SEARCH FOR: DENZEL CURRY

Whether you celebrated the holiday with a sea of beer, hot dogs, and fireworks, or simply took it easy hopefully you got a chance to take a break from the usual grind. Stopping to take a breath every once and a while is just as important as the grind! Just ask Billy Davis about the power of some “Headspace.” Even amidst making a budding career — collaborating with the likes of Denzel Curry and Goldlink — the Australian-born producer took a step back to collect himself following the death of his mother. Returning with “Headspace,” it’s clear the break did him well, because his bouncy, electronic-twinged board work is teeming with a fresh, exciting energy. To help bring his message to life, and fit the colorful, upbeat atmosphere, Billy recruited Jordan Dennis who lays down a charismatic verse, placed between a warm hook from KYE. Refreshing, fun, and positive, Billy Davis’ latest might be the break you need.

“I think about how my art is going to be reflected when I’m gone.” This is something Denzel Curry said to me during our conversation just moments before his stellar performance for 5,000 people in Boston this past Friday in support of Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep tour. Denzel has been an artist that I’ve held in high regard over the years because I’ve been able to recognize his dedication to the art, and to hear him talk about his passion for the craft was inspiring. Denzel Curry has been rapping for about eight years now, and by the young age of twenty-four, he’s already passed huge milestones in the game of rap due to his impressive work ethic and unwavering artistic integrity. Not only does he have an incredible discography under his belt, but he’s already garnered a noticeable impact on the genre of rap at such a young age, all while constantly growing, evolving, and refining his output in the process. On a widespread scale, many fans became aware of Curry after his track “Ultimate” turned into a viral internet sensation, becoming the “water-bottle-flipping” song just a few years back. Even this track though, as big …

Music is designed to make us feel. Regardless of what that feeling is, music that has staying power makes the listener feel something. Flying Lotus does this impeccably, taking listeners on an airy and mystical journey with his brand new project Flamagra, released yesterday. It is a twenty-seven track project, clocking out around an hour and some change, which makes for a collection of short and sweet tracks that don’t drag on the way one would expect a long project to. The instrumentals on here range from groovy and jazz-influenced, to wonky and glitchy, containing intricacies all over that result in a double take from the listener. Flamagra comes together to make for an overall cohesive listening experience that only becomes more intriguing as it progresses. The instrumentals FlyLo arranges on here evoke passion and creativity through dense and intricately developed textures, from the atmospheric and ambient “Hot Oct.”, to the danceable “Heroes in a Half Shell.” There are also a number of fantastic guest appearances on here. Tierra Whack’s charismatic contribution to “Yellow Belly” is incredible, and Denzel Curry brings his aggressive yet attentive delivery to “Black Balloons Reprise”, which serves as a sequel to his own “Black Balloons” …

The ascension of Denzel Curry has been one of rap’s most rewarding sights to see in recent memory. Not only is the Florida artist’s catalog competitive with the best of them, but the sheer improvement and energy shown throughout all of his releases is a story for the ages. Needless to say, it’s always going to be a great day when Curry blesses us with a new release, and today, he’s here to impress with an undisputable banger and complementary visual, “RICKY.” Titled as a tribute to his father, this haymaker-inducing song takes fans to the backyard, where the striking intensity of street fights goes down in front of an enthusiastic crowd. All throughout the in-your-face vigor of the deliveries, Curry drops off some enticing pieces of advice from several family members, and resulting is a heavy emphasis placed on the wisdom and lessons imparted through the budding star’s upbringing. That said, this family-minded release brings fans much deeper into the animated world of Denzel Curry, so don’t sleep — “RICKY” is a must-watch and a must-listen! Director: Twelve’len Supervising Director: Zev Deans Producer: Wes Hager

Remix mastermind Jarreau Vandal is no stranger to flipping a song and making it his own, with many of his signature edits gaining viral attention. For his latest edit, the Amsterdam-based producer and DJ channels the spirit of Yeezus and puts his own spin on Kanye’s weekly Sunday Service performances. Inspired by the video of Kanye sampling Fred Hammond’s  “This Is the Day”, Vandal decided to add his spin to the epic gospel choir. After teasing the re-work on IG, Vandal unsurprisingly started to catch attention for the clip. He even caught the ears of Denzel Curry, who couldn’t resist hopping on the beat himself. Curry adds his explosive energy to the already glorious production, letting loose a verse that feels like it could go on forever. Peep the final result of Vandal and Curry’s take on Kanye’s Sunday Service below:

