Tori Helene has dropped a vibrant new video for her latest single, “Sitting Pretty.” The Natown-produced earworm finds Helene unapolgetically feeling herself, as she weaves cocky lines with messages of self-love and independence. “Lookin’ real good but what’s the catch?/If you know better, you won’t get attached,” the Cincinnati mainstay croons.
The bold new visual catches the “2 Legit” singer gazing lovingly at herself in a mirror as she stretches out on a luxurious chaise lounge. Meanwhile, an onslaught of admirers vie for her affection. “Anything I want/Anything goes/You want me bad/Well, so does your bros,” she teases.
“I wanted the message to be about being pretty, confident and flirty. Not really needing a man but wanting to flirt a little bit – something that I know girls can relate and sing along to,” Helene tells Audiofemme. “[It’s] definitely one of my favorite records I’ve ever made.”
“Sitting Pretty” follows Helene’s single “If You’re Lucky,” which the singer released in May. She says the two tracks will be followed by a full-length project in 2021. “I actually was in the process of releasing a new project, but there’s been a change of plans,” she explains. “I want to go a different direction with my artistry, and I feel that right now isn’t the best time to release another project.” Instead, Helene plans to share a few more loosies from her scrapped effort later this fall, while she prepares to release her next project in the new year. “Right now, I’m finishing up the writing process and will be recording and getting everything ready for that release,” she says. “But new music and content is still on the way!”
Helene’s upcoming project will follow her 2019 EP, Delusional. The six-song debut offering saw an appearance from local rapper D-Eight and introduced Helene as not only a powerhouse vocalist, but also a compelling songwriter.
Follow Tori Helene on Instagram for ongoing updates.
Khari begins an introspective journey with his new project, This Is How We Feel: Act 1 (Trapped). Boasting his trademark thought-provoking lyricism, packaged in a silky melodic flow, Act 1 (Trapped) is the first vulnerable offering from the trilogy.
“Making this project was definitely therapeutic for me, but it was probably the hardest material I ever had to make,” he told Audiofemme. “I told myself that I wanted to touch on a deeper layer of Black plight and trauma that is prevalent in my music. For me, that layer was the feelings and the mental aspect that doesn’t often get talked about when it comes to experiencing racism, police brutality, drugs and gun violence.”
The Cincinnati-bred MC describes his This Is How We Feel series as mirroring “the steps of a person going through the prison system.”
“The first act is Trapped because when you first are incarcerated, you are literally trapped in your cell,” he explained. “Throughout this first act, I talk about different ways we may be trapped by society and our own personal struggles. I sometimes feel trapped by my thoughts, societal pressures, expressing my love and the longing for financial gain. I even feel trapped by the pursuit of my rap career, and these are all things I touch on in this first act.”
Though Khari doesn’t have a release date for the next installment yet, he said fans can expect it before the end of the year. “I definitely want to let people live with this first act before going into the next act,” he explained. “Now that the project has been released, I feel a sense of relief because it now belongs to the world and even though it is a personal story, I made it with the intention of it being a story for everyone, hence the We in the title; it was initially called This Is How I Feel.”
When asked what he feels role is during these uncertain times, Khari said, “I think my role as an artist is to speak on something that is personal, real and honest.”
“People want to feel something right now, and it’s weird how eerily this project lines up with the [current] times, given the fact that I began this concept over a year ago,” he continued. “It just goes to show that our voices and our creativity are always needed to spark minds, and at the very least help people make sense of all that’s going on.”
Wally Hart, aka WhatUpWally?, tapped some of Cincinnati’s best rappers, beatsmiths and vocalists for his debut album, Pandemic. Spanning across 14 tracks and picking up assists from over 15 MCs – not to mention another seven producers – the sharply-made effort cuts through the noise of other quarantine offerings and provides relevant, outspoken takes, rooted in a love for hip hop.
Pandemic was created during Cincinnati’s COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate, with WhatUpWally? first approaching fellow artists with the idea in early March. In what ended up being a four-month process, the album’s many collaborators would send track recordings to each other via Dropbox or work at opposite ends of the studio, the hip hop aficionado/music educator told Audiofemme.
“The result is a full coherent concept album with 26 collaborators that is meant to be listened to from front to back, in order,” Hart wrote on Facebook. “The mood of the album represents the mood of various times during the pandemic.”
Photo Provided by WhatUpWally?
“I thought we were going to end Pandemic on a happy and optimistic note so I sent out a beat to AC [the Entity], SamSun, [Sharp.One], and Wonder [Brown] and asked them to write something with a hopeful tone to end the album with. That was it. The album was finished and it was dark with an optimistic ending,” Hart says, but in the wake of continued police brutality that sparked “the beginning of the largest civil rights movement in the nation’s history, we had to go in and rewrite the ending.”
The police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and the likely racially-motivated murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery are most felt in the album’s “Outro” and bonus track, “XPac,” which samples a speech by Malcolm X and interview with Tupac. WhatUpWally? also offers a razor-sharp analysis of systemic racism, oppression and economic disparity in the stinging “Capitalism Kills.”
Besides timely boldness, the album stands out in its sonic diversity. Boasting a wide range of talent, Pandemic has songs for classic hip hop lovers and contemporary fans alike, with the unifying factor being thoughtful lyricism. Scratching and nostalgic flows are on full display in the opening “Cincinnati Cypher” and “Use Your Sword.” A few places down the tracklist, “Duke Energy” stands out as a new-school melodic high-point, where Khari and Spirit swap bars about cutting the negative energy out of their lives.
“Some really dope art is coming out of this time,” Hart noted to Audiofemme. On Facebook, he added that Pandemic is a “representation” of these times and, he hopes, will provide a reflective listening experience.
Check out the album on Bandcamp and see the full tracklist below.
GrandAce confronts systemic racism and police brutality head-on with his bouncy new single, “Bus Back.” The self-produced track lays down a vibey minimalistic base, while the Cincinnati MC gets straight to work.
“These last few weeks have had me spinning, so I had to resort to music to figure things out,” he wrote of the single on YouTube. “I want retaliation in the form of policy, legislation, and defunding corrupt systems. To those in power, it’s really not even hard.”
In a statement provided to Audiofemme, GrandAce further elaborated on why he chose to speak out against ongoing injustices and contribute to the current Black Lives Matter movement with his music.
“I’m not a big artist nor do I have a large platform, but I realize that my greatest superpower is that I’m able to use my voice to speak out on what’s wrong,” he explained over email. “If my words can resonate with even one person, it can make the movement behind the fight for justice and equality one person stronger. I’ve always made music with the aim of soundtracking life, and that includes revolution as well.”
