KOKAR – a rapper, singer, songwriter — emerged from Deptford with the critically acclaimed ‘For Me’ as a debut single in late 2018 and has followed up with prominent singles such as ‘Coulda Been’ and ‘Lessons’ throughout 2019.
Hitting 2020 with a brand-new drop, Kokar releases ‘Coulda Been Pt 2’. The track picks up the story from the original, which premiered with GRM Daily last year, and emanates the smooth R&B vibes with a soulful Afroswing undercurrent.
Raised by a single mother and signing a professional contract with Barnet football club at 18, Kokar’s direction turned to music in 2018 having decided to focus on being expressive and creative in his craft. Already building an impressive catalogue of numerous singles and his ‘RTW’ project in a short space of time, the forthcoming LP release ‘Dorking Close’ hones on his skill to work with varying sounds and styles, and draws on his musical experience of the last 3 years. Housing songs that cater to a mix of taste within the Rap, Grime, Hip-Hop and R&B, ‘Dorking Close’ is marked to release this month across all digital platforms.
NEW LEASE MUSIC has caught up with THBENJ, who’s debut album, ‘T.H.B’ stole the top spot on the blog’s Top Ten Albums of 2019 list.
Get to know the upcoming Italian rapper, as he discusses his critically acclaimed album and his plans for 2020…so are you ready? Good!
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How’s life treating you?
TB: Hey, It’s a pleasure to be a part of the New Lease Music blog and I appreciate the support you’ve shown my music so far. I’m doing good, I recently moved over to Australia, everything is going amazing. I’m working on a lot of new music, I’ll be releasing a lot this year.
NLM: You released your album ‘T.H.B’ last year (which is #1 on New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2019). Have you received other accolades on the album?
TB: Being #1 on NLM Top 10 Albums for 2019, was a nice surprise. I’m very grateful and glad you guys enjoyed the album. Yes, 2019 has been a good year for ThBenj. We hit #1 on Google Play for the most albums sold in Hip Hop in Italy for 3 days and stayed in the top 10 for 5 consecutive weeks. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Really cool!
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
TB: The inspiration to write T.H.B. came from all over the place. Really, it’s a spontaneous album where I tell my story through my experiences. I tried to absorb as much vibe as I could and translate that into sounds, melodies and words everywhere I went.
Although, I always say it’s not me writing the songs, it’s something through me that makes the magic happen.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
TB: I like all of them and I think it makes sense to listen to them in the exact order that we’ve chosen for the album. But taking them singularly I would say “Mumble Acid”, “All Stars” and “Myself Again” for the deep messages they hold.
NLM: Do you have any plans to release a video for any of the songs on the album?
TB: Not at the moment, but definitely will be for the new music I’ll be releasing.
NLM: So how would you describe your sound to potential fans?
TB: I make music mostly for clubs and that’s my sound, a club sound.
NLM: If you had the chance to collaborate with ONE mainstream artist on the album, who would it be?
TB: Russ, he’s not afraid to make something different.
NLM: If you had three wishes to change the music industry today, what would they be?
TB: I’ve only got one, changing the main topic. I Can feel it’s already changing though.
NLM: lol OK fair enough! So how can potential fans contact you?
TB: Just hit me up on IG @th_benj or FB ThBenj
NLM: Finally, any New Year’s resolution(s)
TB: I’ve just dropped my most recent single “2020” and I’m exclusively letting you know that I’ve scheduled the release of “Reasons” for February 14th. I may even leak a song or two before that, so yeah, this year is going to be a movie. Lot of music coming out.
I wish lots of success, health and joy to anyone reading this. A big thanks to New Lease Music, this is dope!
NEBR, THE TIGER‘s debut album, ‘Insight’ delves into the mind of the Detroit emcee’s random thoughts – from current affairs, his fate in the rap game to that roller coaster feeling in being love.
Starting off on a smooth note, easing into a rich boom-bap tone, the 13-track set goes off on a whirlwind of tones – from Nebr’s take on R&B afterhours to the sporadic and jarring/distorted bass line and tones often coupled with the use of slow motioned techniques. To add to the experimental sound, a nice touch of delicate oriental-esque tones make a brief appearance towards the end of the album. Through the chaotic arrangements, this upriser manages to deliver a very audible flow that’s record-breakingly fast and bang on the money.
‘Insight’ is definitely an album you have to play at least a couple of times to really grasp the concept of the whole collection – once you get, you’ll understand and really appreciate that every element/tones in each track, represents his intricate thoughts. So welcome to the world of Nebr, The Tiger…
Must Listens: R.T.W., These Days, Insight, Different, F.T.L
With his debut album (‘10,000 Hours’) amassing over a million streams from January 2019, and three new loose singles already under his belt since the fourth quarter of last year, JIAANI (pictured right in the above photo) keeps the momentum going with the Terrius Mykel-directed music video for his new Buckroll-produced single ‘Lost Faith’, featuring Rich Homie Quan.
Speaking of his track and video, Jiaani says: ” ‘Lost Faith’ was really a reminder to myself to stay focused, at the time everything around me was changing. I was making more money but I had toxic relationships that I had to shed, and it was basically my rebirth. At the time, Rich Homie Quan was going through similar things with the label situation and in his personal life, so once we chopped it up and built a friendship, it just flowed, and Terrius Mykel really captured my vision for it with the video. Life is an opportunity everyday. We all take losses, but work ethic and a strong mindset will build you.”
The North Carolina emcee started out under the guidance of rapper 9th Wonder and went on to collaborate with the likes of Freeway, Fred The Godson, and Gillie Da Kid.
This guy has impeccable flow and some fire wordplay. Check him out below…
SINCE9INE6IX makes his debut on the blog and slams down a video for his latest single, ‘TapeRecorder,’ featured on new album ‘BLE$$ED (Prod. by Neak).’
Directed by ADaD, this film features his routine of everyday grind, capturing the essence of who he is. The clip also captures the love and appreciation for family members, who provide the motivation and drive to take his music career to another level.
KOKAR – a rapper, singer, songwriter — emerged from Deptford with the critically acclaimed ‘For Me’ as a debut single in late 2018 and has followed up with prominent singles such as ‘Coulda Been’ and ‘Lessons’ throughout 2019.
New Lease Music 