Meshing hip-hop and rock, crazy ass live shows, and lyrics that still resonate today, Rage Against The Machine were truly ahead of their time. With that in mind, a culture-wide re-appreciation of Rage Against The Machine is long overdue and I nominate Denzel Curry to spearhead the movement. Bridging the gap between Rage and the new generation, last month, Denzel Curry performed a cover of “Bulls On Parade” for triple j’s dope series, “Like A Version.” This month, after over 3 million views, the song has made it’s way to DSPs and is more than worthy of an LL post. Known for that raw sound and his unbridled energy, Denzel is the perfect stand-in for Zach De La Rocha. Obviously, Curry’s energy from start to finish is absolutely insane, but what really impressed me is how surgical he is on the verses. It’s nearly impossible to be so precise and keep that energy on 10, but he never misses a step making this one of the best covers I have heard in a long time. About to head out on a nationwide tour, I hope this makes it into his setlist; hearing this live would be insane! Click here to stream the cover on Apple Music and …

This week marked the start of the Year of the Pig. To celebrate the Chinese New Year, it felt fitting to bring you some international hip-hop courtesy of the Chinese group, Higher Brothers. On their latest effort, “Gong Ci Fa Cai” the four-man collective takes inspiration from Atlanta, grabbing the ATL based producer Richie Souf who cooks up a string-centered trap beat. MaSiWei, DZKnow, Psy.P, Melo take turns flexing atop the beat with varied yet equally energetic flows. Unless you speak you speak Chinese, you probably won’t be able to understand everything but it doesn’t stop you from feeling the energy; it’s actually kind of a cool experience because it allows you to focus strictly on the flows and mood. Often, we get caught up in our own bubbles and regions, so it’s great to take a step outside and look at hip-hop from around the world. It’s crazy to see how in such a short time, hip-hop has become a global phenomenon and connects with people of all rages, ages, and nationalities. The 88Rising-presented group is to drop their star-studded Five Stars album on February 22, which will feature, ScHoolboy Q, Rich Brian, J.I.D., Soulja Boy, Denzel Curry, and more! Watch …

On the Recording Academy’s Up-and-Down Relationship with Rap     The scent of weed wafting its way down the hall to my room from Andre3000’s neighboring after party cements the night in my mind like it was yesterday. Andre had reason to celebrate: it was 2004, and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below had just won what is generally considered to be the top prize on “Music’s Biggest Night”—the Grammy Award for album of the year. I remember the night, and that smell of success, like it was yesterday. But it was hardly yesterday, was it? It’s the most oft-mentioned, ongoing streak of embarrassment for the Grammys, but it must be repeated annually until it’s broken: it has been fifteen years since that Outkast win, and no rap project since has reached the Grammy summit. Plenty of worthy LP’s have been nominated, but all have come up short, including exceptional  releases by Lil Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z and—three times each, Eminem, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. That’s fifteen years, mind you, in which hip-hop has only solidified its place as contemporary culture’s preeminent sound and style. What can you say? Fool me once…but fool me fifteen times? The 61st Grammy Awards will take …

One of my favorite releases of last year included IDK’s smash record “Once Upon A Time” featuring Denzel Curry, and lucky for us they blessed fans with a brand new visual for the track just a couple days ago! This was a display of lyrical excellence and was on repeat around the LL office often in December, it’s one of those songs that are so good you simply can’t just listen to it once. I was pleased with the final outcome of this music video, they brought some awesome ideas to the table and executed it perfectly. Take a few minutes out of your day to check out this new visual below!

Thouxanbanfauni and Denzel Curry are what I would consider two elite emcees of their class for lack of a better term, they rhyme lightyears ahead of most artists and they displayed that on their new collaborative effort titled “Heavy Metal”. It’s an offering that feels like two heavyweights just sparring on a instrumental, going back and forth matching each others energy and just reminding people that they can whip up a hit with ease. Not only was Thouxanbanfauni kind enough to drop off one electric record to get us through the week, but he also blessed us with a second jam titled “To Infinity and Beyond”! Take five minutes out of your day and get in tune with some of hip-hop’s finest below!