[Video] Chance The Rapper & Jeremih Debut New Song
Photo by FragDFilms
Last night in Chicago, Chance The Rapper held a secret show for students of DePaul University at Lincoln Hall in the city. A sort of off-the-cuff decision to do the show, Chance and crew were on a whole other level, taking things to a sort of unplugged feel as Chance was joined onstage by "The Social Experiment," the name for his backing band of Peter CottonTale, Nate Fox, Nico Segal and Greg Landfair, as well as Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart, who performed songs from Acid Rap and 10 Day with ease. Chance, whose manager is a graduate of DePaul, brought Jeremih out not once, but twice, to unveil songs that have yet to properly hit the 'net. In the video below, the pair perform the upcoming single. Live, Jeremih sounded so clear you would have thought he was being mixed and mastered on the spot. Jeremih and Chance also teamed up for the yet-unreleased track, unveiled at The Riviera in November as well. Check out the latest song from two Chicago natives, below.
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Taylor Bennett: "Ballin"
Yesterday, Chicago's latest up and comer, Taylor Bennett, celebrated his 18th birthday with the Hypetrak premier of his latest track, "Ballin," due out on his anticipated 2014 project, Mainstream Music. The follow-up to last month's debut single "Heartbreaker," Bennett is proving that there is more to him than his older brother (Chance The Rapper).
He's a mile-a-minute on the haunting Saint The Good Boy beat, tossing together rhymes in rapid-fire succession while allowing listeners to digest his thought-provoking and insightful bars he's throwing at them. It's equal parts Twista and Lupe as he churns his way through the track. Check out the latest from Taylor Bennett from yourself, streaming below.
[Video] Common Talks Chance The Rapper with Vibe
The vast majority may associate Kanye West with the top rapper to come from the Windy City, but to real hip-hop fans, there's few artists above Common in terms of Chicago rap legends. The soulful, poetic artist laid the groundwork for an entire generation of artists from his hometown to pursue different sounds and aesthetics within their records. As Chance The Rapper has ascended to hip-hop royalty over the past year, we have heard little from the upper-echelon of Chicago hip-hop on the young artist responsible for Acid Rap. Twista hopped on the project, spitting a verse on "Cocoa Butter Kisses" and Lupe shouted him out at the end of a recent song, but nothing has been heard from Yeezy, and very little from Common on Chano until today, when Common sat down with Vibe to discuss Chicago's newest star.
Common remarks at Chance's ability to have as much fun as he wants with his music, citing his varying vocal patterns, rhyme schemes and voices that make up the sort of R&B/Hip-hop aesthetic that has become Chance's calling card as of late. The Chicago legend also expresses his belief that Chance has a very bright future ahead of him. That's verification. Check out the full interview, streaming below.
[Vibe]
[Video] Donnie Trumpet & Peter CottonTale Talk Tour Life
Video by FragDfilms
Donnie Trumpet & Peter CottonTale have been very busy lately. The pair of Chicago-raised musicians each saw a transformation in their careers last year as Chance The Rapper's Acid Rap, aided by horn play from Donnie and plenty of production from CottonTale, vaulted their close friend to the forefront of not only the national hip-hop scene, but the larger music world in general.
At the time, Donnie was playing trumpet for Kids These Days, who broke up weeks after the Acid Rap release and spent the summer touring with Frank Ocean while CottonTale continued to work with Vic Mensa on Innanetape and joined Chance and Mac Miller on the road for a national tour. Everything came together in mid October as both appropriately were chosen by Chance to join him on his first national headlining tour, dubbed the "Social Experiment Tour." The tour, which ran from October through December 19 and sold out in almost every city, was a fitting end to a wild year for both Donnie and CottonTale, who served as Music Director for the tour. We caught up with the pair last week at Force One Seven Studios to get a little insight into what life on the road is like and what the whole experience meant to each.
Check out the full video below and be sure to catch Donnie Trumpet performing tomorrow night at The Riff in Chicago's South Loop for his "Farewell Donnie" show, details listed below the video.
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Sidewalk Chalk: "Grocery List"
Sidewalk Chalk is a band that has been making noise for a minute, but really stepped things up lately. The 8-piece multi-genre act, who was selected as Chicago's "Most Outstanding Group" in 2012 by the Chicago Music Awards, has been preparing for the release of its next project, Leaves. They have been building some serious buzz, first with their lead single, "There She Goes" and yesterday with their follow-up single, "Grocery List", debuted on Revive Music.
Blending genres is a practice found today in disciplines from EDM to rock and everything in between, and for Sidewalk Chalk the mix of different styles and aesthetics continues to mesh together into one of the most refreshing sounds out today. Check out the latest from Sidewalk Chalk, streaming here below, and be sure to pick up Leaves, due out February 25.
If you're in New York City or Chicago, Sidewalk Chalk will be playing a pair of album release shows in both locales on February 21 and 22, respectively.
[Video] Donnie Trumpet: "Don't Leave" (Feat. Vic Mensa)
Chicago's own Donnie Trumpet stays busy. After last week, which saw him drop a project, Loopie, and appear on Mike Golden's song "Hey Jane" with fellow Save Money member Vic Mensa, Donnie is back with a video for "Don't Leave", another turn with Mensa handling the rap end of things. The video, shot by Naveen Chaubel, is a bit of a mystical dream that starts off with a ballerina performing at the foot of his bed, beckoning him to stay, as he knows he has to walk away. The experience leads to a very ethereal, zero gravity moment of reconciliation and reflection that is especially on point thanks to the talented director, Chaubel. This is the second time in a week that we've heard something new from the pair of former Kids These Days members, who have blossomed over the past year in their own individual lanes that have continued to get bigger by the day. Start your day off right with some Donnie Trumpet and Vic Mensa, "Don't Leave" streaming below.
Like the video? Catch Donnie at his "Farewell Show" next week in Chicago, check out the flyer for info below!
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[Video] Sasha Go Hard: "Own Lane"
For Chicago hip-hop artist Sasha Go Hard's video for her single "Own Lane", off of her recent release Nutty World, the rising star decided to take it back home, bringing things back for the APJ Films-directed visual. Success has found Sasha quickly as she has risen from a virtual no name two years ago, into one of the leading ladies in hip-hop today, and she ruminates over feeling some type of way about the whole ride, while taking a trip through familiar streets while pressing, "I'm in my own league, with my own lane" from behind the steering wheel. Earlier this week she also announced a European tour, on the heels of a string of successful London dates in late 2013. Sasha has most certainly carved out her own lane in the greater hip-hop scene, and this latest track may be one of the most lyrically-inviting pieces to date from the rapidly maturing MC. Check out the video for "Own Lane" below and scroll a bit for the full European tour dates.
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[EP] Donnie Trumpet: "Loopie"
Former Kids These Days trumpet player Nico Segal has been building a following under his moniker Donnie Trumpet for some time now. Having dropped the somewhat, self-titled Donnie Trumpet late last Summer, the multi-talented young artist is back with his latest five track EP, Loopie. The name derives from the loop-based sensibility of the track. Instructions for Donnie himself accompany the track on his Soundcloud, informing listeners "click repeat 1 on iTunes and the beats will loop in time. Producers go ahead and make songs. Rappers rap raps." Donnie/Nico is a truly resilient artist who has begun carving out an interesting niche with creative ideas and a horn. Busy on the road with Frank Ocean all of last year, following the break up of KTD, Segal has been moving around the country working for what should be a prosperous 2014. Check out his latest streaming here below.