Tennessee rapper SLATT ZY‘s contemplative trap-soul single, ‘Feel It in My Soul’, finds the rising star at his most vulnerable, referencing the struggles and loss that have shaped him. It’s another tantalizing, melodic tidbit from his life following the heart-wrenching ‘Hard To Live.’
Zy, who turned heads throughout 2021 with ‘Lean On’ which has amassed over 1.6 million video views, while ‘Don’t You Fold’ is over the million mark too. Both tracks showcase the young artist’s versatility as he details his deepest lows and celebrates his unlikeliest triumphs.
With critical acclaim from Lyrical Lemonade, EARMILK, HotNewHipHop, and more, Zy has established a reputation as one of the most soulful, and honest MCs in the game. Song by song, he is building a world that’s difficult to face, but even harder to look away from. With singles as tangibly powerful as ‘Feel It in My Soul,’ Zy is one to watch in 2022.
Watch the Marlo Taylor directed video, which is a moving tribute with Zy and his friends bonding over another senseless loss. Zy honours his friend by celebrating his life…
Multi award winning R&B singer, songwriter, and producer PRAIZ maintains his stature as a beloved curator of high-quality music with the release of his third studio album ‘Reckless’ and lead single ‘Love You Better’.
Encapsulating the best of what Praiz has to offer the Gospelondebeatz production on ‘Love You Better’ is filled to the brim with sensual melodies and silky vocals that are underpinned with a buoyant percussion that uplifts the base of the track. Seamlessly coupled with Praiz’s theme of love and devotion, ‘Love You Better’ pays homage to the nostalgic-yet-familiar afrobeat sound whilst topping it with a modern R&B flair.
Praiz spent his early days in Kaduna and Abuja, after releasing some tracks that were emphatically supported by the local radio stations. He continued chasing his dreams when he moved to Kaduna, making waves within the underground scene but it wasn’t until he took part in reality show ‘MTN Project Fame’ that he caught his big break. After this, his feature on prominent rapper MI’s track propelled him into stardom, this then followed with his collaboration with Bez which became the first African song to premiere on BET 106 & Park.
Since then, Praiz’s career has continued to go from strength to strength, boasting a powerful discography which has seen him collaborate with countless superstars including names such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Sardokie, and Stonebwoy, allowing his unique talents to reach global audiences. Continuing to beat expectations and demonstrate why tastemaker platforms like CLASH have named him as one of the “new icons in Nigerian R&B” – Praiz is well on his way to becoming a household name!
After racking up over 350,000 streams on her debut album ‘Balance’ in the first two weeks, as well as support from the likes of BBC Radio London, CLASH and Mixtape Madness, sensational Zimbabwean singer, FRYA (pronounced Fre-ya) shares R&B smash ‘You Can’t’, released on Johannesburg based record label Exodus Entertainment.
Tipped for major success by iconic international platforms including GQ, who recently interviewed Frya and identified her as a ‘vocal powerhouse’, the Zimbabwean born singer and songwriter is quickly establishing herself as an international star. Prior to the release of ‘Balance’, her debut body of work, 4 of Frya’s tracks were hand-picked for the soundtrack of Netflix hit series ‘Blood & Water’, all of which feature on the album. As an emerging artist, this is a monumental feat and one which can be attributed to both her music and character. Whilst her colourful life experience, emotion and feelings lend to the empowering, versatile and powerful soundscape that her music delivers, it is also her eloquence and fierce determination that open a world of intrigue in to discovering Frya’s world. Describing her sound as “The modern African woman: Versatile, powerful, bold”, it is clear why the world of music, style and culture are gravitating towards her with features across Notion Magazine, Earmilk and many more already scratching the surface of what is to be found from an artist like Frya.
As FRYA continues to build upon the momentum that she garnered last year, she shares her powerful album ‘Balance’. This project includes a variety of differing sonic styles that all merge to create an unforgettable debut. With songs such as Changes, Back It Up, Chandelier and Calculate already creating a cult-following, after featuring heavily on the soundtrack for ‘Blood and Water’, her captivating allure knows no bounds. Showcasing her versatility, FRYA delivers soul-stirring ballads in tracks like ‘For You’ and ‘Changes’, whilst in tracks like ‘Fire Fire’ and ‘BDE’ she demonstrates a party centric, reggaeton sound. Her debut project sums up the passionate singers’ approach to music, as she strives to create the perfect synergy. Have a listen to ‘You Can’t’ below…
UK artist RICARDO WILLIAMS comes through with his first release of the year, ‘Cross The Line’.
With a more stripped back style Ricardo shows a new side to his R&B sound whilst still maintaining the sound he is known and loved for. ‘Cross The Line’ samples the emotionally charged song by Brandy ‘Borderline’ and uses it as the centrepiece to explore the relationship ‘no no’ of dating a friend. Not only does Ricardo showcase his sultry vocals on this track he also shows that his songwriting skills are a force to be reckoned with.
Ricardo says: “We all know how crazy living through the pandemic and lockdown were. I really took that time to reconnect with myself. Spend some real quality time with my family including welcoming my new baby girl into the world. It’s really given me perspective on life and now I can pour that back into my music. Cross the line is a product of that, me just letting go and creating with this new fire in my belly.”
‘Cross The Line’ is the lead single from Ricardo’s Intermission Deluxe album coming at the end of April. Have a listen below…
IMVN‘s (pronounced Iman) debut offering ‘The Door’ is a down-tempo, brooding and left-field blend of R&B and electronic music, with the North West London songbird’s melodious vocals glide effortlessly throughout punctuated by harmonic layering and reverb rich moments.
Speaking on ‘The Door’, IMVN says:
“The Door is low-key. It exudes a mental state of indifference. It’s spoken from the perspectives of two people, one who doesn’t want responsibilities and lives in the moment; the other, who’s waiting to be taken seriously and not feel used by others. The Door is a conflict between two incompatible characters who haven’t yet realised it.”
Sonically influenced by the likes of Kate Bush, Mariah Carey and RY X, from a young age IMVN was encouraged by her mother to write songs during the summer holidays. It was these early moments of introspection and dedication to her creativity that she honed her ability to write honestly and relatably. Now at 21 years old and a former dance student, IMVN is most influenced by the unpredictable nature of life – with her music and visuals representing a hybrid of the world around us, ever evolving. A careful and considered artist, everything IMVN creates is done with the utmost care and thought.