It’s Saturday in late May, and the eve of PhoeNix’s latest, an EP titled Walkthru. In the past year, he’s released an album Redbird, as well as the second in the Crybaby Soprano series. When he picks up the call, he’s sparking a blunt, the smoke tinged pink from the lights above his head. We start by talking touring with Jack Harlow and Babyface Ray alongside Mavi, but quickly move to discussing it all: his beginnings, story, thoughts and goals. When I ask about the music that shaped him, he laughs, grumbling out, “I guess I’ve been influenced” before generously listing out tapes that he grew up on. He’s been in this game for a while, beginning in Texas as K. Mitch. He had a few small projects out under that name before adapting the moniker he’s got now. The story behind this one? “I overdosed, twice, actually died. My mama was there. Shit. And then, I felt like, oh, I need to let my old ways die. Phoenix, life and death, all embodiment. Closest thing to having a pseudonym that’s not a pseudonym.” He’s gracious, honest, and open, smiling as he reassures me not to worry; “Drugs can’t kill me, and these fuck n***** can’t either.” I believe him. He’s at The Bridge this evening, a studio in Charlotte he describes as “a creation hub that also serves as a catalyst to get paid.” It’s an easygoing, lighthearted atmosphere, and while we talk, various folks pass through the doors. This space became his second home when he linked up with his manager Cody, who runs the spot. He tells me the story of that day: “Mavi dropped me off here. I ain’t really have nowhere to rap yet, I wasn’t really rapping yet. And, we was really just kicking it, it was on Thanksgiving! And I was kinda lowkey fake sad, because n***** wasn’t out there with their families and shit. But, you know. So n***** was here. My n****, we went and got some soul food, and shit, n***** just let me rap. If not all day, close to all day. And, let that shit happen for a week, two, three, got turned into a month. And we just got so cool, and then he turned into my manager. And I can honestly say bro, it’s been the most beneficial shit in a bunch of different ways. Even outside of directly music, you know, we’re real good. I like the team I have. And it’s not a huge team! It’s really my manager Cody, my partner Jo. Shoutout Sean Stanley, who’s recently been added because when Jo’s not around, he’s like the n**** who shoot all my shit. But he stay in Atlanta, and I be out here in Charlotte. I met Sean through Cody. But that’s it, as far as intermediate team of curation of content. Outside of that, of course gang is gang. Shoutout Backkkseat, KS, etcetera. But it ain’t no million people that we got involved in this. You know, real home, ground-up foundation type shit. Really, I put a lot of that on the Bridge. Shoutout to the Bridge, man. This is a wonderful studio to be able to come to and create man. A lot of good things happened here.” A lot of good things indeed. TheBridgeCLT’s channel is home to a number of session videos from some of the brightest talents around. Among two from PhoeNix, you can see the likes of Fetty P Franklin and 10Cellphones, as well as his friends/contemporaries Mavi, Ahmir, Messiah!, Marco Plus and more. He never hesitates to shine a light or heap praises on the people around him. When I ask for recent album recommendations, he immediately names the latter four’s latest, and then mentions Smiles’ D.E.M.M.O tape a few minutes later. The Houston native has found community in Charlotte with the members of Killswitch and Backkkseat, and when it comes to his people he’s all the way serious. Today happens to be his longtime friend and cameraman Jomir’s birthday, and everyone is showing love. There’s whoops of welcome and cheer when he’s let in. Jo filmed a number of his older videos, as well the Redbird documentary, but as PhoeNix explains, he wasn’t just a videographer. “Bro, that’s my twin. Me and Jo was homeless together bro.… hell yeah. Me and Jo got evicted out of one of his spots together, we had to sleep in the car for like a month. And was just jumping from hotel to hotel. And that was like, the whole time period of making Redbird.” Redbird is the project that I fell in love with, and I expressed as much when I reached out to organize this interview. We agree it’s overlooked; he even confesses he started to doubt the quality, before we both laugh about that. It’s full of twists and turns, and serves as a great introduction to him as an artist. The Houston roots are made clear early through the chopping and vocal sludge in this collection, but there’s the breakneck euphoria and rush of songs like "Cellphones" and the heartbreak in "Fly High" that make it impossible to pin down. "Homerun" is a BeatsbySav canvas, so you know the drums are knocking. "Truestory", the intro, is devastating, and he breaks it down for me: “To this day, [Redbird] has my favourite intro. I don’t think it’s my best intro no more, because this shit, you know what I’m saying? But, it’s my favourite intro. That Truestory song is about my best friend getting killed in college. And I had came from this girl house, and pulled up on him and I seen that shit. I pulled up, and the cops had the shit taped off at my brother’s house. Just the whole situation, I remember going to therapy for like three years, and I had stopped outta nowhere, because it got to the point where they tried to force me to write a grief letter about the situation, and I couldn’t. So that was like my own form of that.” Grief might loom in the music, but it isn’t at the forefront. He’s truly versatile, able to ride a hazy blunted beat and skip right into the pocket of trap heater next. Switching cadences isn’t a problem, and free association makes way for vivid tales. "Sky" has a jaunty piano central to it that’s reminiscent of Kevin Abstact’s "Empty." His philosophy about song length and curation is fascinating, and best understood by listening to his projects. They’re short, yes, but as a whole, “very complete, in sonic and sound, and conveying the story. I feel like we’re really in and out… It’s gon’ really frustrate people, because it’s good music but it’s over really quick. And I like that. I want that kinda sensation with desire, where people are like I want more of this. And then, if people don’t feel that way, then I kinda did my job wrong. Back to the drawing board, you know.” He’s devised a formula as well: “I try to always master having a really good three track run, having a good intro, and having a good outro. And if you follow that equation, successfully do it each time, 60% of your project gonna be good every time. Because, the first impression, the last impression, and that three song run.” Even with a clear formula and a vision like his, luck never stops playing a part. Having fallen in love with the sonics, I had to ask who’d been producing these songs. He mentions himself, Wulf Morpheus, Malik Burns, Jaylace and inFull, before dropping a surprising anecdote. A YouTube producer, ProdByNev, contributed almost half of Redbird without even knowing. As he tells it, “it was this n**** on YouTube, beats I was ripping. I ain’t even remember that I was ripping them, Produced by Nev. and I used like, 4-5 of them hoes for Redbird. And so, shit, I think.. Which music video was it? I forget which one exactly, but I was running Instagram ads… So one of the people that liked it was him, he swiped up and said like “Bro, you know I produced like 4 songs on Redbird?” Like, this one, this one, this one. I was like, no way, bro send me your YouTube page, send me the beat links. Sure enough, he sent me the page and I was like “Oh shit!!!”. Even more lit. It was so cool that he was cool about it; he could’ve definitely got my project pulled down. But he was like nah, you’re fire, I like your rapping, and sent me more beats! So shoutout Produced by Nev, I really gotta love it.“ No formula is going to be able to account for all the variables. I reached out to Nev, and he told me how a copyright strike led him to finding the album: “I remember making that beat [Greyfeel] and hoping someone would do what he did on it. I loved the song, the direction and I listened to the whole project and I heard "Feel Something," which is another song I produced on Redbird. I was going through a lot at the time and beats were the last thing on my mind, but it brought me motivation again. I reached out to him in maybe mid-December of last year, and I’ve been sending new beats every month hoping something comes of it. He’s got a refreshing sound that I would love to help build and be a part of as a producer.” The urge to build is strong in his presence. On top of fostering the community around him, he preaches forever motion. He’s constantly making plays, on the move and working at his craft. In the weeks since our call and the EP releasing, he’s teased a few different songs, with new rapid-fire and staccato flows over a whole different range of beats. He’s not prominent on social media; in fact sometimes it seems like it’s ultimately a distraction to him. His Twitter disappeared early this year, and his Instagram went with it sometime this month. He doesn’t plan on stopping this pace; Walkthru is just one more step along the road. But he’s proud of this project, and it shows. After listening through the EP a few times in the week before we talk, I can’t help but be convinced of his ascent. Redbird hooked me with its honesty, and Crybaby Soprano 2 made me double down, maybe even off American Gangster alone. But Walkthru is where he steps into an entirely new level. He’s confident, composed, and in charge of the story. It’s undeniable. During our chat he makes an offhand reference to a collab project with the relentless Marco Plus, to expand upon their song Walk Hard on CS2. If all goes as planned, it could be a breakthrough. But what does that even mean, when so much is happening at once in the scene? From all the fresh collabs and posse cuts, to the classic albums dropping, we’re watching in real time as this movement expands and the collectives grow. They’re doing their thing down South, representing hard for the region. I consider myself lucky to witness. As for the rest? Fuck em. *** This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. *** Sai: Damn, you were on that tour with Babyface Ray, right? PhoeNix: Yeah!! I’m not the biggest into Jack Harlow, but I loved how he put you guys on that. P: *laughing* Ayy, look bro. Shoutout Jack Harlow bro. Jack.. Shoutout Jack Harlow bro. Okay, if he’s got your stamp of approval that’s all I need to hear. P: I’m definitely part of the Jack Harlow agenda man. He’s a really nice young man. Especially even beyond putting Mavi on tour, allowing Mavi to bring n***** like me and his friends, putting Babyface Ray and all of fuckin’ Daisy Lane on that bitch too. That’s turnt man. Shoutout Jack Harlow. I’m tryna catch them in Toronto. They’re here next week, I love Los and Nutty man. [this got cancelled, they didn’t let Face in] P: Bro! On the tour, they was actually supposed to do a Toronto date. But Babyface Ray nor Mavi could make it. So I think Toronto, for the Jack tour, was just Jack and the homies. Like, who he grew up with, honest where he’s from. They didn’t get the full Toronto crème de la crème tour experience. I gotta see Face next week then man. (nope) P: Oh yeah, facts. Fun fact: I’m opening up for him in Charlotte! That’s crazy. You’ve been holding it down in Charlotte, you and Mavi, Ahmir and them. P: Shit, trying to. I’m really not even a native from out here, I’m really really, like really really a Houston n****. Even to this day, my home is still out there. I’ve just been grateful to come out here off the strength off my partner Mavi. ‘Cause, the way me and Mavi even met is wild, bro. For the first two years we knew each other, we didn’t even rap. Like when he posted my shit, when you seen Redbird, we hadn’t even rapped together. Damn! P: Nah, for the first two years we knew each other we didn’t even rap together, it was just like oh you rap really well, and you rap really well, and I like you. And I opened up in his first show in Houston. Pandemic happened; everybody’s life went to shit for like a year and a half, two. And I remember one day, just randomly, he was calling my phone like “Mitch, how you been?”. *laughing* I was like *confused* “Mavi??”. Like, it was just so random and odd. It was in the middle of the pandemic, the last thing I expected. But shit, we just got to talking, and I flew out to Atlanta, probably three weeks after that conversation. And we ended up playing another Houston show. Because like, after a year and a half had passed, it was like shit, time to be back outside. Jack Harlow tour happened. Hop off that, come to Charlotte. Crybaby Soprano 2. Then what we’re doing now. Jeez! I love that tape. P: Man! It’s - I love it too, it’s one of my favourites. It’s just, I shouldda mixed it better. *laughing* but I like it for music’s sake. Out of all my projects.. I don’t know, I like all my projects a lot. They like kids bro. I love all my projects. I don’t even got no favourites. But I can honestly say - ever since you and me had talked that first time, through DM.. I went back, and I’ve been listening to Redbird. Because I’ve been sleep on Redbird. The fact that you even knew something… like, everybody be like nah, Redbird really the sleeper of all of them. Because of how long it is, I guess it feels more complete. It’s not like, a little in-and-out. It feels like a full on experience. So, I appreciate that. Nah, I meant it. P: And I think Redbird does a good job of showing, like, at least a sneak peak of what my range is. Oh yeah, for sure. I was going to say, you definitely rep for the South hard. I can see that Houston influence just from the chopped-n-screwed stuff on Redbird, sounds incredible. P: Born and raised, man! All I know. That’s the- man, Screwed Up tapes, Z-RO, Big Hart, Moe. Shit, even my father grew up in the scene. Slim Thug. Mike Jones, Paul, everything! All of it! It’s all I know. It’s really what I was raised on. 8Ball, MJG. Like, all that Southern soil man. I think for Crybaby Soprano 1, and Redbird, you got lil glimpses of it. You know, how I get into pockets that are kinda confusing, like “I don’t know where this n**** from.” But I think on this one, the shit that drop tonight at 12AM, it’s no debate. It’s like, “Oh, this n**** is from the South.” Southern, like, if you don’t understand what Houston or the South is, I think this do a real good job of conveying that. I love that Southern talk man. I was going to say … I wanted to ask about Southern influences, how you linked up with Mavi. But yo, it’s honestly just really nice to sit and talk to you and hear all this. P: Aw man. Well, just to give a brief bit about Southern influence. Honestly bro, I’d have to say, the biggest one out of allll of them: Wayne. Wayne. He ain’t like everybody else bro. You gotta understand, Wayne really ran a whole generation. Like, it was a point in time where Wayne would get on your song and it’s not your song no more. Bro, what Youngboy is to the kids now, Wayne was to us. I say, Wayne, 3 Stacks, and then.. Houston is so big, I can’t even name one collective, it would be so many like - I said Screwed Up Clique, then you got UGK, and you got, shit, more modern shit like Travi$, Maxo. Fun fact, in high school, when I was a freshman in high school.. nah, middle school bro, 7, 6, 8th grade, we was all listening to - transferring outta that DatPiff mixtape era, going into like, beginning Soundcloud era. Maxo Kream. He had a tape in the city call Retro Card. And he was still in high school at the time. Deep in the swamp, which is like the southwest part of Houston. And shit. I ain’t going to lie, that kinda influenced a lot of everybody’s shit. You have to hear Maxo to kinda understand the ways, but it’s definitely there. And of course Sauce Walka. Duh. *laughing* I gotta go back to that Maxo tape, thank you for putting me on, damn. P: Nah, nah, Retro Card, definitely. He did a remix, a remix to "Rigamortis" by Kendrick and that shit was so tough. Like so so tough. To hear somebody Southern, with that kinda dialect and cadences similar to mine from an area I’m from get on shit. But to me, influences, I don’t know. Specifically Houston influences. All them mixtape CDs n***** used to play, we’d get em at the