SEARCH FOR: GUCCI MANE OF VA

See why Young Crazy claims his title as the Gucci Mane of VA, with his brand new EP that was released just last week. One of my favorite parts about being a music writer is following the careers of those you’ve written about in the past, which is exactly the case with Virginia star Young Crazy. I first wrote about his single “Suburban Kid,” a fiery, catchy track that had both his streaming numbers, and his home state jumping. Recently, he was able to regain 100% of his mastered tracks, allowing him to bless his fanbase with a surprise “greatest hits” LP Who TF is Crazo Damn, which only generated a bigger buzz around his name prior to the release of this latest tape Gucci Mane of VA.  The tape starts with paying homage to Gucci through a beautiful beat by Moye & The Beatman, showcasing Young Crazy’s talent and providing a retro 2000s feel that represents Gucci’s style. “BLIT” and “Suburban Kid” are singles that are already hot in the DMV and add solidified status to the project, and “Bombaclat” is a brand new joint that looks to have the surrounding club scene in its grip. “On the Radar Freestyle” is …

There’s never a moment in time where Atlanta isn’t completely popping off, and that’s a stance I’ll stand by no matter what, even though I don’t think anyone will really disagree. If you look at the facts along with the artists that hail from this city like Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Future, 21 Savage, and so many others, there is literally an endless supply of insanely great music, and you don’t have to look very far to find something new. Young Nudy is one of the most dependable artists in my personal opinion when it comes to fantastic music, and even though he has a voice and delivery that might be regularly anticipated at this point, his beat selection is one of a kind, and it rejuvenates his flows as if they’re brand-new every single time. I keep a pretty close eye on Nudy, and even though I had seen rumors of his album EA Monster dropping at some point, I somehow completely missed its actual release on Monday, but as soon as I came to the realization that it dropped, I wasted no time heading to Spotify to listen. This effort boasts 11 songs lasting around 35 minutes long, …

“I learned one thing from Kanye that I will always think of going forward. He told me to always make sure I focus on the music, and the money will come afterward. If I put all of my focus on the music, the music will sound better and I won’t have to worry about the money later on because it’s gonna come from the great music I’ve been making.” -Southside As more time passes, people are beginning to realize just how much impact producers have and recognize the overall importance that they play in the overall creation of a song. One thing we have been seeing a lot over the past couple of years is producers getting listed as main artists on songs now, rather than their name being in the backend on the credits. Producers are letting their presence be known, and rightfully so, it’s about time. That being said, when speaking about the producer pioneers and the people who really helped shape and shift the culture, it’s very difficult to speak on that without mentioning 808 Mafia, and Southside. Being the founder of 808 Mafia alongside TM88, Southside is responsible for hundreds of songs that we all know …

Z Money is somebody that needs no introduction, he is a Chicago legend and today I am proud to release our latest Lemonade Stand interview featuring him! I spoke with Z Money about several subjects including his brand new album, his relationship with Valee, the moment that “Two 16’s” started to blow up, mentorship he’s received from Gucci Mane, the schools he attended, and much more. This was a solid conversation and a much-needed interview from Z Money, it’s been a minute since he’s publicly spoken, and this was the perfect time to do so. Watch this brand new interview below!

It has always been amazing to me how the art of songwriting can go. There are some artists who believe that their pen is more valuable than them trying to be an artist, so they stick to just songwriting. There are also artists who have an amazing pen and can complement it well enough for their own career as well, and that is something that is pretty hard to come by nowadays. With all the talk about “ghostwriting” and how frowned upon it once was in the game, it kind of became a thing of the past, and artists were no longer criticized harshly for it. Georgia-native A1 LaFlare happens to be one of those artists who have an amazing pen and is finally stepping into the spotlight to prove it. After co-writing some of today’s biggest hits such as Latto “Big Energy”, The Kid LAROI’s “Fuck You Goodbye”, and racking up a grammy nomination for Saweetie’s “Best Friend” w/ Doja Cat, A1 LaFlare is ready to make a name for herself with the release of her song and visual, “Wootie Woot”. “Wootie woot is just a slang word we use in the city. It basically means so on and so forth. …

