Kid Cudi: “The Frequency”
Co-produced by Plain Pat, Cudi, and Mike Dean, “The Frequency” – a spacey rap/sung cut – is the latest offering from Kid Cudi.
Co-produced by Plain Pat, Cudi, and Mike Dean, “The Frequency” – a spacey rap/sung cut – is the latest offering from Kid Cudi.
Before there was Twitter there was Tweet, the brown-skinned beauty with a voice as rich as mahogany. A voice that felt as familiar as an aunt who was always singing at all of the family functions, birthday parties, dinners or funerals. That’s who Tweet has always been, and now, without much of a warning, she has come back to our ears with her third album, Charlene.
Charlene is Tweet’s first album in over a decade and for many including myself, a great reintroduction. Of the album, Tweet told Billboard Magazine,
“In 2005, I was really in a bad place. I kind of hit rock bottom. So on Charlene, you’ll probably hear a lot more secure Charlene. I’m fine with who I am and secure as the woman and artist. I’m not afraid. Spiritually, mentally, I’m just in this whole other place, and I’m excited and I’m ready for whatever is to come.”
And listening to the album, the confident woman that Tweet claims to be is exactly who listeners will actually hear. Covering topics that explore the various stages and feelings that come with relationships, Tweet sounds very in touch with who she is on both an emotional and spiritual level. Honestly speaking, this is an album that you will go through the emotions and levels with. You can feel what it is she is actually singing about. It’s a very mature and honest album, and the production on the album serves as the perfect backdrop. Overall, this album just feels very raw and shows tremendous growth for Tweet.
The entire album is great, making it difficult to identify the highlights. Both “The Outro: I Struggle” and “Dadada… Struggle” are such beautiful songs that I wish were longer. The lyrics and production on both are beautiful and give a great background for Tweet’s beautiful voice. “The Hardest Thing” is a song that makes you really want to walk into a Baptist Church. I’m sure in context, this song is about letting go of a tumultuous relationship and not settling, but in delivery it feels like a somewhat religious experience. With lyrics like, “I’m tired of disappointments/ want to leave them all behind me/ move forward without regrets / But I don’t know how hard all of this would be” it just feels like a clean slate, and clear palette. “Priceless” is a masterpiece from beginning to end–literally, from when the music starts to when Tweet starts singing. This exact sentiment is felt again for the track “Magic”, which was produced by Bereal. Not only is the production flawless, but this song also makes you want to feel in love without the cheesy you-make-me-see-butterflies aspect that most songs include these days.
Another highlight comes in the form of the Missy Elliot assisted “Somebody Else Will”. We all know Tweet and Missy make magic – think: “Oops (Oh My)” and that same magic can be felt on “Somebody Else Will”. Of the song, Tweet told Billboard: “When Missy wrote ‘Somebody Else Will’ she sent it to me and I had to have this record. I love the message behind it because I’m all about revelation and girl power and knowing that you don’t have to stay in a situation that’s not good for you. I loved the song, so I had to do it.” Not to mention, the production laid down by Timbaland, will have your head bopping the whole time with a stank face.
Charlene is a great album and a great way to introduce herself back to the industry. In a climate where people are constantly getting so much music fed to them, yet complaining about things like how soul music dying, this is testament that the feelings about soul aren’t necessarily true. I definitely highly recommend this album.
Featured on Cuck Inglish’s Everybody’s Big Brother LP, the visual for “Sweat Shorts” just dropped. The song and funny video feature Helios Hussain and Asher Roth on a mission to find Asher’s sweat shorts that have been stolen by a local b-ball player who challenges the trio to a game of 3-on-3 in order to win them back.
Although the soulful “Dapper” has been out for a few weeks, the feel good jam by Domo Genesis and Anderson .Paak just received its visual treatment, which finds the duo and their friends having a ball at a roller skating rink. Peep the fun video featuring cameos from the Odd Future crew below.
MeLo-X and Little Simz trade rapid bars over hypnotizing production on “FFFS”. The single is featured on MeLo’s CURATE EP released last year.
“Can I kick it? To my Tribe that flows in layers/Right now, Phife is a poem sayer.”
Malik Isaac Taylor, better known as Phife Dawg, passed this Tuesday (March 22) at the age of 45 in his San Francisco home. Phife Dawg, the “funky diabetic”, had been struggling with diabetes for over two decades and it was the ultimately the cause of his death.
In 1985, Phife Dawg teamed up with his high school friend Q-Tip to form the rap group A Tribe Called Quest. The group, which also included Jarobi White and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, would go on to be one of the most progressive hip-hop groups of all time and served as the inspiration for rappers like Common, Kanye West and Jill Scott.
