Hip-hop artist and director JEL’LOW new single, ‘Aye’, showcases his unique lyrical prowess, infectious beats, and innovative production. The single also proves why he is in high demand in an industry needing new and exciting talent. The accompanying self-directed video is a step in the right direction.
Emerging from Washington’s vibrant hip-hop scene, Jel’low has benefited from his time spent in the epicenter of the modern music scene in Atlanta. This has given him the chops and confidence to build an impressive catalog of work, including his new single.
Influenced by a range of artists, including Michael Jackson, Goo Goo Dolls, Stevie Nicks, Adam Lambert, and many more, Jel’low fuses these competing textures to create a sound that is his own.
“Aye” is a permanent marker and beacon that talent will always shine. The single is a glimpse into the future of hip-hop, reclaiming the birthright that has stepped away from the scene…check out the video to the banging joint below…
Following the critical success of her debut EP Juvenilia released at the end of 2022, ’11:11′ marks a triumphant return for North Carolina raised/New York based artist LUCI.
A year since LUCI’s debut release Ash & Dust, ’11:11′ elevates the artist to the next level with an uplifting summer hit contender that sparks joy in every listen (think Kaytranada meets Santigold). Heralding a new sound and chapter in her life she finds herself in a place of great comfort and ease as she confidently aims for the mainstream with a track comprising alarmingly catchy lyrics and beats.
On the track, she says: “I was laying on the vocal booth floor of Lou’s studio (lineage studios in LA), listening to him and Elias chop it up, bonding over drums and chords. I was hunting for melodies and searching for words. We knew we wanted to make something different from the rest of our work together, that’s for sure.”
The accompanying video, directed by Emily Garlund, is a feel good offering shot across New York City and showcases queer love with the artist as the main character, LUCI adds: “I’ve laid eyes on a beautiful woman in a local bar and somehow coerced her into enduring the joys of the evening with me. I’ve got this dance I am trying to teach her and get her to loosen up and play with me. While shy at first, she gives in and it turns into a glorious night.”
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…
Encapsulating the feeling and experience of being a young black man growing up in London, DIMZY‘s track, ‘Grafter’ explores the fight and will-power that comes with it. Referencing his Mum as a big inspiration behind his determination to succeed, he tells a tale that many will relate to.
Dimzy says of his hard-hitting release: “Grafter is about me being a young black man in the UK speaking on what London is like right now. It’s about my determination to win in everything including war, war on being the best version of my myself and to keep driving at full force no matter the barriers I come across. Every day for a young black man is war, so war is war, if you want it that’s that. I’m a hustler and grafter just like my mum; my mum was my biggest motivation when it came to getting money, she always found a way no matter the circumstances that’s why I’m the hustler I am today.”
Journeying back to 2012 where Dimzy first made his emergence in UK Rap and Drill, it was the year of 2014 that he began to play an integral role in the genre’s growth. Dimzy is prominently known for his part in 67, a collective of artists that pioneered Drill with their explosive single ‘Let’s Lurk’, who swiftly gained millions of views online. Since then, the rest is history! Housing various projects including ‘A Glass of Water’, ‘Dim the Lights’, and more, the London native is gearing up for an explosive year ahead.
Following the release of her single, ‘Bright Lights’ last month, Los Angeles-based artist, AMAARA returns with another offering in the shape of single, ‘Still’ – a lush, ethereal pop piece that attempts to distill her experience of love into metaphor.
‘Still’ is one of AMAARA’s favourite songs from her debut LP, ‘Child of Venus’, which documents the journey of rediscovery, transition, and rebirth. The project also encourages the prospective listener to take time out for reflection and introspection.
AMAARA briefly explains the inspirations her debut LP: “I’ve been on a journey of looking into my own childhood conditioning, the notion of unbounded creative genius and where that gets lost in adolescence. It’s a reflective period marked by the question of who I was at the core of myself before I started to be shaped by my environment.”
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