barbershop, slide in my uncle truck and listen to all the time, and then blended in between that would be some Wayne. And a lot of more shit too though. A lot of more shit too. Like, Jay was played heavily throughout - Jay and Pac was probably played a lot a lot a lot. And Young Jeezy. Cause my momma favourite rapper was Tupac and Young Jeezy. She got a thing for bald n*****. Them n***** was played a lot. So that’s why I think I got.. it’s certain ways I rap that n***** kinda, it be hard to identify exactly, region-wise where I’m from. Until I let that shit out. That’s why I lean into it so much. Cause I love being such a Southern man. The South is the best place to be bro. Yeah! I know I’m from the North, but I love how hard you rep for the South. P: Aw, bro! South man, that’s where all my shit be popping. Like, we the south, and etcetera etcetera. I don’t know, it’s a large stereotype in hip hop with the whole “Southern people are dumb, or slow, or we draw our words out like this”, and it’s so.. Nah bro, we really the coolest. We set all the trends. Like, Atlanta been running the rap game for the past 10 years. Bro, everybody and their mama started saying drip, when Sauce came through on his way. So I don’t know, I don’t be understanding too much of that. N***** let A$AP Rocky make a whole project off of literally our sound. We take a lot of ownership and claim to this Southern shit, because we where this shit started. I love that, I love that. I noticed guitars play a role in your music, you might pick some beats that other folks might not. Is that a Houston, Texas thing? P: Uh, not so much. My thing about guitars really be bro, sometimes when I’m rapping, especially when I get in that singing-rapping bag, I feel like drums’ll condition me to rap a certain way, so most times if you listen to shit like “Serious”, “Speed”, where it’s bare minimum drums and just guitar and synth looped, it’s cool little sounds in the background… I get to walking in that bitch. It’s no debate. I can dribble whatever way I want to, and so it be a little more fun. That’s what that shit be about. The only shit I say bleed into my influence from the city, it’s kinda more like, if you hear on Redbird, all of the songs that are slowed, double time, chopped, and then of course it’s naturally how I talk, but that’s gonna be like, in my music regardless. I don’t ever have to make it a point to show that. I have no choice but to talk like a certain person, because that’s, shit, all the language that I have access to! *laughing* That’s where I’m from, that’s where all my friends from, where I grew up, so. I just try to, if anything, add other pieces into this. Because I feel like the main foundation, I’m already a Southern man, so what other little shit can I figure out and add on to make it different? That nobody else has done here. I’m just trying to figure it out. I feel like each project is me getting closer and closer to figuring it out. We almost at album time! It’s almost album time. So, Walkthru, is this an EP then? P: Yup. 8 songs, it’s an EP. So, after the tour, once I touched down in Charlotte and got acclimated.. I can actually trace it back to the exact day! My mans just walked in, his name’s Cody. I was out here in the studio I’m in right now. It’s called the Bridge, in Charlotte. And Mavi dropped me off here. I ain’t really have nowhere to rap yet, I wasn’t really rapping yet. And, we was really just kicking it, it was on Thanksgiving! And I was kinda lowkey fake sad, because n***** wasn’t out there with their families and shit. But, you know. So n***** was here. My n****, we went and got some soul food, and shit, n***** just let me rap. If not all day, close to all day. And, let that shit happen for a week, two, three, got turned into a month. And we just got so cool, and then he turned into my manager. And I can honestly say bro, it’s been like, the most beneficial shit in a bunch of different ways. Even outside of directly music, you know, we’re real good. I like the team I have. And it’s not a huge team! It’s really my manager Cody, my partner Jo. Shoutout Sean Stanley, who’s recently been added because when Jo’s not around, he’s like the n**** who shoot all my shit. But he stay in Atlanta, and I be out here in Charlotte. I met Sean through Cody. But that’s it, as far as intermediate team of curation of content. Outside of that, of course gang is gang. Shoutout Backkkseat, KS, etcetera. But it ain’t no million people that we got involved in this. You know, real home, ground-up foundation type shit. Really, I put a lot of that on the Bridge. Shoutout to the Bridge, man. This is a wonderful studio to be able to come to and create man. A lot of good things happened here. Yeah it looks really nice. I’ve seen a few videos of the sessions and stuff like that held there. P: Oh, you tapped in! Turn up! Nah, I had to! P: Yeah! Fetty P Franklin’s shit was here, Mav had one here, Messiah! had one, Ahmir, Marco. 10cellphones has been here if you’re hip to him. Woo! Marco Plus, that guy is nasty. P: Yeah, Marco Plus. Hard!! Oh man. Bro I’m biased, because Marco is literally one of my favourite human beings, but Marco got one of my favourite ones. That shit was tough. And because, you had to be here while bro was recording. Bro was really on walk-down type shit, because you know Marco don’t write? …No way. That’s crazy. P: Oh no. Marco don’t write. That’s what me and Marco have in common. That’s wild, I would have never guessed. Nah. P: Nah, he’s probably going to walk through this door within the next 10-15 minutes. Today Jo’s birthday, and that n**** coming out here because we about to work on this collab project. Damn bro! You’re really dropping all of this heat right now, I can’t believe you said collab project. This year is going to be crazy. P: Oh, bro, I’m trying. You gotta keep in mind, I did Redbird. And we waited liked, what, 4-5 month stretch. Crybaby Soprano 2. And then shit. Yup, you had last year in the bag. P: That’s what I’m saying. So, now I just wanna go into overdrive bro, I really need to drop mad good music though. And none of it’s forced. I promise it’s so calculated, and put together. Like, this Walkthru shit, I really really feel like people gonna love it. It’s very complete, in sonic and sound, and conveying the story. I feel like we’re really in and out. None of the songs are.. I don’t think… yeah, no songs are longer than 3 minutes, and it’s only one 3 minute song. It’s gon’ really frustrate people, because it’s good music but it’s over really quick. And I like that. I want that kinda sensation with desire, where people are like I want more of this. And then, if people don’t feel that way, then I kinda did my job wrong. Back to the drawing board, you know. But I don’t think I did my job wrong. Definitely not! That’s the thing, it’s got hella replay value, because it’s these moments of brilliance, super gorgeous production. And you have.. I meant to ask you this later, but you have great choices in production. You gotta tell me about some of the producers you work with too. P: Aw man. Well, shoutout to myself, because I produce. Shoutout to Wulf Morpheus, he’s super hard. Let me not forget nobody. Shoutout my n**** Malik [Malik Burns], he did the intro and outro on this joint. I know so many more producers… Shout Turk Money, I haven’t got no beats from him yet but he’s super fire. I also wanna shoutout inFull, dumb fire Charlotte n****. Jaylace, dumb fire.. Oh my god, I smoked too much weed, now I can’t remember everyone’s name on the spot. Mad producers, and I’m very thankful for all of them. I don’t wanna leave anybody’s name out, and exclude them. I’m thankful for everybody. It’s a lot of people, over the little span I’ve been rapping bro, in these lil nooks and crannies of the world, know about my shit and just be like “Nah, let’s work”. OH! Main one. ProdbyNev. He’s so fye. And let me tell you why he’s so fye. Because he made probably 40% of Redbird, and we don’t even know each other. I didn’t even know he did it. What? That’s insane. P: So, it was this n**** on YouTube, beats I was ripping. I ain’t even remember that I was ripping them, Produced by Nev. and I used like, 4-5 of them hoes for Redbird. And so, shit, I think.. Which music video was it? I forget which one exactly, but I was running Instagram ads. And, this n****, you know, was one of then like, 13,000 views, 1000 likes, whatever whatever whatever. So one of the people that liked it was him, he swiped up and said like “Bro, you know I produced like 4 songs on Redbird?” Like, this one this one this one. I was like, no way, bro send me your YouTube page, send me the beat links. Sure enough, he sent me the page and I was like “Oh shit!!!”. Even more lit. It was so cool that he was cool about it; he could’ve definitely got my project pulled down. But he was like nah, you’re fire, I like your rapping, and sent me more beats! So shoutout Produced by Nev, I really gotta love it. Nah, that’s a really crazy story, I gotta check him out for sure. P: Nah, he’s super hard. A lot of them beats where you be hearing, it’s just them synths and like, maybe at most a little bass in the background, no heavy drum, snare kicking on that.. That be him! And I be walking them bitches down. The outro track, Crybaby Soprano 2. That’s got a crazy beat, crazy instrumental at the end, you know what I’m talking about? P: Oh, this how you know I do too much drugs. I gotta think about what the outro track on Crybaby Soprano 2 is. Haha, it is- P: OH! Serious!! Serious! No, no no no no no no no. Bro bro bro bro bro, listen. “Serious” is literally one of my favourite song ever, like, period. You gotta understand wy it is though. It’s not even about the quality of the song. When me and this n**** Mavi was on tour bro, every, like every long stretch of drive - because we didn’t have no sprinter, we was in the Denali going state to state. So, certain shows, we’d have to perform and jump right in the truck and drive for like 2 days. So that’d be the anthem, *starts singing* “Put a big body on road,” that’s where that whole thing came from, big body whip Denali, like, facts. That’s one of my favourite songs. But, yeah, I don’t know. Don’t put this in there, but I definitely ripped the Serious beat. That’s another Youtube. I don;t even know. But shoutout to them, cause that beat OD hard. Haha shoutout to them for real. You’ve got a thing for outro tracks too, you got a good outro on this one as well. P: I try to bro! Like, that’s how you stay good on your projects. I try to always master having a really good three track run, having a good intro, and having a good outro. And if you follow that equation, successfully do it each time, 60% of your project gonna be good every time. Because, the first impression, the last impression, and that three song run. Because, if your first three songs are good, chances are, people not gonna.. Nobody wants to keep going. I’ve never heard of a project that had three bad songs first and then the last eight was good. N**** know, that is not how that works. *laughing* but, hell yeah man. I try. I’m tryna get better at it. It be a little - I be hard on myself bro. For a minute, it’s crazy, you wouldn’t believe it. I started thinking Redbird was bad. Oh man, you’re straight tripping. You gotta be kidding! P: Have you seen the Redbird documentary? ..I did not know that existed. You just blew my mind. P: Oh, bro! There’s a whole hour documentary on it. On YouTube. It shows like, the whole buildup making Redbird. Type in “PhoeNix, Redbird The Conversation”. You fully put me on, I didn’t know this existed, thank you bro! P: Oh nah, bro it’s okay. It’s really one of them gems in the cut, but the fact that you appreciate Redbird, you’ll see that and appreciate that a million times more. Jo shot that though, Jo definitely shot that one. Shoutout to Jo again, that guy is real as fuck. It’s his birthday today right? P: Bro, that’s my twin. Me and Jo was homeless together bro. No, not really my twin, but figuratively, without being born from the same mother. My twin.We was homeless together, hell yeah. Me and Jo got evicted out of one of his spots together, we had to sleep in the car for like a month. And was just jumping from hotel to hotel. And that was like, the whole time period of making Redbird. Oh wow. P: and then n***** just stumbled into some pretty good money that got consistent. And shit. I was going to say, a lot of your music, I wouldn’t say it’s driving music but you talk about cars, being on road and moving around a lot. Like, the experience. P: Nah, I do! Cause I be on road a lot. I uh, you know, I’m on the road a lot. Yeah, I hear you. I listen in the car a lot too, I feel that. P: So that’s where a lotta that comes from. Just a lot of traveling, and having to get it in anywhere, at random moments, anywhere. That’s what I feel like all of the team be good at. Bro, the Bridge, what the Bridge is, is literally like a creation hub that also serves as a catalyst to get paid. That’s it, like, for real. That’s a great name for it then. P: The Bridge? Oh yeah, facts. Shoutout to him for that. Yeah man. This is the guy man. Cody’s the man with the plan. *turns camera around* Ayy, he’s the one I emailed right? P: Yeahhh!!! He the one that told me - look, when he told me, he showed me the email, he was like bro, look at this! I was like no way. And he was like nah, I think it’s real. *laughing* I know, Canadians sound fake! P: Aw, I been a felon for the last three years. But my shit gets expunged this year. So I’m getting to touch road - I get my passport and shit, n***** definitely gotta come to Canada. I wasn’t able to come to the Canada show when they was about to go. That had me sad. So when it got canceled, I wasn’t happy, but I was like yeah, I ain’t gotta miss Canada. I was feeling super OD depressed when everybody was about to go to Canada and I wasn’t. *laughing* Nah, you gotta come here. I’ll catch you. P: Oh yeah, I gotta pop out. I heard you guys got the real island tings!! Pretty pretty island tings. *laughing* You aren’t lying. There’s a big West Indian and Caribbean diaspora here, pretty dope culturally. P: I’m fucking with Canada already. But nah bro, this shit super fire. Like, the fact that you knew about Redbird.. