The strange states we find ourselves in while growing are where NICKY MACKENZIE‘s soulful upcoming EP MORALS was born. Leaving behind the safe familiarity of adolescence, MORALS is an exploration of the emotional landscape the 23-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter has traversed in the years since her debut album, 2018’s Honeydew. In that time, MacKenzie has left her hometown, navigated shifting relationships, graced the stages of huge festivals, and played intimate shows. In the background, she’s worked on new collaborations and participated in prestigious songwriting workshops, constantly pushing the boundaries of her artistry. The tracks on MORALS are a record of this growth.
The EP’s title track, ‘Morals,’ is about being a people pleaser your whole life until you decide to start saying no and walk away from situations that don’t serve or even entertain you anymore. Your moral values change when you begin to prioritize yourself. You can blame your vices on others, or you can own up to them and decide to not care.
“I wanted to create something catchy that also has a deeper cathartic meaning to it. I think it’s a feeling everyone has eventually, needing to just let go of doubt and give in to your wants. I just wanted to give it a bit of a sassy tone” – Nicky MacKenzie
Why not check out the official video to ‘Morals’ below…
Very rarely does a song give me full body chills everytime I hear TUELO‘s powerful single, ‘Regarding My Heart’. The track is the centerpiece and the focus track for the album Regarding My Heart, due out 27th September.
Tuelo is a South African-born, NYC/Dublin-based folk-rock artist who’s had some amazing notoriety in the past for her debut album, but one listen to the new music and it’s clear that is her most refined, self-assured sound to date. Regarding My Heart is a sweeping sonic exploration of love, loss and loneliness. The project has provided Tuelo with the space to heal, listen to herself and center her voice.
The whole album began with the title track. Describing it, Tuelo says, “The song shows that in a ubiquitous world there lives a person in solitude, with a fascination for adventure, fantasy, and big dreams of great love. That is me. That would be ‘Regarding My Heart.’ That might be you.” Beginning with one central song and building the album from there, Tuelo crafted a resonant glimpse into her heart from different perspectives. Tuelo says the album is, “by the lonely for the lonely. It’s about holding on to every ounce of peace, patience, pace, and the rhythm of the world.”
Interspersed between the tracks are chant versions and towards the end, piano versions that offer alternate takes on the original versions while paying homage to Tuelo’s roots. Across three continents, the project’s expansive sound was brought to life with help from multi-GRAMMY® award-winning producer (Album of the Year, Best Rock Album) Robbie Nelson, guitar producer Kirk Schoenherr, longtime collaborator Kevin Wenzel and features backing vocals from Tuelo’s sisters. W
The East and West coasts connect and do so flawlessly with MeRCY and Westside Bunk artist, T.F, tag teaming up over some production from Sebb Bash, coming in the shape of new single, ‘Blood on the Canvas’.
Both hit the instrumental with some hard hitting blows of lyrical flows delivering a smackdown like it’s a Friday night for WWE fans, in turn leaving nothing but blood on the canvas and adding another win to their respective resumes. Hip-hop legend, The Alchemist, would be proud of the beat his favorite producer created for Merc’ and T.F to tangle with as he helped set the tone of the record with both artists easily finding their groove.
When asked about the track, MeRCY says “The beat is very gutter and straightforward hip-hop and lyrically it’s hardcore bragging 101, delivered with killer instinct.”
This new record tallies in another collaboration between MeRCY and Sebb and it also serves as the third single from the up and coming album ‘Michaelangelo’, which will continue the streak of “Michael” themed projects from the Broward County resident.
The release of ‘Blood On the Canvas’ also features an official music video to accompany the audio version, showcasing the animation skills provided by Philippe Lavallee. The visualizer sets each scene perfectly with Lavallee being able to create the griminess and rudeness that the song brings into a visual form, and he had free range to do so. MeRCY didn’t hold his fellow artist back but gave him the freedom to create what he envisioned saying “I gave him the creative space and he managed to capture the visual by complimenting the lyrics as it shows”.
‘Michaelangelo’ is set to release next month and the anticipation grows even more with this latest offering from the set of sounds. MeRCY has huge expectations for the project and he should clearly have them due to time and work that he’s been putting in. Thus far, each single has brought something different to the table, a different vibe and sound and that’s exactly what we can expect from the entire album come next month. MeRCY describes his next album as “a musical art gallery and each song is its own unique piece”. If there’s one thing we know about MeRCY, it’s that he doesn’t take his love of art for granted, he makes sure everything is where and how it should be, even if it leaves some blood on the canvas…Have a listen below…
Manchester rapper NEMZZZ unveils his much-anticipated debut mixtape ‘DO NOT DISTURB’. The 11-track tape is Nemzzz’s most expansive drop to date, an exploration of how the young artist is shaped by his upbringing and his fame. ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ is available in physical format on CD & cassette in a first for the Mancunion.
Marrying bars laced with Nemzzz’s wicked sense of humour, earworm hooks and a raw soulful-drill production – ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ is set to cement Nemzzz’s status as the new titan of UK Rap. Opening with late night confession ‘REFLECTION’, Nemzzz raps with real bite about the pitfalls of social media activism. New single ‘ETA’ sees Nemzzz unite with German rap heavyweight Luciano, trading bars over a siren-like beat. The new cut arrives with a video shot by DonProd in Frankfurt whilst Nemzzz was in town to appear at Luciano’s stadium show.
