Loki lets off his energy over an epic synth-strings motivational beat in his single, “Ambition.”

Fans of the Wu-Tang Clan, Roc Marciano, Crimeapple, Daniel Son, Knowledge the Pirate and Conway should lock their ears onto Shaolin Luciano. His Bandcamp is a remix showcase that any boom bap enthusiast would argue that he’s making “improvements” not just “remixes” to a whole array of music: from slowed-down drum ‘n’ bass classics inverted into neo-boom-bap masterpieces. The most recent remix effort is Shaolin remix single of Le Zeppo and Double Profit’s “Nightcrawler.” Crisp snap-n-crack drums coupled with a melancholy, Taxi Driver-esque soundscape mellow brass loop, giving a whole new vibe to the initial release. With the new atmosphere to the legendary flow-of-consciousness rapping of Le Zeppo and DP, after listening to this remix, you’ll never want to go back to the original.

Uni V. Sol has been labeled as a “rising hip hop star” by Chris Jordan of the Associated Press, and his Ya Royal Flyness EP, which is a collaboration between Uni V. Sol and the producer collective, The Archangels, takes a left turn to create what Uni labels as “Dookie Stank Music to keep you Ghetto Groovin’, dig it.” As independent musicians, the group is able to offer a variety of styles from hard-hitting, head-nodding beats and razor sharp lyrics to a heartfelt soul-hop vibe.

Uni V. Sol X The Archangels have created to videos to support the 6 song EP, “No Rush” which is a lyric video and the latest music video “Ya Royal Flyness,” now available on YouTube. The EP has been released on all streaming platforms as of Sept 21, 2018.

About Uni V. Sol:

Uni V. Sol is an independent music artist disguised as a voice actor located minutes away from NYC, and is a go-to male vocalist for DJs and producers around the world. Uni as has opened for rap acts like Wu-Tang Clan, Tech N9ne, MGK, Redman and more. His voice can also be heard in commercials for Nike, AT&T, Pepsi an many others.

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Columbus hip-hop artist Tieran bares it all in his new self-produced single “Sick.” The introspective track is written like a diary and Tieran certainly does not hold back, voicing his disappointments with his life and his musical pursuit. Tieran’s upcoming album ‘Deep End’ is set to release 9/28.

About Tieran:

Tieran is a Columbus-based rapper and record producer from Lancaster, Ohio. He’s performed alongside acts such as KYLE, Joyner Lucas and Hopsin and has been featured in the likes of EARMILK, 2DopeBoyz and Word Is Bond.

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Unsigned, unknown, unheard (at least for now) you’d walk past KF Greatness and fail to recognize under his humble external appearance the passion burning under the surface. But his mixtape France Nights boldly cuts straight through the fluorescent flamboyance of 2018 rap by relentlessly pumping an AR-15 heart through a 19-year-old throat that sounds like it’s been inhaling and exhaling smoke for 30 years in an underground car park—a sound other rappers and producers are fiddling with pedals and plugins to try reach. An outsider to the mumble and cursive styles of his Soundcloud peers, KF Greatness articulates lyrical clarity with a flow so natural it sounds like he was forming rhymes when everyone else was just starting to say “Mommy” and “Daddy.”

Throughout France Nights, KF Greatness seeks to brush away the layers of negativity, fabrications and falseness surrounding him, and express the inner voice that speaks his truth: self-reassurance, self-motivation, self-determination and hard work to remain adhered to his goals and work (“My Calling” and “Steady Grindin”), relationship problems (“My Trust In”), appreciation and blessings for his family (“Outta Here/Family”), finding strength to pursue his dreams despite ongoing criticism and negativity (“Doubted Me”), the little devil on KF Greatness’ left shoulder deploying a diss track against his unbelievers (“Alter Ego”), the inability for KF Greatness to be understood, where as much as he outputs, he can’t get all the experiences he’s had through to people (“Understand Me” and “Thru It All”).

In an era where the introverted lyricist come up is getting replaced by extravagant buzz-generating social media experts, the search to find and communicate realness, values and awareness of one’s movements in society remains to be the undying essence of hip hop that lives on through KF Greatness. No matter how many views, listens and likes accumulate, KF Greatness is focusing on just one view—his own—and being true to it.

Surrounded by luxurious California perfection—smooth low rider cruising in spacious, weed-enhanced Cali air, loose bills on the floor, wads of cash in hand, big bags of the good herb, and spicy video hoes—CTB (Calitreeboy) flaunts textbook West Coast status in his new single and music video, “On Me.”

Filmmaker Angelo Deprater‘s cinematography blends the sleekness of the Cali vibe together with subtle bouncing elements—the convertible’s green furry dice, sharp rhythmic video cuts, and even tree branches—visually mirroring producer Imakefirebeats’ drum and bass grooves. The video dances with the percussive hits and smacks, the 808’s leaps and slides, and the Chronic-era reminiscent low synth stabs.

CTB’s presence, both vocally and visually, takes center stage. Cellphone in hand, smiling at the good life, serious at the work ahead for the better life, he’s the hard work-focused entrepreneur that makes time for a good time, available to talk if money’s involved, and enjoying every moment of it. Musically, his melodically-enveloping vocal delivery rides the beat with confident and effortless calm.

Lyrically, “On Me” takes swings at the core of personal responsibility: that your life is what you make of it. An interweaving of creative wordplay, sometimes simple and to-the-point (“hit the club and my energy is felt, touch a bitch and her pussy starts to melt”), other times comedic (“hit my line all I understand is money, I’m mean to my bitch like Al Bundy”), but the essence of CTB’s message that penetrates the peaks and valleys of entrepreneurial emotion in the hook:

“Everything’s on me.”
“If I get to the top, it’s on me.”
“If I don’t do nothing… on me.”
“Man I’m buying out the bar, it’s on me.”

Starting with accepting full responsibility for one’s actions and success “Everything’s on me, if I get to the top it’s on me,” the hook dips into the opposite introspection that internally burns anyone wasting their time—”If I don’t do nothing… on me”—and from that wake-up call, immediately kicking into optimistic wordplay suggesting that CTB has the means to “buy out the bar,” that he’s doing well, sharing his success with his friends.

If CTB is aiming for the top, then he’s definitely gaining respect and fans on his way up from this single and music video. Such top-end, integrative production demands attention.

44faced Personal Note: As a reviewer, I listened to and watched the song and music video multiple times, and the more I did, the more I enjoyed it. The hook and the overall optimistic Cali vibe of the video all left a positive vibe in me that I took with me into my day following it.

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