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around it. Because the time period it took to go through making that bro, it was a really really, like, murky part of life. And I like that project a lot! I feel like it fell upon deaf ears, but it’s one of the ones, as my shit go up, when you go back catalog, it’s like.. Cause Redbird, to this day, has my favourite intro. I don’t think it’s my best intro no more, because this shit, you know what I’m saying? But, it’s my favourite intro. That Truestory song is about my best friend getting killed in college. And I had came from this girl house, and pulled up on him and I seen that shit. I pulled up, and the cops had the shit taped off at my brother’s house. Just the whole situation, I remember going to therapy for like three years, and I had stopped outta nowhere, because it got to the point where they tried to force me to write a grief letter about the situation, and I couldn’t. So that was like my own form of that. So that’s probably like, my favourite intro. Oh wow, I love that song, but that story makes it a lot more powerful. I think that’s what hooked me as well; you were talking about the importance of a good intro, outro and three song run. That record’s basically - however many songs are on there, it feels like a run all the way through. The flow of it is crazy, the storytelling is crazy. It touches on so many of the sounds you expand upon later. P: So how’d you - you got put on through Mavi tweeting it or Instagramming it or something? I think - yeah, it was Twitter. I don’t know if it was Redbird, or when you dropped American Gangster with him, but I know he was tweeting about you a bunch before that dropped. P: Nah, yeah! Shoutout to Mavi. Mavi’s been putting me on his social media for two years now. And the world is finally listening. He’s like the best A&R ever. But not A&R, he a rapper. That’s really my guy, it’s really a family-knit thing over here. One thing I could really say, none of it was forced. Like, even from my relationship with Cody, my manager, it was like at first it was like aight, we just two n***** chilling in the studio on Thanksgiving. Aight, you rap cool so you can rap on my shit. To aight, I actually fuck with you. All of them too, same thing with Mav, same thing with.. A lotta love, a lotta love man. What are you most proud of off this new stuff? “2step” hit me really hard, and I keep going back to all the features too, everyone brought their shit. P: Ooh, most proud. Uh, I’d say.. What I’m proud of, I’d say is the completeness of it all. You know like, I feel like it’s no filler, I feel like I tell each point pretty bold. And, full course meal wise, it doesn’t feel like it was lacking this, this, this, and I get out of there. So I appreciate that. And my standout favourites bro, I been listening literally three times a day, every day since I finally got it sequenced inside of the lil Apple Music shit on the computer. And it changes by the day to day bro. I’d say this: I like “Floor Plan,” a lot a lot, because I feel like bro, that’s the best rapping I’ve ever done on an intro from like, beginning to end. Like, it just like, “Oh okay, this is why no one can fuck with me.” Yeah, you gotta notice. Love your intros man, you don’t let them enter without noticing. P: And I like the outro a lot. But that’s biased, because I be making intros and outros to be that! But, if I had to pick outside of intro and outro - what you would say Cody? I say “Off the Head.” Yeah. “Off the Head.” It’s always fun rapping with my friends. I would say Fuck Em. “2step” is hard too. I don’t know bro!!! My first favourite, Imma go ahead and cash in my vote on “Off the Head.” Nice. P: But if I had a sleeper pick? “Choreo” for sure. I feel like, I be fucking with “Choreo,” like damn. Yeah! “Off the Head” is a good one. You and Mavi always sound so good together man. P: Yeah, I like rapping with him! It’s funny we ain’t rap that much together. Like, me and that human being have like 3 songs, 3-4. Nah, 5 now. Eh. we got… we just started though. But this is like the first year me and him started rapping, so I guess that’s why it don’t feel like that much. But then this year… yeah we got a few. *laughing* we got a few. Yes, we got a few. I’m excited for this shit to come out man. I’m anxious. We finna be in a lil hotel, it’s finna be cool. We got a lil penthouse, it’s my patna - it’s Jo birthday! Yeah, Jo! Shoutout to Jo!! Send my regards to him once he pulls through. You told me he shot a lot of your stuff right? *(Jomir) P: Man. What!!! He shot River Turn. he shot Homerun. He shot Fuck Em. He shot.. You don’t even know about this song, “22.” That’s some mad old shit. I don’t even think it’s out no more. When did you start? … Like, how far back should I be going? P: Oh, nah that not out no more. You wouldn’t be able- but, I dropped my first three songs in high school, but deleted them. But they went viral when I was in juvenile. That shit was turnt. And when I went to college, I dropped like… I wanna say I dropped a tape but I pulled that down. But I dropped four songs that are still there. Because I can’t even find out the login. They got like, mad views. But they hard. Like, them are like the songs I want to still be out from me being a super young n****. Did you always go by PhoeNix from back then? P: No. I used to go by my name. Like, Keegan Mitchell. K Mitch. And so, I dropped Mixed Emotions and Babyboy, two projects under that. One got pulled down because I had a popular feature on there, and the label wasn’t fucking with that. So, that had to come down. And one got pulled down.. Because I wasn’t seeing the money from it. Because I had bad business with one of my first managers, it sorta frustrated me and I stopped rapping for like 2 years. Damn. P: I was off that shit. But, nah, you starting at a good point. Redbird is the only traceable start on the internet of my existence. Okay, I thought I was tripping. *laughing* from my view, you came outta nowhere and I had no idea how. Like, Mavi just found you. P: Nah, I like that! I like how it feels - I feel like the city’s best kept secret man! I be feeling like I came outta nowhere. You really are. And, Charlotte in general, all them guys are way underrated nationally. P: That’s the only thing bro! I need people to stop associating me to Charlotte so heavily. And I love Charlotte. At least stop associating in the extent of like - that I’m a Charlotte artist. ‘Cause that do so much discredit to like, my Houston upbringing and how far it’s pushed me. But yes, Charlotte is like - bro, my number one streams are in Charlotte. Bro, Charlotte.. I feel like backwards Drake. I love the city bro. I definitely love Charlotte. I can’t find no negative words to put to it. I only have love for Charlotte. But, I am a Houston Texas artist, a Houston Texas man. But shoutout to the 4! I love the 4. Like I really do. And it’s so much good shit out here man. And I couldn’t dare take credit for none of the good shit out here, you know. I just come out here and appreciate it and integrate with it. And let it nurture me. This isn’t really a music question but I gotta ask. You’re in the South, I’ve always wanted to come out there and just try a bunch of different food. The culture seems incredible. P: Yeah, come to Texas! Go to Houston, Texas. Go to Dallas, Texas. Charlotte food… Nah, Charlotte got some spots, I’m capping. *laughing* But it’s a growing city bro, that’s what it is. So they got a lot more on the way. And I think that’s why I love it so much. Because it’s growing real fast. They on baby Atlanta time. And I think if you get them in like 5 years, with the help of my boy Mavi, and the rest of Killswitch, and [Lord] Jah-Monte, and their just, cultural life - ‘cause it’s a lot of culture out here bro. They’re their own people, you know. And they have a very beautiful and rich culture as far as even in the South, they own food, what they do… it’s Queen City man! You just gotta come out here and experience it. I definitely got a nice love for it. It’s real hilly, as far as the terrain. They got pretty colour, uh, they leaves on they shit. In the seasons, you can actually see the change of seasons. In Houston, the biggest thing for us in fall, some shit might be all red, all yellow, but it don’t be like multicolour palette and shit. I came out here, and looked at this and was like, oh shit, shit really beautiful!! I love it. I love it, I can’t lie. Good people too. I’ve got some music questions, about stuff you grew up on, mixtapes you ran the most in high school. P: Um, mixtapes.. I don’t even wanna shout a lot of these lame ass n***** out. *laughing* Okay, let me rephrase that. P: Nah nah, it’s cool. I’m… I’ve been influenced (grumbles the word out jokingly). Wayne, the whole the Drought series, No Ceilings, and Sorry for the Wait. Chance, 10Day, and Acid Rap for sure. Damn, real high school mixtapes for sure. P: Isaiah Rashad, Welcome to the Game. Mick Jenkins, The Waters. Mac Miller, Faces. What’s the name of Kendrick’s shit, I can’t remember. Overly Dedicated. All of Drake, literally. Comeback Season. The other one, So Far Gone. Bro, mixtape runs are so big ‘cause I really lived through that era. Wiz Khalifa for sure bro. Taylor Alderdice. Kush and OJ. He has one of the more classic mixtape runs. Curren$y too, Meek Mill shit, Lil Snupe, the RNIC one, before he died, RIP him, rest his soul. Kevin Gates, “Satellites”. Bro, I was a real mixtape junkie bro. I was listening to everything. I may be Southern, but for real for real, everything. I love that. P: Like, you probably don’t even know who Short Dawg is. You caught me, I’m lacking. Do I need to know? P: Okay, he’s popular in Houston. And he was signed to Young Money later on. But the most notable verse you’ll probably remember him last for, is, do you remember the Ab-Soul tape? That had.. Not tape, second album, that had “Stigmata” and shit on it, had Dash and em? The song.. "Waverunners." "Waverunners" had a verse from Short Dawg on it. That was probably the last mainstream notable things from him. He definitely was - in middle school? Mixtape series? Yeah. Before he got signed to Young Money? Definitely was listening to Short Dawg. And like I said, Screwed Up Clique tapes, etcera etcera. Who’s someone you listen to heavy that people might not expect? Something you don’t tell people often. P: Yeät. *laughing* You’re tapped in with the new stuff too huh. P: Boy what?? I listen to everything!! As long as I like it. And as long as you not doing a whole bunch of cap. Alright, alright. In that case, let me ask you, what are your three favourite projects released this year? Or this year and last year. P: End of the Earth. The Souf Got Sum 2 Say. and PERFECT 7. Aw, that’s not fair, you gotta give me 4. And Timeless, by Ahmir. That Messiah! project is crazy! P: Bro, Cody. we was at Baby’s Alright, New York, when bro performed it all the way through for the first time. Ooh. Hard. Down to the art and everything, yeah, definitely one of the best of the last year. P: Bro!! The best thing is, we’re all friends. In real life. That’s beautiful. I can tell. Well. I don’t want to say I can tell, I guess I could have been wrong, but I felt like I could tell when I was watching the videos, seeing you guys rap and have fun with each other. P: Aw yeah, nah. You definitely, like - the chemistry is there. When can like , call each other and you understand each others’ art, it be like literal layups. Like, I could pull up, like aye I got this, and I already know one of them gon’ go on there. Or if we all collabing on some shit, it be like boom, here you go, and then here you go. It’s very efficient, I like to say. Oh!! Fun fact. My manager Cody bro, he’s an engineer. He engineers the Bridge and owns the Bridge. Like, this is his shit. Like, this is his place, all of that. Bridge is him. Damn!! Nah, he’s doing work. I’ve seen the Bridge stuff, I’m a big fan. P: I know!!! OH! OH! I can’t hang up on you, but Jo’s outside, I gotta get Jo and Marco Plus. I’mma keep you on the phone though. Aight, say happy birthday! P: Hell yeah, the Bridge!! *as he walks to the door* TWIN! This is him. I’m in the middle of an interview. This is Jo. This begins a brief, surreal bit where PhoeNix’s phone gets handed around. He extends me over to Jomir, and we exchange pleasantries, me telling him I love his camera work and wishing happy birthday. Then, he gets the phone back and proceeds to introduce me to Marco Plus, telling him he’s in an interview. Before we resume talking, I’m convinced of the magic that is inherent to the Bridge. P: It’s my first interview. See I got famous friends man. Marco Plus be stunting on me, you know what I’m saying. He got classic albums out and stuff. I just got here to Charlotte myself. N***** is here. *to Marco as they enter the studio* I know you wanna get high. Aw bro, I just got finished telling him my favourite projects of the year. End of the Earth, Souf Got Sum 2 Say. Timeless. Perfect 7. But he only gave me three, four, and I really wanted to keep going. My n**** Smiles dropped some crazy shit this year too. Are you hip to Smiles? I’m not, but please keep putting me on. P: You gotta get hip to everybody. That’s Backkkseat. There’s more people, another collective. Like, that’s Marco’s shit. How’d you choose the name PhoeNix? What about it sticks out to you? P: Really easy. I overdosed, twice, actually died. My mama was there. Shit. And then, I felt like, oh, I need to let my old ways die. Phoenix, life and death, all embodiment. Closest thing to having a pseudonym that’s not a pseudonym. Wow, yeah, that’s very literal, I can see why that means something to you. I’m really glad you’re still here. P: Aw nah, it’s good. Drugs can’t kill me, and these fuck n***** can’t either. Why’d you call it Walkthru? P: Oh shit. The literal definition of a walkthrough is just the demonstration of an area or a task. And I’m just demonstrating to these n***** how to be that n**** while existing. My whole life is a walkthrough. *laughing* that’s dope P: Deadass. Like, I’m not laughing. I’m so serious. I done a lot of shit that I don’t think these n***** could do. Yeah, it’s not funny, just makes sense honestly. You don’t mince your words. P: Yeah, I be tryna keep shit simple. Jo dropping phones and shit. But nah, that’s definitely it. That’s why I named that shit Walkthru. It really wasn’t nothin’ too complex. And I tried to play with the names, to keep it, you know, playing around like, anything that had to do with feet, and “Floorplan” taking up space within that regard. So, “Choreo,” “2step,” but then after a certain point I started running out of words. So I just started naming them shits. Damn, I really didn’t even realize … with the names and feet and all that. P: Nah, facts. And “Decorated,” just by chance started to work out. That song is beautiful. P: Appreciate it! That’s Ahmir on that joint. Marco Plus would’ve been on that tape too, but.. I tried to tell you. I need to hear more PhoeNix-Marco Plus stuff, you guys are killing it together, just fire. P: See, Marco Plus! INTERVIEW BY SAI. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHOENIX. EDITS & DESIGN BY J. https://music.apple.com/us/album/walkthru/1626224672 https://open.spotify.com/album/68zK8JqchF9hd5ZcmZUgil?si=F-T7HupjTR6bcIcKitrB5g

"I create what the future sounds like" is the statement that greets you in the first line of Namir Blade's Twitter bio. Shortly into the Nashville native's latest album Metropolis, one realizes that he's not messing around. The album draws its namesake from the films Metropolis, one being a silent film from 1927 and the other being a 2001 anime film. Both films tackle utopian futures, which hide darker realities just below their surfaces. The first thing that grabs you is the production of which Namir Blade handled 100%. Throughout the 16 tracks of the project we get a diverse wall of sound. Everything here sounds familiar but next level at the same time. A lot of albums try to cater to all the ears of hip hop and fail, Metropolis is the exception. We got trap bangers like "Cain and Abel" that have you ready to ride out, afro-beats inspired dance grooves like "Boa," and "Mephisto" is something you imagine Benny or Westside Gunn going off on, and there's ultra mellow lo-fi style rhythms as well. I can't harp enough on how seamlessly it's sequenced and blended. We're actually getting more than one beat and style on several of these songs and it's all silky smooth. Lastly, much respect to Namir Blade as a rapper, he's just as comfortable going in and out of various rap styles and singing as he is doing the production on this project. These bars are potent when they need to be and introspective and personal when it's time for those quieter moments. It is amazing to hear him jump from street bars, to referencing One Piece and Kevin Feige, to crooning about a hopeful future. Namir Blade is the real deal. This is easily one of the best of the year! I Looking forward to what's next! Released: June 3rd 2022

The city of Compton has been known as a hip-hop powerhouse since the genres inception. NWA in the 80’s and 90’s, The Game in the early 2000’s, the current consensus GOAT Kendrick Lamar in the 2010’s, and now Westside Boogie plans to take that baton and keep the marathon going. The CPT native has been making noise over the last couple of years and that hard work landed him a deal with Eminem and Dr. Dre’s Shady/Aftermath record label. June 17th he blessed the world with his latest offering MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES. The 12 track project is the introspective thoughts of an inner city gang member as he navigates through relationships, daddy issues, insecurities, and the streets. Recorded over soulful beats that help you connect even more to the personal lyrics delivered by Boogie and his signature lisp. On “ANTHONY” he raps, “I really got this hate for you, I really hate for me cause n*ggas say I got my face from you/ this feeling ain’t sustainable but ain’t it true?” Speaking to his relationship with his father. Lines like these show vulnerability in a time when a lot of mainstream music is superficial. MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES is complete project that gives the listener a good balance between deep subjects, clever lyricism, and head nodding beats and melodies. There’s a little something that mostly all hip-hop fans can enjoy. The sequencing makes the album flow intentionally and you can enjoy it from intro to outro. Westside Boogie definitely delivered a standout record for June, and 2022 so far. Released: June 17, 2022