One thing that I feel is often forgotten about in the current day and age of music is the fact that every artist has a story that is often the influence behind their sound and their individualistic styles. Even if these experiences aren’t expressed in every single song put out, it is something that made that emcee who they are, and I never want to let that be forgotten. Gucci Mane and Lil Durk haven’t teamed up for a song in almost a decade, but I feel like they’re two talents who have a similar background. Both seemed to be local icons for quite some time at the start of their careers and have had similar upbringings in the respective streets they grew up on in both Chicago and Atlanta. After having so much success in their local music scenes for numerous years, it was only a matter of time that others caught on, and now they’re legitimately two of the largest names in the entire music industry, not just rap. Although their brand-new song “Rumors” was a surprise, I welcomed it with open arms, and it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve heard in quite …

Atlanta is obviously a music city that needs absolutely no introduction, but it goes so much further and deeper than just the surface. While names like Future, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, 21 Savage, and countless other massive artists are lucky enough to call this city home, there are definitely so many other artists that are making remarkable music, even if these aforementioned names might get all of the mainstream attention. Nonetheless, I want to bring these underground icons the credit that they rightfully deserve, and my list begins with Tommy Ice. Tommy is someone who I have been listening to for years, watching him come into his own as a producer, rapper, and all-around creative, and at this point, I feel like I’m lucky enough to even consider him a friend, even if it’s just through the internet at this point. He never fails to impress me, and he definitely continued to do so on his latest SoundCloud released song “Rain”, featuring Annamarie. Produced by Tommy himself as well as Guala, this one features lighthearted ukulele-sounding strings that clash with pungent 808s and crisp percussion that give a slightly trap-like sound to an otherwise serene foundation. Annamarie, who I wasn’t …

Young Dolph was an absolute icon and trendsetter in the music industry, and whether you were a fan of his old hits or his newer releases, there’s one thing in common, and that is the fact that you were probably a fan of him regardless. He left such an unignorable legacy behind when he was tragically taken from the Earth way too soon, but the impact that he left on this planet is something that most young artists thrive to achieve by the time their career is all said and done. Despite being from Memphis through and through, Dolph inspired fans, artists, and music listeners all over the world, and this is more than clear for Atlanta’s very own legend Gucci Mane who included an ode to the late emcee on the last track of his compilation Christmas mixtape So Icy Christmas which delivered 17 new songs that spanned just over 45 minutes long. I know this is obviously a Christmas-inspired tape, but this song paying homage to Dolph is the one stand-out record that evades this theme, and I think it was definitely for the best. In the music video, which was directed by Omar the Director, Gucci shows …

Atlanta is obviously one of America’s favorite hip-hop cities, and even though I place it right towards the top of my list, I never fail to get impressed with the unbelievable music coming out of the 6. While there are obviously massive talents like Future, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Lil Baby, and countless others, there are some more under-the-radar artists that have cult followings that only continue to grow. One of the talents is SahBabii, a rapper with a similar sound to Young Thug or Lil Keed, but he always puts his own spin on things in order to differentiate himself and keep things as fresh as can be. Sah seems like he has been somewhat elusive in recent memory, but that has come to an end with the release of his latest song “Bread Head”, which comes complete with an equally inventive Bobby Lee Palmer and Jabari Flemings-directed music video. Opening up with the Paperwork Studio-produced instrumental, there are some very peaceful, relaxing synths and harp strums that are eventually met with chattering percussion and deep, resounding 808s that give a wonderful foundation to SahBabii for him to do his thing. When he comes in for the hook, he …

Niles Bryant has Birmingham and more recently its surrounding areas absolutely on fire over the last year or two and almost monthly is delivering new artists to his city that shoot up in relevancy thanks to both his always-growing platform and incredible ability to capture trench-life in one of America’s most dangerous cities in a manner that is suspenseful, harrowing, and many times unexpectedly beautiful, whether it be through the deeper-than-blood relationships possessed by the subjects of the videos or the natural, often times rustic, charm of Alabama that you just have to experience for yourself. This week Niles stamped a new artist named C2 from Lipscomb, AL, a treacherous suburb between the actual city of Birmingham and one of its most notable outposts and home of many, many rappers including Gucci Mane, Bessemer. However, I hadn’t ever really heard of Lipscomb and frankly couldn’t even tell you where it was in Alabama until last week, but to a certain extent, C2 has put his town on the map. The instrumental opens with a suspenseful intro with long, wide shots of both the artist and his friends as well as their environment that they’re singing about, before launching into C2’s …