Recent single ‘PTSD’ (which is currently the blog’s Song of the Month) splices a haunting vocal flip with a laid-back production from frequent collaborator Zel, as Nemzzz turns teacher once more – speaking on how he uses his music as catharsis to process his feelings. The cut landed last month to a co-sign from Central Cee. The shimmering, jazz inflected ‘L’S’ arrived in January to acclaim from the likes of The Observer, Fader, CRACK, NME spins across BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and more.
Atmospheric, intense cut ‘DOOM’ gives way to the relaxed groove of playful love song ‘STAR SIGN’. On ‘NEED YOU’, Nemzzz rides out the ups and downs of a toxic relationship. ‘REASSURANCE’ melds ghostly vocal samples with a stripped back production as Nemzzz reassures his girl he’d drop her off for her ‘nails, hair, lash appointment too’. Nemzzz picks up the pace on ‘VENICE’ featuring rising rapper JayG. Title track ‘DND’ details how the run-up to the project was filled with hostile haters and the need to cut off day one friends. Rounding out the tape is ‘MONEY AND VIBES’, which sees Nemzzz bring a UK flavour to a flip of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Rock Your Body’. The single topped the A list at 1Xtra on release last year and continues to rack up over +1M streams a week. Nemzzz is one of the most exciting breakout rap talents of recent years. An old head on young shoulders, Nemzzz is relatable in a different way than a lot of his rap peers; driven less by punchlines about Birkin bags and more by the challenge of helping his young fans navigate their way through growing pains. The rapper is shaped by his tough upbringing in Gorton, using his music to reflect on his experiences including heartbreak, fake friends, financial literacy, finding your own path, and managing mental health amid social media addiction.
The DO NOT DISTURB tape follows a massive 2023 for the young star with a consistent slate of releases including his debut EP NEMZZZ TYPE BEAT (which was pulled together in just 17 days in a flex of his innate talents) alongside a string of singles including ‘Therapy’ (Spotify Rap UK Cover) and ‘8AM IN MANNY’ which landed to props from some of the biggest rappers in the world – Drake and Lil Yachty. Last year saw Nemzzz deliver his first sold-out headline tour alongside performances at festivals including Glastonbury, Ibiza Rocks and more.
Nemzzz will be heading out on his second headline tour this Spring with dates across the UK and Ireland. He will be kicking off in Dublin on 30th April and culminating in a homecoming show on 7th May in Manchester. With three dates already sold out – the tour is set to be another huge smash for the young star.
Since bursting onto the scene at the tender age of 14, Nemzzz has relentlessly chipped away at his craft – building steady buzz amongst the industry, media and fans alike. With over 180M combined streams in 2023, 9 Million TikTok views, tips including BBC Radio 1xtra’s Hot For 2023, Amazon Music x Hunger Magazine Ones To Watch, No Signal Class of ’23, Best Newcomer Nominee MOBO Awards 2022, plaudits from Pitchfork, The Face, DAZED, The Guardian, HYPEBEAST, CLASH, Complex UK and NME – Nemzzz is making serious moves.
D POWER DIESLE is back with a bang, dropping the sizzling second single from his upcoming EP project ‘Graphene 4’. Featuring renowned Nottingham emcee, Wariko and produced by Audio Slugs, this grime banger calls back to the notorious LOTM3 clash carrying the same electrifying energy.
After crossing paths on the mighty clash series ‘Lord Of The Mics’ Volume 3 back in 2011, the pair were pinned up against eachother producing one the most memorable clashes in the UK Grime scene. Lauded by top artists, industry giants, and global music lovers alike, this dynamic duo reunite in ‘Start This’, recapturing the raw energy of their legendary basement clash.
Produced by Grime heavy hitters Audio Slugs, Diesle and Wariko ride the 140bpm beat going back to back, while gifting us with references from the famous battle. The chorus and verse integrate seamlessly, with the London and Nottingham accents playing off each other harmoniously.
Gearing up to release ‘Graphene 4’ this Spring, its prior three volumes were a masterstroke in Grime, garnering millions of streams, widespread acclaim across UK’s radio and press, and powerhouse collaborations with Grime’s biggest stars, including Skepta, D Double E, Manga St Hilare, and Big Narstie. Mark your calendars for D Power’s headline show at ‘The Hackney Social’ on Friday 3rd May, where he will be delivering a curated performance of tracks from the Graphene series.
A pioneer and veteran that many within Black British music praise, D Power Diesle is best known for his impact in the early grime days via Déjà vu, Rinse FM, and clashing with Wariko on Lord of the Mics 3. But it doesn’t stop there. Not only housing an impressive catalogue of music, Diesle has also toured with UK heavy-weight Skepta, Wiley, Jammer, and Modestep before outlining a reputation of his own. Flash forward to today, it’s a common discussion amongst UK rap about grime’s positioning in our current landscape, a topic of which not everyone agrees on. However, it’s artists like D Power Diesle that are still holding it up for those gritty, raw, and lively tracks that encapsulate the roots of London’s inner city. Taking his knowledge of the industry and putting it to good use, Diesle formed his own label EB Records that’s committed to guiding the up-and-coming artists of today down the right path. Check out the video below…
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