A preview of one of my most anticipated albums this year, CyHi dropped the EGOT the EP, a sampler of his upcoming EGOT LP. 4 Tracks ranging from somber reflections on life’s pain to up-tempo tongue-in-cheek songs about women. CyHi still sounds like he’s trying to be the best rapper alive, the production is impeccable and the rhyme schemes are as dense as ever. “Help Me God” is just CyHi showing out over a gospel sample, “Madame cum laude when shawty bodied the dean's list/ Huh, that means it's murder in the first degree/ Mercy me, I see murder like Percy P/ Leonidas vers the Persian fleet/ You murkin' me, stay off the oxy, moron, that's like a Virgin freak” Just absolutely bonkers amounts of rhymes between tight and compound punchlines. The best of the 4 is undoubtedly the Jaquees assisted “Tears” from the “Oscar” section of the album where CyHi plans to have the biggest most “cinematic” of the album’s recordings. CyHi reflects on his real life tragedies and wisdom he has gained over the years of his storied career. “We all got partners who will slide, if we lift a finger/ But why we still gotta be street?/ Just to show that the money didn't change us” The justified paranoia of one of the most respected pens in rap history who recently survived a very real attempt on his life comes through direct and sobering over the beautiful keys on this track closing out the EP. words by Xlo Released: May 13th, 2022

If you grew up in the era when Cash Money took over for the 99’ and the 2000 (and to be honest the majority of us did,) then you probably fell in love with hard beats topped with New Orleans accents. Now add that, 90’s era lyrical ability, Bay Area game, and you have Poo$ie - Still Ain’t Easy! The 8th ward native who moved to Oakland after Hurricane Katrina embodies the blend you never knew you needed. From the opening track “Celebration,” he brings you into his mind and gets you familiar with his thought process. 17 tracks might seem like a lot in a time where attention spans are getting shorter and shorter but he makes it work. A couple interludes help keep the album cohesive and the perfect amount of features don’t allow the listener to get bored of the same voice. The subject matter plays like an autobiography going from “All Of You,” a song for the ladies with an R&B assisted hook by King Tahoe. To “Cold Feet” a grimy up-tempo slap featuring Nook, Les, and a Manny Fresh-esque beat breakdown that’s guaranteed to catch your attention. All in all, Poo$ie isn’t afraid to show his range and sound extremely comfortable while doing so. Still Ain’t Easy is available for purchase directly from Poo$ie! Another ode to the creativity and business savvy this artist brings to the table. The album is also set to release on all DSPs July 15th. Grab the link and thank me later! https://linktr.ee/poosie Released: June 15, 2022 Words by Flynt Nixon

Bush Doctor is the latest release from Canadian rapper Daniel Son. After linking up with Futurewave for Sun Tzu and the Wav.God to begin 2022, the Toronto native is back with another LP in less than 6 months. Bush Doctor is a slightly bigger plate than the January release but it's no less potent. Right out the gate the Wino Willy produced "Change of Pace," sets the tone for what's to come. Daniel Son got barz, which are on display immediately as he paints a picture of the seedier side of Toronto. It's a struggle everywhere and the themes here are as familiar as something from Griselda, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. Daniel Son's pen shines on this project as he goes through the crime rap paces. What separates him from the pack is his style and dedication to giving you the big picture. You get the braggadocious highs and also the dark, lonely, paranoid lows. The struggle here is not without consequences and he raps about the wins, dangers, and loses all the same. His flow is effortless and he's just as at home on the down tempo "Born Alone" to the energetic "Don Sonzarelli." 14 tracks of this subject matter can get repetitive but Bush Doctor mostly avoids that with a great range of production from the likes of Phybaoptikz, Vic Grimes, Futurewave, and Giallo Point. There's a nice variety in the sounds, great sequencing, and tempo changes. Daniel Son also brings along fellow MC's like Saipher Soze, Estee Nack, and Eto and more who all contribute fire verses and compliment the project in various ways. The last weapon I wanna mention in Daniel Son's arsenal is his hook game. They're potent and stick to your ribs, they're like Mobb Deep in their prime, it's truly a lost art these days on this side of the genre. The album is a more than solid effort and expect that Bush Doctor will show up on more than a few of the year's best lists. This ain't no throw away, you'll find yourself going back for more! Released: May 1, 2022 Words by Monk (@monkeyblood)

Toronto Hip-Hop: An Extension of Up-State New York Figure 1 L-R: Daniel Son, 6th Letter Futurewave, Daniel Son, Asun Eastwood, Lord Juco, Raz Fresco, Finn, DNTE, Falcon Outlaw, Sibbs Roc, Bozack Morris, Saipher Soze, Vic Grimes... If you have been tapped into the underground hip-hop release radar over the past few years; it's likely you are familiar with these names. Hailing from the city of Toronto, this cast of characters has contributed to the soundscapes of up-state New York's triumphing hip-hop enterprise in recent years. What's more impressive, is that unbeknownst to many, Toronto has finally achieved a long-lasting goal; for its artists to be recognized on an equal playing field with New York artists and be respected by hip-hop culture at large - detached from their Canadian identity. Contextualizing Toronto's Hip-Hop Community in Relation to New York: Ever since the inception of hip-hop in Toronto, the city has actively fought for acceptance in New York. Perhaps the earliest example of success in this regard is KRS One's introductory co-sign to Michie Mee and L.A. Luv's Elements of Style in 1987; a record which sported the instrumental pallet of the Boogie Down Production's own Scott La Rock,. Boogie Down Productions is proud to introduce Canada's greatest musically inclined - future rap representative of the rap industry on a whole. A major breakthrough for female emcees everywhere. Her name; Michie Mee. This is BDP reporting live from Canada! - KRS One, Elements of Style. Figure 2: Michie Mee & LA Luv - Elements of Style 12" In the 1990s, this effort for acceptance continued its prominence. Artists such as Citizen Kane, Da Grassroots, Da Circle, Crooks of the Round Table, Mathematik, Frankenstein, and others clearly embodied New York's signature boom-bap aesthetic and trips to the Big Apple were frequently made to seek record deals and career opportunities. The talents of these artists were undeniable. Arguably some of the best hip-hop to come out of the mid 90s featured Toronto emcees and producers. However, this fact was rarely known outside of the city of Toronto, the artist community, and the odd devoted hip-hop head that pursued independent music on a global front. Rarely were these Canadian artists successful in obtaining US-based record deals, or US-based collaborations. Even more rare, were instances of American artists paying Canadian talent for collaborations on their records. In the 2000s, though the efforts largely remained the same, the results did begin to change. Artists such as Kardinall Offishall - who began rapping in the 1990s, saw some commercial success and appeared on albums from Tony Touch, Clipse, DJ Green Lantern, Akon, among others. To a lesser extent, emcees such as K-Os, Belly (Ottawa), Saukrates and Choclair shared a similar fate; however, these artists acted as one-offs, and never allowed Toronto as a community to fully escape the trappings of a Canadian identity. The most successful Canadian rapper of all time; Drake, too has played his part in this story; transforming Toronto as a landmark within hip-hop's discourse but failing to create a meaningful path for other Toronto emcees to follow. His OVO movement is notable, as is his impact on many Toronto-based artists who have embraced Drake's signature musical aesthetics - however the fact remains that Toronto has not been accepted as equal to New York in any meaningful measure. Griselda, Up-State New York, and a new hip-hop renaissance: It's safe to say that readers will be familiar with Griselda's impact on the culture. Since 2015, the Flygod and extended family have been dominating underground hip-hop's weekly release schedule and have since changed the direction of the scene both sonically, as well incorporating business innovations largely non-existent pre-Griselda. Upon Griselda's 2018 signing with Shady Records, this reality was only exacerbated. Figure 3 Griselda. L-R: Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine Griselda's rise saw many hip-hop acts within the up-state area come out of the woodworks and receive prominent fandom as well as financial security with their art. From 38 Spesh’s TRUST label, to Rochester’s Da Cloth, to Lord Mobb's; Eto and G4Jag, among others; these artists have thrived in the scene that Griselda has pushed and helped popularize. Despite the due-focus on up-state New York, the sounds of Griselda have far surpassed this geographic region. Artists such as Red Lotus Klan's SCVTTERBRVIN from the West Coast, New York City's Flee Lord, New Orlean's Jameel Na'im X, and a plethora of overseas producers such as Superior (Germany), Giallo Point (Britain) and Big Ghost LTD (Japan), all exist within the same sonic bubble and owe - at least some of their success - to Griselda's imprint. As previously mentioned, the impact of Griselda has amounted to more than simple stylistic innovations that have permeated throughout the scene. With Westside Gunn's heavy reliance on hype-beast culture and his insistence on treating physical product (both in the form of merch and physical media) as collectible art-pieces - the way of playing the game has drastically altered from the previous generation. By producing small runs - with the guarantee of selling out - Griselda has single handily made the purchase of a cassette, or vinyl record an investment with a near guarantee of market inflation if the consumer is lucky enough to secure an order before the inevitable sell-out. As the artists grow in popularity, these runs become larger and larger, while continuing to produce less than the market demands. The latest installment of Westside Gunn's Hitler Wears Hermes series (#8 Side B) was released earlier in 2022 with over 5,000 copies pressed, priced on average at over 100 dollars per unit, and sold out in under five minutes. This sort of dominance has created an atmosphere where Conway can confidently - and truthfully - claim, "I do your streaming numbers with the vinyl and the CD." Though others in the scene lack the demand that Griselda has curated, this model of high-priced, ultra-limited vinyl, has proven to work for others that fall into the same sonic template that Griselda has developed. For fans of Griselda's sound, participating in this subcultural economy is exciting and worthwhile - even if the products are not exclusively derived from Griselda's main roster. Those who associate with Griselda either through mutual connections - geographic proximity - or sonic template - have been able to follow Griselda's business models with similar - yet scaled down - success. The Modern Toronto Connection: Although Toronto is not the only Canadian city contributing sounds to this movement - it is by far the most dominant Canadian city on the scene. An artist such as Nicholas Craven in Montreal - may be arguably more prominent with production credits for Mach Hommy, Tha God Fahim, Your Old Droog, Ransom, among others - but he has unfortunately been the sole representative for his city within this new rap renaissance. Toronto on the other hand has - in a few short years - curated a scene of rappers, producers, and DJs so synonymous with Griselda's sound that the city has arguably become an extension of the up-state New York region. It makes sense. Toronto - a mere two-hour drive from Buffalo, is the closest metropolis city to the Griselda capital; with New York City being more than three times the distance away. Those that occupy the Niagara region such as G4 Jag and Jamal Gasol, are in fact even closer to the screwface capital. So how has Toronto broken from its past to be accepted as peers south of the border? It's pretty simple; it's Griselda. This is my opinion on the hustler mindset. Seeing early - [Griselda] dropping - and they weren't big yet - they'd drop 1000 [units] and they're selling out right away. Like that's not enough? So now, this genre also creates a lot of music. One project a year? That's nothing. You can't do that in our genre. Now you look at Griselda and it's like 'oh shit, these guys are collecting that bag.' And that math isn't hard to do, that there's money to be made. - Asun Eastwood, interview with author. It is important to recognize the diversity of Toronto's hip-hop scene; and the varying origin stories that occupy the community. Some artists, such as DNTE and Bozack Morris, have been long standing members of the Toronto hip-hop community - with DNTE (previously known as Al Sham) dropping his Street Visions album in 1999 with his partner KP, and Bozack Morris occupying Toronto's airwaves as a DJ for multiple decades. Raz Fresco, a younger cat on the scene, had signed a deal with New York's Duck Down Records in 2014 and appeared on Buckshot's Backpack Travels that same year. Daniel Son; arguably one of the most prominent in the scene today; began rapping in 2015 with his Brown Bag Money (BBM) click and quickly began collaborating and building relationships with artists such as Rome Streetz, Estee Nack, Al.Divino, among others. The Belizean born Asun Eastwood immigrated to Canada at a young age and began his run of releases in 2017 with projects such as Nimbus and Hollywood Briggs. And Lord Juco has occupied a distinct market with his soccer-themed run of projects with Californian Cousin Feo as the duo Death at the Derby. Despite this complexity, there is most certainly a strengthened community of hip-hop artists within Toronto. Nearly all these artists actively collaborate with one another - and have combined their skillsets to help one another grow and succeed in this hip-hop environment. This has become more evident with labels such as Gold Era which house a large collective of Toronto producers such as Sibbs Roc, Finn and Slang Hughes. A brief look at their webstore will see full album collaborations with Daniel Son, Asun Eastwood, Family Gang Black, Saipher Soze, Lord Juco as well as a plethora of peers originating from the United States. Figure 4: L-R: Finn, Futurewave, Sibbs Roc The collaborations with their United States brethren are important. Unlike previous generations of Toronto emcees, that found it difficult to seek mutual respect with their New York counterparts - this new community is often inseparable from upstate New York. Not only do you see New York artists featured on their track listings (a feat that remains achievable by simply buying guest verses from well-respected rappers), but credible New York artists as well as overseas producers will actively feature Toronto artists within their own creations. Daniel Son for example has been featured on 38 Spesh's 1994, Rome Streetz Street Pharmacy, Estee Nack and Superiors' BALADAS, Buckwild's Music is My Religion, Al.Divino's SUNRAW, and Flee Lord's Lucky 13 just to name a few. Futurewave; one of the scenes most active producers; has full length projects with a variety of well-respected heavyweights in the up-state New York community; including Mooch, Rigz, Rome Streetz, Al.Divino as well as the most recently released MR.TEN08 with Griselda's own Boldy James. This embracement of Toronto's hip-hop community is a new phenomenon. Sure, artists like Drake have achieved one-off success in mainstream hip-hop circuits, but Toronto's hip-hop scene as a whole has never been able to compete on equal footing within hip-hop culture until now. In addition to the artist support, fans have likewise embraced Toronto's talent in a major way. Through