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.
A true representation of the alternative in London, Hackney rapper and model NICKI KNIGHTZ returns with an introductory video in anticipation of her third solo project ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ produced by her genre-bending duo member – artist and producer Henny Knightz.
‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ tells of how Nicki came to refer to herself as a ‘lonely girl’ relaying her experiences of council estate living and being painfully different from the accepted norms. It also celebrates the solace she found once discovering equally talented and artistic outcasts. The video exhibits Nicki and three fellow ‘lonely girls’ that the world has turned its back on. Though they experience extreme highs when together, once alone they are left grappling with sombre thoughts and intense emotions. Inspired by the hit movie ‘Set It Off’ in order to fight back they take their destinies into their own hands.
‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ comes in the wake of Nicki’s prior EP ‘For The Uninformed’ a sonically and lyrically dark exploration that splices live instrumentation with avant garde alternative hip hop and explores the heartache of being mixed race in and out of the ends. The project’s single ‘India Arie’ was championed by Radio 1’s Toddla T making it his ‘coldest record of the week’ and BBC1XTRA’s Jamz Supanova. The project’s third track ‘1964 (Howlett Drive)’ was played on Radio 1’s chillest show with presenter Sian Eleri claiming it to be “…the coolest bassline in East London”
Check out the video for ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ below…
South London multimedia artist YV SHELLS‘ single, ‘LOSS’ sees him taking his Neo-Soul and Punk influences to a new level, creating a totally mesmerising sound.
Produced and directed by Yv himself, LOSS deals with the destructive nature of addiction to another person or a substance. Romantic riffs and punchy drums portray how the mind can be fooled into staying in a bad situation. He details the push and pull of abuse, using his captivating vocals to tell the tale. . YV shares: “LOSS is a reflection on an addictive relationship and looking at how you can lose yourself in these situations. It’s a song about trying to separate the bad from the good and the paradoxical nature of wanting to stay in a bad situation.”
Born and raised in South London, Yvonne Shelling (his mother was hoping for a girl) makes music that combines his creative and chaotic energy with a sincere message: love honestly. A true multi-hyphenate, his talents extend beyond music to film, art and photography, having been featured in and supported by the V&A and Venice Film Festival.
Inspired by the likes of Bon Iver, Frank Ocean and Joy Division, it was during times of isolation in the pandemic that Yv started to experiment with playing the piano and began exploring new sounds. He enjoys bringing experimentation to the stage with a range of tracks that span Reggae/Dub to Rock and RnB.
Check check the video for YV Shells’ epic single below…
Bristol-based emerging stars vocalist ALAMAY and OMAR CASSIUS (fka skiimsk) announce their second self-produced EP How tTo Swim, dropping 13th July 2022, and share the heady and soulful single ‘Overnight’. The follow up to their debut release, Aurora, and their lauded Boiler Room debut, ‘Overnight’ is a heart-rending track, with Alamay reflecting candidly on past relationships. A gorgeous, melancholic slice of R&B produced by Omar Cassius, his minimalist percussion, sparse sparkling guitar and brooding bass provide the perfect backdrop for Alamay’s heartfelt vocals.
Gaining an education in Soul and Jazz from an early age, Alamay’s style draws on inspiration from these rich, timeless sounds as well as her Ethiopian heritage. One of Bristol’s most promising new talents, Alamay is bringing a refreshing take on modern R&B/Soul. She first entered the scene in 2019 with her collaborative project with Omar Cassius, Aurora, followed by a track entitled ‘Miirror’ featuring KNWGD in 2020, and made serious waves with her impressive live Boiler Room set, performing alongside deconstructed club titans, Giant Swan and Jabu. Already gaining tastemaker support and a dedicated fan-base, Alamay has laid the foundations for many more impressive projects to come.
Bristol-born artist Omar Cassius (fka skiimsk) entered the scene in 2019 with his collaborative debut EP alongside Alamay titled Aurora. As co-founder of the 1999 platform (a Bristol-based creative collective) he can be found working on multiple other projects – often behind the scenes – with other budding creatives in the city’s buzzing, tight-knit community. To date, most of his creative output and contributions have been his carefully honed, intricate productions. However, How to Swim EP sees the rising artist making his first foray into contributing vocals and bars on releases, with his sights set on further collaborative and solo projects.
Have a listen to the pair’s stunning single below…
Following the release of their pop/ rambunctious bass debut, ‘Can’t Have It’, UK (Brighton) Pop/R&B duo 5 WEEKS released the video for their second single, ‘Believe It’.
The new single is a reflection when a woman gets all googled-eyed when she finally found the one, over feathery layers of 90s – inspired soulful jazz, reminiscent of the likes of acid jazz heavyweights, D-influence and incognito.
A serendipitous musical relationship that was formed out of mutual respect for Reggae, Hip-Hop and rare groove, 5 Weeks consists of singer Alexandria and Darren Outbreak who cites array of artists such as Barrington Levy, Anita Baker, Soul 2 Soul, Mos Def, Anderson Paak, Gwen Guthrie, DJ Premier as their musical influences.
Being brought up in a musical family, many influences came from her mum being in a reggae sound system in the seventies and eighties, Alexandria has been singing and songwriting from a young age who was later picked by Sony for a publishing deal.
Darren began DJing at a very early age, getting his first club residency at 15. Starting out in electronic music, he broadened his horizons over the years with many genres in the musical landscape.
Since releasing their debut, ‘Can’t Have It’, which was well-received across the UK airwaves, the pair have collaborated with Choice FM’s legendary DJ Mix Master with the remix of their single, ‘Woman2Woman’.
‘Believe It’ will form part of 5 Weeks’ debut EP, ‘5 Weeks 4EHVA’ coming out in August. The pair are gearing up for an album launch party in their hometown Brighton on 5th September.
Check out the video below. You can also stream ‘Believe It Here.
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