“‘Bus Back’ [means] not only in the physical [sense], it’s also firing back at oppression through policy, legislation, dismantling of systemic inequality, and my joy,” GrandAce continued. “The beauty of joy is that it can be weaponized to overcome the worst situations. I hope others hear it and are inspired to keep pushing forward.”
“Bus Back” follows a healthy dose of singles from the Queen City rapper this year, including “Mad Shook” from earlier this month, “Satellites,” “Free Space,” and “Magic Something.” Last year saw the arrival of GrandAce’s Christmas three-pack, aloneon25, and his five-song EP, Also Codachrome.
Listen to GrandAce’s new single “Bus Back” below. Also, find more resources and organizations to donate to in the fight against police brutality and systemic racism here.
Much like the rest of the world, protesters in Cincinnati continue to rally against the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the countless other Black men and women who have fallen victim to racially unjust and violent policing practices.
Amid week-long protests, petitions, and social media campaigns, Cincinnati’s own Devin Burgess decided to channel his emotions into a beat tape, called SayTheirNames. All proceeds from the project, released via Bandcamp, will go to benefit the families of Floyd and Taylor through GoFundMe.
“I wanted to be able to use my talent for the greater good, and not necessarily make music about what’s going on, but make music that represents what’s going on,” Burgess tells Audiofemme. “So, I compiled these beats – some of them are a year or so old – and I went through my archives and just thought, ‘What sounds like how I’m feeling right now?’”
The beats range from somber to urgent, sample audio clips from news coverage, and are each named after a victim of police brutality or racist violence, including Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Botham Jean, and others.
“They’re all relatively heavier; they feel more emotional,” Burgess explains. “It’s a heavy listen, and I wanted it to feel like that because that’s how I feel. My heart and soul are so heavy with what’s going on right now.”
Burgess promoted the track in an Instagram post, alongside a profound message: “Music is a time capsule. Songs live on forever and people do not. But when it comes to injustice, artists have some what of a responsibility to merge the two to educate and inform the people,” he said. “Music lives on, and I need these precious souls to live on with the music. Their names can’t go forgotten. I know that this is only a SMALL, percentage of the people that have been killed by police, but i’m using this to represent them as well. Along with all the people who DON’T get mentioned when they die by the hands of the police.”
Besides using the tape as a way to contribute to reform efforts, the rapper/producer says SayTheirNames has also been an outlet for self-care. “I’m Black, so I know the vibes with this injustice. This is something I’m feeling every day,” he says. “I’ve been trying to stay busy and stay informed. It’s very hard to put my phone down. Like, of course, you gotta take a break every once in a while, but you also wanna be informed at all times. So, that’s what I’m battling with right now.”
SayTheirNames will remain on Bandcamp so that listeners can continue to donate to both Floyd and Taylor’s families. Burgess says he’d also like to donate to the Cincinnati Bail Fund to assist local protesters who have been arrested.
“I wasn’t expecting as big of a turnout for Cincinnati [protests] and for it to be this consistent – people are still out there protesting,” he says. “Good has already started to come out of this, we just need more good. We gotta fight harder.”
“Don’t just scroll past these petitions, ‘cause they’re just as important as the donations and the money,” Burgess adds. “Money’s cool, but money doesn’t always make everything happen. Do your research. Keep donating to these families. Continue to protest. This shit will not stop after a week, this is something that we have to keep going.”
Find a list of charities, petitions, and resources in the fight against systemic racism and police brutality below.
Duprae is plotting his Cincinnati takeover. The up-and-coming MC was recently crowned the winner of the 2020 Rap Playoffs, hosted by the “Queen Behind The Scene,” NaQuia Chante. Beginning on April 15 and wrapping up this past Friday (May 1), the virtual tournament-style battle saw some of Cincinnati’s most talented artists – including Joness, Aziza Love, and Audley – go head-to-head over four rounds. Duprae was finally victorious in the G.O.A.T. Round against singer/songwriter Naji. Fans were encouraged to vote for their favorite artists in the comments.
“You’re going against different people, every few days, battling them – verse for verse. So, it was definitely a different experience,” Duprae tells Audiofemme.
Now that he’s the Cincinnati Rap Playoffs champ, Duprae is planning to release his debut full-length effort, Whatever It Takes, later this year. The album will be preceded by a new single, set to arrive later this month.
“My new music will really represent me and what I’m trying to do, and the message that I’m trying to get out there,” he added.
Check out our full interview with the Rap Playoffs winner below.
AF: Congratulations on your win! What has this whole experience been like for you?
D: Thank you! It’s been very interesting. I really got the call to be in the competition from NaQuia, just randomly, out of the blue. I saw a post about it and I thought, “Wow this looks really dope.” Then I got a message from her saying, “Hey, do you wanna be in this?” And I was like, “Yeah, sure!” I definitely didn’t expect it to turn out to be what it was, but it was a great opportunity to do it.
AF: Had you done anything like this before?
D: No – especially with everything going on right now, it definitely had a different feel to it. I’ve been in different rap competitions, shows, performances, stuff like that, but I’ve never been in a competition like this, where it was tournament-style. You’re going against different people, every few days, battling them – verse for verse. So, it was definitely a different experience.
AF: Was it difficult to come up with fresh verses for every round?
D: I’ve gotten a lot better, a lot quicker, with writing verses. Last year, I was doing a segment called “Issa Rap Thursday” and I was coming up with new material every week. The day would come, Thursday, and I’d write a whole new verse, get it memorized, record it, make a video, and put it out. So, I’ve gotten into a habit of being able to write quickly and apply it. It really pushed me to make quality [verses] too, not just put something together.
AF: Tell me a little bit about how you selected your beats. I really liked the beat you used in Round 2, and then later on you also used Wu-Tang classic “C.R.E.A.M.“
D: The first two I just found on YouTube, for just something I could vibe with. The first round was about basketball and I wanted to really come with that kind of mindset. That first beat, to me, was really triumphant-sounding, so I thought that worked well with that. The second round was more soulful/R&B round, and I think that beat that I found brought a vibe and something special – a little more soulful, intimate. I really connected with that. The third round was picked by Graval over at Donuts n. Akahol. I was asking one of my friends, like, “Should I use [Drake’s] ‘Pound Cake’ beat?” Because I really wanted to show my lyrical abilities. And then one of my homies, his name’s Rob, he told me that I should go with something classic, like the “C.R.E.A.M.” beat. So, I was like, “Okay, I’ll play around with it.” It wasn’t until I started playing around with it that I realized that “C.R.E.A.M.” is the original sample used in “Pound Cake,” so I thought that was completely crazy. So, I started playing around with both, I added a drop for the transition, and the rest is history. I combined both beats for the round – I love both of those beats too. I love soulful samples.