the adoption of Griselda's hype-beast model of merchandising, the Toronto hip-hop community has succeeded to ride the wave of Griselda's extended family. One look at Futurewave's WAV.GOD storefront will cement this reality. Futurewave's last major output with Rome Streetz Razors' Edge had multiple variants of vinyl, totalling over 1,000 units produced (between both the WAV.GOD online store as well as the German vinyl distributor Vinyl Digital), and sold out within a 24-hour period. These pieces of wax were priced between 60 to 150 dollars per unit, creating significant financial incentive for each album release. Perhaps the most interesting decision made by this artist community lies within their own constructed identity. Unlike generations that came before them, or the Canadian hip-hop community at large - the artists mentioned in this article rarely portray a distinctly Canadian identity. The themes in their music are generalized, rarely devoting song topics to Canadian topics of interest. Their social media bio's rarely mention Canada. Stylistically - although original - do mimic that of a New York sound. And they refrain from collaborating with those who do hold more transparent Canadian identities. In my encounters with hip-hop heads - often fans of these artists will be oblivious to the fact that they reside in Toronto, mistakenly believing that artists such as Daniel Son or Lord Juco are from New York. This dynamic has separated the scene in question from the Canadian hip-hop community more broadly. Canada has had a rich history of hip-hop with labels such as Battle Axe Records, URBNET, Hand'Solo Records, Peanuts and Corn, Side Road Records, Clothes Horse Records, etc. however these artists have acted as family and kin to one another and portray clearly and distinct Canadian identities. There is simply no mistaking an artist such as Moka Only's nationality. In an interview I conducted with Bozack Morris he claimed: Hip-hop is like this high school shit where people sit at the table and if you're not at the table - you might go to the same school - but if you're not at the same table - people don't acknowledge it. I think that's just what it is. It sucks because I know all those dudes. I know all the people that are in this kind of "Canadian-Toronto" ecosystem and I have seen how much they embrace each other. I don't really care to sit at their table. I just want to make the music that I make. [...] It's funny how when people talk about "Who's from Toronto?" they don't mention anyone in our scene. The quote on quote "Toronto" hip-hop, they aren't mentioning us. They aren't mentioning Daniel Son or Futurewave, and those motherfuckers are putting up numbers. They are eating off this shit more than a lot of these other motherfuckers that ARE getting the props. - Bozack Morris, interview with author. Figure 5: L-R: Lord Juco, Futurewave, Daniel Son Conclusion: Toronto is at a unique place in its own history regarding hip-hop culture. For the first time, Toronto hip-hop artists have successfully blended in with a dominant hip-hop culture. These are not one-off cases such as Drake, or the occasional appearance of Kardinall Offishall on a top 40 billboard hit. This is an onslaught of artists who have commanded respect and received it from hip-hop at large. They do not prioritize their region when forming their identity, and they represent a sound that is becoming more and more associated with upstate New York. I argue that the scene comprised of Buffalo, Rochester, and Niagara Falls, must also include Toronto as an active participant in the scenes sound and success in recent years. About The Author: Alex Kuchma is an award-winning oral historian focused on the history of hip-hop in Canada. With over ten years of experience as a music journalist, Kuchma has conducted nearly a thousand interviews with hip-hop artists and members of the broader hip-hop community. In 2021, Kuchma authored the dissertation 'It's Underground Shit Fool!': The DIY Ethos of the Vancouver Island Hip-Hop Community, 1980-2000. The dissertation examined the creative and innovative techniques that the hip-hop community on Vancouver Island practiced and how the community created a distinctly unique experience for which artists could thrive. His current work through the Faculty of Graduate Studies at York University examines Toronto's hip-hop community throughout the years and the social capital that individuals of the Toronto hip-hop community have garnered with New York state hip-hop scenes. Kuchma is currently working on a general audience book which will use oral histories to convey the story of Canada's participation in hip-hop culture. https://linktr.ee/AlexKuchma Photo Credits: Fig. 1: Daniel Son x 6th Letter photo by Lucas Espinola (https://www.instagram.com/lucas_espinola/) Fig. 2: Michie Mee x L.A. Luv (https://www.discogs.com/release/463959-Michie-Mee-and-L-A-Luv-Elements-Of-Style) Fig. 3: Benny The Butcher x Westside Gunn x Conway The Machine (Robert LeBlanc) Fig. 4: Finn x Futurewave x Sibbs Roc (https://www.instagram.com/p/CTushDyl6Fl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) Fig. 5: Lord Juco x Futurewave x Daniel Son (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ6xPyrrJYk/)

Color Therapy by Kay Anthony is a jolt to the system. The structure is made clear from the jump: skits of his therapist asking him tough questions make way for song-length answers. It’s a simple premise, more about how its executed than the setup itself. If this sounds familiar, it’s likely due to the high-profile album it shared a release date with. But while that artist descends from the clouds every few years with the world’s expectations on his shoulders, this is the picture of an artist working his ass off to get there. Stardom doesn’t hit everyone in their youth, and tireless work doesn’t always pay dividends direct. This is the story of someone not just down to earth, but bound to it, dirt under his fingernails. He’s rapping from a position that’s far too real: where neighbourhood realities never fade away, there’s always new personal obstacles to overcome, and the people around you are depending on you now, not later. Listening through, there’s plenty of pivots sonically. He can really rap his head off, as is evident right from the start. But the blistering bars and filthy 808s give way to a spacier, warmer feel as the album goes on. Guests show up to enhance or strengthen the sentiment of songs, excelling in their specific niches, and the tapestry it weaves all together is riveting. While addressing heavy topics like talking to God, angels, relationships and self-love, he never gets anywhere near being preachy or holier-than-thou. And even though the songs are concocted as answers to specific questions, they stand alone individually. Not that he’s seeking playlisting, but concept albums usually go all in on concept and sacrifice the strength of individual songs, which is clearly not the case here. Describing this album is tough; the somber tone and difficult self-truths juxtaposed with the kaleidoscope of sounds and approaches will have you nodding your head while reflecting on your life. “That’s why we like sugar but still end up with cavities, That’s why you chasing alienation and can’t master peace, That’s why your heart is at war but you’re searching for casualties, You too busy tryna defy your limits, what you think, you Master P?” - Kay Anthony, Better Many rappers have trouble making fans understand that they are people. Too often, these brilliant artists are reduced to their symbolic celebrity and the imagined lifestyle it entails. Fans can find it hard to sympathize when their favourite drops a “it’s hard being famous” album, but that’s not what this is. Sometimes, you can have all the talent and hustle, and it still feels like you’ll never stop having to prove yourself, forever clawing for the fame you know should be yours. Kay Anthony breaks down the duality of being a rapper. He talks about the pressure he faces, about feeling hopeless but having to keep going. About the difficulty of caring for yourself. He says “I heard pressure pays”, and you know he’s pushing through it. He’s been through the petty block stuff, the family struggles, and he’s done the exhausting work of climbing those mountains to see beyond them. He’s from NYC, a cold, competitive city with young drillers and old-head billionaires all in one market. Capitalism churns, and it’s up to each person to keep pushing forward regardless, and make a lane if there isn’t one already. Mental health is a continuing and essential theme in his art, as you can see in this short film of his from 2017, DEMONS/PARANOIA. The Village Voice did an accompanying article where they discuss his childhood and familial history. It's hard to find this sort of raw honesty, even in a therapist’s office. And yet, as the voice prods him to explore all sorts of dark corners in his psyche, it doesn’t feel fragmented or disjointed. Instead, we see how all of these things tie together and shape the person we hear responding. We get into his head, feel his doubt, know the rage. In the end, the answer to the question “Will you get better Kay?" “I hope so, some day.” Heard. That song, Better, ends with sage advice from a grandmother, telling us “Baby, trouble don’t last always.” It’s thoroughly an album - a complete project, and a pointed self portrait too. A number of producers were tapped for this, and the lush sound does not let up. Truly incredible tones and textures all the way throughout. Notably, RunitupDay has credits on two of the joints. Fans of Isaiah Rashad’s The House is Burning will appreciate the dreaminess, delivery, and stunning guest vocals. But outside comparisons to his peers and contemporaries, this is an album for any of us feeling lost. If you’re looking for guidance and blessings, or at the very least a splash of color on the gray, you’ll find a kindred spirit in these songs. We’re all in this together with Kay, and you’ll come out of listening knowing you’re far from alone. NOTABLE TRACKS: "Bless Me" (ft. Dot Demo,) "Hopeful Wishing" (ft. Jai Emm,) "Better," "Lord Father Pt. 2" & "30 (Interlude)" EVERYTHING KAY ANTHONY: https://fanlink.to/ColorTherapy

Let's take a trip down memory lane. The white-hot summer of 2004, gas was less than $2 a gallon and on top of the charts is probably the most iconic R&B album of a generation, Confessions also peppered in with southern club raps that followed the massive Crunk wave initiated in 2003. The Black Eyed Peas had just started their seemingly endless 2000’s commercial success run following their placement during the 2004 Pistons/Lakers finals upset. Tall tees, denim jeans, sweat suits, obnoxious sunglasses, durags and air force ones had my people in a chokehold. This was the era of Hip Hop rising up and taking over the charts for decades to come. Eminem had released 8mile, 2 years prior. His group, D-12 was on top with the best selling Rap album of the year, (until Eminem ended that with the release of Encore in the Fall that same year.) Bizarre, probably the most visible member of the group. Known for his eccentric style: rocking a shower cap, going shirtless whenever possible and his signature off-kilter shock value rhymes… was missing from the group's second and final single ‘How Come’ from the D-12 World album. If you aren't either a purveyor of the underground, or a connoisseur of horrorcore...that's where it all ended for you. Outside of the occasional blog headline about a diss record or two, one even taking aim at the suddenly beloved Arby’s fast food chain, there hasn’t been much noise on the mainstream level around Bizzy or his many projects released since. He Got A Gun is one of the most filthy, disgusting and morally bankrupt rap albums in recent history, but follow me down The Rabbit Hole for a bit, there's more to unpack here. If you can stomach references to substance abuse, murder, domestic disputes and freaky women with autism…you’ll be able to make it past 3/4th of this album unscathed. Following their successful chemistry on multiple L.A.R.S (Last American Rock Stars) projects with Fat Killaz MC King Gordy under Majik Ninja Entertainment; HGAG sees Bizarre team up with Middle Finger Music producer Foul Mouth to deliver one of Bizzy’s most cohesive solo rap records to date. Somewhere between the raw raps of Detroit Horrorcore and the banging minimalist production of Griselda. This album is for Bizarre fans but might struggle to find footing outside his core fanbase. Remaining true to his shock-value punchline style, jokes about beloved mainstream artists, describing events in gross intimate detail not unlike a grimy variant of Rick Ross…will likely not appeal to most mainstream outlets as they tend to exclude offensive “targeted” content such as, “Lil Nas X, He ain’t important especially since he didn’t get that abortion.” The opener, “Uzi (Intro)” introduces He’s Got A Gun extremely honestly, “So me and my man, Foul Mouth decided to make an album called, He Gotta Gun and I came down to his dirty, filthy basement to rap, and I'ma rap for y'all,“ that’s it, that's the concept. 20 tracks of insanity recorded in Foul’s dirty basement in River Rouge… It is an unapologetic embracement of the weirdo shit Bizarre has built his storied career on. Hard drugs, hard drums, guns and deviant sex acts riddle this acid trip of a project. Deep-cut rock and funk samples made into woozy low fidelity grooves are signature to Foul’s style and he delivers some of his best production to date on this album. Stand-out beats are on “9mm,” “FN,” “Smith & Wesson,” “AS 50,” “MG3” (featuring the most melodic chorus on the record delivered by Skyrah), and “Gauge.” The features on this album range from the Golden age of Detroit Hip-Hop with the legends Guilty Simpson and Seven the General, as well as the seemingly immortal Ty Farris. Newer upstarts like Middle Finger’s break-out new artist Kain Cole, the super smooth Mvcknyce, and the prodigious young lyricist Dango Forlaine make their presence felt in a big way on their verses. Even another King of Weirdo’s: Kool Keith himself makes an impressive appearance on track “2 Hecker.” As stated previously, this album may struggle to find new fans, but it is true to Bizzare’s special brand of making music that sounds like a bent rolling tray filled with cigarette butts on the floor of Foul's basement at 3am. Original as always, lyrically a firm move away from the more Trap/cloud rap-heavy Peter album production wise. The mixing and mastering is also on point, courtesy of Foul’s gifted ear. After months of living together and recording, they came up out of the snake pit with what can be considered their most impressive work to date. It is now available on all platforms, alongside a 3-part documentary. on the making of the album. words by Xlo Released: June 3, 2022 https://linktr.ee/bizarresworld

