Song of the Day: Essence – Coops

Produced by Greatness Jones, ‘Essence’ is an inspiring cut of positivity from the talented North London rapper, COOPS, ruminating about life across trademark boom-bap drums and a rolling bass line. Essence is taken from Coops’ new album, ‘Lost Soul 2’ – released last Friday (23rd September) via Lost Soul Records.

‘Lost Soul 2’, the seventh full length release from the prodigious talent, was recorded at Coops’ studio in Hackney and serves as the sequel to his seminal Lost Soul mixtape, which still commands huge admiration nearly a decade since its release and is widely seen as a cult UK hip-hip classic. The new album sees a welcome return to the creative partnership with producer Talos that flourished on ‘Lost Soul’.

In support of the new album, Coops has announced details of his debut UK headline tour. The ‘Lost Soul’ tour will see Coops on the road in October and November with a special hometown show at London’s XOYO on Friday 4th November. Full dates can be found below while tickets are on sale now here: https://diplomatsofsound.org/coops-lost-soul-tour-2022/.

While the original reflected the uncertainty in his teenage years, ‘Lost Soul 2’ explores the navigation of adult life against the backdrop of the precariousness of the world in 2022. It’s a tale of progression and growth: Coops’ emotional capacity has matured, as has the soulful melodies he is crafting. It demonstrates evolution without compromising the important message in his music. 

‘Lost Soul 2’ is Coops at his truest, purest, and most effortless and, having flown under the radar for far too long, is set to cement his status as one of the UK’s foremost lyricists. Check out the video for ‘Essence’ below…

LESS KILLJOY Brings On The Energy With Track, ‘My Parade.’

LESS KILLJOY‘s brand new track, ‘My Parade’ brings along that much-needed energy to the blog to ease those Monday blues. The single is the second offering from her forthcoming debut EP titled Pink Grenade.

Inspired by a search for happiness for herself and everyone around her, ‘My Parade’ shines with a bratty and boisterous vocal energy, dreamy synthesizers, lo fi guitar loops and in your face drums, where she talks about feeling underestimated and judged by the people around her and throwing it back in their faces.

Through sharing her experience, LESS KILLJOY hopes to build a community of people who feel safe around one another, despite their race, gender, sexuality, age, or socioeconomic status, her raw honesty and true passion for inclusivity makes her one to watch. Having received humbling praise from the likes of Earmilk, Record of the Day and Ones to Watch, you can expect a lot more from this exciting new Toronto talent. Have a listen to ‘My Parade’ below…

Watch Rich Homie Quan’s ‘Risk Takers’ Video

Chart-topping rapper, RICH HOMIE QUAN has premiered the official video for latest track, ‘Risk Takers’ via YouTube yesterday (21st September). The song is the second single off his forthcoming project, Family & Mula, due out on October 4th 2022 – the same day as Quan’s birthday.

The video, directed by MarCell JB and Darrien G, depicts Quan hanging out with friends, eating well, flossing, and accumulating more and more money. On the surface, it appears to be a day in the life of Rich Homie Quan, but interspersed with footage of him playing dice, the message rings loud and clear. Rich Homie Quan lives the life he dreamed of because he gambled on himself and won.

The inspirational track recaps the resilience and resoluteness it took for Quan to triumph over his many adversities and to get to where he is now-successful and ready to release more music. Check out the video below…

Watch Oloye Coldman’s Video For Latest Track,‘Sókè’ Featuring Louris Love

Nigerian singer-songwriter, rapper and producer OLOYE COLDMAN has unveiled the official music video for track, ‘Sókè’, a smooth R&B-inspired jam, that encourages all of us to keep our head up high when things are bleak.

‘Sókè’ features follow Nigerian rapper Louris Love. Check it out below…

Rap Newcomer DichoTomi Looks To A Brighter Future On Single, ‘STF 17’

Introducing Toronto-based alternative rap newcomer DICHOTOMI with their brand new single titled ‘STF 17’. The soulful and infectious lo-fi rap track comes just in time to take over our summer playlists, and is the lead single for dichotomi’s upcoming debut EP that is set for release later this year. ‘STF 17’ is the anticipated follow-up to last year’s fan-favourite ‘plush’, which was a massive radio hit with the likes of CBC Music in Toronto, and Wave Of The Bay in Florida, to mention a few.

Produced by fellow Toronto musician Frizzy Astro, ‘STF 17’ is a catchy melodic rap offering, which sees dichotomi – who wrote the song when they were sick during the pandemic and couldn’t be outside – in a very hopeful mood, as they imagine better times and fantasize about being able to enjoy summertime in Toronto once again. Over lush synth keys and sparse lo-fi instrumentation, dichotomi showcases their infectious flow, clever lyricism, and carefree energy, to great effect.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘STF 17’, dichotomi says, “It was the first pandemic winter, and I was really sick… I couldn’t go outside because the weather, and I had no energy or motivation to make life inside more enjoyable because of the mental and physical effects of the pandemic. At a real low point, I started fantasizing about summers in Toronto and told myself that ‘everything will be better in the summer’ – as soon as I said it aloud, I felt compelled to write a song on that theme.

The track quickly took a political lean as I began to ruminate on the social, political, and economic forces that forced me into such a fragile position in the first place. ‘STF 17’ is most definitely a critique of our capitalist society, but with the added goal of offering some levity — allowing us to hope for a more equitable future. Be critical, be angry, be sad, but don’t let the state of this world keep you from turning your face to the sun every chance you get, and tirelessly seek the tiniest moments of joy”.

Highly recommended if you like the sounds of Noname, Tierra Whack or Chance The Rapper, dichotomi is for listeners that like to discover new things every time you listen to a track – they are for fans of lyricism, authenticity and exploring new sounds. Born in Florida and now living in Toronto, dichotomi burst onto the scene in 2019 with resounding music, led by good vibes and wholesome themes that are intended to inspire hope and validate their listeners.

‘STF 17’ was released yesterday across various download/streaming sites. Check out their official animated music video below…