AF: Was there any round you were especially nervous about?
D: I was kind of nervous – really, every round made me kind of nervous! But, the round that made me the most nervous was probably the third round. I didn’t know that it was gonna be a combined round, against two people, Naji and Turner Allen. One thing that the judges went by was the fans in the comments, and both of those guys had crazy support. I was thinking, “Man, they’re about to flush me in the comments.” So, it really depended on the judges’ votes. That round had me a little nervous. I was happy to come up with a win in that round.
AF: It’s so cool this was all able to happen virtually. Such a dope idea.
D: Definitely. Shout out to NaQuia – she really put this together and it seemed like she came up with it out of nowhere, but she’s really been putting on for the city, bringing people closer together, and I think a lot of people got a lot of different looks and opportunities from this event. It definitely wouldn’t have been possible without her.
AF: Where can people go to hear more music from you?
D: See that’s the thing, right now, they can’t! I’m currently working on a project right now called Whatever It Takes that I‘m looking to drop in the fall. I’m working on some singles right now, too. My new music will really represent me and what I’m trying to do, and the message that I’m trying to get out there.
AF: When will we get to hear some of those first singles?
D: I think you’ll see something very soon. I’m looking to drop something later this month or, at the latest, early June.
AF: With social distancing, lots of studios are closed. Has it been tough for you to record your album?
D: It definitely feels like things are limited right now. Who would ever have seen this coming, you know? It’s just been a time that no one ever thought would happen. I’ve actually got equipment at my house that I can record and send it out to different engineers. So, it’s definitely been tough, but it’s still possible.
AF: How has self-isolating been for you?
D: Self-isolating has been weird for me. Being around my family, I still see them, and I still see my girlfriend, and I’ve been doing drive-bys to see people. You really have to connect with people as much as you can. I heard someone say, just because we’re social distancing, doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself socially. We don’t have to disconnect from people. If you have a loved one, call them. If you have friends that you haven’t spoken to, talk to them. Right now, we really have to stick together and manage our relationships.
AF: Besides making music, what else do you like to do?
D: I love to play basketball and I’m hurting right now, because I can’t. I miss being able to play basketball. I’m just a regular, everyday citizen! I’m watching different things on Netflix. I love doing artistic things, like drawing and painting. I’m also a student right now, so I have a lot of homework to do. Homework hasn’t stopped for me because I’m in online classes.
AF: What else can you tell us about your debut album?
D: Whatever It Takes is a long-time-coming project for me because I was definitely getting around in my city, a couple of years ago, making connections and playing shows. But I really felt like I had to journey to find myself and also to find God. I went through a lot of different struggles to really put out this album. I really think it’s feedback from making music and focusing on my walk with Christ. Now, being able to come back a couple of years later, a lot of time and effort has went into this project. I really can’t wait for people to hear it.
The debut effort from Cincinnati-based production duo 18th Vineyard, 2 Deep, has arrived. The two-track EP delivers an experimental hip-hop/jazzy beat on “Adam Levine” – expertly paired with somber bars from Jay Hill and Roberto – while both electronic and live sounds on “False Idols” offer as many sonic twists and turns as a winding psychedelic road.
Comprised of Ziaire Sherman and Gerred Twymon, the duo first met in middle school and played together in the Ohio Music Education Association jazz ensemble. After reuniting during an audition in Boston, they decided to create their first joint project as 18th Vineyard.
“Our goal for our debut project was to show versatility,” Twymon told AudioFemme. “We wanted something that could catch the eyes of people that enjoy hip-hop, but also like electronic music.”
As for linking with Patterns of Chaos‘ Jay Hill and Roberto, the 2 Deep collaboration was born out of a like-minded 16-hour jam session.
“Roberto has been a good friend of ours for a while and we are both big fans of Jay Hill’s work with Patterns of Chaos. We ended up playing a gig together and the vibes were just all clicking,” Twymon explained. “A few days later, we decided to hit the studio and see what [came] out of it. It turned out to be almost a 16-hour session. During this time, we were able to get two tracks and a beat done. It also started at 10 pm, so throughout the session, one of us would take a nap while others were working, and we alternated throughout the night.”
The evident sonic variety comes from both members’ diverse musical backgrounds.
“I have strong roots in gospel music and fusion, where Ziaire has more roots in electronic music and jazz,” Twymon said. “Through many years of jamming, we have developed a sonic space that allows us to call on all of these influences. Our biggest goal with every song is to present a story or a journey sonically that the listener can join in on.”
After releasing their debut project, 18th Vineyard is currently working on a follow-up two-song release, titled 2 Packs. Looking ahead, 2 Deep will also be followed by a collaborative poetry EP with California-based artist and animator Devon Iverson, which will feature a “diverse range of poets” and provide “sonic palettes to help them tell their stories.”
For now, get to know 18th Vineyard through their 2 Deep EP below.
COVID-19 social distancing efforts have put a lasting hold on local music events, adding a financial strain on the musicians that depend on live shows as a main source of income. Although we can’t huddle in local venues for live shows right now, we can still experience the sense of community that local music brings by supporting artists virtually.
Below is a compiled list of a handful of online performances by Cincinnati-area artists going down this week. Many of them are available to view for free on Facebook Live or on the Queen City-based music site, Cincy Music. Below, find a variety of acts – ranging from folk to hip hop – for your Cincinnati music-viewing pleasure.
Wednesday (April 1)
Country /rocker Noah Smith at 12 pm (EST) via CincyMusic LIVE
Experimental hip hop duo Elemental of WeirDose at 6 pm (EST) via CincyMusic LIVE
Possessed by Paul James, The Tillers, Willy Tea Taylor, and Maria Carrelli beginning at 7 pm (EST) via Whispering Beard’s Facebook Live
Friday (April 3)
Cincy Groove Music Festival: David Gans at 6 pm (EST), Tim Easton at 6:30 pm (EST), Noah Smith at 7 pm (EST), Scott Risner from Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle at 7:30 pm (EST), Steven Gregory at 8 pm (EST), Shiny and the Spoon at 9 pm (EST), and Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle’s Casey Campbell at 9:30 pm (EST), with more artists to be announced, via CincyMusic LIVE
Cincy Groove Music Festival: Lauren Schloemer at 6 pm (EST), Jim Pelz at 6:30 pm (EST), Scott Carnder at 7 pm (EST), Chelsea Ford and The Trouble at 7:30 (EST), Ed McGee Music at 8 pm (EST), Mike Oberst of The Trillers at 8:30 pm (EST), Jeremy Francis at 9 pm (EST), Veronica Grim at 9:30 (EST), Ben Lavin at 10 pm (EST), and Kelly Thomas and Jeremy Smart at 10:30 pm (EST), with more artists to be announced, via CincyMusic LIVE
Synth-pop duo Malibu Wild at 7:30 pm (EST) via CincyMusic LIVE
Sunday (April 5)
Electronic-jazz DJ Danbient at 6 pm (EST) via CincyMusic LIVE
Cincy Groove Music Festival: Shawn Patrick Bracken Music at 6 pm (EST), Matt Baumann Music at 6:30 pm (EST), Chicago Farmer at 7 pm (EST), Edward David Anderson at 7:30 pm (EST), Joe Wunderle at 8 pm (EST), and Joe Marcheret at 8:30 pm (EST), with more artists to be announced, via CincyMusic LIVE
Cincinnati’s Joness is gearing up to release her debut studio album, P.O.L.R. The record’s title stands for Path Of Least Resistance and is expected out this fall.