This past March, Harlem artist donSMITH released his soulful EP, In Loving Memory. The EP features Zacchae’us Paul, Asun Eastwood, Jay Lonzo and Kapi-Ku with production from Sypooda, Lim0, Flousen, Sum Total and RanVanDam. The EP as a whole serves as a transformation of Self, a transcendence through all the obstacles and curses that ended up being blessings. I refer specifically to “curses” as when you watch the video to “To Be Grateful (Long Live)” it is represented as a play with acts. “ACT I: The Curses Become Blessings.” Content, lyrics and message wise the EP is somewhat similar to a testimony or sermon as donSMITH explores various topics that essentially point towards gratitude for the path ordained for you. It’s an EP that asks you to hone in on the beauty of you and your life; where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, where you’ll go and what you’ll do. Are you grateful for it? For the flaws, the stumbles, the losses, lessons, moments of uncertainty that kept you guessin’, riddled with anxiety and indigestion? Are you grateful for it? Could you be who you are without it? In Loving Memory begins with the track “To Be Grateful (Long Live)” that sets the tone and theme of the project. The track begins with a woman’s voice who appears to be a religious leader giving a sermon. As her voice weaves in and out of the track you hear Zacchae’us Paul singing the hook, “I spent my whole life trying to be grateful…” followed with the woman’s voice stating, “God has blessed us to be here 1 more time.” The tone is set - to be grateful. And to be grateful of what? donSMITH enters the song with his verse that highlights an array of things he’s grateful for and the moments and thoughts that tie to those things. From gratitude to patience to privacy, creation (R.I.P. imitation,) hand-me-downs, competition, Nipsey tweet, “having strong enemies is a blessing,” the mission, long live them all. Long live the lessons, blessings and everything in between and beyond. The next track, “Long Time Coming” featuring Asun Eastwood further expounds on the theme of gratitude and how it’s connected to longevity. Oftentimes, when our flowers bloom it can feel like we should’ve received the bouquets a long time ago. Both artists on this track express how they’ve been blessed along their path the whole time even if the blessings were unseen at that time. “Long time coming, in the mirror confident in GOD and the flaws I come with” - donSMITH “It’s the ones that hate complexity try to stifle my glow” -Asun Eastwood “Lonzo’s Prayer” featuring Jay Lonzo also plays into the idea that your gifts and blessings aren’t always physical form but often things that are internal and innate that we have to develop. You know, Jay Lonzo states specifically in his verse, “can’t cry at Christmas if you know your gift ain’t under a tree,” puts the cherry on top of being grateful. In this track the woman pastor is back with more soothing affirmations. She asks the audience to really reflect on where they’re at, “you may not have the Bentley yet, the BMW but BE GRATEFUL.” In Loving Memory, then moves into the 4th track, “God Knows” featuring Kapi-Ku. The song really captures the social ills and pains that donSMITH observes and experiences in his environments. There’s a want in the song to learn how to help on the day2day but also recognizing the risks and predicaments that those gestures might put you in. Initially, there’s this hook in the background that loops, “it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” as if donSMITH is trying to figure out why things are the way they are. Eventually, by the end of the song he comes to terms with it, maybe it was supposed to be this way actually and only GOD knows. The final track, “Still DON” ends the EP strong. It completely ties up the themes of accepting your flaws and obstacles, learning to love the journey and to not just be but become. He’s asking questions of what is legacy (that may be rhetorical to some.) Is it your name? Your lovers, kids? Where you from? What you rep? How does one secure their legacy and make sure it represents you and your mission correctly? And when you’re living your legacy what does that look like in the present tense? All questions donSMITH is asking on the personal level but also very much on a universal level as well. “Legacy got me stuck in my ancestor ways / legacy got me feeling so honored to be here” When I came across In Loving Memory, I was in the midst of reading Hip Hop’s Hostile Gospel: A Post-Soul Theological Exploration by Daniel White Hodge. It’s always a beautiful moment when studies align in real time. The text by Hodge explores over 8,500 songs throughout Hip Hop that aids in his research of where GOD is in Hip Hop, how GOD is referenced, revered and etc. Without question, in another edition of the text or next volume this is an EP that needs to be referred to and in Hip Hop theology studies in general. Whether you’re religious or not, familiar with donSMITH or not this is a significant project from 2022 that shouldn’t be overlooked. EVERYTHING donSMITH: https://musaic.bio/donsmith

Harlem artist UFO Fev presents a representation of what it means to be influenced by where you come from but still remain original, authentic and 1 of 1 in his newest album, E Pluribus Unum. The album is solely produced by DJ J Hart and hosts features from Ace Arty and Jose Santiago. E Pluribus Unum begins with a clip of an interview where Mike Powers asking about a phone call UFO Fev received from Diddy and what that means to Fev coming from where he comes from. “I ain’t have nothin’ growing up; everything was a double team, break thru the defense, get the bucket - AND 1.” That specific clip of the interview sets up the listener/audience with the context needed to understand that UFO Fev got this shit out the mud. After "Intro" the album glides into “El Sapo” that speaks on the origins of UFO Fev the hustla and his day2day in a poetic cinematic manner. You know, this the beginning of the chapter that establishes where one came from, the root, the source. “Outside” featuring Ace Arty comes after and really is a track that expresses that UFO Fev and his crew were really outside with it. It’s not all talk and more likely than not more action and plays than actual talk about it. From “Outside” we move into the real hit of the album, “Money.” A track that needs to be spun on all radio stations mainstream, independent and underground because it’s really that g ood. From jump, you hear the infamous, “Get Money” loop that puts you in a New York state of mind. You know who he’s paying homage to but what will he do with it? UFO Fev walks us through how he made money off the origins spoken about in “El Sapo” while also reaping the benefits of “Outside” with the crew. With an infamous loop and equally infamous riff/influence of DMX, UFO Fev has the hook and song of the year, “For my next trick I make more money appear / THE RARE. THE REAL. THE CLOTH, WE WEAR.” From such a phenomenal track the album brings us to a grittier track, “Game Shifting” where UFO Fev touches on how he’s changed/shifted the game and continues to do so. The following track, “Pop Pop” featuring Jose Santiago has serious content/theme but delivered in a catchy and fun manner. Then, the album switches back to another notable song on E Pluribus Unum, “In The Rain.” Off production alone this track is gorgeous especially with the use of “In The Rain” by Bill Cooley and Alan Munson. You know, I’m sure all the tracks come from the soul but you feel the soul in this one. You hear the perseverance and feel the climb to greatness. Rain brings growth. “We the kids they never worried bout, the stories you never hear about, parents barely knew of out whereabouts / check the sole of his sneakers, I used to wear ‘em out / now the type of shit I’m doin’ is paramount” “Swish” is a track where UFO Fev is telling pieces of stories of the trenches and how he still made it out. There’s another catchy hook/chorus on this track too. The album switches to the track, “Light” which is more of a love song to friends, family and romantic lovers who have provided some kind of support, some kind of light throughout his life that helped illuminate the path. Those who have provided a source of purpose and perseverance for him. The outro of this track has another clip from Mike Power’s interview that touches on how UFO Fev was about to hang up the mic because he was investing more than he was returning before meeting Fat Joe. From there, E Pluribus Unum transitions into the final track of the album, “Business Man.” This track really captures the ascent of UFO Fev into another realm and also as a businessman. Almost like a more present feeling of the transition for him. As a whole E Pluribus Unum serves as a reflection of personal and generational plight that highlight environment, experiences and elevation from those lessons and learnings. Throughout the album there are various stories, dope hooks, poetic verses and inspiration/motivation to continue with your own craft - turnin’ the hustle to a business. E Pluribus Unum is one of the initial chapters in the story of how UFO Fev turned the hustla into a businessman. Out of one, many; the future is bright and beautiful for UFO Fev. EVERYTHING UFO FEV: https://linktr.ee/UFOFev & https://www.epluribusunum.nyc/

New Orleans and glbl wrmng artist Kr3wcial delivers his EP, Less Than Three. The EP hosts features from BLU, Mick Jenkins, Pell and Kalipop while also enlisting production from Ghazi Gamali, friendkerrek, Cronos and Kr3wcial himself. Throughout the EP, Kr3wcial fuses Hip Hop, neo-RnB with a hint of Pop to create a smooth “collection of reflections” of experiences with love, <3, Less Than Three. The intro track, “Jewelry” begins with a very calming energy that has Kr3wcial reflecting on the appearance and feeling a lover gave him, “You sure look good on me after I wear you out like jewelry / nirvana, when I feel you give me peace / there’s nowhere else I rather be.” The 2nd track of the EP, “Standards” has both Kr3wcial and Mick Jenkins speaking on some of the standards they’ve come across and employed themselves when dating or embarking on love. Standards have always been a thing but it seems as though in this current social media era that standards have been heightened to almost unrealistic expectations physically, financially, emotionally and intellectually. “Ego Trippin” is the next track of Less Than Three - and just as the title implies it’s about ego. The track expresses how ego can cause conflict in love but also can inflate situations as well. The yelling, the fighting, the lack of seeing eye2eye, needing to be right and maybe a drop of self-sabotage too. Next, the EP slides into the gem of the project, “Who Do You Call?” Off dribble, the production has this real gorgeous soulful appeal coupled with the combination of Pell and Kr3wcial’s similar content yet varying textures in voice. This is the type of song that triggers you in a good way, you know. Where you really have to sit back and assess, “who do you call?” - especially when the person you want to reach out to could have you dip back into toxicity. Or dip back to a place that you grew from or are growing from but you still need that familiar voice of encouragement despite it all. “Who do you call when that drinkin’ ain’t maskin’ the feelin’ and you wanna fix it?” The final track of Less Than Three is “Dumb Bitch Juice.” This was a solid way to end the EP because it speaks on wants, boundaries and at times getting lost in the sauce of romantic encounters. You know, do you keep sippin’ someone’s potion that is not sustainable or beneficial in the long-run? The intuitiveness that comes eventually of knowing someone has something you want but also knowing that it comes with a price and a life you’re already trying to wean yourself from. Less Than Three explores the complexities of romantic love throughout its various stages. The EP highlights how ego, standards, companionship and lack of mutual understanding/communication influence the trajectory of relationships. Even if the trajectory didn’t go as planned there’s always collections of reflections at hand. Additionally, Kr3wcial created his own universe (Kr3wniverse) for the release of Less Than Three. https://linktr.ee/ikr3wcial

ARTISTS FEATURED: LOS, BRYCE SAVOY, AJ SNOW, MALZ MONDAY, BUCKWILD, JAMEEL NAIM X, JOHNNY UNITEUS, JODY JOE, $HRAMES, KAMEO, T.Y., AROOMFULLOFMIRRORS, RAHIEM SUPREME, OHBLIV, KAI CASH, REGGIE RARE, REY MORADO, JAVION BISHOP, CHE NOIR, BANCO, NUKE FRANKLIN, MACC, RU$H, JAY NICE, NICK GRANT, RALFY THE PLUG, KAREEM LEDELL, OSBE CHILL, PHILTHY RICH,

King Diamond by Bryce Savoy “& just to clarify I was never in them streets but tell me what’s the difference when ya niggas in it deep” Oakland’s Bryce Savoy delivers his album and 4th quarter trophy, King Diamond. The album has a lot of dope attributes that allow the listener/supporter into a deeper glimpse of Bryce Savoy and the environments and events that allows such a poet to flourish, express and inspire. From jump Bryce uses a piece of “Ocean Views” by the late Nipsey Hussle to grasp attention, set the tone and show how he’s carrying on Nipsey’s legacy in his own way - or even the ways in which he was influenced by Nip. Additionally, in “Forever Oakland” Bryce uses a clip of Tupac talkin’ about the importance of Oakland to him and from there the track turns into a beautiful ode to Oakland full of love and experiences. King Diamond in entirety is a well rounded album that displays variety, versatility and vulnerability. From love to independence to growth, goals, aspirations and manifestations King Diamond is undoubtedly a momentous project in Bryce Savoy's catalog. If ya ain’t had a listen yet you’re definitely missing out. Notable Songs: "Heavy Head," "On the Phone," "Alotta That" & "Forever Oakland" Don't Pop Pills, Pop Champagne by Aj Snow “lately I’ve been blessed because I haven’t been movin’ out of fear / the main goal is to double up from last year” Dallas artist Aj Snow delivers his first project of the year, Don’t Pop Pills, Pop Champagne. Aj Snow is an artist I make sure to always to stay current because he’s creating his own lane while simultaneously maintaining a similar lane/tradition of playa, suave music that you might hear from the likes of Dom Kennedy, Larry June, LE$ and more. Some coin it “car raps,” “cruisin’ music” but truly at the root of it, it’s good music created by an innovative mind. Besides a fly and statement making title (in a time where pills and opioids are at an all time high) the content and sonics are real suave and real playa. Don’t Pop Pills, Pop Champagne serves as a playa’s manual/huster’s manual that focuses on leveling up, celebrating accomplishments or redirections, lifestyle changes and keeping your soul, body and mind aligned. Notable Songs: "What's Happenin'," "Hustlers Need Love Too" & "Evening Cocktail" Super Heroes Don't Exist by Malz Monday “they see I’m ridin’ clean, they tryna throw dirt on my name/I can’t let them trick me out of positions I worked hard to claim” New York MC, Malz Monday delivered and lyrical manifesto, Super Heroes Don’t Exist. The album art and title of the album make it seem as though it could be more than an audio album but could be a cartoon series that illustrates each song further. Each track is an episode. Throughout Super Heroes Don’t Exist, Malz Monday is a very humble yet confident lyricist who is proving to be well-versed in his craft. The album in totality is about recognizing you’re your own hero and finding the strength to truly support yourself. Malz Monday is definitely a true lyricist, poet and independent. Super Heroes Don’t Exist could easily go down as not only a classic in his discography but really in this specific time period of underground/independent releases. If you seek motivation and a blueprint of how to actualize your dream(s) and goal(s) - this is a good one to start with. Notable Songs: "Mother Nature," "Circadian Rhythm," "One Day Never Comes" & "Father Time" Diggin' in the Tuff Kong Crates by Buckwild “every speech meant to motivate / don’t let the weight of the world make your shoulders shake” Bronx artist/producer/curator, Buckwild crafts a sonic symphony for some of Hip Hop's most seasoned independents from the underground. His new album, Diggin’ in the Tuff Kong Crates hosts features from the likes of Boldy James, Lord Jah Monte-Ogbon, CRIMEAPPLE, Guilty Simpson, Lauren Mayhem and more. The album seems to be part of a series Buckwild created. In 1998, he released an album called Still Diggin’ and in 2007 released an album called Diggin’ in the Crates. 2022 he’s Diggin’ in the Tuff Kong Crates. If you love sounds that fuse traditional Hip Hop with modern innovation of the art form, spin this one. Notable Songs: “Savage Monks,” “The Ghost” & “Co-Op” 12:29 in Boston by Jameel Na'im X “I’m so ahead of my time I reminisce about the future” In all honesty, Jameel Na’im X is one of the best in the game right now. By the time you hear the bar set up and process it he’s already on his 3rd set up; his wit and knowledge is unmatched. His recent release 12:29 in Boston only further shows his versatility in his artistry. This is an album that you’ll love instantly but also will love even more over time. Initially, there was one song I wasn’t too fond of and it was probably because I wasn’t really listening, but it ended up being one of my favorites after the 10th listen. Every release has me in awe when it comes to his lyricism but also how he’s able to create a sacred atmosphere through his music; there are some tracks that have looped mediation samples and even a track that samples what sounds like the Islamic Call To Prayer. And of course, with ease he raps over them as well as trap beats, boom bap beats and soulful beats. 