Over the past couple of weeks, Maikéru has been doing major promo for Jets & Planes, a single and video he featured on with Andwan Zonez. The hype that he built up for it was major, and like everything else that he’s pushed recently, the quality stood up to the promise. The track is a well-produced mixture of R&B, hip-hop and club energy, and thanks to the well-known talents of videographer, director and editor extraordinaire Dan2TheL, the video looks as high quality as the track sounds with its vivid color displays and late 1990s/early 2000s aesthetic. In all honesty, not following Maikéru at this point is taking a social media L, as he continues to get himself involved in interesting and top notch content. Check out the video, leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and share it around to run the numbers up!
Cha’Keeta B has never been shy about displaying her skills or letting the world know exactly what she wants and needs, qualities that make her one of the more respected MCs and artists in the Austin area. Her latest single, Pull Up, is a deceptively smooth banger featuring Kiki Ambrose on the chorus and plenty of rapid-fire raps about how Cha’Keeta B will handle her business at the moment of truth. Thanks to Dan2theL, who has been on a respectable tear himself in regards to stellar music videos, Cha’Keeta B brings the song to life with a straight-forward narrative-style video featuring a dope car with switches, a handful of beautiful women, and plenty of steamy action for those in need. If you’re a fan of Cha’Keeta B (or even if you’re not), take a second to check this one out, leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and share it around for others to enjoy.
With the trajectory of Blackillac over the past year or so, it seemed inevitable that they’d eventually cross paths with fellow Austin trendsetter Quin NFN. This connection comes in the form of Phantom, a serious banger showcasing the individual styles of Quin NFN, Zeale and Phranchyze over a dark, piano-driven NA the Producer track. Dan2TheL comes in once again with the hero-level assist on the video, which is simple in format but powerful in imagery, wholly amplifying the song experience for the listener/viewer. This one is definitely about to find its way into the rotation heavy, and the video is already piling up numbers, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking it out, leaving a like and a share, and spreading it around for your people to dig.
Blackillac is usually known for high energy, braggadocious, in your face tracks, but for 2020, it appears that they are planting the flag of creative range and stylistic variety. Big Bang, the latest track and video from the duo, finds them utilizing a different flow than normal over a hypnotic track, with plenty of inter-song referential use to weave between the dual chorus that provides the song a foundation. Zeale and Phranchyze also manage to show tons of confidence in the most reserved way possible. This is definitely another winner from a winning team, and the Dan2TheL-directed video helps boost the experience. Check it out, leave a like and a comment, and share it around!
As Blackillac continues their ascension, we’ve been blessed with a constant stream of solid music and video output from the duo of Zeale and Phranchyze. Their latest hit (no pun intended) is the dark and mysterious Hitman, a banger produced by NA the Producer with plenty of moodiness and heaviness to back up the braggadocio coming live and direct from the talented MC pairing. As a bit of a bonus, the two linked up with Dan2theL for a straight-forward, no-BS, well-shot music video :
As someone who has been there to watch both of these cats rise out of the Austin battle-rap scene into solo stardom, and eventually morph into financially and culturally viable artists, I am extremely proud of Zeale and Phranchyze for taking full advantage of a chance to live the dream. I’m definitely staying tuned, as Blackillac is positioning themselves for a breakout year in 2020.
Anybody that’s been touched by the vivid spirit of the hip-hop culture can tell you (or attempt to, anyways) about how all-encompassing the connection is in terms of give and take. Be it the ‘casual’ fan, or those inspired enough to contribute to the hip-hop continuum, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone connected to hip-hop from its inception in the late 1970s to a period just before the turn of the century that is not as heavily dedicated to the culture as they feel the culture is a part of their entire being. Case in point is Terrence Wood, the MC formerly known as Side Effect, who demonstrates all of these feelings perfectly in By Your Side, his latest video and single. Unlike other songs dedicated to hip-hop, Wood manages to actually capture the energy surrounding the culture in both his lyrics and the production. Add to this the stark visuals provided by director Dan2TheL, which captures both direct references in the form of album covers, and the symbolic love by providing a human representative for hip-hop, and you’ve got a combination that cannot be ignored in terms of the impression it leaves. Definitely an instant classic, and a strong video of the year contender, so be sure to like and comment on the video before sharing it around.
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 