“It’s really touching on the idea of polarity,” the Cincy-based singer/rapper tells Audiofemme. “There’s the saying that opposites attract, and when you think of magnets, something on the south pole is attracted to something on the north pole, which means that each of those ends has something that the other needs.”
Like the invisible draw between magnets, Joness says her album is about embracing life’s own guiding forces, instead of relying on her predisposition toward calculated decision-making.
“Over the past couple of years, I have been going through some things, personally, where I’ve been very resistant to change and the things that are calling me,” she continues. “This album is me [saying], let’s try something different. Let’s try to just let things flow and see what I become attracted to and what gravitates toward me. It touches on love lost, newfound love gained, and various areas of growth that I have seen, and me adopting this new way of existing.”
While she plots P.O.L.R.’s forthcoming rollout, Joness plans to drop new music consistently throughout the next few months. Most recently, she delivered her single “Play.”
P.O.L.R. will follow Joness’ six-track Sheep EP, which she dropped last year. Song-by-song, the project mimicked the stages of intoxication, amounting to a powerful story about the throes of addiction.
“At that time, I was pretty deep in my addiction,” Joness says of recording Sheep. “So that started off as one thing and ended up as a form of therapy; I kind of needed to put that out there.”
While Sheep found Joness in the midst of the struggles she rapped about, P.O.L.R. offers an opportunity for her to reflect on her own – and others’ – experiences. So far, P.O.L.R. is set to feature production from Internet Boy, Devin Burgess, and more, and will find the artist flexing her vocal range, as well as delivering skillful raps.
“All of my music is therapeutic; it’s one of my favorite forms of release,” she says of Sheep and P.O.L.R. “But I think the magnitude that Sheep held within me is not as heavy [as P.O.L.R.]. With P.O.L.R., I can take the hindsight view… There’s still some songs on there where I’m kinda still working on this, kinda still healing through that, but for the most part, I’ve already come out of it.”
Bri Mari goes all in for her new “Lost With You” visual. The Cincinnati-bred songstress dials up her sultry verses, as she and her love interest find some alone time during a house party. Bri’s sound is dazzlingly reminiscent of R&B’s golden era, as she wields her far-reaching vocal range to lather up passionately romantic lyrics. In “Lost With You,” which was initially released as a single last year, the R&B upstart professes her loyalty and asks that her man do the same.
“We could talk for hours at a time/ Laying there just gazing at the sky/ We’d be the greatest story you and I,” she croons. “I’m feeling you and it ain’t hard to tell / I just wanna get lost with you.”
Helmed by Dre Shot This, the song’s visual plays off the duality of Bri’s lyrics. In some scenes, she’s seen laughing and flirting with her lover, whereas in others, the couple is distant and cold-shouldered.
“I had someone I was talking to and we vibed really well and I just felt like he was slipping away and I didn’t want him to at the time,” she tells AudioFemme about her inspiration for the record. “It was a reflection of the good times, and then how people can kind of switch up on you out of nowhere.”
“Lost With You” follows Bri’s two other 2019 singles, “I’m Yours” and “Drinking.” In “I’m Yours,” she professes her love with feathery vocals over a pulsing acoustic instrumental, while “Drinking” serves up a liquor-fueled breakup anthem. Later this year, Bri plans to follow-up all three songs with her debut EP.
“I’m really looking forward to when that project will be done,” she says. “I’m aiming for mid to late-summer.”
Watch Bri Mari’s “Lost With You” video below and stay tuned for more details on her forthcoming debut EP. Also, find the clip’s behind the scenes footage on her YouTube page.
With hard work and a multi-faceted team, Ohio-bred collective Casual Crooks has been steadily paving their way to becoming the next big Midwest next rap crew. Their latest release comes from group member and rapper Zach slump, who recently dropped his first project of the year, Outskirts & Outcasts. Boasting emotionally-charged lyrics and a diverse collection of beats, the record welcomes another win for slump and the Crooks.
With two features from groupmate Sioux on energetic banger “Like a Jitt” and laidback party track “Trap Trap,” Outskirts & Outcasts finds slump delivering undeniably catchy hooks and aggressive bars. The Ohio-based MC recruited multiple producers – hailing from Ireland to California – to assemble the project’s spacey and off-kilter beats, which anchor the likes of “Mad Late,” “Dash Home” and more.
Slump has already released three visuals from the album, the most recent being “Mad Late.” All the visuals are handled by Lunar Thought, Casual Crooks’ videographer.
“I had found out about his music in high school and here we are, three years later, doing all my videos,” slump says of working with Lunar. “I swear, some of my videos are his best videos! We’re starting to mesh so good.”
He plans to drop a few more clips from the project, including “Like a Jitt” and “Pulse Dance.”
“I’m really hyped for the ‘Pulse Dance’ video because it’s got a vintage sound,” he says. “We’re gonna have a party and have it like ’70s-themed.”
After he’s done promoting Outskirts & Outcasts, Zach slump plans to drop off a bite-sized five-track EP over the summer, with visuals for every song. As for a new Casual Crooks record, slump says the group’s solo projects have taken priority.
“We’re all so into making our own music, that’s it’s really hard to get that shit finished,” he says. “We have like five songs finished that are technically taped, but we’re all perfectionists, so we’ll see how long that takes to come out.”
That doesn’t mean the group is slowing down, though. The Crooks have carved out a dedicated fanbase due to their work ethic and consistency, which slump hopes will be part of his legacy.
“It’s just work, but we love it,” he says. “We really wanna leave a legacy. I know how much music means to me – I just wanna mean that to somebody with my discography.”
“It’s crazy because we taught ourselves how to record everything,” he continues. “This is going from the ground up… to creating something that’s respectable. It’s been an interesting-ass journey.”
This month, Khari dropped an inspiring clip to accompany his second single of the year, “K-Balla.” The video, directed by Khari himself and filmed by NTNK Productions, finds the Cincinnati rapper reflecting on his younger self’s work ethic in basketball and rap, as he continues to chase his dreams today.
