By Lawrence Burney,
With the region’s hip-hop and R&B scene in a state of perpetual invention, area artists continue to generate music worthy of national attention and hometown adoration. This column rounds up some of the most captivating, entertaining and essential new songs, projects and music videos coming from the DMV — from Northern Virginia to Baltimore and everywhere between.
Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap
Money Jake.
Money Jake featuring EST Gee, ‘Super Mode’
In the past few years, hip-hop acts from Baltimore have largely adopted a melodic style to talk about the obstacles they face in Charm City and how they plan on making it out to bigger and better things. Artists such as Roddy Rackzz and OTR Chaz are at the forefront of that locally, while Shordie Shordie has taken his crooning to national acclaim. But rappers such as West Baltimore’s Money Jake are staying true to a more conventional style of street storytelling.
The title and message of his newest song, “Super Mode,” illustrate the high Jake is riding right now and the confidence he’s gaining because of it. The song features Louisville rapper EST Gee (one of hip-hop’s most promising new stars) and incorporates the menacing, fast-paced production that is characteristic of Midwest rap right now. “Super Mode” is a clear indication of Jake’s ability to keep up with the genre’s most sought after artists right now. And judging by the video, which was shot in his West Baltimore neighborhood, he also has the pull to make the city a destination for rappers in his realm to come collaborate.
Dreamcastmoe, ‘Soul Belongs 2 U’
“Soul Belongs 2 U,” a new track from D.C. producer and singer Dreamcastmoe’s “After All This” EP, describes what it feels like to finally acknowledge that your love for someone is so deep that it’s altering your behavior. He notes that the way he sings, the way he moves, and even his desire for his family to be proud of him have started to change as his affection for this person grows.
Like every song on the 16-minute long project, this track is a satisfying intersection of musical eras. There are songs on “After All This” that partner neo-soul with beats that sound like Jay-Z would rap on them in 1997, while others adopt ’80s synth pop production. But “Soul Belongs 2 U” — with its echoey bellows that are accompanied by a face-twisting bass line and dreamy synths — stands out for how warm and earnest Dreamcastmoe is.
Babyxsosa, ‘Running’
On “Running,” Richmond singer/rapper Babyxsosa is in a state of frenzy over a love (or a situationship) that’s run its course, even though she doesn’t seem to have fully accepted that as truth. The Vegyn-produced song is a dreamy one, and its lyrical repetition plus the absence of drums contributes to the maddening inner dialogue that Babyxsosa has throughout its two-minute duration.
She mentions being so transfixed on the situation that she hasn’t been able to sit still, while the thoughts in her head go from wondering who the person is lying down with at night instead of her, why they haven’t been calling, and how she’s a better option than anyone else they’re entertaining. It’s a familiar, yet tragic, chronicling of how deeply passionate and painful young love can be.
OTR Chaz, ‘Smoke Out The Boof’
ClayStackks
ClayStackks
OTR Chaz.
OTR Chaz is mostly identified by his close association with recent Def Jam signee Roddy Rackzz, and for good reason — no other pair of Baltimore rappers has had the same type of chemistry since YG Teck and Young Moose’s joint “Excuse The Mud” mix tape in 2019. But as his new solo track “Smoke Out The Boof” proves, Chaz’s skill set is especially impressive because he’s able to translate tangible emotion through his singing, even when the subject matter is harsh and the production is hard hitting.
Produced by White Boy, Chaz and Roddy’s main collaborator, “Smoke Out The Boof” is an eerie trunk rattler — similar to the sounds you’d hear someone like Playboi Carti rap over. But Chaz is in rare form here: The two minute-long track doesn’t have a hook, and it gives him the space to go on about the creative (and financial) groove that he’s in, without pauses. He mentions at one point, “I been at it, I think I done earned my bragging rights.” It’s hard to argue with that.
from WordPress https://ift.tt/2WrkR64
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment