[Video] Disclosure & Sam Smith Perform "Latch" Live on Fallon
English dance music duo Disclosure made their North American television debut last night, performing their song "Latch" with crooner Sam Smith on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon while in New York City as part of their current tour. The pair proved why they have been vaulted to the forefront of the new music scene in America over the past year, performing with a uniquely interesting stage set-up that I haven't seen on Late Night before, complete with a laser face that mimicked Smith's facial movements as he sang. Disclosure is just the latest in a long line of talented British dance acts and shows why in the video below. Sam Smith absolutely kills on the live vocals, taking the typical electronic set up a notch with the decidedly live addition. Check it all out below.
[First Look] Kitty Cash
Photography By Julian Schratter
Over the past year and a half or so there has been a hip-hop resurgence in New York City that has had many, including Hot97's Peter Rosenberg, calling it a "Renaissance of Hip-hop". Then sentiment isn't just because of the music, which has spilled from the city's streets for generation, but rather the re-incarnation of hip-hop culture in society on a real level. Perhaps no one else in the scene embodies that realness as much as Brooklyn native, Kitty Cash, who firmly established herself with an eclectic, thought-out 19-track mixtape, Love The Free, which dropped just before the new year. The project featured a smattering of original tracks from an assortment of artists from across the country, including the like of Vic Mensa, Kilo Kish, Phony PPL, Jesse Boykins, The GTW, Jean Deaux, Justin Rose and more. It's a fun project that calls to mind different aspects of growing up through the 90s and early 2000s, as the newly-minted 25-year-old can attest to. The official DJ for Kilo Kish, who provides the introduction to Love The Free, Kitty Cash has been able to observe things from behind the scenes a bit, and used those experiences to put together the debut release. I had the chance to catch up with Kitty Cash just after the new year as she was preparing for her birthday and thinking about what's next, read it all here.
A$AP Ferg: "DTM Awards '14" ("Trophies" Remix)
A$AP Ferg has spent the past few months relishing over the big victory he scored with his recent release, Trap Lord, which has been in constant rotation over here at RubyHornet since it dropped. Today, as "DTM Awards '14", the New York City and A$AP Mob rapper dropped his remix to Drake's "Trophies" and also announced a tentative release date for the full A$AP Mob project with a tweet, pointing at March 4 for the official release. Check out the latest from the 'Hood Pope' streaming here below.
[RH First Glance] Kris Kasanova: "Tomorrow" (Feat. SZA)
Kris Kasanova has been building a steady buzz for himself in the New York market for a minute now. Since popping up on Peter Rosenberg's New York Renaissance mixtape released earlier this year and featuring a full scope of NYC acts such as, World's Fair, A$AP Rocky and Ferg, Action Bronson and Flatbush Zombies, among others. Kasanova has edged his way into the limelight in one of the most competitive markets in the world and today teamed up with TDE-signee SZA for "Tomorrow", which got a video treatment the other day. Currently, Kasanova is hard at work in the studio, preparing his next project with producers like Justin Rose. Across the country we're seeing hip-hop branch into many different angles, proof the "Renaissance" isn't just confined to one market or another. Definitely keep an eye out for Kris Kasanova, who should be releasing new content throughout early 2014.
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[RH First Look] Justin Rose
Justin Rose does a little bit of everything. The 23 year old from New York City started off rapping before gravitating to what he calls the "addicting" process of crafting beats. I met him this past year at SXSW while hanging out at the Illmore after-party, wondering how I was still awake. Since then we have kept in touch as Rose has spread his forward-thinking production across his scene and city, linking up with the likes of NYC up and comer Kris Kasanova which garnered him a track on Peter Rosenberg's curated mixtape earlier this Summer, as well as doing in-house production for Nakim. When I met him on the front end of 2013 there were still a lot of question marks around both of our futures. Nearly a year later, Rose has found himself bouncing around the vibrant and bubbling New York scene that have many bloggers across the country learning how to spell the word 'Renaissance'. The growth and uprise of that scene in New York is due in large part to progressive, hungry and cross-platform artists like Rose who are eager to find a way to push the music and culture forward without apology. I was able to catch up with Rose over the phone recently as he was leaving the studio from working on his debut project, RoseWaVve Vol.1. to talk about what the year has been like, what he's been up to and where things are headed for the young crafter. In exchange, he sent over this video for his track, "PARTY4ME", which we are premiering here on Ruby Hornet. Give the video a watch below and get to know Justin Rose.
[Video] A$AP Rocky: "Phoenix"
A$AP Rocky entered pop culture lexicon through a video ("Purple Swag"), so it's no earth-shattering revelation that the head honcho of the A$AP Mob is a bit careful when it comes to putting together his visuals. The recently released "Fashion Killa" video featured Rihanna in a film noir aesthetic and his latest video, this one for "Phoenix" off of LongLiveA$AP is directed by Francesco Carrozzini and has a guest spot from Omar himself, Michael K. Williams. The storyline features a domestic dispute between Williams and a female beau, played by supermodel Joan Smalls, with sparse shots of Rocky throughout. Rocky chooses his videos well, and this one is no flop. As he explained to MTV: “This tale of a Phoenix is it dies and is reborn in its own ashes. So metaphorically we wanted to manifest that into my video.”
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[RH First Look] Aaron Cohen
New York City has long been a dreamer’s city, a place where many a success was made and many a pipe dream shuttered. When it comes to hip-hop, it’s essentially Mecca. It’s where the music first took root, where B-boys and MC-ing first became popular. Because of that, NYC has long been seen as the place to make it, if looking to do so, as Jay-Z has reminded us for years. Seattle native Aaron Cohen made his way to the Big Apple looking for new opportunities aabout six years ago, diving into the bubbling scene that has many calling the current period the latest in a long line of hip-hop renaissances that have taken place in the birthplace of rap music. With an unapologetic rhyming style and an intimidating beard to match, Aaron Cohen hustled his way to the forefront of the underground scene in his adopted hometown. November 11, the Decon signee dropped his latest project, Potential Fans, a thrashing, complete project that stands to prove why Cohen deserves his own lane in the greater landscape of hip-hop today. I had a chance to catch up with the owner of the best facial hair this side of Action Bronson last week as he was getting off work and on the heels of the release of his latest project. It’s easy to feel the passion and drive in every word Cohen spits and speaks, check out my talk with one of the latest artists to emerge from the bubbling cauldron that is New York City today.
Patti Smith to Play Webster Hall on NYE + More
Rock legend herself, Patti Smith, will be doing her thing at Webster Hall to ring in 2014, as was announced yesterday through Smith's team. The shows take place on December 29 & 30 and coincide with a slew of New York dates that she has piled up over the past few months. The rundown: Plays Inside Llewyn Davis celebration with Jack White also on September 29 (sold out), as well as a tribute to Hildegard of Bingen at The Met on Friday (9/20) (Sold Out). Smith has been hitting the road as of late, playing a national tour last spring, and she doesn't seem set on stopping anytime soon. The full tour dates are below.
Patti Smith -- 2013 Tour Dates
Sep 20 NYC Metropolitan Museum
Sep 29 NYC Town Hall ('Inside Llewyn Davis' celebration)
Dec 29 NYC Webster Hall
Dec 30 NYC Webster Hall
Feb 8 Offenbach Capitol
Feb 11 Hamburg Kampnagel
Feb 12 Berlin Apostel-Paulus-Kirche