Following on from his last single, ‘All Of That’, which gained great traction at the beginning of 2020, AD‘s single ‘Rico’, showcases the Portuguese spitter’s versatility on the track which no doubt leaves the listener hyped and wanting more. ‘Rico’ is an up-tempo, gritty, hip hop track where AD slams down a bold storyline, comparing it to the synopses of the hit film “Paid In Full”, where ‘Rico’ isn’t someone to be trusted.
Why not check out the hype and watch the video for the banging single below…
Before closing the door to his The Room EP, Edmonton hip-hop artist K-RIZ unveiled a new video for the potently blended jazz-rap track, ‘A Place Where Love Is.’ Elevated by the swinging coos of Calgary soul singer Yolanda Sargeant (of Sargeant X Comrade), the song is a declaration for choosing to love in a time of fear.
The video stars K-Riz, Yolanda Sargeant and fellow Alberta rapper Lyrique, and serves as a hopeful antidote to the bleakness of the past year. Filmed from Calgary’s Sunnyside neighbourhood and the city’s iconic Peace Bridge, the black and white video is punctuated by meaningful symbols. “Imagine life where colour doesn’t matter/Imagine peace where murder doesn’t happen…Under God’s blue sky, we all bleed the same you and I,” K-Riz spits, illuminating the possibility of a better world.
“This is the message that I wanted to close The Room out on,” said K-Riz. “I think this is a message that people need to hear right now—and over and over again. It’s time for people to open their hearts to peace and love.”
The Room EP was written by K-Riz while recovering from injuries sustained in a June 2020 car accident. The title signifies the room in which the album was conceived and the mental space and time he was given to reflect and create. The five-track collection is laced with smooth R&B grooves, jazz flourishes, lyrical atonements, and a near-death clarity, tracing the wrongs of past relationships (‘What a Shame’), faith (‘God First’), and a profound sense of gratitude for life (“A Place Where Love Is” feat. Yolanda Sargeant).
In the time since the EP’s release, K-Riz has been hailed by Complex for “quietly establishing himself as one of Alberta’s deftest lyricists; was named as a Black Canadian artist you need to know by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe of CBC’s The Block; and was listed among the Canadian artists you need to hear by Exclaim in January of 2021. The EP follows his debut full-length album, Fresh Air (2016), which garnered the rapper a spot on Hip Hop Canada’s list of the Top 40 Canadian Hip Hop MCs.
The Room EP is now available on all streaming platforms. You can also look for K-Riz’s sophomore full-length, Peace & Love, set for release this summer. For now, check out the video for ‘Where Love Is’…
Drumming up over a 100,000 views on YouTube from videos to singles ‘Smoke’ and ‘Mars,’ which also earned him over 40,000 streams on Spotify, upcoming rapper HARVY GREEN circles back to drop his 5th single titled ‘Empire’ + music video.
Keeping in line with his already released tracks, the 24-year-old delivers his bars as the heavy autotune trap style draws comparisons to Young Adz. The young rapper fuses his hip-hop influences into his raw, rhythmic and intriguing vibe to his music. On his new single, harvy green brings dark instrumentals to the table and blends them with smooth melodic flows, strongly resounding to the likes of Travis Scott, Gunna and Young Thug. The British rapper with Indian ethnicity caught the attention of American YouTuber Brandon Rashad to his 620K subscribers, after which harvy’s listeners have continued to rise.
Keep your eyes peeled on this fiery spitter as he plans to drop an album later this year…but for now, check out the official video for ‘Empire’ below…
Following his recent interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC, Atlanta-based hip-hop upriser, Ryan Lamar Alexander – aka 5TASH – circles right back with the video for his latest and – maybe greatest installment yet – titled ‘BIG 5TASH,’ the lead single off his debut EP ‘I, 5tash Banks’ released earlier this year.
The three-minute aminated production shows the GreenFolk emcee on a hard grind and also living the life of a young G!
