Song of the Day: Down For Me – C.T

UK’s rising artist C.T (which stands for Contraversial Tekniche) has been gaining attention and captivating listeners with his distinctive sound. Since bursting on the scene in 2018, he has been featured as artist of the month by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Radio and has built a fanbase through numerous freestyles, podcasts and live shows, including performing at festivals such as Godiva. Set to continue his momentum and reach new heights in 2023, C.T has just unveiled his latest single, ‘Down For Me’, alongside a music video directed by Peppermint Studios (Byron Ismail), which follows the release of his “Joey Clipstar Freestyle”.

“Down For Me” is a melodic track that showcases C.T’s smooth vocals as he glides effortlessly over a laidback trap beat. Packed with catchy melodies and a huge, anthemic hook that will no doubt have everyone singing along after one listen, ‘Down For Me’ shines the spotlight on a fast-rising talent with undeniable star quality and a bright future ahead.

Speaking further on “Down For Me”, C.T says, “For me, it’s about that question you ask yourself in the early stages of a relationship when you like or love someone, but you don’t quite know what their intentions are, so you stay guarded and reserved, almost unsure but maintaining interest out of curiosity and want for connection.”

‘Down For Me’ is available via various music platforms. Check out the video below…

Song of the Day: Through The Clouds – Jay Phelps (ft. Simon Jnr)

A household name in the UK jazz world, Canadian-born, UK-based trumpeter, DJ and composer JAY PHELPS teams up with Birmingham MC Simon Jnr ‘Through The Clouds’. It’s the second single from his forthcoming album ‘The Now’, releasing via Platoon in partnership with Black Lives In Music.

With a career spanning 20 years, Phelps has performed as a sideman with some of the world’s top names, including Amy Winehouse, George Benson and Wiz Kid. His work as founding member of award-winning contemporary jazz group Empirical in the late 2000s garnered international acclaim, an early precursor to the explosion of UK jazz that has since followed. As a bandleader, he’s explored multiple styles, threading together the jazz language and tradition with contemporary influences, always with one eye on the future.
His status as an innovator and enabler on the UK jazz scene has seen him host regular shows on Jazz FM and Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, and draw praise from The Guardian, Jazzwise and London Jazz News.

The forthcoming LP ‘The Now’ brings together a cross-generational collective of musicians. It’s a journey from the underground, club-centric UK jazz scene, through to the house-filled streets of Detroit and progressive sonics of LA. Phelps continues on his mission as a connector of dots, bringing together multiple generations of musicians at the forefront of the UK’s jazz scene, including David Mrakpor (Blue Lab Beats), Tom Ford (Chris Dave, Reuben James) and Nicola Guida (Secret Night Gang). The record draws inspiration from hiphop, G-funk and broken beat, with Phelps and co weaving between styles through
conversational improvisation, thoughtfully crafted melodies and a combination of vocal and horn-led arrangements. Continuing with the west coast vibe explored on lead single ‘Finding Centaurii’,

‘Through The Clouds’ invokes shades of Anderson Paak’s jazz-fuelled soul-funk. Phelps’ playful muted
trumpet is paired with Ruta Sipola’s flute in conversation with Mrakpor’s vibraphone, with the instrumental finely balanced against Simon Jnr’s lyrical flow, setting an inspirational tone of breaking through and looking past adversity.

“I wanted the catchy melody to be traded around the band, as it’s the largest ensemble featured on the entire album. Simon Jnr came through and provided the lyrical masterpiece, which tied in perfectly to the themes I wanted to convey on the instrumental.” -Jay Phelps. Have a listen to

‘Through The Clouds’ below…

OUT TODAY: Listen to LT’s EP, ‘Out the Trenches’

Port Harcourt bred singer/songwriter, LT‘s his first body of work ‘Out The Trenches’ documents the past three years of his life. A seven track, soulful, groovy, synth-heavy, rhythmic project, intentionally put together to showcase the outer-worldly range and drive he possesses as an artist.

