With production credits for UK rap legend Lowkey, Tournier, rising UK R&B songstress BINA (The Fader, The Pit LDN), Awate (Noisey, BBC 1Xtra, The Line Of Best Fit) and Unsigned Music Award nominated songstress Davina Oriakhi, as well as previous support from the likes of Earmilk, GRM Daily, The Pit LDN, and SoulBounce, for his production work, London producer and musician JUST RYDER slips through his brand new single titled ‘Go’, alongside Tournier, IzzyOT, and Ghanaian rapper Pure Akan.
An international collaboration spanning London, Manchester and Accra, ‘Go’ sees Just Ryder bringing together the disparate musical influences of UK Drill and the eastern-style strings that soundtracked his upbringing as a child of immigrants, supported by driving drums and a grooving bassline that pierce through a soundscape of synths. Through this, he creates a concoction in which heavyweight drill harks back to the sampling of Middle Eastern music by producers such as Timbaland and Scott Storch in the 90s and 2000s. Check it out below…
Tag: unsigned music
Mike Body’s Album, ‘Man Myth Legend’ Offers Light After Darkness.
With each track possessing his infamous b-line, which becomes progressively heavy, MIKE BODY‘s latest mixtape, ‘Man Myth Legend’, is a collection of his appreciation for the man upstairs for all the good times after coming out of the darkness and stirring him out of trouble.
containing 11 tracks of life experiences that almost everyone encounter in their lifetime, Christian rapper Mike builds up a line-up who add nothing more than pure spice – Nynandra adds her blazing flow to the sombre bass in second track, ‘God Design’. Further down the line, singer Kendell Kelly adds a smooth soulful touch to ‘Promise’ and M.BENNETT adding his gliding flow to the vibrant guitar-led R&B production, ‘By This All I Know.’
Although he shows appreciation for the Most High, Mike Body also shows love to friends and loved-ones who showed nothing but pure love and support throughout his life. In short, Mike Body urges us to do the same through this tight EP…check it out below, plus the blog’s song recommendations below…
Must Listens: Once Upon A Time, God’s Design, Heartbreak, Grove King, Reach 4 the Stars, How Far We Come
Rapper D’Shaun Taps Producer Benji For EP ‘MDNGHT’
MDNGHT is an EP brought from San Antonio’s D’SHAUN and fellow collaborator, Benji. Texas and Austria connect respectively to bring the 4 piece to your music libraries, filled with nothing but bangers that simultaneously bring smooth vibes along with them. With Benji on the boards, D’Shaun is able to place his full attention to his raps along with mixing and mastering the EP, making sure the project is spicy yet sweet at the same time. DeShaun Jay is the lone feature on the outro ‘God”s Gift’ as both D’Shaun and Jay continue to raise their number of collaborations with one another.
When asked about his and Benji’s relationship, D’Shaun says “I’m pretty sure we met through Instagram a few years back. He is a great producer but even a better dude to just chop it up with, he’s just a real cool dude”. It’s not just “business” between both artists when it comes to collaborating, it’s more of a mutual friendship between two people who happen to be creatives. That relationship makes their art shine even more due to knowing one another on a personal level even if it’s through social media.
“We wanted to see what a whole EP done by us would sound like after he produced some songs on SD2. Even before then, we both agreed to make something spacey and wavy together, Benji really likes spacey sounds”.
MDNGHT stays true to that statement as each track makes you feel like you are floating in the sky, racing through clouds on your own flying nimbus while the project play’s through your headphones.
Hit play on the new EP from both D’Shaun and Benji below…
Must Listens: THE LIFE, 4KEEPS
April Jai Shares Single, ‘Stop Fighting It’
After scooping the number one spot on NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Songs of 2022 with powerful ballad, ‘It Ends With Us’, APRIL JAI returns, gracing her presence with a fresh sound for 2023 with new single, ‘Stop Fighting It.’
Sporting a rhythmic bounce of an electro bass, later joined by raucous guitar riffs, ‘Stop Fighting It’ shows the London pop songbird’s sultry side as she seduces a prospective lover who’s trying so hard to resist temptation.
To date, April has released two original EPs as well as a stream of singles – including the TikTok viral hit ‘It Ends With Us’ – which has moved April from “the girl with the guitar next door” to “the queen of sad songs”. April’s ability to tug on emotions through her songs, combined with her trademark chill pop production style gives her the key to her audience’s heart.
Now she turns up heat in her new titillating single…Have a listen below…
Neak Reflects On The Black Experience In America Through Latest Album, ‘Die Wurzel’
Everything can be traced back to its roots. Sometimes, those roots are ignored, overlooked, unattended to, and uncared for. At the heart of American culture, the roots of African-American became nurtured through the historical beauty and ugliness of American society, and those cataclysmic experiences still resonate within the black culture, mindset, and way of life.
Conscious rapper and producer NEAK‘s latest album ‘Die Wurzel’, explores black life post 1619 to the present day. It is designed to make you pause, think, and reflect on the black experience in America with a level of compassion and sensitivity that has made way for perceived cultural black norms deriving from African-American’s trials and tribulations. Jammed back with black musical roots: gospel, soul, jazz, funk, and rap, ‘Die Wurzel’ is an intellectual, witty, and soul-driven musical journey that will hold a dear black in the heart of black urban society.
From the days of his childhood, Chicago-based Neak was bound to capture the same soulful essence of his father; Robert Kelly of the 60s R&B soul group, The Kelly Brothers. With soul and gospel music playing constantly throughout his household growing up, Neak soaked in stories from his father and uncles on their glory days of touring alongside legacy artists such as James Brown, Sam Cooke, Patti LaBelle, etc. It was only a matter of time before those stories became the backdrop for his inspiration to create music that reaches the inner-workings of humanity from the context of the black American cultural experience.
As time went on, Neak began building a foundation for himself as an MC, producer, event curator, and artist consultant. By collaborating with the likes of GLC, Add-2, Rashid Hadee, Rita J., Slot-A, etc., he developed an extensive discography that aesthetically reflected his soulful upbringing and love for golden era-esque style hip-hop–influences by hip-hop greats such as Nas, 2Pac, Common, MF Doom, Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, and Kanye West. This led him to begin touring the U.S. and Canada; performing in major cities such as New York, Vancouver (BC), Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, London (ON), Portland, St. Paul, Washington D.C., etc. He also was invited to and performed in major festivals such as A3C, Silver Room Block Party, and North Coast Music Festival. Sharing stages with music notables such as Pete Rock, Chance The Rapper, and Vic Mensa, his creativity continues to evolve and adapts to reflect the signs of the times.
Neak’s musical releases combined currently stand at over 450K streams, but his hunger to create beautiful music for the masses has just begun. Fresh off producing Rita J’s new album ‘The High Priestess,’ and joint effort with fellow crew members of NRFS (consisting of Neak himself, Rashid Hadee, F.A.B.L.E., and Since9ine6ix), as well as gearing up to release a collaborative album with singer/producer/director Cam Be entitled “a film called black”, his next solo effort ‘Die Wurzel’ is now available on all major streaming services. Check it out below plus the blog’s song recommendations…
Must Listens: Home, Famous, Black on Black Black on Blue, Memoirs of a Lost Nigga
New Lease Music 