Deego Drops Debut Mixtape, ‘Layers’

‘Layers’, the debut mixtape from South London’s Deego, is a refreshing and timeless project packed with an exciting “mix and blend” of different vibes and flavours to create one succinct and infectious project.

Tracks ‘Jiggy’, ‘Skin Deep’ and ‘Rum & Weed’ are all perfect additions to add to radio playlists and DJ sets, with Deego injecting his signature artist flair into each one.

Notably recorded between Miloco Studios and Deego’s home studio, ‘Layers’ was also mixed and mastered by none other than Darren Jones, who bears impressive credits such as artists Harry Styles, Skepta, Stormzy, Kojo Funds, J Hus, Florence and the Machine, Major Lazor and more.

Camberwell raised and of Nigerian descent, Deego is a UK artist bearing a unique and eclectic range of sounds and influences including Rap & Hip Hop, Garage, Neo-Soul, R&B, G-Funk, Afrobeats and Drill.

When Deego lost his close friend and fellow rapper Temidayo in 2011 to knife crime, it sparked him to take music more seriously in order to break free of London gang culture. Fast forward to 2021, he released a string of singles that gained an impressive amount of traction in the underground scene, most notably the single ‘Brilliant Wave’.

Deego has been steadily gearing up to drop his debut body of work ‘Layers’ – available now on all streaming platforms. Check it out below…

OUT TODAY: Karen Harding Shares Title Track From Upcoming EP, ‘I’ve Got A Secret’

Following the release of her first six singles, KAREN HARDING returns with the first single release and title track from her Upcoming EP, ‘I’ve Got A Secret’. Written during the Melbourne, Australia Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, dramatic singer-songwriter single, ‘I’ve Got A Secret’ dives straight into the heart of fear and anxiety, when sharing a less than perfect side, that you know leaves you open to judgement from others.

Karen says of the single: “We live in a world that is filled with images of perfection.. Where we believe that to be good enough, we must line up with the messages that essentially only show the highlight reels of a life. This leads us to locking away our own vulnerabilities.. That is, until you reach a point, where you realise that your struggles are a secret that no one knows about. The idea of sharing these fills us with fear, questioning and mistrust, and this is the message within ‘I’ve Got A Secret’.”

Hailing from Melbourne, Karen has been steadily growing her following and name, having won the November 2021 Bendigo Bank sponsored Independent Songwriter Talent Show on Radio Eastern FM in Melbourne, Australia, for her single, ‘Anxiety’, Top 10 winner for the World Songwriting Awards, for her single, ‘Something Special’ and a nominee for Best International Artist on Crags Radio Independent Artist Awards in February 2022.

Karen Harding’s music has also had recent attention and plays on Bree Noble’s ‘Women of Substance’ podcast, online radio shows including ‘Good Music Radio’, ‘DTong Radio’, ‘382 Radio’, ‘Eagles Nest Radio’ and ‘Oz Now Radio’ and has been gaining attention through her plays on local Australian community radio.

‘I’ve Got A Secret’ is taken from Karen’s upcoming EP. The four track EP, ‘I’ve Got A Secret’ is being released one single at a time, each month, and will be available in its entirety by October 2022. The EP is available for purchase at Bandcamp in digital download and CD formats.

Listen to ‘I’ve Got A Secret’ below…

Song of the Day: Pin Me Down – FRANSIS

Reminiscent of Wolf Alice and Florence + The Machine, London based alt/indie band FRANSIS‘ single, ‘Pin Me Down,’ was spurred by the tragic murder of Sarah Everard. It tackles a subject which is often difficult to talk about but shared by so many women, that of sexual assault, candidly focusing on the mental strain particularly in the aftermath, and the struggle behind closed doors.

Described as a therapeutic exorcism, Frontman Emma Withers shares, “This song is vulnerable and real, I wanted to focus on the self destruction, the brokenness, the confusion, the anger, and then finally the release which is supported by the music constantly, and as the song intensifies we hit an explosive finale, and an emotional release which was incredibly satisfying to perform in the studio, I did like 8 takes of this to get the raw emotion out of me, this is bonded with the mammoth eruption of epic guitar lines and pure power from the band.”

Despite the serious nature of “Pin Me Down” there is a positive outline, of admittance and then at the end, a collective sense of women standing together. A strong message that no-one should feel alone in their struggle, to let shame keep their burdens as skeletons or be fearful of walking down the street alone at night.

‘Pin Me Down’ is from their new EP, released last Friday (1st July). Listen to ‘Pin Me Down’ below…

DJ Chase Taps UK Artist OGW For Emotive Joint, ‘Bad Guy’

DJ CHASE teams up with British artist OGW for new emotive joint, ‘Bad Guy’, which chronicles the pain and struggles in everyday life.

OGW made his debut on the UK rap scene in 2022. While he takes influence from contemporaries such as Eminem, Jack Harlow and Kendrick Lamar, OGW’s years of experimenting within the hip-hop genre have culminated in a flow and style that are unmistakably his own.

DJ Chase is the founder of New York City-based production company Worldwide Soundz Records and the founder of DJ Chase Publishing, LLC. Before he was in the boss’s chair, his roots began as a professional DJ, specializing in Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae/ Dance-Hall, old-school, and House music.

Have a listen to ‘Bad Guy’ below…

Song of the Day: All Night – Falz

Fusing lounge and jazz elements, Nigerian award-winning musician and actor, FALZ’s single ‘All Night’ is a deep percussive house leaning track, with characteristics of Amapiano and a far cry from his usual uptempo cheeky rap sound.

The seductive single is taken Falz’s latest project ‘BAHD’ which demonstrates exactly why the Nigerian superstar is one of the most sought-after artists in Nigeria. From the smooth notes of ‘All Night’ — a track showcasing effortless lyricism across a flawlessly produced beat offering sleek piano keys and moody percussion — to the more up-beat, percussive-leaning ‘Gentleman’. ‘Beautiful Sunflower’ a melodic track featuring Award Winning Musician, Tiwa Savage and jazz infused offering ‘Woman’, featuring Lagos-based duo The Cavemen — Falz serves up twelve beautiful songs, all wonderfully unique in their own way. BAHD further demonstrates Falz’s distinctive style of music.

Falz enters into a completely new dimension with this project, experimenting with rather uncharacteristic sounds.
Falz has established himself as one of Nigeria’s top entertainers through his incredible work as a singer, rapper and actor accompanied with his four award- winning solo albums. He is well decorated with various awards and accolades, some of which include BET Award (2016 Best New International Act), Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (2016 Best Actor in a Comedy) , The Headies (2019 Best Rap Single), Headies 2019 (Album of the Year), The Headies 2021 (Best Rap Single).

Why not watch the official video for ‘All Night’ below…