“The video works as a snapshot of the past,” he told Audiofemme. “I go back and witness a younger version of myself practicing basketball with my dad. I am a 10 year old, grinding on the court and writing raps. As the video progresses, I witness a 15-year-old version of myself on the same grind. Playing basketball and writing raps. I wanted to mirror these moments to show the dedication I put into my two crafts as a kid.”
Lyrically, Khari also recalls his ingenuity and entrepreneurship as he raps about selling his own mixtapes for $500 as a teenager, taking notes from legends like E-40 and Nipsey Hussle.
“I was on the court, in the booth, with no plan B / Never won a ring, but I bet I’d win a Grammy,” he raps.
“The song itself serves as a story and a reflection on my path as a kid,” Khari continued. “I reminisce when I went by the rap name K-Balla and I sold mixtapes to my high school classmates while also having dreams of reaching the NBA. I soon realized that hip hop would be my true passion and that’s what we tried to convey towards the end of this video.”
The two-minute clip is edited in black-and-white – a fitting filter for Khari’s genuine bars and producer Consistent’s old-school scratching.
Last year, Khari served up his Sinsinnati project, as well as his Skywalker EP, which saw contributions from B.A.N.K.$., Phresh Kyd, Amauri J and Papa Gora. So far this year, Khari has already dropped off his “Insomnia 2020” single, followed by “K-Balla.”
IN2ITIV3 is making waves as a musical embodiment of the growing punk/hip hop crossover in Cincinnati’s local music scene with their debut self-titled EP. Featuring bandmates that listen to everything from B2K to Patti Smith, IN2ITIV3 settles on lyrical rap infused with punk rock instrumentation – but they are not Rage Against The Machine.
“I’m not even a quarter as good of a guitar player as Tom Morello, so it’s not that,” jokes the band’s vocalist and guitarist Kelby Savage. Violinist Frankie Strings, drummer Ezra Plymesser, and bassist Max Vignola complete the quartet. They’ve coined their unique sound “punkadelic rock,” and even more than creating warm waves of party-ready tunes, IN2ITIV3 is the natural next step for a city with both thriving and experimental hip hop and punk scenes.
“Hip hop and punk music have always kind of been in the same scenes, like in New York, in a lot of the early scenes,” says Savage, who is also behind the local Punk Hip Hop Show series. “A lot of the punks go to the hip hop parties, a lot of the hip hop kids go to the punk parties. It’s starting to make that change here now.”
That change comes with curious and open-minded artists. Thankfully, hip hop as a genre, as Savage points out, has never been one to box itself in.
IN2ITIV3 photo by Bobby Tewksbury
“We have psychedelic influences, punk influences, and hip hop, but what makes it hip hop is that hip hop is a conglomerate of genres, so it’s hip hop by default,” he explains. “I love trap, but that’s the most overdone style. So, just take a little bit of this cadence and then put it with a punk rock beat and make something completely new, to where people are like – this is something different.”
A non-formulaic sound, however, isn’t easily earned. Savage explained over the year-long IN2ITIV3 recording process, the band used hour-long jam sessions to experiment with riffs and potential melodies. It’s also IN2ITIV3’s debut effort, so rather than collaborate with other artists, the project aims to cement the band’s own distinct sound.
“We had to tighten up our sound and just really get that solid unit working… If we do [work with features] I wanna do something unique,” he said, pointing to the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD and Free Nationals.
Moving forward, IN2ITIV3 plans to release a single called “The Moon” in April.
IN2ITIV3
Savage has been making music for over a decade, crediting Jimmy Hendrix as his guitarist icon and also boasting a dexterous rapping flow. During the course of our interview, he reminisced about opening up for Twenty One Pilots back in 2009 in front of 60 people at a local coffee shop.
“I saw them kind of become the band that they are today,” he said of the Columbus-bred duo.
With IN2ITIV3 now rounding their two-year mark, Savage is glad their debut project has finally come to fruition and that fans are starting to come around to their uniquely engaging style.
“Where you say loss, I say learning experience,” he said of his career philosophy. “They’re both L’s.”
Entering its ninth year, Cincinnati’s upcoming Bunbury Music Festival is going to be a doozy. The mixed-genre fest announced its 2020 lineup on Thursday and will offer an eclectic mix of rock, pop, and electronic music. Twenty One Pilots, Marshmello and The Avett Brothers are set to be the three-day festival’s headliners. Supporting acts will include Kane Brown, Melanie Martinez, blackbear, Ski Mask The Slump God, Alec Benjamin, The Struts, Cake, COIN, Betty Who, Neon Trees, iDKHOW and more. According to a festival press release, additional artists are also expected to perform and will be announced later on. Once again, PromoWest Productions will organize the festival.
A version of the 2020 lineup was first leaked to fans early on Thursday morning. Despite the leak, the final lineup was announced later that night, which showed a new design, artist rearrangements and the addition of Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin’s band, The New Regime.
Last year’s Bunbury hosted a large mix of alternative rock and hip hop and also spotlighted a handful of local acts. Featured artists included Machine Gun Kelly, Run the Jewels, Fall Out Boy, Stone Temple Pilots and Cincinnati’s own TRIIIBE.
“I feel like healing is its own vibration. Music carries and supports that vibration,” TRIIIBE’s ex-member, Aziza Love, said of the performing experience. “Joining with people we’ve never met before in that same space, to invite them to do the same thing, I think is so powerful.”
Bringing in around 50,000 attendees, 2019’s festival was possibly most notable for its ease. While some music events can be derailed by overcrowding or poor organization, Bunbury’s adequate number of food and drink vendors, spacious grounds and multiple stages made for a convenient and easy-going festival experience.
General admission, VIP and Ultimate VIP tickets are currently for sale on the Bunbury website. The festival will return to downtown Cincinnati’s Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove on June 5, 6 and 7. According to the website, the daily performance schedule will be announced soon.
Jumping into 2020 head-first, Devin Burgess released his 14-track Alone EP last week. The 26-minute project finds an engaging balance between Burgess’ introspective and unfiltered lyrics and his gritty self-produced beats. The tape’s flow can best be described as short bouts of transparent expression – whether it be frustration, fear or solitude.
“The project is so self-reflective,” Burgess says of the EP. “I feel like this project was for me, so I can exhale. Just get this all off my chest.”
Alone starts off strong, with lyrical notes of insecurity and resentment. Burgess masterfully juggles his introspective yet biting verses, not to be overshadowed by the tape’s hypnotic beats.
On “Freelance,” the Cincinnati MC shares financial woes that many freelancers – including myself – can identify with. “A lot of it stems from insecurity about being appreciated musically,” he says. “That, and I did a lot of freelance work last year and I need my paper! If you’re taking time to do something, you want to be compensated in some way, shape or form.”
