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There is no secret that everyone in the music industry has some sort of story to be told, but it’s up to the artist to decide if it’s a past that they want to delve into or keep private. Even the emcees who pretty much only rap about drugs, money, and women have a story, but it just seems like they keep their cards closer to their chests for one reason or another. I have gone on record saying that talents who share their past, their thoughts, and their inner monologue always have my utmost respect and attention because I barely like talking about those things with my closest friends, let alone the rest of the world. 8matiklogan is an emcee from Chicago who has been through a long journey, and while he has switched up styles throughout the years, I think the sound he landed on most recently is one that he should stick with, as it seems to be his bread and butter. His brand-new album 1636: The Second Chapter is the long-awaited follow-up to his 2015 project 1636, and throughout this time, it is clear that he has matured and overcome some dark moments. What I greatly …

For most upcoming artists, the best piece of advice I can give is to release frequently and to release quality. When you’re first starting out and solidifying a spot in this industry, you want to constantly remind listeners of your abilities, and you never want to give them a reason to forget about you for even a second, so this is the best strategy I can suggest. This isn’t even close to the same advice I’d give seasoned veterans, though, but they don’t need any pointers from me in order to get the recognition and following that they deserve. I feel like when someone like Steve Lacy, for instance, releases music every few years, it just makes these releases feel like much more of a spectacle, and while I think the frequency of his drops doesn’t necessarily have a say in how crazy fans are going to get, it just gets me more excited when he does finally rollout an album. Luckily, the 24-year-old just announced a brand-new album entitled Gemini Rights that is set to release on July 15th, and after his first single in years entitled “Mercury”, he is back and once again at the top of his …

I won’t keep beating the fact that Chicago has the most diverse, talented pool of musicians in the entire world because I know that’s a fact that I have typed time and time again, so you’ve probably clued into this fact by now. Out of everyone here, though, NNAMDï is one of the most underrated, over-talented individuals I can think of, and while his cult following is always cheering him on, I love when he drops something new so I can join in on the fun and talk about something that is always going to be unique and unforgettable. After announcing a new album set to release on October 7th called Please Have a Seat and his signing to a label called Secretly Canadian, he surprised us with an insanely addicting new self-produced record called “I Don’t Wanna Be Famous”, and this is one that I can’t relate to, but I somehow understand at the same time in this strange way. Obviously, I’m not famous, but NNAMDï talks about not wanting all the attention while still wanting the money and listens, and this is something that so many artists probably agree with, but they just don’t talk about it. While …

An artist’s name is never something that should go overlooked. Plenty of times, it seems like some people in this industry just slap a Lil or a similar prefix in front of a nickname or moniker that sounds cool to them, but they don’t actually put much thought into it past that. Other artists, though, have such unique names that there has to be a story or meaning behind them, and Groupthink is one of those people. When I think of the term groupthink, I imagine a group of people sitting in an ideation session trying to come up with new, creative ideas. At the same time, though it seems like during these meetings, there is always one person who needs to be louder or more vocal in order to overshadow the rest of the group, and I think this is partially what the Chicago by way of North Carolina native is going for, but also partially incorrect as well. I believe he uses it as a way of pushing boundaries while doing something fresh and exciting, but he also isn’t the one to ignore others or place his ideas on a higher level than others. I feel like these …

Sometimes, if an artist isn’t all over social media and publications aren’t constantly talking about them, it can be difficult to understand exactly how much of a wave they’re actually making. While this can be frustrating at times considering I love to see rising talents win and I enjoy cheering them on and showing support along the way, I also can’t complain too much because as long as they know that their music is turning heads and getting attention, that’s all that really matters. YSN Fab is a talent from Winnipeg, Canada, and although he isn’t someone I have extensive knowledge about, I do know that the Instagram freestyles he was posting almost a half-decade ago are finally starting to pay off, and I’m super excited for him. After receiving attention from us here at LL as well as plenty of other publications, he even found himself on the official “Beats by Dre” Apple Music playlist, so if that isn’t a massive step in the right direction, then I don’t know what is. His latest song “helpless.” is just another example of his dominance behind a microphone, but there is much more to it than what meets the ear. The …

