Review: "ESD3" EP by EVERYSECND and D3

EVERYSECND is an RnB artist out of Greenville, South Carolina who has a unique style. He has the ability to sing with smooth, Weeknd-like vocals while also being able to flow like a rapper. In this way, he is similar to Tory Lanez. EVERYSECND’s music is deep in that much of it is autobiographical and it tries to set the correct vibe for the important emotion of love.

“ESD3”, produced exclusively by D3, is a short, 4 track EP, and opens up with the track “Revenge”. The production is very ominous, and the vocals are extremely smooth. The track draws you into the project from the start as it speaks about wanting to make a girl more than just a friend. This song shows off the artist’s ability I mentioned earlier. While EVERYSECND is singing in the song, he is utilizing a hip-hop inspired flow which allows him to fit more words into his verses. This introduction makes the listener wonder what the rest of the project will sound like and what the subject matter will be.

The next track, “Magic” sounds similar to a song I could hear Chris Brown making. It’s catchy and has a lot of “singy-rapping”. It certainly sounds like a radio single and I mean that in a good way. It’s a good choice for a follow up to the introduction as it gives the listener something the play over and over.

Track 3, titled “Chill”, is the first true ballad in the project. It slows down in both tempo and mood. The vocals and harmonies remind me so much of pure RnB music while also being mixed with the current sound of autotune and effects. This track is certainly something I would consider “bedroom” music and again, it is a perfect follow up to the song before it.

The EP ends with “Come Through”, which is an upbeat, soulful song similar to songs I’ve heard Anderson.Paak make. “Come Through. Stay for the night I’m good when I got you”, sings EVERYSECND. This song was the perfect way to close out the project as it is a good-mood song with a catchy hook that still evokes a lot of emotion.

This project 100% leaves the listener wanting to know when the next project is going to drop. “ESD3” is smooth, catchy, lyrical and the production is dope and unique.

Stream “ESD3” on Spotify

Review: "STRIDES episode 1" by Marsiell

Marsiell is a Hip-Hop artist out of Indianapolis who puts his life influences in his music. Surprisingly, this “STRIDES episode 2” EP is his debut (*For how strong it is, I would’ve assumed it was his second or third). This project is very clearly influenced by things of the 90’s as some popular 90’s cartoons are referenced throughout the project and even on the cover art.

The first thing I will say about Marsiell after listening to “STRIDES episode 1” is that he 100% embodies true Hip-Hop. It’s clear to me that he is an above average rapper. His use of different speeds and flows along with his word play and punch lines show that he has thoroughly studied the art form. A perfect example of his skill as a lyricist can be found in this bar from track 2: “THC and Halle Berry” - “Kept the Sh*t ducked off, like watching Looney Tunes with no Daffy”. There are several bars in this EP that are on par with this one.

Something about Marsiell is that he has the ability to sing on his own tracks. This is becoming more and more necessary as Hip-Hop is starting to transform. He also seems to have a solid ear for production because he used six different producers (one for each song) and all of the beats are dope.

The subject matter of this project is rather mature and deep for it to be this man’s debut. He tackles several different topics such as politics, love and drugs and also speaks on some personal experiences. To me, this is necessary for longevity in the rap game as most of today’s new rappers only rap about money and material things.

“STRIDES episode 1” is a mixture of smooth vocals, dope lyricism and strong production and it leaves the listener hoping that a full-length album is coming soon, or at least “STRIDES episode 2”.

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Review: "The Island" by Laz

Laz is an independent Hip-Hop artist out of Paris, France who is also influenced by RnB/Soul and Reggae. He is a bi-lingual artist as he can rap in both English and French which he displays in his project. Laz’s short EP “The Island” is unique, concise and smooth while it also tells a story and takes the listener on a journey to “4 leaf clover island” (a metaphor for a land made only for the rich).