12:29 in Boston is an un-skippable album full of everything that’s important and necessary in a Hip Hop album. Notable Songs: "Wicker Chair," "Joe Jackson," "Bleek & Beans" & "Bitter Sweet" 4daFree #Sorry4daDelay by JohnNY UniteUs “like why was I stressin’ / made it work in time, work for mine / learned workin’ for others wasn’t worth a dime” Brooklyn native and one of Hip Hop’s chosen, JohnNY UniteUs drops off a 4th quarter album, 4daFree #Sorry4daDelay. As with all his drops JohnNY has a real talent for creating thought-provoking bodies of work that left me pondering and further researching the significance of 4. Throughout the album JohnNY uses the number 4 in multiple of the titles. The number 4 is symbolic of many things that tie into the content and themes presented in 4daFree #Sorry4daDelay such as self-expression and self-fulfillment thru one’s own passion(s) and purpose(s). What echoed after hitting pause on the album was finding peace and stability within one’s self while also making those dreams tangible. If you enjoy music that balances fun, intent, motivation and inspiration then head over to Bandcamp and cop the project. Notable Songs: “4ward (So Far So Good),” “4orce of Nature” & “You’re Worth A 4Tune / 400 Acres” Jody Ca$h by Jody Joe x $hrames “I’m married to the game, I jumped the broom, got eloped / sacrificed my life for this - shit, I took an oath” Nashville artists Jody Joe and $hrames team up for their album, Jody Ca$h. Throughout the project $hrames provides productions that not only shows off his versatility but also his trap and tropical sonics influences - he always manages to create production that allows the body to move. Alongside $hrames versatile production is Jody Joe bringing raps that boast his mathematician skills as well as his ability to create his own plays and provide for him and his. Jody Joe touches on topics involving an array of women and his connections to them as well as how he’s living out his plans and goals. Jody Ca$h overall, is about Jody Joe getting to the dough, how he does it, who he does it with, what he does with it and how the business ventures will grow. Notable Songs: "Nonchalant," "Carry On" & "Guns N Butter" TRYNA TELL U HOW I FEEL by Kameo “just because you get it first doesn’t mean the money’s gonna last ya” New Jersey’s Kameo delivers his album TRYNA TELL U HOW I FEEL exclusively on his site. I found this aspect of his artistry to be really cool because it denotes the faith he has in his art to not need any DSPs but his own weblink. That’s next level independence and faith. As this was my intro to Kameo, I was genuinely blown outta the water. Kameo has this real raw, static, refined out the basement texture to his music that puts me in the mind-frame of an East Coast cypher. You can tell he’s about the knowledge, culture and expression just off the things he raps about, the way he presents his art and displays it to his audience(s). For sure an artist that I’ll be writing more about as the music presents itself. TRYNA TELL U HOW I FEEL is really for Hip Hop. Notable Songs: “Forever,” “Magnetic” & “The Essence” Live From Choppa City by T.Y. “I can’t fuck around I’m really on a mission / cut off a few niggas now shit movin’ quicker” New Orleans artist, T.Y. delivered his album Live From Choppa City this past December. The album appears to be an ode or homage to his father, B.G. who released albums with similar titles such as, Chopper City and Chopper City In The Ghetto. While T.Y. has been carrying on tradition he’s still able to put his own style and hustle in. Live From Choppa City is an album that explores the current state of hustlin’ in New Orleans from the lens of T.Y. He addresses topics of loyalty, fast life, gettin’ to the money, fake niggas, personal growth and knowing what you’re doing with your hustle. Above all, the album is a body of work that will encourage anyone to get their hustle up and really become You. Notable Songs: "Can’t Fuck Around," "Fake Niggas," "Bad Mood" & "Loyalty" Money Bags by aroomfullofmirrors "the gin and juice make my dawg so corrupt / ice lay on my tee, I'm sellin' coco and dust" T.D.E. and aroomfullofmirrors presented an EP, Money Bags that also has a visual film counterpart. The EP comes from the collective “aroomfullofmirrors” that includes: Lyric Michelle, Jrias Law, Hari, Nick Grant, Earlee Riser, Daylyt, BillyMaree, Punch and Ichiban Don. Sonically, Money Bags has a variety of production with thought-provoking content delivered from some top tier artists. What mostly caught my attention with Money Bags, is the actual name of the collective, aroomfullofmirrors and what that means as far as symbolism and music. Whatever is center in a room full of mirrors can be seen from various angles depending on light, perspective and vantage points. Whatever is not center in a room full of mirrors can only be seen from certain angles. Is it an expression of vulnerability while still recognizing the portals around you? Various portals, various angles just reflecting different aspects. Notable Songs: "Woah," "Nobody Dies" & "WestSide" Black Keys Wit Melodies by Rahiem Supreme x Ohbliv “the sauce came from home, came from where I been, sauce came from family, came from where it originated” D.C. artist Rahiem Supreme and Virginia’s Ohbliv come together for their project, Black Keys Wit Melodies. The Mutant Academy producer provides the perfect 80’s influenced sonics for Rahiem to flow over. In Black Keys Wit Melodies, Rahiem uses a modern beatnik/Gil Scott Heron type delivery; you know, real suave, real fly with it but still with purpose. These two artists make the luxuriously fly and authentic music seem easy. Black Keys Wit Melodies is thought-provoking, witty, uplifting and free in a very retro/vintage demeanor. Notable Songs: "secret sauce," hot date" & "outro" Original Since Birth by Reggie Rare “I can’t lose my assignment while the Sun still shining / GOD told me perfect timing” Palmdale artist Reggie Rare dropped off his first album of the new year, Original Since Birth. The album hosts features from the likes of Smoke DZA, A-F-R-O, Bryan Keon and JAG. What I enjoyed about this album was the story it was telling about time, what perfect timing is and how everyone experiences “perfect timing” differently. Throughout Original Since Birth, Reggie Rare expresses how he’s been authentic since he entered this world and his perseverance. He also speaks on more vulnerable topics that highlight some obstacles and trials he endured while on the route to his purpose(s). If you enjoy what you hear be sure to also spin his newest album, Not To Far Off - which I imagine I’ll be writing about if it’s anything like Original Since Birth. Notable Songs: “Timely Fashion,” “Sun Down” “Talk To Much” “O.S.B.” CA$H: The Elegant Fella by Kai Ca$h “if we goin’ head to head I”m addin’ tags to a toe / so keep it classy fosho” Brooklyn artist Kai CA$H delivers his latest EP, CA$H: The Elegant Fella. The EP is a very vulnerable project that explores a lot of personal topics that are also universal emotions and thoughts as a genuine artist and creator. The content that the project holds is impressive especially because it’s a 6 song EP but despite the length Kai is able to flow effortlessly over many topics such as mental health and social media, patience with your craft and gift and more. The EP plays like an album and Kai’s delivery is real suave, confident and still humble. Real inspirational and motivational EP for any creative that knows their time is coming and really are just focused on progressing the craft. Notable Songs: "7 Seater," "No Letting GO," "Round The Way" & "Time Coming" God Speech by Rey Morado x Javion Bishop “I be starving my ego to feed the soul” Rey Morado and Javion Bishop team up for their EP, God Speech. The first thing that stood out in God Speech is the texture of both their voices individually and together. Both artists on the track have thought-provoking lyrics while using different styles and flows. It was exciting to listen to because they switch each song who starts and who follows. One comes on the track and delivers a dope verse then and the song could be complete off that, but then the other one comes and lays down a verse that takes the song to another realm. The combination of the two is hazardous. Sonically, God Speech sounds raw, unedited energy and intentional and possibly even unconscious conversations with GOD. Notable Songs: "Good Sh!t," "Spreading Out," "Mazerunner" & "Ill Ones" Food For Thought by Che Noir "fuck peace, when it's time to survive, I'm with a knife / if it's war then it's eye for an eye, I went in blind" First things first, Che Noir is a talented poet and bearer of Hip Hop tradition. As far as this recent album, Food For Thought, it was a challenging listen considering how much I enjoyed her previous work. I hear her set-ups, I hear her bars, the thoughts, features, flows and productions but all of those things didn’t quite align in Food For Thought. The production fell a bit short of what I was expecting and also had me nodding off on certain songs - this could be a combination of Che’s monotone texture/delivery and the down-ridden beats. The perseverance aspects of the album are heard and related to, but the album felt colorless, dull, overcast and gray. Overall, Food For Thought wasn’t the best of her work but that doesn't mean I won’t stop listening to what she comes up with next. Notable Songs: "Eat or Starve" "Ladies Brunch" & "Table For 3" BANC by Banco "I'm obsessed with the game, I even work when I sleep" BANC is an album from Texas artist Banco who makes it clear he’s accepted his destiny and bound for greatness. BANC, gives a glimpse of what Banco’s commitment to his growth has brought him. Banco speaks on moments that express the new luxury he’s stepped into but there’s still more he aspires for. While this is one of Banco’s best projects yet it’s also unspoken in the album that this is just the brink of what he will create, express and elevate to. A very well arranged album with stories of love, goals, new experiences and the pursuit of growth and greatness. Notable Songs: "Spilt Liquor" "What About Us" & "Diamond Pumas" Runnin' With Scissors by Nuke Franklin “I’m certified at finding the pain / a ghetto rose, you know I grown in the rain” Cleveland artist Nuke Franklin allows himself space to express his vulnerabilities and reflections in his new project, Runnin’ With Scissors. Originally, “running with scissors” is an idiom that points towards recklessness, danger and often forbidden acts. A lot of the project is Nuke Franklin reflecting on how he’s been Runnin’ With Scissors his whole life. There are moments where he talks about love and learning to love oneself before you can love others. There are also moments where Nuke speaks on his ego and hurdles as an artist. Runnin’ With Scissors is a very versatile project from content to sonics; somewhere between thought-provoking and being able to dance through it. Notable Songs: “One Way St.” “OHSHEITGAWDDAMN” &“Hidden Hills” Macc Files: Case Closed by Macc “in this thing called life, you either pay your dues or you pay the price” New Orleans/Houston artist Macc releases his album, Macc Files: Case Closed. This is my intro project to Macc and with each listen I’m more impressed. Off the first listen I wasn’t sure of the region/geography he was coming out of but what I did hear was real smooth, real ridin’, playa music. It’s about grindin’, hustlin’, growin’ and aspiring for a luxurious lifestyle by any means. Similar to the title of the album, Macc Files: Case Closed - each track serves as a file about/on Macc. Each file/track is sure to be filled with Macc’s desires, goals and Macc, the mac. An artist with a lot of potential without question. Very determined but still has patience with what he’s creating/aspiring towards. Notable Songs: “Feelin Like” “Eastside Pimp” & “Champagne & Caviar” FAMILI 3 by RU$H x Jay Nice “we gonna criticize that actin’ ‘til they flip the script” Luxury raps, real cinematic, “I’m at the top of my game enjoying the benefits but still got these pains and gains to get off my chest.” Delaware artists RU$H and Jay Nice come together again for their third installment of their FAMILI series. FAMILI 3 is about the challenges and trials that RU$H and Jay Nice have traversed in order to get them at this point in their journey to where they can celebrate. FAMILI 3 has beautiful classic sounding production coupled with seasoned flows on the mice. Real fly art. Notable Songs: "Philippe Chow," "Blicks at Hot 9" & "Underground Art Legends Interlude" Welcome To Loveland by Nick Grant "we talk ideas and what happens in the afterlife / to them you public enemy but you surpass the hype" New York’s Nick Grant is one of the best current lyricists in the game right now. From his individual projects to group collaborations he’s sure to be one to stick out in terms of content and flow. Out of nowhere he dropped off a real funky, ode to love, pre-Valentine’s Day, Welcome To Loveland. Throughout this album Nick Grant expresses his sensuality, singing ability and g-funk influence. This is easily one of his more fun projects in his catalog that represents the type of versatility and variety he can provide and produce as an artist. Welcome To Loveland could easily go down as a timeless project from this current era and maybe even beyond that. Notable Songs: “Brutal Honesty” “The Simulation” “Love & Other Drugs” & “The Ingredient” Pastor Ralfy 2 by Ralfy The Plug "niggas must've been mad that our crowds are liver / Drakeo stood on 10 toes with a smile against 1000 fighters" South Central’s one and only Ralfy The Plug speaks on the recent passing of both Stinc Team members, his brother Drakeo The Ruler and Ketchy The Great in his album, Pastor Ralfy 2. The Stinc Team is notorious for creating and expressing a new way to flow and rap out of L.A. while also influencing many of the newer rappers coming out of the region. Ralfy The Plug uses Pastor Ralfy 2 to give his own personal sermons about the life he came from, the life he leads and the influence the Stinc Team has. While many of Ralfy’s raps are braggadocio he’s also a lyricist who has pretty much perfected every hook of every song. Pastor Ralfy 2 displays a more seasoned Ralfy that doesn't shy away from talking about the darkness he’s battling, grieving and also getting to the bag and continuing plays. As long as Ralfy The Plug is around, so will be the legacy of Drakeo The Ruler and Ketchy The Great. Notable Songs: "The Truth" "Bruce Lee Kick" "Keep Up" & "Being Me" D U L L by Kareem Ledell Soul Raps 2 by Osbe Chill “wasted half the time I had on learnin’ how to go all in” Tennessee artist Kareem Ledell delivers his first offering of the new year, D U L L. Kareem is a poet who is becoming more and more well versed in expressing his vulnerabilities, realities and creative endeavors. D U L L is an EP that assesses Kareem’s present moment and the darkness/dullness he experiences in the midst of creation and expression. It’s easy to listen to Kareem for his laid back demeanor and the patience he has with his flow. D U L L hosts various producers from: Plantif Earf Marow, 9thaGod and Blue Magic Beat Co. as well as a single feature from Nashville’s Ron Obasi. Overall, D U L L contains thought-provoking words and moments that aren’t afraid to acknowledge and sit with the scars of the journey. Notable Songs: “Endzone (Intro),” “Second Coming,” “Green Lady” & “Lifeline” Soul Rap 2 by Osbe Chill “I’mma keep it solid ‘til the day that I depart / but you know I’ll never die I’ll be living thru my art” Soul Rap 2 is definitely a compilation of raps from the soul. South Central artist Osbe Chill flows over many topics pertaining to the soul. Some of the things he touches on are personal but also universal; from politics, personal flaws, friends, family, generational stories and lineage. Osbe also speaks on things that he’ll have to teach his kids about environments and people. One of the reasons Soul Rap 2 is dope is that Osbe puts his family in the forefront (as shown on the album art) of his life and sheds light upon them in the project. There’s even a moment where Osbe mentions Interscope and that the family image isn't necessarily what they were trying to push. It’s refreshing seeing artists stick to truly what their soul knows is important and possible. Looking forward to any other work he decides to put out. Notable Songs: "Intro" "I Got Me" "Free Infant Pharaoh" & "No Hard Feelings" Motivational Purpose by Philthy Rich “ain’t a fan in the crowd, niggas came from nothin’” I’m always at a crossroads when it comes to supporting Philthy Rich. People who of the artist know about his past and his businesses that he runs (as a woman and having friends and family involved with sex work.) One thing I must say is that his independent grind at the level he’s at considering his city and environment he came from is motivational. Motivational Purpose and his last album, Solidified are some of his most polished and seasoned work with top tier content and features. The music are his conversations with GOD and I suppose also to provide motivational purpose for those who listen and are on their grind/hustle as well. Notable Songs: "Safe," "On Me," "My Everything" & "Leave Me Alone"

