Continuing the chilled-out vibe, Sheffield’s upcoming emcee J.KAS drops a spanking new track, Cali Dreaming.
This time he teams up a fellow-Sheffield newcomer Ruell, to deliver a real slick of timeless hip-hop and R&B – a great way to start the week.
If you’re REALLY feeling Cali Dreaming, well it’s worth investing your time in listening to his latest EP, #HomeTown, available now on iTunes.
It took roughly five years for SHAY KHUSHRENADA to gather material for his debut mixtape, The Karman Line, released this month…and it definitely shows as you can hear and feel the sheer dedication in each offering.
The 11-track mixtape starts off with bang-up-to-date, head-rolling hip-hop with slight hints of grime and trap music which slowly matures (like a fine wine) with clever cuts of old school/R&B beats, where the Londoner vibrantly spits over kick back arrangements – even though he describes the pitfalls of chasing a music career.
This mixtape is a keeper, check it out now!
Must listens: Bronze Helm, The Emergence, Cry, Candles, End to End
Recently, MR BIGZ was here, featuring on Johnson Orchid’s track I Wanna Love (named song of the week by NEW LEASE MUSIC). The UK most charismatic hip-hopper isn’t kicking back anytime soon; instead he cranks up the charm to the max and drops latest single Beluga Bitches Bollinger, taken from his mixtape, My Funked Up Soul 2.
The single gives a first glimpse of the ten-track project and offers nothing less than two minutes of silky smooth rap with the hot property on the top of his game alongside trusted producer Turkish Dcypha (Island Records)
Adding a unique twist to some of his favourite classic soul records, the 2014 mixtape My Funked Up Soul was so well-received that he was inspired to create the S.U.M.M.E.R. EP shortly after. Tracks such as The Ride featuring Giggs, Finer Taste with Wretch 32 and Soul Food featuring Max Marshall – all playlisted on BBC Radio 1Xtra – helped the EP to the iTunes hip-hop top ten.
My Funked Up Soul 2 was released on Good Friday….ease myself into the mixtape and check out Beluga Bitches Bollinger
One of UK’s most promising hip-hop artist FONZSE has dropped a visual to his compelling single, Mending a Broken Spirit.
Set up in a AA-style meeting, the three-minute production shows the Nottingham-based newcomer baring his whole soul to a therapist with hard-hitting clips revealing the hidden woes of fellow patients.
This is one tuned up emcee…you need to check out the video.
Mending A Broken Spirit is taken from his debut album, Conscious Decisions, available now on Bandcamp.
BENJAMIN A.D unveils the third installment in a series of monthly singles, Escapism. It is the next slice of self-examining, poetic hip-hop akin to the likes of musical heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Ghostpoet, and which has earned Benjamin praise from The 405 and Clash, among others.
Following on from his last track, Mandatory Mantra, the South Londoner has once again collaborated with critically acclaimed Canadian producer Junia T, who worked with the artist on his previous releases Monster’s Ball and Come My Way, and who is best known for his work with Little Simz.
BENJAMIN AD once more brings his unique brand of rhythmic philosophy to his latest track Escapism, which he explains focuses on ‘…looking at things under a microscope rather than skimming in our busy lives’, perfectly hypothesizing on human weaknesses and mental health.
He beautifully pairs frenetic drum beats with melancholy jazz to tap into his thoughts on trying to escape reality by any means. As Benjamin reveals, ‘the track is just an elaboration on us all being escapists, some more than others but whatever your vice(s) is/are, from a TV show, to films, to video games, to drugs, booze, books, whatever…They’re all your escape from reality for whatever reason.’
Accompanying Escapism is a video directed by Jonathan Gilbert – the creative director behind Panomatics, the leading Virtual Tour supplier in the world. Shot in both South London & Koh Phangan, Thailand using drone cameras, Gilbert states that they were ‘inspired by Prodigy videos from our childhood and films like Project X’ to create the feeling that ‘wherever you look, Ben is struggling with his own thoughts’. Coupling bleak shots of Benjamin in turmoil in a London flat with lush panoramic footage of Thailand, it is a thought-provoking exploration of struggle and escape.
Having already garnered support from The Source and RWD to name but a few, the conscious hip-hopper looks set to impress again with his latest track. Perfecting his craft with each new release, it is his ability to consistently create emotionally charged, revelatory hip-hop that makes him a standout talent for 2016.
Go on, check out Escapism.
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