Devin Burgess / Photo by Roberto
The EP truly takes form with “Wallet.” A project highlight, the song contains incredible duality. Despite Burgess’ vibe-creating drawl, lyrical undertones confront police brutality, with a gunshot punctuating the track’s abrupt ending.
“There’s a lot of undertones in the project. ‘Wallet’ is about me driving with weed in my car and my fear of being stopped by the police,” he explains. “I’m a black man, and an extremist, so in my mind, I’m thinking if I get pulled over by the cops, it’s a wrap. It’s about me being irresponsible, obviously, but also the fear of police brutality happening to me.”
Alone was predominately recorded at home, so that Burgess could tap into his most vulnerable lyrics. “I’ve been real keen on being self-aware about when I get anxious and what makes me anxious,” he says. “A lot of times when I write [music] I learn things about myself that I didn’t know.”
The project also sees an appearance from Kei$ha, Burgess’ wig-wearing producer alter-ego. “It was a Halloween show, it was costume themed. I wasn’t gonna wear a costume, but I didn’t wanna be the only guy there without a costume, so I got a wig,” Burgess explains about how Kei$ha came to be. “A week later… I was talking with [Cincinnati artist] D-Eight about the time before we were born. I was like, ‘Yeah, my mom thought I was gonna be a girl and she was gonna name me Keisha.’ And he was like, ‘You should be Keisha.’ So I came home, put the wig on, and Kei$ha was born,” he continues. “That’s my producer alias.”
No stranger to artistic antics, the rapper explained how swapping his bathrobe for a wig helps him have fun at shows. “It’s just something goofy to do,” he says. “It’s another way to keep my name in people’s mouths and stay interesting.” Kei$ha’s production style can best be described as a “beats hoarder,” with Burgess saying she adds a little “dustiness” to the EP.
As usual, Burgess has several production jobs on the horizon. But for now, with the release of Alone, he can breathe a sigh of relief.
Cincinnati-bred rapper Roberto has delivered his first project of the year: the Many Truths EP. Balancing carefully crafted verses with a casual flow, Roberto’s introspective lyrics are perfectly housed within Matador’s gritty lo-fi production. Vulnerability and easy-listening coexist as the standout qualities of the six-track project, while songstress Ladi Tajo adds a drop of syrupy sweetness on the EP’s lone collaboration, “nowhere2run.”
“Ladi Tajo and I are really good friends and have been for a while. We’d been working on some tracks for a collab LP that we plan to release in the spring and were in the studio together when Matador sent the instrumentals through,” Roberto tells AudioFemme of the feature.
The Cincy MC makes lyrical strides throughout the first five songs, sprinkling personal anecdotes and inner thoughts along the way. However, Many Truths hits its peak vulnerability on closing track, “Close To You,” where Roberto wraps up a project that you can tell he’s proud of.
“I felt like I was taking a victory lap, in a way. It was probably around 5 or 6 a.m. and I was in the studio recording [“Close To You”], running off adrenaline and coffee,” he described of the final song. “I was just reflecting on everything, from seeing success in music before I graduated high school, and then taking a three-year hiatus, disappointing releases, the fear of being seen, and everything that kept me from releasing music for a long time.”
“I felt like everything had come full-circle,” he continued. “Whether it be the fact that I’ve been trying to muster up a project I felt confident in for years, my long-time relationship with Matador finally becoming fruitful, constantly wondering when I’d be able to get a record out with Ladi Tajo, or comparing myself, wanting to prove myself to my peers – it was all laid to rest in the five-day period of creating the project.”
‘Many Truths’ cover art/ by @stkales
Roberto describes obstacles that many artists struggle with – the pursuit of perfection, feelings of self-doubt, and the fear of being exposed. At the beginning of “nowhere2run,” a conversation between him and Ladi Tajo epitomizes the feeling, where he can be heard jokingly suggesting they start from scratch entirely, rather than put out their record.
“For a long time, that’s precisely how I’ve felt,” he said. “And all I had to do was lock in, focus, and be honest with myself. Essentially it felt like I had been worrying so long about how others saw me, that I had forgotten to see myself.”
From top to bottom, the one-minute “Many Truths” intro provides a perfect bite-sized sample of what’s to come. “Dear, Mrs. Whatshername” and “Canismoke.wav” ease the listener to-and-fro the standout track, “nowhere2run.” The EP ends on a strong note, with the “Close To You” outro. Matador and Roberto are a clear producer-rapper match made in heaven, with Matador’s immersive lo-fi acting as the ideal backdrop to Roberto’s gentle, yet purposeful, bars.
“The last three years or so has, in essence, been me tirelessly creating content just to leave it on my hard drive and try to create something better the next day. I’ve written and conceptualized entire albums just to scrap them entirely or to throw away certain songs,” he said. “The recordings you hear [in Many Truths] are the first and only drafts I made for the songs and the mixing and mastering was done immediately after writing and recording each individual track, with me virtually living in the studio to make sure I had no choice but to get it finished.”
Aziza Love and her guitar take us on an adventure to find self-love on her debut solo album, Bare Soul. Drawing the listener in with power-punching intro, “Fake Friends,” all the way through the vulnerable “It Girl,” to the blues-tinged “Smooth Criminal,” Aziza takes each step of the way to create a space for herself—and us—as we marvel in awe at her journey.
“This whole album is me holding space for myself, for my healing,” she tells AudioFemme. Bare Soul took a year to create, with some of the songs written up to five years ago, and now that it’s out, Love can exhale a breath of relief. “I’ve put a lot of heart and soul and energy into music, in general,” she says. “I’ve experienced a lot of trauma in the past years and art and self-expression is the way I like to heal.”
Forming an album born out of hardship creates the incredible ability to shed light, offer love, and pave an inspiring path for others to follow. It is, however, not an easy task.
“It’s been a very over-stimulating process and a vulnerable process to have everybody getting a look at my bare soul,” says Aziza. “Some songs are more relevant now than I thought they’d be. Some songs I’ve healed a great amount through. I’ve been very honest with myself in where I am in my healing process, whereas before I hadn’t been, because I wasn’t speaking my truth.”
Although it wasn’t initially intentional, the Chase Watkins-produced record guides the listener through Aziza’s path of healing, as she confronts friendships, insecurities, addiction, relationship expectations, and love.
“In ‘Fake Friends,’ ‘It Girl,’ [and] ‘True Love,’ I’m seeing that the people around me—we aren’t on the same page. I’ve been hurt by x amount of people, I’ve internalized it, and now I have to realize that I’m worth it,” she explains. “’Remedy’ is me coping with alcoholism. And then going into the ‘True Love Reprise,’ it’s me asking what is meant to be, and what is truth?”
