Jemal Four - Take A Picture
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A highly original song and video from newcomer Jemal Four I was impressed by the execution of the idea and concept for "Take A Picture". Repping DIAL UP, his crew, the video (shot by Link Wolfe) takes place in Jemals head envisioning the antics him and his boys would be getting into if he wasn't trying to smash this girl. In his fantasy he proudly exclaims to his girl "hey baby, you cool and all, but its 2017 and realistically I'm just trying to hang out with my N****s", at which point his friends mob him and celebrate throughout the city.
Jemals bars are fresh and witty, he plays the cultural tropes surrounding young men, mobbing with friends, fake flexing and uses them as an ironic victory lap. Hilariously once he snaps back to reality Jemal tells his girl he was "tripping" and reverts right back to the boyfriend duties he seemingly loathed at first.
Watch for yourself above and get to know the DIAL UP crew.
oddCouple - Feels Like (Feat. Jack Red)
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Good friends are hard to come by, cant nobody hold me down like this,
Real love is how we stay high, i'm making every night like this.
oddCouple is back with his longtime collaborator Jack Red to describe what real love "Feels Like". The song is an upbeat head knocker that will get a pep in your step if you started off the day on the wrong side of the bed. Jack Red sings about how hard it is to find good friends and that no matter what differences you may have, things are always better when you put them aside to just enjoy the life you have. The content is uplifting, Sam Guenaldi provides a mean guitar solo at the end, and the production from oddCouple is some of my favorite yet from the Milwaukee producer. The melody is bright, the bass line is subtle but accompanies the groove perfectly, and the arrangement leads the listener into the chorus like a roller coaster building up in suspense, preparing to send you for the ride of your life.
So get out of that morning funk and see what it "Feels Like" to embrace the day!
CRASHprez - Watch This (Feat. Student 1)
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LOST MY MIND, FOUND GOD IN THE MOSHPIT.
This is the refrain that anchors CRASHprez's newest song "Watch This", an energetic rowdy banger. The beat is provided by Boathouse who brought the bass, the sub looms over the lyrics like a dark cloud and the kick hits with the intensity of someone breaking down a door. Student 1 leads off the first verse, mentioning his propensity for smoking and writing by mentioning the "Notebook and Buddha" in his Jansport bag. CRASHprez takes the song in another direction mentioning his roots ("Black man from suburbia!") and how his self love unnerves jealous onlookers ("Flexin' all my melanin, I noticed it's unnervin' ya!").
Overall "Watch This" is a confident song perfect for a good old fashion college house party. The chemistry of Student 1 and CRASHprez creates a stylistic symmetry that makes me want to hear more from the pairing.
Smino - Sorbet (Prod. Sango)
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"shout to errbody who ever put somebody on lil ol me.
i love you MUHFUCKAS.
dis me jus havin fun wit it...hope yall enjoy, dance, smile to it. kuz nigga i do."
St. Louis native Smino prefaces his latest song "Sorbet" with this heartfelt message. The overarching message to Smino is carefree. His content is often about the better things in life and Smino as much as any rapper knows how to savor them. He always manages to keep his unique style regardless of the beat, his greatest characteristic. Always working with the finest new age production Sango laces "Sorbet" with a fluttery synth line, rolling hi hats, and a kick pattern that creates the backbone for Smino's unconventional flow. Smino celebrated his birthday yesterday so join us at Ruby Hornet in being grateful that he's in our lives and bump "Sorbet" all day long.
Blu & Exile - Back To Basics
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"I'm a vet like Pat Ewing,
I blaze more Knicks than Reggie Miller"
When I saw Blu & Exile were planning a follow up to "Below The Heavens" I admittedly fan-boyed. For those of you unfamiliar, "Below The Heavens" is arguably the greatest album dropped in the 2000s and is a cohesive masterpiece; regardless of where you rank it amongst the all time great projects. Exile is a producer who's dedicated to preserving Hip-Hops golden era sound. He chops up and loops retro soul samples, pairing them with Blu's poetic diction, creating a match made in music heaven. Blu has always carried a powerful delivery, thanks to his father who was a preacher. Blu adds in a little interview excerpt about this at the end of the song, humbly acknowledging his influences.
"Back To Basics" is clearly a return to what made Blu stand out from the crowd in the first place: old school aesthetics, funky beats, and clean witty rhymes. Longtime fans of Blu looking for a return to his original sound will be happy to hear him sound like he never left.