Oftentimes rapping about social and political issues, the self-proclaimed “five-foot assassin” jolted the music scene by challenging traditional macho lyrics. Phife was known to be self-deprecating, casual and a perfect contrast to Q-Tip’s philosophical cool. While many rappers in the 90s bigged themselves up, Phife wasn’t afraid to be modest: “I’m just a short brother, dark skin face/Weigh a buck-fifty, 36 waist,” he rapped on “Vibes and Stuff”. Phife appeared on all five of the group’s studio albums and might be best known for his humorous verses on tracks like “Can I Kick It?” And “Electric Relaxation”.
The group’s remaining members said in a statement, “We’re inspired by his daily joy and courage. He wasn’t in pain. He was happy. We take comfort in knowing he will be beside his grandmother.”
Last November, Phife Dawg performed one last time with his bandmates on The Tonight Show – their first performance after almost 15 years. Watch it here.
DJ Amen, the co-founder of the DJ Collective/Lifestyle Brand, Young California, is a driving force in the Bay Area music scene. Coming off of one of the most successful Super Bowl party lineups, Amen’s recent accomplishments include the launch of Young California Radio on Real 92.3, the ongoing success of Blessed Clothing Co., a label worn by heavy hitters like Diddy, Khaled, and Future, and having thrown and headlined a star-studded birthday rager for Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. He’s also been signed as an official DJ for the 49ers and the Sacramento Kings.
With a legacy of breaking artists including Sage the Gemini, he’s a board-certified tastemaker, talented turntablist, driven businessman, and an incredibly good dude. He recently made time in his grind to sit down with Mixologi and share his personal list of Northern California artists that are on their way up, with a brief introduction for each in his own words. If you’re not already familiar with the folks that Amen’s mentioned, take the advice of a professional, and get involved.
Currently more than just the talk of the The Town, her latest project A Good Night in the Ghetto and recent trip to SXSW have proved she is definitely the hottest new artist coming out of the Bay Area right now. Her infectious funk heavy single “How Does it Feel” is not only something any young adult can relate to, but can also sing along to as well.
Sic Wid It Records & Vallejo’s very own Nef kicked the door open in 2015 with his breakout single “Big Tymin”. From Summer Jam stages to opening up for G-Eazy & A$AP Ferg’s national tour, Nef has been building his brand and winning over fans everyday. It’s safe to say everybody has an eye on him to see what’s next for his movement.
Born in San Francisco but having spent a significant amount of his life in the south, Larry teamed up with OG Maco’s OGG Collective to build out his own brand The Free Minded. With a knack for being independant and ahead of the curve, it will be interesting to see his growth in 2016.
Mozzy’s not from the Bay Area but definitely the most intriguing up-and-coming artist in Northern California right now. Sacramento’s independant hard core rapper is putting up undeniable numbers and the major labels have flown in to the Capital city to begin the negotiations. Everybody is paying close attention to see how he will translate to the masses this year.
A$AP Fans, the wait is over.
A$AP Ferg will be dropping his album in late April. Last night on Twitter, the rapper announced that his highly anticipated project Always Strive And Prosper will be released on April 22nd. The announcement was made the night before the release of A$AP Rocky’ new track “Goldie Mack”, which happens to be a new installment of A$AP’s fresh weekly tradition, Wavy Wednesdays.
Not only did Ferg announce the release date for his album, but the New York rapper also announced that he is dropping a new track with Schoolboy Q. The single, titled “Let It Bang”, premieres sounds of both Ferg and Q. It’s a banger, but it has that darker tone that Schoolboy Q has established and mastered throughout his music catalogue, from Setbacks to Oxymoron.
While A$AP Ferg has collaborated with a plethora of artists from SBTRKT to Meek Mill in between albums, Always Strive And Prosper is the rapper’s first album to release since Trap Lord.
With an already broad list of artists who have participated in Soulection’s “White Label” series, the LA-based record label is releasing another EP featuring some good tunes from an up-and-coming producer. This time around, the series features original music from a producer out of Birmingham, England who goes by the name of R.O.M. Armed with a producing kit and guitar, R.O.M. gets nasty with his music, providing synthetic tones with bass kicks to create a unique futuristic sound. One of his most unique tracks include “Pikachu”, a futuristic bout featuring multiple sounds from your favorite video games.
As for his “White Label” collaboration with Soulection, R.O.M.’s three-track project is the eighteenth edition to the series. Unlike his prior songs, the producer’s sound is a bit more soulful, yet still has that kick to it that many others have, especially “ONE MORE”. The EP also includes featured guest appearances from producer DEFFIE and singer Emmavie. R.O.M. is definitely a producer you want to follow after experiencing this new project, and you can stream his “White Label” series below.