and “building” are a testament to OG Spliff’s ability to curate a sound uniquely his own, one that is sure to have listeners captivated from the first listen. The rising artist has built his artistry from the ground up; he has opened for MAVI, Lil Durk and Yella Beezy in the past, was featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Hip-Hop, and has accumulated an impressive 2M+ streams on the platform along the way. There is no denying that OG Spliff has solidified himself as one to watch as he continues his run of self-reflective, experimental hip-hop. Have a listen to both singles below…
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