RH First Look: Musa Reems
A young MC from the West Side of Chicago, Musa Reems is thoughtful beyond his years. Currently attending Columbia College in Chicago's South Loop, he aspires to be a social entrepreneur; giving back knowledge and other resources to his community. He dreams of imitating the career arc of Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf. Wolf started his career as a DJ and used his relationships in the scene to launch one of the most successful indie labels in Hip-Hop. Currently working on his first full length project, Musa is primed for a breakout year.
I first came across his music about a year ago on Soundcloud, I was impressed by his rapid fire flow, not only because of the pure speed of the rhymes, but also because he possesed the measured delivery of a seasoned MC. His songs "Eclipse" & "Colt 45" were my introduction to what Musa had to offer and I was thoroughly impressed. Both songs are incredible displays of lyrical dexterity while maintaining solid song structure and poise.
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"I really focus on punchlines, one –liners, creating different flows, and clever concepts. I take pride in lyricism. I think that I got that from listening to Big L. Listening to golden era hip-hop made me focus on the technicalities of rhyming and it helped my growth. The majority of the time I would sit in my room and listen to beats that sounded good to me".
His origins in Rap are humble, he started rapping with his friends after his teacher Mr. Konny showed him MF Doom on the back of the school bus. From that moment on he was hooked and he started freestyling over Doom’s Special Herbs beat tapes with his friends that summer. From there he privately continued to hone his writing and could no longer contain himself after seeing Asap Rocky at Pitchfork Music Festival in 2012. He confided in his longtime friend that he had been writing, little did he know that within the next few years the two would band together to create their group Children of I.L.L.I.O.S.
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Musa's father played old Soul music in the house while Musa was growing up, his favorites included Minnie Riperton, Ronnie Laws, The Ohio Players, and Roy Ayers. He enjoys rapping over "dirty samples with hard drums" focusing on clever one liners and having an action packed flow.
This is apparent from his influences of anime and comic books.
"My favorite anime is Samurai Champloo. The music on it was mad dope. I found out about hella artists such as Nujabes, Force of Nature, and Fat Jon because of it. I ended up rapping on a lot of their instrumentals too. I even rapped over the theme song for the show. In terms of comics, I was really into Shang-Chi when I was younger. I loved Kung-Fu and I was a big Batman fan too".
Musa is a dynamic individual who brings all of his varied interests into his rhymes. He takes his music seriously and his music business curriculum at school keeps his mind sharp. One thing people might not know about him though is his love for cooking. His west side roots are apparent in his music as well as his palette.
"Seriously though, I love cooking food and creating new dishes. It's stress relieving and relaxing for me. Every time I travel I try to eat a meal that is unique to the city that I'm visiting. Chicago has a lot of fye food in general. If we’re talking about mild sauce, you already know I'm going to go with Uncle Remus. Jerk Taco Man is always on point and I love MacArthur's. West side all day."
Prepare for his debut "Where The Sun Never Rises", I have a feeling it will turn a lot of heads when it impacts. Until then get familiar with Musas catalogue and follow him @musareems on Twitter for updates on his music.
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Saba - Where Ideas Sing (Feat. Daoud)
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“Art scene like a renaissance”
Saba returns with his latest energetic track to show us "Where Ideas Sing". Saba is back in peak form with his signature double-time flow and fiery delivery. The production features a soft piano and clap that invoke the spirit of Chicago Hip-Hop; determined but playful. To this sentiment, Saba praises Chicagos current artistic boom, recalling the open mics he attended every Tuesday that nurtured his budding talent. His raps are often nostalgic in nature, giving his music a personal touch that only emboldens his connection to the city that raised him. Daoud joins him on the hook with a House inspired chorus that sends the song into a dancy crescendo. Listen now above and join Saba in his love for the community.
Qari - Revenge (Prod. Cangeloso & Mulatto Beats)
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One of the most poised MCs in Chicago, Qari is back with his trademark effortless flow on "Revenge". Moving with his usual abstract punchlines Qari weaves through the 808 minefield like a determined solider. His confidence never misses a beat and his synergy with Mulatto Beats remains one of the best MC/Producer tandems in the whole country.
Word has it that Qari is working on his next project, I for one will be waiting patiently to digest the always thoughtful MCs next batch of bars. Until then let "Revenge" tide you over.
"Watch me revenge on these N****s,
but I ain't got shit to prove."