The album was recorded in a warehouse—while Aziza had a slight cold—which added an extra texture of transparency and rawness. She’ll follow up the project with a release event in Cincinnati next month.
Realizing the importance of self-expression and healing, the conversation turned toward the late Juice WRLD. The 21-year-old artist passed away last week after suffering a seizure, ending a long-fought battle with drug addiction and depression.
“This album—one—is to hold space for myself and—two—to really encourage everyone to speak their truth. It is liberating,” Aziza says. “And not just to speak it, but allow it to manifest into something beautiful. I think if we all really take the time to actually listen to each other and feel each other, we’ll have so much more compassion.”
Ahead of her forthcoming EP, Bershy dropped off her latest single, “Sixty Seconds.” The Cincinnati-based pop singer wrote the song in a heated moment of relationship doubt.
“I wrote that song in like 15 minutes after what I can only describe as an existential love crisis,” she told AudioFemme. “I have now been with my partner for like a year, but when we first got together I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so in love with you, nothing will ever go wrong.’ And we had our first fight and I was like, ‘Do I even love this person? What do I want out of this?'”
With the new track, Bershy remembers the value of taking a minute to think things through and accepts that moments of obscurity and self-doubt are a part of relationships.
“We’re humans, having a squabble, it’s ok,” she said. “‘Give me sixty seconds’ sounded better than, ‘I need a minute,’ but that’s basically what it is.”
The new track also marks the singer/songwriter’s second dive into the pop genre, following her single, “Say Fire.”
“I’m like in this weird, experimental phase,” Bershy said. “I’ve been doing folk music since I was like 15 and then switched to ‘dream-pop’ last summer.”
With two breezy pop singles under her belt, she’s currently working with Cincinnati producer Mike Landis to drop one more song, which will be followed with a four-track wrap-up EP, arriving this spring.
“A lot of the songs are about relationships as a whole,” she said. “I also think [that] being a queer person informs how I think of culture and politics. So, I get a lot of inspiration from that, but love is so easy to write about!”
Following up her debut solo EP, Views From The Cut, Aziza Love will release her debut solo album, Bare Soul, later this month.
“Over these years I’ve watched myself choose everything and everyone else first… from people I’ve worked with, intimate relationships, family, friends, lovers,” the former TRIIIBE songstress wrote in an Instagram post announcing the upcoming project. “I lost myself in the search for their happiness. Lost myself in the promises of reciprocity. No more.”
Along with the album’s cover art and release date, Aziza has also shared Bare Soul‘s tracklist. The 10-song album, which is expected to drop on Friday, December 13, will include her previously released song “Smooth Criminal.”
“Bare Soul is a call to action, a reminder to be authentic… Bare Soul is me,” Aziza wrote in another post, calling the project a “declaration of heart thoughts” and her “story, raw and uninhibited.”
Aziza has previously teased snippets of “Baby Steps” via Instagram, which will also land on the upcoming album. Former collaborator Josh Jessen is featured in the record on “True Love,” which was used in Aziza’s short film, Phoenix Rising: Ashes To Ashes.
“Without any formal background in filmmaking, but a relentless need to express my experience, I took on the challenge to learn how to navigate Adobe software to make my visions come to life,” she wrote of the visual on YouTube. “My hope is to create space for black and brown members of the LGBTQA+ community to express genuine emotion, express love, to dance and smile and frown and be free and angry and joyful all in a beautiful way.”
The announcement of the album follows Aziza’s short film and her appearance in standout track “Anytime,” from earlier this year.
TRIIIBE recently won Hip Hop Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year at the 2019 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. Aziza contributed to the Cincinnati-based group’s latest album, III AM What III AM, and performed at Bunbury Music Festival. Aziza also made a guest appearance on “Anytime,” the standout track from Oski Isaiah’s recent album F*ck A Job.
Find the tracklist and cover art for Aziza Love’s upcoming album, Bare Soul, below.
Cincinnati’s CityBeat hosted the 22nd annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards at Memorial Hall this Sunday in Over-The-Rhine. The awards ceremony honored the city’s grinding music makers, legends, and up-and-comers.
To kick off the night, the returning Cincinnati Music Ambassador Award – which is awarded to homegrown icons – was renamed the Bootsy Collins Music Ambassador Award in honor of the funk legend, who accepted the honor via video.
The evening, which was hosted by former WNKU music director Aaron Sharpe, also saw several energetic performances from the likes of Maria Carrelli, Bla’szé, Patterns of Chaos, Rock winner Go Go Buffalo, and Multimagic.
As for the awards, TRIIIBE won the coveted Artist of the Year and the Hip Hop awards, with Carriers taking home Album of the Year for Now Is The Time For Loving Me, Yourself & Everyone Else. Other awards included Arlo McKinley for Best Singer/Songwriter, The Tillers for Best Live Act, 500 Miles to Memphis for Best Music Video, and Madqueen for New Artist of the Year.
By genre, Dallas Moore took home the Country star award, Tiger Sex reigned in Punk, The Cliftones won in World / Reggae, Blue Wisp Big Band for Jazz, Lift the Medium for Metal, Freekbass for R&B, Ricky Nye for Blues, Moonbeau for Electronic artist, Bluegrass for the Rumpke Mountain Boys, and Sundae Drives won as Alternative artist.
Although several of the winners – including Rumpke Mountain Boys, Dallas Moore, and Ricky Nye – were either late or absent, the no-shows were due to busy touring and concert scheduling conflicts, which is just a reminder of the active music scene that the CEAs aim to celebrate.
Watch the entire 2019 22nd Annual Cincinnati Entertainments Awards below.
Earlier this week, SIOUX flexed his introspective side on his new EP, Whiskey House Bar Music. Over danceable lo-fi beats produced by Rocco., the Cincinnati MC expresses extreme relatability when it comes to all sides of love—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“Whiskey House Bar Music is an idea of a project fully consumed out in the middle of nowhere with little to no resources when it comes to quality,” SIOUX explains.
In an interview with AudioFemme, he described what he was going for in terms of experimenting with “low-quality sound” and how he was feeling during the recording process.
“Basically, I wanted to make a broken-love project,” says SIOUX. “That means I wanted almost a low-quality basement sounding project that seems like it was made really quick, due to a broken heart, and fresh off the feelings of that.”
Lyrically, SIOUX dips into both the darkest sides of love and the euphoric highs that it can bring, all while easygoing instrumentals create a comforting backdrop.
“I wanted to use very familiar-sounding beats but with a dark/metallic sound with my voice but with very true and echoing lyrics that love can bring,” he continued. “The good and bad—great and disastrous. You could say a ‘beautiful disaster’ in the lovelife of a sensitive person.”
