Dolly Ave Debuts First Visual "Birds"
RH First Look: KoVu
KoVu, a rapper who grew up outside of Chicago, sat down with us a few days ago. We chopped it up about representing the suburbs, going on tour with the likes of Tory Lanez, being well known in a small town, and more. Check out the full interview below:
rubyhornet: For any of our readers not familiar with KoVu, who is KoVu?
KoVu: KoVu is a young kid from the suburbs of Chicago. I grew up in Plainfield, Illinois. It was a small town where everyone was trying to be a rapper. I didn’t get into rapping until my freshman year at college in 2012/2013. Made a dorm room mixtape called Good Morning Nightmares. After taking a break, I came back in 2015/2016 and dropped my ep Contrast. Played a couple shows with Waka Flacka, Vic Mensa, and Tory Lanez. Now I’m here.
rubyhornet: KoVu comes from the Lion King, because your mom said you looked like Kovu, a character in the movie. What kind of influence does Disney have in the culture?
KoVu: Disney is like Apple, they have everything. I was a huge Power Rangers fan so when they took over that I was really upset. I’m looking forward to the new Lion King with Donald Glover and Beyoncé.
[youtube id="CIw8RkwQN0I"]
rubyhornet: You originally wanted to be a singer, like Chris Brown, over a rapper.
KoVu: I got into music through R&B. My favorite artist is Chris Brown. I would imitate his dance moves. Then once Drake came out, he showed people you could sing and rap. Chance is another big inspiration.
rubyhornet: Do you still feel that way?
KoVu: If I could sing, I would do that 100x over rapping. I always hear these hooks and have a melody, but need to find someone to lay it down. I’ve taken singing lessons and practice a lot, but I don’t have the pipes like Chris Brown.
rubyhornet: In high school you were into dancing and theater.
KoVu: My parents were going through a divorce during this time. My study hall teacher Miss Dunham, who happened to be the choir teacher, saw that I was frustrated all the time. She put me in a second study hall where it was just us and she would teach me how to play piano and read music. Then I joined choir, and later theater.
rubyhornet: How did this translate to your music and stage performance?
KoVu: My DJ, 1981 Toyoko and my other DJ, Cookup Cam turn up with me on stage. We make up dance moves and try to incorporate the crowd as part of the show. I like to make sure the crowd knows I’m just a person like them.
rubyhornet: Tell me about going on tour. Meeting Tory Lanez, Waka Flacka, and Vic Mensa.
KoVu: The Tory Lanez show was on my birthday. I just turned 22 and his stage energy was on another level. We played a whole Midwest tour with Waka. He taught me a lot about the business. He has his hands in a water company and an app to discover underground rappers. I only ran into Vic shortly at our show.
rubyhornet: How does it feel being well known in a small town?
KoVu: It’s weird. When I walk in somewhere, people whisper and talk. My friends still treat me the same. They are still going to call me an idiot. Kids in high school that didn’t talk to me have reached out about my music or have gone to some shows. It’s crazy to think that I’m representing this suburban town.
rubyhornet: The creative process on Contrast and working with only one engineer.
KoVu: JLP Studies Jimmy Renyolds. It’s rare to find an engineer when you tell him what you want and where it comes out exactly how you heard it. After we dropped Contrast it went on top 50 on ITunes. The creative process on the new album is different, I am showing more about my love life, my personal life, and going deeper than just the party aspect that my previous work covered. 4 years deep with Jimmy and I.
rubyhornet: What should fans be on the lookout for?
KoVu: Playboy, my new project with 16 songs. Coming soon.
Future Drops Beastmode 2
Future connects with fellow Atlanta producer Zaytoven for a 9 track mixtape Beastmode 2. This is the sequel to Future and Zaytoven's 2015 collaborative mixtape Beastmode.
The glorified lyrics about the wealth and success are balanced with flashbacks of the struggle. On "Red Light" Future says, "Sleepin' on the carpet made a man out me". Then later reflects with, "I finally start to embrace that I'm famous. It's hard for me to erase when I was nameless".
