Tag: indie rapper

Song of the Day: Nubian Farlow – Varnish La Piscine

VARNISH LA PISCINE‘s jazz-inflected new single ‘Nubian Farlow’, oozes a lush, sprawling instrumentation, where the young artist glides between smooth bars and vocals in this breezy introduction to the world of Varnish La Piscine.

As visually compelling a storyteller as he is sonically, the release of ‘Nubian Farlow’ is accompanied by a hypnotic visualiser focusing on a chef filleting a bowl of fish. The playful shot is taken from Varnish’s self-directed 4-part short film which is being released episodically in the lead up to his EP release this March.

Both an audio-visual and musical work, the four episodes are inspired by the absurd humour of the Coen brothers and the stylised intricacy of Wes Anderson and were shot over 8 days at a lakeside location with the help of the production company Dissidence. The plot revolves around the lake and its magical fish who, for better or worse, entrance the local population with Varnish himself playing the role of a young fisherman (as well as many other actors, including new-gen French rapper Rounhaa).

‘Nubian Farlow’ is joined on This Lake Is Successful by recent release ‘Ring Island’, with the 7-track project comprised of a form of refined pop made up of diverse influences: rap, bossa nova, electronic synth, surf music, reggae and underpinned by Varnish’s singing and rapping as well as three guest artists Makala, Rico TK and Snubnose Frankenstein.

In the six years since the rapper, producer and singer arrived on the scene, Varnish La Piscine (Jephté Mbisi) has crafted a brilliantly creative universe inspired by his love of the iconic rappers and producers of the 2000s and the decade’s swirling, colourful music videos. Growing up in Switzerland surrounded by a family of music lovers, the music at home swung between his parents’ Congolese beats alongside 90’s greats like Sade, Sting and Phil Collins. But it was his love of the 2000s that made Varnish the artist he is today. Admiration for his first musical hero Pharrell Williams imbued in him the importance of combining creative genius with visual flair and that to create something interesting, you need to be different.

With props from the likes of Tyler the Creator and Pharrell Williams himself; the future looks bright for Varnish La Piscine…have a listen to Nubian Farlow below…

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Song of the Day: 1NE People – Monie Love (ft. Nana Fofie)

MONIE LOVE has been a pioneer for British Hip Hop in the late eighties and nineties who uses the hip-hop platform to drive the message of love, unity and equality. She joined forces with fellow females emcees such as Queen Latifah, for pro-feminist song ‘Ladies First’, proving that women (who were mainly invisible in Hip Hop at that time) can rap just as well as men can.

After impressive guest performances on songs by De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers and Adeva, Monie was given a recording contract with Warner Bros, an impressive achievement for a British female rapper. Her debut album ‘Down to Earth’ featured two hit singles that were Grammy nominated – ‘Monie in the Middle’ and ‘It’s a Shame (My Sister)’.

With all the achievements she made over the years, there’s no dispute that Monie Love is one of the rap artists who paved the way for female rappers of today. Now almost 30 years later, she returns, still spreading the message of love, unity and equality in latest single ‘1NE People.’

Sporting a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop and R&B, ‘1NE Peope’ sees Monie Love dig deep into her West Indian roots and performs a melodic, reggae chant in Jamaican patois, inspired by the heartfelt mantra by Marcus Garvey – “Out of Many, One People”.

For this single – produced by up and coming music producer/engineer Roctimus Prime and legendary Grammy Nominated hip-hop producer, Baby Paul/BpZy (formerly of Da Beatminerz) – Monie enlists upcoming Ghanaian singer/songwriter Nana Fofie, who just recently signed to Nicki Minage’s new record label. Currently residing in Rotterdam, Nona Fofie drops an infectious verse, delivered in English and French, making it the perfect addition to Monie’s vocals offering a substantial and inspirational tone.

Monie Love recently guest appeared at the curated De la Soul career catalog launch and Plug 2 Tribute event which was held at Webster Hall in NYC. She performed an impromptu segment of the classic song ‘Ladies First’ with Queen Latifah, along with sharing her exuberant energy while on the stage with De La Soul as they ran through a few of their classic songs.

She’s now working on her new music project, #LoveStruck which is executively produced by Baby Paul/BpZy formerly of “Da Beatminerz” with pending collaborations from a few legends and new talent to watch out for. Look for’ Monie project, but for now, listen to ‘1NE People’, which is out now available across various music platforms


Connect with Monie Love via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/DaRealMonieLove/
T: https://twitter.com/DaRealMonieLove
IG: https://www.instagram.com/darealmonielove/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darealmonielove_

Connect with Nana Fofie via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/nanafofieofficial
T: https://twitter.com/DaRealMonieLove
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nanafofiee/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nanafofie

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Listen To K1’s Posthumous Mixtape, ‘Love Never Dies’

The team behind the late K1 released his posthumous 11-track mixtape, ‘Love Never Dies’, with a portion of the proceeds going to two charities selected by his family, Teenage Cancer Trust and Treetops Hospice. Under the direction of K1 before he lost his battle with the illness, the mixtape is a tribute to him, his hard work, and his legacy that will live on. Losing their loved one so young has been incredibly difficult for his family and friends to process but they will do everything they can to help leave a lasting mark on a scene that K1 loved. ‘Love Never Dies’ includes some familiar fan favourites such as ‘Toxic Veins’ and ‘Tomorrow’ featuring KKEDA.

