From the digital desk of Flotation :
“Flotation is back with his fifth album, Service. This project is a collection of songs written and recorded from 2017 to 2020, featuring artists and producers from Texas, New York, and Europe. We hope you enjoy.”
Check it out, cop it if you can to support, and spread it around for everyone to enjoy.
-chief
Those familiar with the Austin hip-hop scene know to check for any release affiliated with the College of Hip-Hop Knowledge, so when Big Tree 4Real announced his upcoming single and video release for Y’all Got Me Fucked Up, it was more a matter of preparation than wondering. Big Tree‘s super smooth southern drawl and delivery are perfectly paired with Sheff Shmurda‘s mellow banger of a track, and Big Tree‘s self-confident bars on not letting others dictate the quality of your product rings incredibly true. Dig the video, and if you like it, leave a like and a comment, and spread it around for others to do the same.
-chief
Austin hip-hop mainstay Ben Buck is a beast with the pen, the production and the beatboxing, and his latest release Speaker Bump Deluxe continues the verification of those facts. Buck would’ve fit right in during hip-hop’s true school era, as his brand of boom-bap and lyrical artillery is reminiscent of the early 1990s, when diversity and uniqueness ruled hip-hop. A handful of these songs would fit in perfect on a skate video or an opening DJ set to a classic-style hip-hop show. Catch Speaker Bump Deluxe wherever you purchase or stream your music, and always support your local creatives.
-chief
It’s hard not to find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the litany of issues we face these days… be they medical, political, sociological or personal, the weight of the world is a hard shoulder to burden. That very reason is why people should take the time to reflect on the beauty that exists in the world, as well as the beauty we are capable of creating. Luckily for us, Jsun the Prophesor and collaborator Govinachi are lending the masses a hand and leading by example with the release of the single True Beauty. The track is a reflection on those aforementioned aspects of life, all over a beat that revels in harmonics and dynamics rather than the traditional boombap fare. For anyone in need of a sonic pick-me-up, look no further than True Beauty, and if you’re feeling it, leave a like and a comment before you share it with your friend circle.
-chief
Time moves on, and as many people have said, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’. Whether planned or not, the day after many were let down by the American justice system once again in the wake of the Breonna Taylor grand jury decision to try 1 of the 3 cops connected to her killing for ‘wanton endangerment’ of the neighboring apartments, Blackillac and Caught A Ghost released REVOLUTION, a moving single and video montage honing directly in on the civil unrest and lack of justice that many minorities and disenfranchised communities face on a near daily basis. Zeale and Phranchyze set aside their normal braggadocio and verbal complexity to tell strong truths over the sparse but stout backing track provided by Caught A Ghost. Check this one out, leave a like and a comment if you support the message, and spread it around to help those who need to wake up do so.
-chief
If you’re looking for a visual blueprint on how to achieve with integrity in the music business, look no further than the recently released All In single and video. The track, a ShaunSolo banger with help on the hook from current Austin standout J Soulja, is a textbook statement on how one makes moves to better themselves with little to no worry about what others are doing. In my opinion, there is really no other method or approach to making real moves, so it’s good to know that other artists feel the same way. Definitely check out the video, leave it a like and a comment if you’re feeling it, and share it around for others to do the same!
-chief
Austin-based record label Cream Dream Records, the collective brainchild of standout artists Bird Peterson and BoomBaptist, has been making a push for the ages in 2020. After using the label as a foundation for a solid run of Bird Peterson releases, the new year finds the roster expanding, and one of the promising additions is King Khary. His debut single, the hypnotic Stuck Off The Realness, uses a familiar sample from Prodigy of Mobb Deep as the main vocal element, but the lush and inspirational instrumental he surrounds the sample with re-contextualizes said ‘realness’ into a thing of beauty rather than a celebration of grittiness. Based on this small sample size, I can only imagine the sonic landscapes that King Khary has in store for us.
-chief
From the digital desk of Illect Recordings :
Back in his long-haired heyday, Michael Bolton proclaimed that “love is such a wonderful thing”. That man has never lied. The wordplay rings true to this day. Anyway, do yourself a solid. Look in the mirror and repeat: “somebody loves you”. Let’s do this.
“On S.L.Y., Sivion, Bavu Blakes, The ARE and NickNack check in on their strong friends (each other). The result of their digital palavers is this syrupy and snappy jam that will lay the smackdown on lockdown. The ARE‘s production is fresher and funkier than fish wrapped in foil. The way that synths and percussion pops and drops will make you clap to this. Toe taps and finger snaps are included. Sivion and Bavu Blakes know it’s all about the love as they drop healthy servings of home-cooked happiness and reflection. On the first verse, Sivion confesses that he’s “guilty of a lot of things I had to unlearn”. Cancel culture be damned! Self-accountability is a superpower, and Sivion is Black Superman. On the closing verse, Bavu Blakes whips up some wicked wordplay with lines like “life moves in cycles, are you backpedalling?:. Questions deserve answers, and we all need to know. You, most importantly.
Whatever your love language is, there is a lot to love about music when the loving is this good.”
Definitely don’t sleep on this goodness. Share it around, and cop it while it’s ‘name your price’… maybe even donate a buck or two!
-chief
Austin hip-hop remains one of the most diverse scenes out there, with most any flavor of the culture you can think of represented by quality artists and art. For those looking for depth and a touch of spirituality in the work, look no further than J Soulja, who has proven over the years that his work contains both of these aspects and much more. Recently, J Soulja tapped New High Filmz to help bring Allah, a collaboration between himself and fellow thought-provoking MC BLakChyl, to life with a highly professional music video reminiscent of the late-1990s, early 2000s aesthetic that hip-hop is famously known for. The juxtaposition between the raw, unbridled, very human passion of Mike Tyson, and his musings and references to Allah and personifying God qualities, works well in both the song and video form as well, neatly tying everything together. Check out the video, leave a like and a comment if you dig it, and share it around for others to do the same.
-chief
Back in the mid to late 1990s in Austin, there was a golden moment of musical synergy that took place every Wednesday night at The Mercury known as Hip-Hop Humpday. Anyone lucky enough to have experienced one of these legendary nights can tell you how wonderful it was to hear MCs Tee Double, Tray God and Bavu Blakes take turns blessing the crowd with bars over a live band/DJ combination. It’s these memories that make the instant classic Ovidalo, the latest single from Universal Seedz featuring that very trio of MCs, such a special moment in its own right. Over one of the most vintage-sounding jazz/soul instrumentals I’ve heard from a modern day band, the group of MCs do what they do best, wowing us with their verbal skill while educating and uplifting. Definitely dig this track, share it around for others to check out as well, and support if you can.
-chief
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 