On the closing track, he reminisces about his rough past while detailing his drug use.
"Pouring up in public, damn, I hate the real me
My mama stressing out, she say these drugs got me"
Stream the project below:
Martin $ky Drops 5 Song Project Lessism
Martin $ky has been a well known name in Chicago for some time now. He started getting major attention as a rapper after putting out several hits such as, "Pearl Gawd" and "Reach". More recently Martin has taken his passion in music to another level. Setting down the microphone and producing full time. His attention to detail on tracks like, "Checkpoint" speak for itself.
I have spent hours in his production studio watching him work. The dedication Martin has for his craft is the reason he is where he is. Regardless of rapping or producing, if you put yourself in a room five days a week for hours and create, it's going to sound dope. When artists ask me about what it takes to put out a good record, I often find myself telling them about Martin's work ethic.
Stream his project, Lessism below.
[Review] Best of Mamby 2018
Mamby on the Beach felt like three different festivals going on at once this weekend. The rap/R&B beach stage, EDM tent, and jam band park side stage had three distinct types of festival goers at each. Below we listed our favorites from Chicago and memorable artists we heard for the first time.
The best from the hometown:
Joseph Chilliams performing his new project, The Plastics, and bringing out all of Pivot.
Towkio bringing out fellow Save Money artist Joey Purp.
The entire Common performance was the story of his life. He went from playing "Retrospect for Life" to telling the crowd if he wants to change the world, he will do it through his daughter, who was also present.
Jamila Woods sharing the stage with her sisters for her whole performance.
The silent tent with Stitch Gawd on Saturday, and Evan Brown on Sunday.
Best set from an artist I haven't heard of:
Jack Harlow killed it.
I only caught the end of Bugus, but he was defiantly going in.
Mamby on the Beach has the potential to be the best summer music festival in Chicago. It has everything going for it: A good location that is easy to get to on the train or even by bike, three stages that aren't too far apart, picturesque views every direction, good vendors, and oh yeah the beach.
[RH Premiere] Vince Verza - The Cove
"The Cove", by Long Island MC & Columbia College student Vince Verza, is a smooth laid back track that showcases the 19 year old lyricist's buttery delivery. The track is an ode to his town's beachside spot where his friends would gather to pass the time, bump music, and make memories. Inspired by past MCs such as A Tribe Called Quest, as well as contemporaries such as Joey Badass and Pro Era, Verza brings his east coast influences to the windy city.
"The spot the cove was where me and all the homie’s would meet up, post up, smoke and contemplate, it was always peaceful and inspiring being in that nature preserve, the spot is known by everyone in my town as the outdoor party spot, for me it was that but it was also more than that... a place that I think of when I get nostalgic and miss home."
Words by Alexy
Valee & Jeremih Drop "Womp Womp" Music Video
Chicago artists Valee and Jeremih team up on their new visual "Womp Womp". A crime movie framed with remote control settings changing the language from english to "Womp Womp". The Hebru Brantley directed film makes this their second collaboration.
Valee has been on the steady clime over the past year. Signing to G.O.O.D. Music, Def Jam earlier in 2018. His innovative flow and ability to flip words separates Valee from other new rappers.
[youtube id="mZz7sfwnz-o"]
Freddie Gibbs Drops Self-Titled Project
Freddie, the self named project was announced by Freddie Gibbs on Twitter June 21st, with a teaser video in the style of an old infographic commercial. The project isn't an R&B record, but the pink vinyl and classic cover would make you think different.
[youtube id="-TAuNKLRhD0"]
"Death Row" featuring 03 Greedo is a throwback to the NWA era. "Cruisin' through the city in my oh-eighteen (skrrt), Sendin' the bitches, servin' the fiends (ooh)."
Nostalgic beats combined with street lyrics makes this a must listen project.