Even if I’m not a huge fan of an artist or don’t listen to them extremely often, I always respect someone who is on their grind with tons of work to show for it. Atlanta is a city known for really never sleeping because it seems like most of the musicians who call ATL home are never letting a week go by without releasing something new, but out of everyone in the southern city, Lil Gotit has proven that there is never a shortage of music to be made, and he seizes every opportunity he gets to show off his skill set, which is extensive I must add. This is the main reason why I think I write so much about him, because although I do genuinely appreciate his music, even if I didn’t, I would at least know I could count on him to give me something memorable to post about. Enjoying his tracks is just a perk, and his most recent release “MF TRIMM” is yet another new single that he put out for fans to enjoy, even though we’re not too far out from his latest album The Cheater. Nonetheless, West, 808 Jayy, and AyoJarri produced this …

Being an artist is a learning experience. Giles fka Vthov aka Giles’s appreciation for music began while he was in college when he learned about how many musical devices from a multitude of genres affect people. Throughout his career, the multi-talented artist began to understand the power music has in one life. His current mastery of music took over decades of work to develop. “I have an affinity for putting music together from a theoretical perspective. I am open-minded to all genres, and I am aware of the rich sonic possibilities that occur in the relationships between melody and harmony,” he explained. “At the same time, I stay sharp. I love the history of society, culture, and art.” As a rapper and hip hop producer, Giles gathered over 1 million views on youtube with his mixtape Books over Bullets and his debut album Amongst the Stars. He was also the pianist and lead musician on “What Does Freedom Mean” on the Soundtrack to the Oscar-winning major motion picture “Twelve Years a Slave.” Earlier this year, he released his first single “Alive”. The percussion and guitar chords on the upbeat track with Giles’ motivational words created a timeless record. This summer, …

This year, Lakeyah is all pump and no breaks. On June 17, the rising artist debuted her latest EP, No Pressure: Part One, via Motown Records. The 6-track installment includes her recent hit single “Mind Yo Business” ft. Latto, an absolute summer banger, and “I Look Good”. The new EP demonstrates once again that Lakeyah isn’t going anywhere.  One of our favorite track on this project is “Pop Dat.” 15 seconds into the record the Milwaukee rapper was already hitting us with her deadly bars and vicious flow that I have grown to love.  “No plain Jane, I like VVs/ And ain’t no broke nigga gon’ cop that (nigga can’t cop that)/My shit water like ice, no freeze (no freeze)/Uh, he wanna see me pop dat (he do)/But I’m a real ass P-I-M-P (uh)/I make a nigga drop that bag” In addition to the EP, Lakeyah also dropped a new video for  “Record Straight.” With 324k views in just 10 days, the female goat wants you to know that she may be young, but she is a certified boss in every aspect. If you haven’t already, check out No Pressure: Part One below.

enjoy the latest behind-the-scenes episodes of our new music video for “Talk About Me” by Dot Da Genuis, Kid Cudi, JID, and Denzel Curry 🙂

I know I have mentioned this in the past, but the underground music scene is the segment of this industry that really influenced me heavily and crafted my taste in music. Some may look at this as a flaw, but I personally see it as a massive advantage because I now have a completely different outlook on music, even if it is a mainstream success. I honestly aim to give everyone who shaped my taste credit, but there are just way too many people to name, and I do my best to show these emcees my appreciation whenever I get the chance. Some names that come to mind include the late, great 6 Dogs, BBY GOYARD, Lil Xelly, 909Memphis, Larry League, and plenty others, but that is just based on looking at old SoundCloud likes and taking a stroll down memory lane to reminisce on what first brought me into an entirely new world of sonic styles. The list is much more extensive and all-encompassing than just the aforementioned emcees, though, and one person who I would be remised to leave unmentioned is Candypaint, someone who I have been listening to way back when they had a Lil at the …