It is quite clear that Laz is influenced by TDE signed artist Isaiah Rashad. He has a similar voice and even some of his production/beat choices, provided exclusively by BONI, sound similar to that of Rashad’s. At the same time, not only is Laz unique because of his ability to switch from English to French in the same song, he also utilizes unique cadences in his music. He spits with a myriad of speeds throughout the EP. The song “Flood” is 56 seconds of straight bars spit at a fast pace and then the song “Kingdom” follows with slow somber singing over a wavy beat.

Overall, the EP is dope and leaves the listener wanting to hear more from Laz. This project shows his ability to stand out in today’s overcrowded field of rappers.

“The Island” can be streamed on Spotify below and you can find more of Laz’s music on his Soundcloud page HERE.

Stream “The Island” on Spotify

Review: "Black Rome" by Dough the Freshkid

Dough the Freshkid (DTFK) is a hip-hop artist out of South Central, California who works under his own independent label, Every Penny Counts (EPC). On Thanksgiving Day of 2018, DTFK released his 15-track album titled “Black Rome”.

As a hip-hop lover, the very first thing that stood out to me about this album was the production. DTFK’s use of sampling and boom bap beats creates an old school sound that my ears personally love. The use of real jazz instrumentation helps add to the overall musicality of the project. Also, DTFK utilizes record scratches at times which again results in that sweet old school sound.

The album starts out with the song “Sunday Service” which uses a Gospel choir sample. It almost reminds me on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam”. This lively track helps to set the initial tone for the album; however, there are several tone changes throughout.

The project has many features; however, I feel that they are well placed and that they all hold quality. The songs “We Rich” and “Cookin” both have multiple features and it’s very clear that DTFK only chose extremely talented artists to spit verses on his tracks. (Shout out to Top Dolla, Wink Loc, and 1 Shot Dealz on “Cookin”)

Speaking honestly, I’m not sure if there is a single bad song on the album. “Black Rome” has delightfully woke messaging without sounding too forced or too preachy. DTFK raps about politics throughout the album but uses facts to get his messages across. There are segments where he speaks over the beat in order to get specific points across without having to actually rap them; similar to Jay-Z on his recent album 4:44. (a tactic used in hip-hop for decades). His subject matter ranges from church and religion, to drug dealing, racism, the state of hip-hop and even his opinion of Instagram models (lol check out “Unverified Models”)

Although DTFK is independent, after listening to this album, I could easily see him fitting in perfectly with TDE. He has a similar sound to Isaiah Rashad and at times raps similar to 50 Cent, and he has the lyricism to compete with the top tier emcees. At the same time, his choice of production and song topics make me feel like he could also fit in easily with the rappers of the 90s.

This album is an example of hip-hop still being alive and well despite all the trap rap on today’s radio stations. It is also proof that there are many independent, underground artists who are much more talented than the mainstream rappers of today.

Stream “Black Rome” on Spotify and Apple Music

Review: "Booty and the Beast" by T-Booty

John Tyler Butler, aka “T-Booty” is a hip-hop artist out of Kansas City, Missouri. He was formally the lead vocalist in the KC rock band “Me, Personally”, but decided to venture out to start a solo career as a rapper. “Booty and the Beast” is Butler’s latest project and it doesn’t disappoint.

At first listen, it is clear that Butler is blessed vocally. His singing is smooth, confident and very full. The intro track, “Tune Out”, showcases his vocals and draws in the listener to the project from the start.

While listening to the album, I found myself comparing Butler to artists such as Post Malone and Travis Scott because of the sound of his voice (although much less autotune than Scott) as well as his choice of production. What I believe separates his sound from those two artists, however, is the fact that he can rap his “Booty” off. The song “Avenue” is essentially a showcase of Butler’s diverse talents. He switches from spectacular singing on his hook to rapping that reminds me of “Yelawolf” but with more precision and deeper lyrics.

It’s Butler’s rapping that explains to me why he decided to be more than just the lead singer in a band. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, but imagine if Drake was just a lead singer for a Canadian rock band. What if Vic Mensa never left “Kids These Days” to become a solo artist. It appears to me that Butler is reaching his full potential as “T-Booty”.