CROWNTHEM was started to highlight artists that ain’t being recognized by the mainstream and don’t need to be necessarily. It’s really gettin’ to the root of it - you know, people always talk about how there ain’t good Hip Hop and there’s plenty of it. LOS: I love that for sure and I appreciate you for that. And it’s even cooler because a lot of the new, fresh Hip Hop is coming out of the South which I know you be talkin’ bout as the “New South” and shit. LOS: Facts, I mean all the good shit comes from down here. Everything is coming from down here, if you ask me. We comin’ out the mud with it. It’s me and some more guys around my age that’s comin’ up from down here that’s goin’ to shake shit up some more again. I’m pretty excited for that. That’s real, when I was playin’ your album and shit that’s the energy that I was gettin’ with your use of so many soulful samples and stuff like that. And really, like a classic soul, really out the mud type soul. I was like, “yeah, he representing being out the mud” and really carrying on traditions and shit for real. LOS: I had to and really it was the Universe that did all that shit to be honest with you. All the sequencing and everything, that’s all the Universe. So, I had to and we’re goin’ to continue to. That’s what matters. Yeah, yeah… So, tell me a bit about you. Where does your name come from? Where are you and your people from? LOS: My name was formerly Carlos. Throughout growing up, well, I was named after my pops. His name is Carlos but out in the hood and everything they call him Big Los and growin’ up I was Lil Los. Clearly, it just came from not wanting to be called Carlos, so I was Lil Los then I got a little older and now I’m LOS and I feel like I’m gonna be Big Los soon. It’s on me, really the name came from my pops. And my family, I think everyone in my family is from Mississippi. Definitely goin’ way back, I have Choctaw and Chickasaw family members and ancestors who actually moved from Mobile, Alabama to Mississippi but mainly all of my family is from Mississippi. From Vicksburg, MS, Meridian, Yazoo City, but me and my immediate family and most of my nuclear family is from Jackson. Been in and out of Jackson for most of my life. It’s been years now but I was there for about 12 years then I moved to Chicago but the roots is definitely from the Jack. That’s literally where all my family is from. We the only ones that left when my pops moved to Memphis. All rooted from the city of Soul. That’s so interesting because like I have indigenous heritage as well down in Mississippi and Arkansas and just hearing your stuff and seeing some of the symbolism and using Geronimo too. I was just like, “is bruh native? He got native blood for sure.” Whether an artist is conscious of what they’re portraying or not, ancestors are still speaking through that shit. Even in your video trailer you got the Blackhawks jersey on. LOS: True, and that’s just shit that I’m doin’ it’s not even crossin’ my mind but that make a lot of sense for sure. It’s close in the family tree I believe too - my grand aunt looks like she's a full-blooded native and my great-grandma is like full-blooded Choctaw and Chickasaw on both sides. So, it’s pretty close. Yeah, man that’s beautiful for real. LOS: Fosho, fosho, I'mma dig into that. I haven’t really dug into it at all so it’s not nothing I don’t embrace but also nothin’ I’ve paid much attention to. We’ll definitely see. Going off that - the Geronimo symbolism and significance throughout your album. Where did that come from? LOS: Geronimo. Okay, so I figured I was goin’ to make this project July 2020 and I was just thinkin’, “what’s next?” So, me and my brother that I grew up with since I moved to Chicago (and he never made beats before or nothing like that, Terron Clark.) What?! LOS: I kid you not this is his first time. I’m like, “nigga, what!” So, I send him the samples that I wanted and I sent him what I wanted looped. That’s what I did for a good portion of this project; send them the sample and tell them the time marks for what I wanted looped and they just killed that shit. The name of the original intro wasn’t “Geronimo!” I don’t think, I think it was “1st Time” or some shit. It was something I made but it gave me the intro feel and what’s funny about that is I actually made the intro as a first track for My Love Is Crack and for the outro it was actually the last song that I recorded. It came together perfectly. As far as “Geronimo!” goes it was just me speakin’ about what was happenin’ around that year. One of my close friends, Mikey, had brain surgery, a tumor and everything. Of course, that 10k grant and shit that everybody was tryin’ to get with, the PPPs. It was just somethin’ I wanted to do real fast and it ended up bein’ the intro so I’m happy that happened. Yeaaah, but still at the same time of talkin’ indigneous bloodline and shit - Geronimo was one of the last noted native warriors. LOS: Facts, that makes a lot of sense. I was just thinkin’ we was gonna jump into what’s next so I named the song that. I feel like it’s just somethin’ that comes and what does come, comes naturally. Like I said I push the pen but the Universe be writin’ a lot of this shit at the same time. Then other people catch on and I, myself didn’t catch on, even talkin’ about it. It worked out well, fosho. And that’s what I felt for real. I feel like you’re really being guided bro. The soul of it really feels like you know what you doin’ and you realizing it but I don’t think you understand the depths of who is pushing you, you know? And why they pushin’ you? It’s beautiful. LOS: Thank you, thank you, we gonna get there. I’mma figure out but if not as long as everything is goin’ how it’s goin’, I’m grateful for everything. I’m grateful for it all. Super cool, but about them samples. You chose all the samples from all the tracks? LOS: Not all of them. I chose the samples for out of 14 probably 5. That’s pretty much it. Because I knew some of them but couldn’t quite catch them so I had a friend listen to it with me and she caught one of them samples on “Good & Well.” Was it “If” by Destiny’s Child? LOS: Man, yeah, it’s “It” by Destiny’s Child and it fit well because all of those samples are from the 70’s besides that one. One of my close friends, Bri, she’s a designer and everything and she love soul music almost as much as I love soul music. I don’t think anyone loves soul music as much as LOS. We were just talkin’ about music and soul and just the sounds and the ratio to the loop goes and she sent that shit. She sent that song and I was like, “bro, I gotta sample this - there’s no way I’m not.” I originally wrote “Good & Well” to another sample that would’ve fit well too but we couldn’t find that nowhere to get it put on the project. I love that sample… that’s my favorite song on the project right now, fosho. That’s a good one but I mean all of them are good. It’s cool to learn the samples and know how they play into the actual theme of your project. The waves and the relationships and shit like that. LOS: Yeah, it’s like a lot of switches in content and reasonin’ and I’m happy that I chose “Good & Well” to go before “Fornever” from “Can’t You'' because obviously goin’ from “Can’t You” to “Good & Well” was some shit right there. So, I had to make it stream well. Yeah, a lot of arrangements. So, who did you grow up on? What was your music like? LOS: Definitely Andre, well Outkast, T.I., 50 cent, UGK, 8Ball & MJG. All the Southern greats. LOS: Basically, besides 50. So, Screw, those were mainly the ones that I knew were my favorite artists. 3K, T.I. 50 and Wayne. Those are my 4,like, big inspirations of my favorite artists growin’ up. That’s dope, and as far as your soul singers? LOS: Honestly, to be real with you, my pops he always bumped rap music. He never bumped nothing else but rap music. My mom, she only bumped 90’s music, barely any 80’s music. My grandparents were some gangstas too, they wasn’t really bumpin’ no old shit either. It was really just somethin’ that came unto my soul. I heard some shit and I just fell in love with it. It was actually later on in my life, I would hear the songs at family reunions and everything but I never went deep divin’ to Soul music ‘til I was about 14, truly. So, Marvin, he’s one of my favorite artists of all time. Aretha Franklin, Al Green, The Isley’s, The Moments, I could go all day bout that. That’s the main thing I listen to when it comes to music; 70’s Soul and 70’s Reggae. Oh yeah, Reggae for sure. I love Dub, I’ll listen to Dub all day. LOS: Yeah, I gotta have the Sun. The Sun gotta be out for me to listen to Reggae. Man, sometimes I gotta make the Sun. LOS: Facts, especially during these winters you definitely got to. Man, when I moved down here I didn’t think it would ever be this cold in the winter time. It’s so crazy. LOS: Yeah, people are really surprised by that. At least you don’t gotta deal with no snow 24/7 type shit, the whooooole winter, you feel me? It’s only like a month or two out of the year. That’s real, that’s hella real. So, where did your inspiration for My Love Is Crack come from? LOS: I think that the people that paid attention thought that it was gonna be a love project because for some reason I love doing love songs. I’ve released love songs as singles before which I never thought I would do. My love life definitely inspired that a little bit and just my Blackness and findin’ myself through the readin’ and doin’ the knowledge and the wisdom and everything and of course just regular life experiences. Then I realized, when it comes to certain things that I do or I love or loves me it’s not always somethin’ good that comes out it, you know, but you love it so much that you just can’t fully let it go. So, I figure, “My Love” as in the love that I have for women, the love I have for this and that whether it’s being in dangerous environments. Like muthafuckas love that shit and don’t understand why. I feel like it’s addicting in a way. So, I said my whole first project is going to be called, “My Love Is Crack.” I don’t give a damn and that’s what I did. Mainly, I would say life experiences and that’s pretty much it. I can’t say what it would usually be or what I have planned so that’s why it caught me off guard, truly. This is so interesting because from a listener’s perspective and readin’ the interview that WavezMovement did and I experienced it in so many ways. I would say that it does feel like a love project. It just feel reflective, like a reflective love project. Because you’re talkin’ and you’re vulnerable with how you’re talkin’ about the relationships and how different things have gone with different women. You also reference family and friends in too and when you talk about shit like that, that’s natural love. LOS: That’s somethin’... facts, you’re definitely right. I get it, I just didn’t want people to think it was like a romantic love project. Like a romance. Damn, I’m happy you caught that because that was really what was on my mind throughout the pandemic and everything and while writing this album as well. I can imagine, so interesting because, “My Love Is Crack,” it’s like you’re almost talkin’ about vices or how things become vices. LOS: Yeah, for sure. When we talk about vices it did get pretty deep talkin’ bout vices. I had a lot of throwaways that was like, “shit…” when I was really speakin’ on the vices. I’m definitely speakin’ a lot about it and it’s a lot of narcissistic views that I really didn’t realize was in it. Which wasn’t on purpose but it was just an over-loving myself in certain ways is what creates tracks like, “Pick One, Get One” and “Can’t You” and pretty much the whole beginning of the project. The way I wanted to flow out from LOS to LOS Kemet it was definitely the vice part, “Can’t You” and “Pick One, Get One” fosho. Why do you say that? LOS: “Can’t you tell we love these hoes,” is just a vice in itself because niggas feel that way and women feel that way as well. And it can be a vice because not everything is good for you. Really the whole project coud reflect on the vices whether it’s someone who has dealt with me or me dealin’ with somebody else or dealin’ with a situation, anything like that. That would be a very good way to describe the project, fosho. Yeah, ‘cause you do got that little clip of Rick James too on “Pick One, Get One.” LOS: Exactly, so if I could say there was a sideseat to the project it would be the vices portion in my eyes. And you do mention too, “self-aware narcissist” within the project. Where did that come from? LOS: A few of my past relationships they would say certain things and lately (as of before 2020,) I would get that title but I didn’t realize that’s what it actually was until I started going to therapy - it flows into “We All,” so that’s the main thing. It’s not really just me callin’ it out because I felt that way about myself it took time, it took talkin’ to people and talkin’ to my therapist to know, “you are this and you’re workin’ on it and the best thing about all this is that you’re self-aware.” Self-aware enough to even talk to a therapist. Facts. That’s real, that’s hella real. That’s also another theme, it very much was about Black mental health and taking care of yourself in that way too. LOS: I had to throw those in there with the soulful samples to try and pay some type of homage to these samples. I wanted to put pieces of stuff that they would speak on so it was only right for me to do that. And, listenin’ to shit like “Dear Mama” and “Dear Mama” was a big inspiration on “We All.” Just listenin’ to certain artists and especially 70’s artists, like that’s my secret formula. I don’t really want people to know that but my secret formula is studying. That is the best formula you could have in this industry, studying. Mhm, student of everything. LOS: Fosho, gotta be, you gotta pay the homage all the time. Man, for real. I’ve realized also that you go by LOS Kemet sometimes. What’s up with that? LOS: First off, I am not Kemetic as far as the knowledge goes but as far as the original meaning of Kemet goes I have plans with that. Like, for a new Kemet to build. My name is LOS Kemet and my actual government name is turning into LOS Kemet and that’s really where I got it from was the original meanin’ and studying the knowledge but I’m not the guy that’s a Kemetic knowledge man. You know how the people be, you know, East Coast and Philly and all that, that’s not me. I wanna build a newer version of everything, that’s where it came from. “Build your own pyramids / write your own hieroglyphs” LOS: Exactly, instead of arguing over it. Who did this first and who did that first. I’m not one of those. Because there’s just some shit that you know that other people don’t. You can’t even, there ain’t no conversation to be had. LOS: Exactly, because you’re really just wasting your time. Like when it comes to some of the consciousness it’s really a lot of arguing and shit and I have no time for that. When we could all just create ideas amongst each other and build shit from there. Because who the hell is buildin’ pyramids today? Ain’t no nigga buildin’ a pyramid today. Niggas just wanna talk bout who built them first. We don’t got time for that shit. That was my whole reason, I was like I’mma go to the cout and change my name to LOS Kemet. I love that, that’s so cool. EVERYTHING LOS: https://linktr.ee/los601 PHOTOGRAPHY: CLUB GALLERIA