Song of the Day: Ghetto Love Story – D Double E

The trailblazing 2022 MOBO Award winner D DOUBLE E returns to the mic with his new solo single ‘Ghetto Love Story’. Produced by the phenomenal TenBillion Dreams, the track marks the start of a new sonic journey Double is set to take his fans on over the coming months. Leaning into his downtempo sensibilities, his clever and cheeky lyrics take us on a journey of love and lust over a dark, atmospheric instrumental lush with strings and thudding basslines.

Alongside release of the single, D Double E announces his biggest London headline show to date at KOKO on the 24th November. An incredibly special performance at one of the city’s most iconic venues, Double’s incomparable stage presence and crowd melting adlibs will be backed by the Steam Down.

As visually enticing as he is sonically, the video directed by Femi Oyeniran & Nicky Slim Ting Walker is set at a grand country home where the ghetto love story unfolds. A dapper Double and the main female character are seen in exquisite surroundings as Double unfolds his tale of the ups and downs of love. Check out the video below…

Song of the Day: Hold It Down – Spencer Elmer

After a flurry of acclaimed releases, SPENCER ELMER returns with ‘Hold It Down’, an ode to the delicate balancing act between relationships and career. As Spencer soars as an artist, his hunger for success overrides his desire for romance forcing it to take a backseat as he confidently climbs to the upper echelons of the music industry. His careful and considered lyricism overlays a pulled-back instrumental set with soothing guitar strings and a feathery melody, resulting in a downbeat track that is almost melancholic – a sound that we’re yet to hear from Spencer.

The mellow visuals sees Spencer exploring London with his mates dressed in the finest streetwear, a visual that is not dissimilar to what a day in the emerging rapper’s life would usually look like. Spencer’s confidence shines in front of the camera, showcasing his natural talent and skill for captivating an audience.

The follows Spencer’s recent releases ‘Far From Rude’ featuring one of the UK’s most respected rappers and songwriters JAY1, and bouncy, tongue-in-cheek cut ‘Calm Like Kim’, as well as following his recent signing to LA-based record label 10K Projects earlier this year.

The third single lifted from upcoming EP, ‘Hold It Down’ shows fans a new side to Spencer, showcasing just how versatile he can be and solidifying his position as a formidable new artist on the scene. Check out the video below…

Watch Mike Body’s new video for track, ‘Afterglow’

After featuring on the NEW LEASE MUSIC charts over on instagram, claiming the Music Video of the Month title for visuals for track ‘Reach 4 The Stars’, Inspirational rapper MIKE BODY returns with another set of visuals for track, ‘Afterglow’. The single is taken from his latest album, ‘Man Myth Legend’ which claimed the Album of the Month top spot back in May.

Check out the video below…

Rapper MeRCY drops track, ‘The Artist’.

“Lessons of life be the sketches I write/deep depression/seek perfection/not reflection I like” – spits the lyricist known as MERCY as he introduces us to his latest work of art titled, ‘The Artist’.

Backed by a beautiful canvas of production provided by Lebanon Don, MeRCY goes to work detailing portions of his life that have made him who he is today. Each bar and rhyme blend together perfectly like when mixing colors to create another, as the artist takes us on a trip through his mind & past self. He grabs a mic that acts as a paint brush in order to create the picture of MeRCY. From seeing his older brother deal drugs, to run ins with the law but also trying to avoid disappointing his mother even while being out in the concrete jungles, it all plays a part in the ever growing picture of ‘The Artist’.

MeRCY starts off the second verse by saying “The artist who drew the hardest of hardships/with my tears on the canvas/bloodstains on my garments/written in blood no kisses and hugs”. Merc’ doesn’t mask any pain but shows it off in full because in his words “This is God’s work from all the hard work/beauty is pain my n***a/I’ve made it artwork”. Truly embodying himself within his raps is how we find the Florida native on this record, not being afraid of showing vulnerability but embracing it in order to create a special track that serves as the first single to his upcoming album ‘Michaelangelo’. If the single wasn’t already great, Tone Spliff adds some scratches throughout to top it off and ensure the greatness of ‘The Artist’. Have a listen below…

Arlo Maverick unveils video for track ‘Night Shift’ ahead of album

Canadian hip-hop artist ARLO MAVERICK‘s video for new single, ‘Night Shift,’ offers a portrait of a person wrestling with the increasing demands of getting by and fulfilment, and positions Maverick as a chronicler of modern day working-class woes. The tune will appear on his upcoming release, Blue Collar, set for release on 20th October.

On the track, Maverick ponders the tension between balancing making ends meet and material success, and the overwhelming sacrifices made to reap the rewards. The video, co-directed and edited by Maverick and featuring emcees KazMega and Just Moe, depicts various people – a labourer, an office worker, and a janitor – grinding through a day of work.

“We wanted the video to be an honest representation of what sacrifice sometimes looks like for people hustling to get ahead,” says Maverick. “Being able to share the fruits of that labour with family is what makes it all worthwhile.”

Through a succession of buoyant, march-like beats, the track mirrors the monotony of work, while Maverick delivers the bleary-eyed refrain, “Working that night shift/I just want to go home/I just want to go home/I just want to go home.”

“This song shows the impact of shift work on your health and happiness; how you miss important moments in your family’s lives, and how these typically dead end jobs offer no possibility for advancement,” Maverick adds. “The dilemma we face in trying to live our best lives and make our families happy is often more overtime and less time together.”

Much of the themes on Blue Collar revolve around a universal pursuit of purpose, prosperity, and happiness, from the disillusionment of the job market after graduating from college to the gratification of indulging in material things to being undervalued at a 9 to 5. It’s an album that tries to capture the seemingly endless balancing act to meet our personal needs, satisfy our wants, and get ahead in an economic environment that makes it harder and harder to do so.

‘Night Shift’ is out now, with more to come from Maverick as he preps the release of his second full-length solo album. Check out the video for the track below…