Song of the Day: Afro – IThinkThatsRio

Introducing up and coming UK artist ITHINKTHATSRIO with his debut single ‘AFRO’! The melodic rap track comes six months after the London native burst onto the scene late last year with his ‘Prayer’ freestyle that caught the scene’s attention. ‘Afro’ sees IThinkThatsRio waxing lyrical about having the freedom to do what you want, whether that is with your hair or with your career.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Afro’ and how the song came together, IThinkThatsRio says, “creating ‘Afro’ was such a vibe. I was in the studio with TheLifeOfKG when this Grossgod beat came on, and the first thing that came out of my head was ‘take out my braids, just roll with an afro’, and the rest came together from there. As well as the track just being a vibe, I believe the message behind it, which is that we should be free to make our own choices, without fear of ridicule or judgement from other people – in my case, it’s how I wear my hair sometimes”.

Originally from Chadwell Heath in East London, IThinkThatsRio has always had a passion for music, but he has been on course to become a professional footballer for a good few years, but after turning 20 last year and realising that music had the power to help him express his feelings, and how that made him feel, he began taking music seriously, and quickly charted a new course from a footballer to a musician.

Check out the accompanied music video below, collaboration between IThinkThatsAfro and burgeoning London-based visual director and photographer EazyVisuals (Ebenezer, B Young, Ryan De La Cruz, Michael Ward).

R&B Upcomer Cheryll Drops Video For Latest Track, ‘What About Us?’

South London songstress, CHERYLL unveils her last video from her debut EP, ‘Transition’, which possesses a theme of relationships and love interests.

Bearing the EP’s theme, ‘What About Us?’ has the making of a 90s R&B slow-jam classic, which provides a dynamic experience, thanks to her sing-rap performance.

Cheryll has started off 2021 on strong note with the EP and the video is sure to keep the momentum going well into the summer. Expect more singles for this promising newcomer throughout the year…but for now, check out the video for ‘What About Us?’, shot and edited by videography duo Tory and Jolloff.

Song of the Day: Can’t F With – J-Onyx

Emerging with an air of mystery J-ONYX has a presence that can’t be ignored. Commanding attention with her deep tone and dynamic flows, her first release ‘Can’t F With’ captures her innate and undeniable talent as an artist. Her latest release has already landed support by DJ Target on BBC 1Xtra, DJ Shortee Blitz on his KISS FM and KISS Fresh show and Charlie Sloth will be adding the track as his Hood Heat of the week and he will also support on his Apple Music playlist. Choosing to keep her identity concealed for the time being, J-Onyx wants to let her music do the talking, as often young female artists can be over sexualized in the music industry. Catapulting through the ranks she joins the ‘Champions League’ as she ‘eliminates all of the tournaments’ and earns a rightful place as a one to watch in the UK rap scene.

The serendipitous calling to become a rapper can be pinpointed back to November 2019 where she was teasingly dared by her friends to rap an off-the-top-of-the-head freestyle and upload it onto her Instagram. Gaining an overwhelming reaction, the freestyle uncovered her natural gift with rhymes and flows and allowed her to nurture the talent into a dream career. To date she has released 3 freestyles on Instagram and her second freestyle for ‘Murda Murda’ received some strong support and was picked up by DJ Shortee Blitz and DJ MK on the KISS FM Hop Hop show.

Her exposure to music was planted long before the freestyle and the London based British rapper, singer and songwriter grew up immersed in a musical household. Building the fabric of her musical DNA her mother and elder siblings introduced her to an assorted collection of music, which ranged from Reggae, Dancehall and Hip Hop to UK Garage, Afrobeats, Rock and Indie. Her musical roots grew beyond her immediate family as her uncle was also a member of reggae band UB40.

Going against the conventional route, J-Onyx followed her own path, although she had the encouragement of her family she dropped out of school at a young age and found herself in challenging situations. What became evident was that the music was a constant and the turning point was getting into Brit School and attending drama school. Since her studies her path has led her to explore performing arts as well as pursuing a career in the property business. She has now found herself gravitating towards music as solo artist and ‘Can’t F With’ is a great introduction to her sound.

Check her out below…

Song of the Day: Trust In You – V’Nessa

Her debut single ‘Helpless’ produced by ENZ Sounds amassed over 170,000 views on YouTube and over 68,000 streams on Spotify with no mainstream push, and now 17 year old V’NESSA returns with another stunning single ’Trust In You’. Centered around mistrust, she opens up a three minute dialogue addressing the struggles young people face during the course of a relationship.

Born in Italy, but raised in South London this exceptional young woman grew up as one of five siblings with a passion for singing and remembers practising every day to perfect her craft. V’Nessa’s ability to sing, write and produce her own music inspired her to study at BCE college where she has been able to enhance her knowledge of music and skills. A prolific songwriter, V’Nessa pens mesmerising R&B songs about lost love, broken trust and youthful ambitions sitting somewhere between Rihanna, Jhene Aiko and Summer Walker with a distinctly London vibe.

Look out for her debut EP dropping this Summer. For now, check out the official video for the single below…

Darren Parry Shares Feel-Good Single, ‘Summer Of Love’

Multi-award winning singer/songwriter DARREN PARRY comes along with a chirpy summery single, Summer Of Love, the perfect antidote for those summer days ahead, leaving behind the tough times many have experienced during the pandemic. The sultry Country/Rock number is co-written with (and features) ex Jesus Christ Superstar lead, Steve Balsamo (who has also written for Slash, Meatloaf, Cliff Richard).

Both have attracted much success over the years. Darren’s achievements include… 2004 UK Songwriting Champion (beating 6000 entries from around the globe), 2014/2016 USA Song Of The Year runner up (judges included Gwen Stefani, Don Henley and Phil Collins), 2019 ISSA Awards International Male Vocalist Of The Year and multiple other awards from Billboard and Unisong, to name but a few! Darren has co-written songs with hit songwriters like James Warren (The Korgis, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”), Dazzle Music (Charlotte Church) and many others.

Steve Balsamo is known to many for portraying Jesus in Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, forming the band The Story’s (who supported Elton John and Celine Dion) and being one part of Balsamo/Deighton. Steve has also co-written songs for Slash, Meatloaf and Cliff Richard, as well as releasing his own sweet Americana/Country/Pop blend of songs as a solo artist.

Check out ‘Summer Of Love’ below…