Why not check out the video, directed and shot by New Life Visuals (NLV A1) @newlifevisuals.
It’s an absolute pleasure welcoming back B. EVEREADY on the blog. The Baltimore rapper was last featured back in 2018 with single, ‘Always Major.’
After lengthy spell away from the blog, he returns to discuss his upcoming album, ‘The Answer’ coming out tomorrow (26th February). Find out what events inspired him to produce the album – trust me, his reasons will truly resonate with you…have a read below...
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?
BE: Pretty good so far. My family is dealing with some health challenges, we had some COVID scares, but everybody is well & on the road to recovery, so I can’t complain. We’re blessed.
NLM: You are about to drop your album ‘The Answer’, where you dropped singles ‘2BLACK2STRONG’ and The Answer (Intro) ahead of its release. What is the public perception on the singles so far?
BE: It’s been a good reception so far. The Answer (Intro) is a direct response to the book on the cover of the project – “The Negro A Beast or In the Image of God?” – and people are loving the truth I put in the track. 2BLACK2STRONG is a conscious turn up record that everybody has loved from day one. Hopefully it blows up the way I’m thinking it can.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
BE: After dealing with the police-involved murders from last year & the protests, I felt like I had to have a project that was exclusively responding to that moment. Not to mention what was going on with the political scene. I felt like if I didn’t have something to say as a Black man, I wasn’t the artist that I thought I was. So I dug deep and came forth with these 7 tracks to speak to the times we’re living in. I feel like this expresses my point of view & thought process as a Black man in America in 2021.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
BE: I love the first two singles (The Answer (Intro) & 2BLACK2STRONG) definitely – they stand out for different reasons. The Intro is the mission statement of the project. It just speaks straight to the heart. 2BLACK2STRONG is a record that could spawn TikTok challenges, dances, and go up in a party while giving our people pride. Outside of those, I think it’s a tie between Ferguson & 3:57AM. Ferguson is a record that I definitely shed some tears to once I finished it. It talks about the riots, but also the 3 protest leaders that died under very suspicious circumstances. 3:57AM is a record that embodies the feelings you might be feeling at that time of the morning when you are being consumed by some of these thoughts. It partially feels like a dream, and then you think about what matters most to you as an individual.
NLM: So how would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?
This is a project that is sample-heavy but embraces trap sounds. It sounds like Black Revolution & Black Liberation over a beat.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?
BE: It’d probably be Kendrick Lamar, because I feel like this project is my version of To Pimp A Butterfly, and I’d love to hear him over 2BLACK2STRONG.
NLM: Did the Covid pandemic presented any drawbacks in the production of your album?
BE: It presented some challenges when it came to recording because my regular studio was shut down for a while. But we overcame that challenge pretty quickly, so outside of that, we’ve been able to keep it moving.
NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?
BE: I definitely have a bunch more music coming for this year, and I can’t tell you everything that’s coming down the road, but I will tell you this: this will be my most prolific year of dropping music by far. Coming not too long after this project is the deluxe edition of my #GS2 EP, led by a single featuring MC Bravado & Kxng Crooked, so you know I’m serious with it out here.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
BE: You can find me at my website BEvereadyRap.com, Twitter @BEveready, IG @b.eveready, or at my Bandcamp – Beveready.bandcamp.com.
NLM: Finally, any special shoutouts to those involved in the production of ‘The Answer’?
BE: Well, I definitely want to thank my wife who is a constant source of inspiration. The producers (Anno Domini, Synesthetic Nation, Baltimega, Alex Collins, Makaih Beats, Big Shot Beats), features (Jay Charles & Scholarman), and my studio & engineering folk (Lineup Room Studio, Brandon Lackey, MooseJaw, Beauvallis & Steel Tipped Dove). I appreciate what everyone brought to the table to make this project happen. And thanks to NEW LEASE MUSIC for allowing me to share this project with the world.
New Lease Music 