Despite the funny name, the album is a solid body of work with a good mix of danceable beats, catchy hooks, emotional tones and fire lyricism.

“Booty and the Beast” can be streamed on Spotify below as well as on Butler’s website.

Stream and Share “Booty and the Beast” on Spotify

Review: "Oxnard" by Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak is the perfect example of a rags to riches success story. From couch surfing to working as a marijuana trimmer to being signed by Dr. Dre, few musicians have a story as inspiring as his. Anderson’s climb to success arguably started when he got the chance to be on Dr. Dre’s “Compton” album. He got the gig after Dre heard his song “Suede” and loved it so much that he played it on repeat. Anderson found himself on four of the sixteen songs and his voice began to be heard. His unique vocals had music fans like myself stopping and asking, “who is this dude I keep hearing throughout this album?” In 2016, Anderson released his album “Malibu” which was essentially a sequel to his 2014 release “Venice”. Both projects were impeccable. Now, in 2018, a less underground Anderson .Paak, backed by Dre and Aftermath, has released the third album in his location saga, “Oxnard”.

As an Anderson .Paak fan, I will admit that the first time I fully listened to this project, I wasn’t sure how I felt. Admittedly, I found myself comparing it a lot to “Malibu” just because that was the project that made me a fan. I decided to give it a few more listens and really focus on the production choices and Paak’s words. After the next few full listens, I grew to love this album. A fear that fans have when an artist goes from underground to more mainstream is that their music will lose quality and that the artist will start to just care about radio play. While this album has some radio playable tracks, (“Tints” and maybe “Trippy” and “Mansa Musa”), every song still has a ton of substance, excellent production and actual lyricism.

Paak is incredibly unique in that he’s certainly a singer, yet he raps much better than a lot of today’s so called “rappers”. On songs such as “Who R U”, “Mansa Musa” and “Saviers Road” he spits about as well as he sings. On songs like “Trippy” and “Smile / Petty” his wavy vocals are on full display. The fact that he’s able to do both makes him extremely fun to listen to and it helps him to have only quality features in his songs.

Speaking of features, his choices for this album were amazing. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are of course the heavyweights on the list making “Tints” and “Trippy” two of the more popular songs on the album; however, Pusha T., Dr. Dre, Cocoa Sarai, Snoop Dogg, and Q-Tip all added dope bars throughout the project that really complimented Paak’s sound and energy.

Most of Anderson’s project is happy and upbeat; however, he does get a bit serious on the songs “6 Summers” and “Cheers”. In “6 Summers” he speaks on the President and how he appears to be above the law. He also speaks on gun violence and reform. The song “Cheers” was a song dedicated to Mac Miller as Paak speaks on his friend and wishing that he had done more to try and save him.

All in all, the album is dope and as a fan, I will probably spend the next two years trying to decide which is better: “Malibu” or “Oxnard”. The point of Paak’s location projects (Venice, Malibu and Oxnard) is to make music that reminds him of those places. I’ve never been to Oxnard, but if this album is any indication of what it’s like, it’s certainly on my list of places to visit.

Stream “Oxnard” on Spotify

Stream "CHH Dope, New, Wavy & Clean" Curated Spotify Playlist

Stream and share our new "CHH Dope, New, Wavy & Clean" curated Spotify Playlist, featuring the newest and dopest songs from the Christian Hip-Hop genre, from both established and underground artists.

Some of the artists featured on this playlist include our very own Mitch Darrell, Fast & Low Music, Xay Hill, Kaleb Mitchell, Surf Gvng, Lecrae, CalebForever, RoyRex, and many more. 