Born and raised in the East Midlands, K1 made a massive impact since his second single, ‘Broken Hearted Crook’ went viral and firmly put him on the map within the UK’s thriving Rap scene. Coming from outside of the capital fuelled his drive and pushed him to work harder and fight for his place, not only for himself but for Derby. There was so much more than meets the eye with this lyricist, he didn’t want to make one specific style, and he aimed to become one of the most versatile Rappers in the
scene, and he did exactly that. K1 cited Eminem, Juice Wrld, XXXTENTACION, Little Tjay and Drake as his biggest influences as an artist.

Some of his career highlights included performing at Wireless Festival, Link Up TV’s HB, Mixtape Madness ‘Cold Room’, and GRM One Mic. K1 had already completed his debut album, which he had planned to drop this year. The whole team behind him are committed to continuing to set out his dream, just as he had intended. Please continue to support K1 and his music – ‘Love Never Dies’ –

Must Listens: Different Man, So Close, Believe, Ain’t Fair, How I Feel In Love

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Watch Illaman X Pitch 92 Video for Smooth Joint ‘Sometimes Relax’

Multi-genre vocalist ILLAMAN (PENGSHUi) reveals an honest new album ‘Sometimes Relax’, with the help of pensive producer Pitch 92 (High Focus). The fresh collection features Dabbla, Dubbledge, PAV4N, fattybassman (PENGSHUi) and Ruby Wood (Submotion Orchestra).
 
Pairing ILLAMAN’s off-kilter rap style with Pitch 92’s rich, reflective instrumentals, their 14-track project is contemplative and conversational. It expresses the struggles and successes of finding balance in closure, offering an intimate LP of personal and emotional development.

 Leading the album is the seamless boom bap vibes of the title track which is accompanied by ILLAMAN’s straight and personal bars. Watch the music video for ‘Sometimes Relax’, Shot by KRUPA.

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Neru Thee Fourth Fugee Links Up With Bbymutha For New Track, ‘End Daze’

Three years after the release of her seminal debut album ‘The Almanac’, which was championed by the likes of COLORS, HotNewHipHop, and Ladygunn, among others, multidimensional Baltimore lyricist, songwriter, composer, and producer NERU THEE FOURTH FUGEE is finally ready to go again, as she begins to share details of her long-awaited sophomore album titled ‘Greater Than’, which is set to be released in the summer. To whet the appetite for the highly anticipated project, the Maryland native has unveiled the project’s lead single ‘End Daze’ featuring US rap royalty BbyMutha.

Written, arranged, and composed by Neru Thee Fourth Fugee herself, with additional production from Serbian beatsmith Shotta Beatz, ‘End Daze’ is a hard-hitting collaboration from two female rap powerhouses, which sees both Neru and BbyMutha in incomparable form, as both artists flex their lyrical prowess throughout the track from start to finish. ‘End Daze’ is signature braggadocious rap in its best form, with Neru and BbyMutha addressing any detractors, whether those are old school classmates trying to act familiar, or their rap competitors, or the “bxtches hating” on them.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘End Daze’, Neru says, “The song was inspired by MF Doom and Vince Staples, while the title itself is a double entendre on ‘End Days’, referencing a catastrophic end-of-the-world event, and ‘In Daze’ connecting those moments when you find yourself lost inside your thoughts. ‘End Daze’ brings a lot of boastful and confident energy, and that’s how I want my listeners to feel when they hear the single – powerful and confident like they can take on the world. I wrote ‘End Daze’ to continue to create balance with my music, but to also show that I cannot be categorized or boxed in – my music and style transcend genres”.

With a genre-defying sound that fuses hip-hop with neo-soul, ambient, funk and psychedelic music, to create her own musical universe, Neru Thee Fourth Fugee stands out for her abstract lyricism, transcendental harmonies, and trance-like kaleidoscopic soundscapes – her music offers a thought-provoking mind-bending listening experience that allows you to use both hemispheres of your brain simultaneously. Neru Thee Fourth Fugee might remind you of early Parliament Funkadelic music, with sprinkles of the great Ms. Lauryn Hill, but she remains firmly in her own artistic lane.

Neru Thee Fourth Fugee is also the founder of Baltimore creative community, AstroKnot Collective, which she birthed in 2021, and has grown to become a staple in Baltimore’s art scene. With a common goal to elevate, cultivate, reciprocate and be great, Neru currently mentors fifteen different artists across the US, through AstroKnot. Made up of diverse musicians, visual artists, designers, and activists, among others, Neru’s AstroKnot collective curate youth drives, art residencies, music videos, concerts, community events, and more, all over the city of Baltimore.

With two critically acclaimed EPs and a seminal album already under her belt, Neru has also shared the stage with stalwarts like The Roots, Danny Brown, Oddisee, Princess Nokia, and JPEGMafia, just to mention a few, while she counts the likes of Pigeons & Planes, COLORS, Brooklyn Vegan, HotNewHipHop, and Sway’s Universe among some of her supporters. In 2023, she plans to release her sophomore album titled ‘Greater Than’, which is set to feature Wu-Tang’s Killah Priest, Metaphor the Great, and BbyMutha, with whom Neru has unveiled her brand new single, ‘End Daze’. Check it out below…

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