Alternative hip-hop artists in the central Texas area that are smart seem to be hitting up the homie Jeffrey Garcia for music videos, and the results have been nothing but gold. The latest collaborator, DC4PREZ, recently dropped his video for KEY & PEELE, and the duo cooked up a colorful video full of life and slacker irreverence. The track is ridiculously catchy, bouncy and radiating vibes, so having a visually stark companion-piece for it does nothing but enhance the enjoyment and experience. Dig the video, give it a like, leave a comment, and spread it around so that the numbers get run up!
“Ego Trippin takes a step into the mind of Curbside Jones as he navigates social interactions and the feeling of drifting away during his day to day life. Starting with the question, “If the clouds hit the ground, who gon hold me down?” you can tell Curbside Jones has been deep in thought about his self worth and trust in others. Chicago artist Musa Reems offers a complimentary verse that gives insight on why someone from the Chi may feel as though the clouds are hitting the ground around him.”
Definitely check out the video, give it a like and a share, and leave a comment if you feel moved enough to do so!
Like most music scenes, or scenes thriving with creative spirits, band lineups tend to shift on a near daily basis, and many bands step to the plate to see who can survive the game. Recently, a group of talented San Martians found themselves combining forces in the downturn that 2020 has been, and despite the bleakness of the era they found one another, the noise that they are creating is joyful and inspiring. Old Lane recently released Sanctuary, an apt name for their lead single considering the times, and the song is a rollercoaster ride of introspection and observation wrapped up nice and neatly in bluegrass packaging. The song bookends on a high, energetic note, while the midsection halves the time signature and propels listeners into a brief, dreamlike state. If this song is an indication of the musical quality to come, then strap in, because Old Lane seems hell-bent on taking us far and wide. Dig the song, share it around, and throw the band a buck if you can afford to.
Is BoomBaptist already working on a new project so close to the powerhouse that was Boom Shakalaka? Is he just messing around in the moment, similar to his recent release COVID The Earth? Did Boom mess around and find some gold while in a session and decide to bless us with a one-off track? I don’t have the answers, but that won’t stop me from sharing ZoomBaptist with everyone. Cop it if you can, share it around regardless, and get hip to BoomBaptist quick, because it feels like this is the beginning of a new wave of content.
Over the past 5 or so years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Ceschi Ramos and become a member of the Fake Four Inc. family. With a roster full of underground heavyweights and close peers already on the docket, it is a HUGE honor to find myself as an official member now, courtesy of the first #FREEcember release of 2020, The Reclamation Project. During the course of 2020, a span of time where many people where given the opportunity to reflect on their life uninterrupted, I decided to take the process a step further by revisiting two of my previous instrumental releases : Slow Burnout and This Town Has Turned To Dust. I picked my favorite ‘beats’ from these albums, removed previously used elements, and approached them as traditional narrative-structure songs. I am very happy with the final result, and honored to have it be a part of Fake Four‘s yearly tradition. I even made some quick, low budget visuals to go with each song in preparation for Fake Four Fridays, which will air Friday, December 4th at twitch.tv/fakefourinc at 7 PM EST. For those unable to view the stream, or those who are impatient and want to see them immediately, I have created a non-presentational form YouTube playlist.
Download the album for free, donate if you can, and PLEASE share it around, as it would mean the world to me. Thank you in advance to those that do help, and have a great weekend to everyone!
If (or more likely, when) Kenny Casanova blows up, I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to collaborate with Jeffrey Garcia on his music videos, because these crazy little masterpieces work extremely well for the vibe that Kenny Casanova has created and embraced. His offbeat and unique approach to modern day hip-hop has found a perfect visual match with the random hilarity of Jeffrey Garcia, which makes BP Oil Spill one of many collaborative videos from the duo that jump out of the crowd of normal music video tropes. You’ve probably already hit this one with a like and a comment, maybe even already shared it, but do all of those things immediately if you’ve not already done so, and don’t sleep, because if I was a betting man, I’d bet more of these wild creations are on the way.
Swwwisha is the latest artist on the mega-talented roster that is (iN)Sect Records, and in light of his upcoming April release “Xertz”, Swwwisha is slated to take us on a single-filled journey. The homie Butcher Bear posted the 10-minute opus that is Been Stuck, a song that could easily stand as the lone single while driving interested parties towards Swwwisha, but the real kicker was the promise of additional singles to drop between now and April. With that in mind, I’m definitely going to keep my eyes and ears open in anticipation of more goodness. Check out the lead single and spread the word, and if you aren’t already tuned in to (iN)Sect Records, get hip quick.
One thing that I will always respect EVOLVE for is making the type of hip-hop that helped me find my way from fan to artist. While some would be short-sighted and classify it simply as ‘boom-bap’ or ‘backpack rap’, the raw passion and pure elemental approach that EVOLVE brings to the table hits receptive listeners right in the bullseye of the soul. He also has a knack for collaborative projects, and SUNGODS serves as yet another example of this. With collaborator IBE HUSTLES, White Tiger is a megadose of that timeless hip-hop that reminds us how beats, rhymes and life are forever intertwined. If you’re a fan of realness, dig this one and dig it good. Share it around for others to experience, and if you’ve got a few bucks, support these cats by copping some merch.
Entitlement is a dangerous thing, especially when a previously (minimally) disenfranchised but persistent group finds new validation in the leader of the free world. Speaking about institutionalized racism, unbalanced power structures and the pervasiveness of the victim complex can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s a topic that can no longer be ignored. Thankfully, Protextor has the wherewithal to not only speak honestly from his perspective, but the foresight and common decency to invite an artist like Doc Brown to share his perspective as well… while the two have a long history of collaboration and a few key similarities in taste, their backgrounds and experience in the world could not be more different, which makes their synergy that much more palatable. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the prolific Bird Peterson lent his production skills to the track, turning it from a heavy dose of medicine to an eye-opening and perspective shifting banger. Stream this, cop this while it’s at a variable price point, and pass it around for others to listen, and in turn, grow from it.
As much as I’d love to kick Facebook to the curb, the time that I’ve spent building personal and working relationships with artists has turned my timeline into a fertile breeding ground for new and exciting content. Recently, a post from Texas-based MC TOKIE came down the line due to his connections with Cory Kendrix and Kydd Jones, and after checking out Backend, his latest single and video, I’ll definitely be checking for more material. With his smooth, sing-songy flow, TOKIE jumps on this drum and guitar-driven track and talks real talk about how beneficial it can be to stick to your grind in the wake of others abandoning theirs. This one is definitely vibey as hell, so don’t sleep on it… check the video, leave a like and a comment, and share it around far and wide if you support Texas hip-hop.
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 