“Everybody that has loved can connect with these words,” he told AudioFemme.
During the recording process, which spanned across two months, SIOUX used visualization to elicit—and buffer himself from—the vulnerability that the project demanded.
“The reason I called it Whiskey House Bar Music is because for some reason I couldn’t stop visualizing that this is the type of music you might hear in a random bar out in the middle of nowhere,” he said.
SIOUX / Photo by Chris Williams
“The type of scene that [I pictured] is one guy in a strip bar sipping on Coke and rum, with a single stripper in the building dancing from a distance,” he continued, describing the contrasting feelings of intimacy and isolation that are found in the EP. “It’s almost like they’re connecting on a broken-down, personal level. That’s the scene that was in my head while recording this.”
SIOUX, who belongs to the Ohio-based hip hop collective Casual Crooks, has been steadily releasing music this year, with his sophomore album, Grounded Star, arriving this past September.
Last month, Jay Madera arrived on the Cincinnati indie-rock scene, releasing his debut single, “Curb Appeal.” Taking influence from Cincinnati mainstay band The National, Madera blends an indie-rock feel with pop and folk nods over a diverse instrumental display.
Catchy in a gloriously moody way, “Curb Appeal” tells the story of a breakup: the initial crushing blow, the post-breakup blues, and the defining moment where you shake yourself off and realize the power of moving on.
“Met a girl from the flyover states/She laid out the line and I dove onto the bait/ Oh I know, why I dive/She wasn’t lovely and she wasn’t bold/She could cure my cancers then give me the common cold/Oh I know, she’s not benign,” he sings.
Friday, November 1, Madera returned to his debut effort to drop visual for the Mia Carruthers-produced single, in which he shares his own cinematic breakup story.
Directed by Alok Karnik, the clip opens up on Madera walking along Cincinnati‘s rooftops. The indie artist looks disheveled and contemplative, holding a cup of coffee and wearing a bathrobe. His initial appearance seems to mark the first blow of gloom and disorientation. However, Madera keeps moving, as the camera changes to find him biking through the city, appearing as though it’s almost out of desperation.
Throughout the visual, we see Madera making subtle positive changes. Flashes of the video find the singer-songwriter shaving his beard, opening a window, and putting on a new shirt. At the end of the clip, a clean-shaven and smartly dressed Madera hits the open road on his bicycle, looking triumphant.
“You can guess that it’s (an) archetypal breakup song,” Madera says of the single in a press release. “There’s the self-doubt, the isolation, the resentment. But there’s also the watershed of catharsis, the reunion with the self, and the magic of moving on. ‘Curb Appeal’ is the story of a love lost and a groove found; it is as much of a toe-tapper as it is a testament to the power of moving on.”
Madera is set to perform live this Veterans Day, November 11, at Cincinnati’s MOTR Pub. The free show will also feature Kaitlyn Peace & The Electric Generals, beginning at 9:30 p.m.
Watch Jay Madera’s new video for “Curb Appeal” below.
Ronin Halloway, JayBee Lamahj, and Patterns of Chaos alum Jay Hill teamed up on a high-energy single and video called “Babs Forever.” The three Cincinnati emcees spit bars at a fiery pace while maintaining their lyricism over the cascading SmokeFace-produced beat.
The video, directed by Bradley Thompson, matches the rappers’ energy with colorful lighting, quick cuts, and dizzying effects.
“Working with this lineup is definitely a dream-team scenario,” says Ronin. “Me and JayBee had been talking about getting a track with Jay Hill all the way since last year, so it’s super dope to have one with all of us out in the world.”
“Babs Forever” cover art by Paul Kellam
“I think it’s a crazy song with three unique verses. Everybody snapped,” he continued. “I definitely hope to keep making songs with all three of us in the future. It’s an exciting moment – those guys inspire me a lot, and it’s crazy to think how much room we all have to grow from here.”
For Ronin, “Babs Forever” follows up his Smokeface-collaborated Pressure EP, which arrived earlier this year. The single comes in a series of musical output for JayBee, who previously released “Angels (Bron Bron),” featuring F.A.M.E. and Phonz, and appeared on Ronin’s The Icarus Trilogy. Jay Hill most recently hopped on Khari’s “Da Art Of Ignorance” remix and dropped his “40% Of Cops” freestyle. His group, Patterns of Chaos, released their debut EP, Freedom, last year.
“They’re two of the artists I admire most in the city and the collab itself was a long time coming,” Jay Hill says of the track, calling the collab “the first of many.”
“I love how none of us really discussed a topic for the song, yet all of us were able to tap into the same well of energy and deliver something this cathartic,” he said. “Shooting the video was a really fun time too, I couldn’t be happier about how it all went. We spent every moment between takes—sometimes during takes—joking around with each other and Bradley, and y’all see the result: three grown-ass kids making hard ass rap music.”
Check out Jay Hill, JayBee Lamahj, and Ronin Halloway’s new single and video, “Babs Forever,” below.
Zell’s World released a fun video for his new single, “That’s What It Is.” The turn-up track marks the first offering from Zell’s forthcoming sophomore effort, Welcome 2 Zell’s World. The Chicago-bred and Cincinnati-based rapper last dropped his 5-track Want No Love EP in 2016.
“With this next project, I’d say, people should expect to hear a totally different Zell’s,” he tells AudioFemme. “I’ve angled more toward the club, the turn up [and] the gritty, mature type sound.”
While Want No Love‘s subject matter centered around relationships, Zell’s ready to get into his party bag on this next project. He says his latest single, “That’s What It Is,” is a good indicator of where his style is heading.
Zell’s World / Photo by Tef Jones
“The overall sound is something totally different from what I usually do, but I had to find a style and sound that really captured who I am and showed my personality,” he says. “Me and my team are really expecting great things to transpire from the release of this project. We’ve even had several meetings with the talk of a potential major EP deal, so we’re very optimistic.”
As for the video, Zell’s enlisted Cincinnati videographer Dre Shot This, and several friends, to shoot a high school-themed clip that caters to the song’s fun and laid back lyrics.
“It was so much fun, and lots of people showed up, which I thought was dope as hell!” Zell’s says of the video shoot. “When we shot, I just thought about being a class clown like I was in high school! That’s really where it all came from. I’m overall silly, but I wanted that edgy content to compliment the song.”
Zell’s is gearing up to release his Welcome 2 Zell’s World album before the end of this year.
“I am beyond excited,” he says. “This is a great milestone that shows growth, change, and maturity. I’m really looking forward to what people think!”
For now, check out his latest release, “That’s What It Is,” and watch the video below.
Ticket Giveaways
Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.