Creating the majority of the project from a headspace of gloom, self reflection, and hunger, LT had to channel all these emotions, igniting light out of a place of darkness, hence the title Out The Trenches. LT’s scintillating range in songwriting, performance and cadence shines through on every track, affirming a thematic expression that characterizes a phase personally and artistically. Alongside creating a delicate sonic world that incorporates elements of R&B/Soul, Afrobeats, Trap & Reggaeton, owed to an impressive list of production collaborators, from Killer Producer, Abel Lead Us, Mazi Spice, Trizzy Beatx to other session vocalists and instrumentalists who added to the depth of the project.

Released today (2nd June), LT’s debut ‘Out The Trenches’ is a strong first impression by an artist tipped to go the distance. Have a listen to his collection below…

Must Listens: In Due Time, A Million Lies, My Ana

Song of the Day: I’m Drinkin Rum – Sovereign Tugz

SOVEREIGN TUGZ hits the ground running with his first single of 2023 ‘Im drinkin’ rum, a promotional song for the Im Drinkin rum brand. After being performed live for crowds at Telford’s Jerk fest in 2022, it is out now.

This new release is sure to be a hit with fans of both Sovereign Tugz and ID Rum. With both Tugz and Just Dan doing their thing over this Error produced instrumental, this song is sure to get everyone up on their feet, while the smooth taste of ID Rum will provide the perfect accompaniment for any night out.

Hailing from the Black Country area of the West Midlands, rapper and entrepreneur Sovereign Tugz (formerly known as Thugz SNE ) has long been an advocate of the independent grind; a recognisable trait that has shown its head repeatedly in both life and in music. Predominantly known as a rapper, Tugz can also be found in the studio as executive producer and engineer for other artists, some who ended up signing to his record label See No Equal Entertainment. As a musician Tugz is mainly a hip hop artist but has always shown the ability to transfer those skills to genres outside of his own, such as his feature on Rose Bates’ Rewind (Remastered) The name Sovereign Tugz came about to emphasise the importance of freedom and independence, something that is seen in his consistent work ethic and stoic mindset.

Since 2010 Tugz has been self releasing projects and singles, each one better than the last with the latest project being 2015’s Streets 2 Tha Studio which was followed up with a barrage of singles such as The Bad Guy and other ventures such as SNE Online, a Hip hop only radio station that connected listeners and shows across the world and his all new OG rolling Papers, just a few examples of the hustlers ambition that had gained him recognition in 2018’s ‘Uprising’ documentary which had featured in cinemas and film festivals in The UK, Europe and America.

916 deliver their sultry new cut ‘Nuisance Interlude’.

Formerly known as Nikz & Booda, 916 deliver their sultry new cut ‘Nuisance Interlude’.

With velvet-smooth production and harmonious vocals from Nikz, combined seamlessly with Booda’s relaxed yet quick-witted bars, the 916 collective execute another flawless blend of R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop in this new song, showcasing their unique signature sonics.

The luxurious track clocks in at just over 2 minutes captivating the listeners with a stylish seductive sound, which no doubt leaves fans craving for more from the Oxford based collective.

Bursting onto the music scene representing their Punjabi heritage, British born collective 916 have garnered their own unique sound, blending elements of R&B, Hip-Hop and Soul. With records such as ‘Get To It’ and ‘Motion’, 916 have since built further anticipation for a full length project with their most recent releases ‘Mimosa’ and ‘Nuisance Interlude’.

Throughout their career, 916 have consistently showcased an impactful style and sound, demonstrating their uniqueness and conceptual artistry, both visually and sonically. Since their foray into the music industry, 916 has amassed an impressive array of accolades. From performing at the Titan Festival in 2022 alongside Lloyd, Ludacris, and Jon B, to gaining notable support from BBC 1Xtra’s Sian Anderson, who featured their track ‘Pull Up’ as her ‘Online Find’ upon its release. Additionally, their music has received airplay on prominent platforms such as BBC Asian Network, Reprezent, and Radio2Funky.

With a multitude of releases slated for this year, 916 are poised to continue captivating audiences and solidifying their presence in the industry…Check out their lush single below…