Album Review: "Swimming" by Mac Miller

Two years ago, Mac Miller released an album titled “The Divine Feminine”. The album was believed to be inspired by his relationship with his then girlfriend, Ariana Grande. Her vocals were heard throughout the project and she was featured on the song “My Favorite Part”. This album was bright, upbeat and had an overall happy vibe. Fast forward to summer 2018. Miller’s relationship with Grande has ended and he has been in trouble with the law. Then drops “Swimming”, the album we all expected. (Sort of)

I don’t know about the rest of the hip-hop world, but as for myself, I was very interested in what Mac Miller’s album would sound like considering the drama surrounding him over the past year. I predicted that he would release a very sad/somber project compared to his previous one. I was essentially correct. After the first listen, I was quick to compare this project to J. Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only”. I say this because Mac Miller spent about 60 to 70 percent of the album singing as opposed to rapping. Cole did the same in his 2016 release and it was certainly a point of controversy. Both albums are on the sad side and are full of emotions. 

Just by glancing at the tracklist and seeing song titles such as “Hurt Feelings”, “What’s the Use?” and “Dunno”, it was quite clear what the tone of the album was going to be. On the other hand, the project wasn’t the “Woe is me” sobbing and sighing in the corner type of project I expected. The album has more of a hopeful feel to it. It’s as if Miller is saying yes I am sad and I’ve gone through a lot, but things are going to improve and tomorrow is a new day. 

Miller opens the album with the song “Come Back to Earth” as he sings “My regrets look just like texts I shouldn’t send. And I got neighbors, they’re more like strangers we could be friends. I just need a way out of my head. I’ll do anything for a way out of my head.” This evokes the feeling of struggle and pain with no foreseeable way out. He ends the album with the song “So it Goes” as he sings “Well everybody gather round. I’m still standin, sit down. I know I’ve been out. Now I’m back in town.” This evokes hopefulness and the feeling that Miller will continue to stay strong and move forward despite the bad times. 

Miller isn’t afraid to get personal and vulnerable on the album such as in the songs “Self Care” and “2009”. In “Self Care”, Miller sings “I’m treatin me right”, showing that although he’s alone (perhaps he means single because of his breakup or maybe lonely in an even broader sense) he’s still able to find some happiness and focus on just taking care of himself. In the song “2009”, it is believed that Miller is rapping about the time in his life before he reached fame. He sings about being unsure about a lot during this time. Now that he has found success, that unsureness is gone.

While the album is filled with singing, it also has the same solid rapping and lyricism that we are accustomed to from Miller. This along with the myriad of instruments that are included throughout the album make for a well put together piece of work. Because of the sad tone, it will be hard to convince most that this project is better than “The Divine Feminine”; however, the argument can and will certainly be had. 

Stream and Share "Swimming" on Spotify

Review: "Today" Album by Elliot Bless

We don’t focus on yesterday. We don’t dream about tomorrow.

WE LIVE FOR TODAY - Elliot Bless

Elliot Bless is a trumpeter turned rapper from Queens, New York who has an extremely unique sound. His music fits into multiple categories as it’s upbeat, bright/lively and full of lyricism. Elliot’s recent release, “Today”, is a project filled with danceable beats, wavy hooks and complex bars. 

Elliot has a voice which compares nicely to the rapper G-Eazy, however, Elliot’s rap cadences are much more intricate, and his topics are broader. The project touches on topics such as women and love, optimism and religion as Elliot speaks on some of his own life experiences. This deep subject matter, combined with his fast-paced flow, shows that Elliot is a true emcee. (It’s hard to find them nowadays)

 While Elliot’s rapping, as well as the excellent production, are the highlights of the project, he also did a good job with his feature selections. Artists Lovel and Lami use their voices to add melodies in three of the songs: “Not Today Satan”, “I Promise” and “Foreign”. Their voices added to Elliot’s made for some excellent hooks. 

“Today” is an above average project and Elliot has proved that he should be taken seriously as an artist. In a time where rap is starting to decline lyrically, Elliot has found a way to make songs that will not only appeal to the mainstream but will also intrigue true Hip-Hop heads.

“Today” can be streamed on Soundcloud below, Spotify and Apple Music and can also be found on Elliot’s website.