The brazen West Londoner just dropped his latest video taken from the ‘Liability Jones‘ mixtape for ‘Crezzeh, Baby!’
Bringing that raw, authentic hip-hop vibe on the visuals, this track has that wavey feel from the beat, which sees him vocal EARTHGANG’s track Meditate ft. J.I.D.
Always the entertainer, KAO drops lyrics that reflect his playful character while also making the most out of the situations we could all find ourselves in.
Check out the Amo Jones-directed video for the track that’s – in KAO‘s words – “An anthem for the unwell… A trip with the wicked”.
Previously featured tracks, ‘Just A Kiss’ and ‘Always Been This Way’ have set a curious tone for KIT RICE‘s brand new album entitled ‘Konfidence’, released on Monday (25th June).
I was very privileged to be invited to Kit’s album release launch party on Monday at London’s 229 The Venue Club and I gotta say this newcomer’s – along with the backing singers – well-poised vocals has compelled me even more to the eight-track collection.
‘Konfidence’ certainly matched the full-on confidence of the live performances I witnessed, by kicking off with a boisterous sound of the UKG scene, before offering up more club filling makeovers of the original R&B/soulful offerings, ‘Always Been This Way’ and ‘Just A Kiss’, with the help of producers Operator S and DJIMON.
The combination of that UKG vibes and smooth R&B offers the perfect balance throughout the album, topped off by the 2017 Voice contestant’s soulful vocal which effortlessly flows between the two genres.
With this pretty neat set, KIT RICE firmly holds onto the title as one of the most exciting and promising artists that the UK has seen in a very long time…
Make sure you check him out below:
Must Listens: Just A Kiss, Always Been This Way (original versions)
‘Special’ is the new single from London artist LIV LOVELLE. The tracks follow ‘Won’t Say Too Much’ and ‘All That Matters’ which saw Liv gain Spotify New Music Friday support across 8 countries as well as Apple’s ‘Best Of The Week’. To date her work has been streamed into the hundreds of thousands and has seen tastemaker support from the likes of Popjustice and The Line Of Best Fit.
With delicate influences of 1960’s Motown, 70’s soul and 90’s R&B, the latest release reflects a new sense of purpose and direction for Liv who elegantly combines smoky R&B vocals with a pure pop sensibility. Mentored by Nick Gatfield, who has guided the careers of music icons like Radiohead and Amy Winehouse, Liv is rapidly finding her own individual niche in the world of pop.
Multi-instrumentalist hip-hop collective 2U4U release their second track ‘GURL’, mixed by acclaimed studio engineer Aaron Ahmad (Adele, Mark Ronson), ahead of their ‘Butter’ EP release on 6th July.
Upholding their distinctive sound by blending rap, jazz and RnB, 2U4U have created a relaxed texture-rich track with hints of old-school hip-hop. Reminiscing about respective love stories in the hazy summer months, ‘GURL’ sees rappers cal and My Rugema combining lyrical ambiguity with aspects of neo-soul to detail their previous love affairs. Newcomer Majella also contributes to the track, lending his mellifluous vocals to a hook peppered with astrological symbolism. Whilst fusing a Wurlitzer and an electric piano, the group’s producer Ranbir unifies pacifying bass riffs with crisp, evocative drum beats, enabling the mellow tune to create a warm, summery vibe.
2U4U
The three founding members, all hailing from Rugby and South London, met during their school years having bonded over a joint love of music. Citing various influences including Erykah Badu, Ty and Madlib, the group spent the summer of 2016 honing their craft of thematically-driven rap; it’s this dedicated nature that has gained them support by the likes of Dummy, The 405, Dazed as well as Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Since releasing singles ‘Home’ and ‘Fall’, the group have found themselves on Spotify’s ‘Alternative Hip Hop’ and XL Recording’s ‘XL Play’ playlists, proving that 2U4U are transforming fame with their unflawed, soulful sounds.
21-year-old Bristolian MERCY’S CARTEL latest single, ‘Feel My Vibe’ discusses substance abuse, youth culture and mental health over a smooth refreshing take on soul music.
Speaking of her single, Mercy says “Music gave me a way to speak about important social issues from my own point of view and control my own narrative.”
The track is taken from her debut EP ‘Vibes Cartel’ released last Friday. Combining afrobeat, trap, hip-hop, R&B and neo-soul, the project snapshots the singer-songwriter and producer after her 2017 hospitalization and departure from university after experiencing hate crime.
Mercy is already impacting the industry, having featured on BBC Introducing with her demo ‘Nick of Time’ as well as starting her own student music agency, and being voted third in Bristol, in the Barclay’s & The Tab’s Future 100 Women to Watch 2017.
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