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As I have spent more and more time in the music industry, I have learned to never let an opportunity to learn about a new artist go to waste. While I definitely don’t have the time to go through all of the cold direct messages that artists send to me day in and day out (although I wish I did), I try my best to listen to musicians that I’m not familiar with by randomly finding things on Spotify or YouTube, receiving a press release that catches my eye, hearing about an up-and-comer from a fellow music business friend, or any other way I can. One method that I often overlook is by paying attention to opening acts at concerts I attend, but that is one of the best ways I have come across artists I thoroughly enjoy. While I often get to shows late because I just want to see the main act, when I attended the DC the Don show a few weeks back, I made sure to get there as soon as doors opened because I’m homies with DC and some of his team members, so I wanted to take in the experience in its entirety, especially …

I seriously can’t believe how long I have slept on NNAMDï’s music, and even though I have been listening for a handful of years, it wasn’t until the rollout of his album Please Have A Seat that I saw his vision and truly appreciated the force he is in this industry. The indie artist has been blazing a trail in Chicago for many years, and although I had tuned in time and time again when we would feature him on our year-end top 50 Chicago projects lists, I guess I was so overwhelmed with all of the music that was included on these features that I would accidentally overlook his gifts. I am extremely grateful that this will no longer happen because his album is now here, and it is everything I had hoped it would be and more based on the singles I had experienced prior. Before I go into details about the album overall, I really want to give it a few more listens to be able to do all the hard work and effort that NNAMDï and his team put into it, so instead, I wanted to focus on the brand-new Sandy Honig-directed music video for his …

Music can be used in one daily life as an effective form of therapy to provide an outlet for emotions. As an artist, writing music has the power to channel our emotions into a song that can now resonate with millions of people around the world. 612.Light from Cleveland, Ohio used his music to discuss broken relationships and messy situations he experienced during his childhood that one could only imagine. Deeply influenced by the late Juice Wrld and Iann Dior, the rising artist has developed a wave of his own. Since releasing his singles “Killbunk”, “Lil Shock”, and Gee Hues, 612.Light has gained thousands of fans and streams. Earlier this year, he shared his latest track “Paralyzed” featuring Killbunk. “On my track Paralyzed featuring Killbunk, I expressed the path it took me to get to the top. I’m basically saying that they are “paralyzed” to see that I actually made it and this is my reality now. While there is no time for visuals, me and my team are avidly working on putting together a banger for all to enjoy in the near future.” he stated. The melodic record did a wonderful job showcasing his dynamic sound and vibrating hook. …

Hailing out of New York, HDBeenDope is building a name for himself with his incredible storytelling skills and wide range of talent. Greatly influenced by some of Hip-Hop’s biggest artists such as Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and J. Cole, HD’s hard-hitting lyricism and creative vision have landed him in a lane all by himself. HD’s 2019 singles “For the Record,” “Rev Run” and “Cayman” have generated millions of streams across all streaming platforms, including nearly 6.2 million views on YouTube alone and over 264,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. One of his biggest singles to date “Byrd,” has accumulated 8.3 million views on Youtube since releasing on April 29, 2019, and amassed over 25 million streams and counting. His hard work has not gone unnoticed either. As of September 8, the Brooklyn MC announced his new record label deal with Roc Nation. “I’m a writer and artist from Brooklyn signed to Hov. Those of you who love hip-hop like I do understand how special that is,” HDBeenDope said. “I’d love to tell you it just happened out of nowhere but the truth is the intent has been consistent through and through. I think they call that serendipity. I’m here for legacy, living …

Here are a few new singles and projects to check out this week from some of your favorite artists. Platinum-selling Chicago hip-hop rapper G Herbo announced his new album, Survivor’s Remorse, with its lead single “Me, Myself & I” featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. The Joe Bracero-directed video depicts both artists taking over a classic New York basketball court, overlooking the city from its rooftops, as they trade bars on the hypnotic beat. Herbo discusses the demons and struggles he has been facing since 25, while A Boogie’s melodic chorus speaks on being in a lane of his own. Earlier this year, Herbo blessed us with his single “Locked In”, an emotional tribute to this late brother. With two impressive singles thus far, Survivor’s Remorse is gearing up to be another powerful body of work from the Chicago emcee. In less than a year, CMG artist GloRilla has achieved life-changing milestones after the release of her hit single “FNF”. The viral #FNFChallenge on TikTok generated over 32 million views (and counting) on YouTube and resulted in GloRilla’s acclaimed debut on the Billboard Hot 100. GloRilla’s success has garnered widespread support across the hip-hop community, receiving co-signs from hip-hop superstars like …

First came “Verona,” then the “Rebirth” – most people have heard of the Neoclassical pianist PIANOBYG hailing from Ada, Oklahoma. PianobyG’s music career is slowly but surely taking shape. Exhibiting a high level of ingenuity in all his recent projects, nobody can ever imagine that the alternative music artist only joined the music industry at the top of the year. Within a very small time, PianobyG has won accolades for his singles, including; “Conversations” which debuted at #2 on the iTunes charts (maintained Top 100 for a whole week), and his album “Verona” achieved over 150K streams in just the first month of release. Three months later, this album had surpassed 200K streams.  Inspired by his own ingenuity and uniqueness, the rising artist curiously found music through his friend (Michael) who left a keyboard at his home. Suddenly, the prodigy started randomly playing chords and putting together sounds that are now creating hype currently in the music space. His album titled “Rebirth” dropped on the 15th of July with a ten-track list featuring songs such as; “Above the Clouds (lead single)” which charted #70 in the alternative genre on iTunes and Pure sales (above Australian singer, Vance Joy), and “Yellow Butterflies” which achieved …

Karlie Redd’s latest single “Werk” charted at #3 on iTunes Reggae music chart in its first week and is still holding its position in the top 10! The single has also already gained over thousands of streams and counting! The song features Capella Grey who is known for his hit single “Gyalis” and Spice. The single is accompanied by a carnival-themed party which brings even more energy. On this record Karlie decided to tap into her Trinidadian heritage which gives the song a Caribbean feel that makes you want to ‘wined ya body’ which is a perfect vibe for the summertime. After listening to the song it is guaranteed that you will have it on repeat! With the success of her release it is a no-brainer that Karlie will be carving out her own lane in the music industry, which leads us to believe she will continue to give us more hits .

Photo by: India Richert I think people underestimate the power of conversation. The ability to exchange ideas, thoughts and perspectives is a superpower that can often fly under the radar as something that we just do…As I get older though, I have come to the realization that some of the most impactful moments in my life, areas where I experienced the most growth, came from conversations. Whether it was someone sharing some form of wisdom or passing the time laughing about something shown on TV, conversation not only changes us, but shapes us as well. For as long as I’m writing for Lyrical Lemonade, I am going to try and place an emphasis on the importance of conversation; because without it, we are robbing ourselves from experiencing all that this life has to offer. Today, it is my pleasure to document for you all a conversation I had with one of my favorite artists. I’ve written about Daniel Price before, but never like this. The Los Angeles-based talent is coming off of a successful rollout for his most recent EP that culminated in a marvelous live performance on the historic, Love Street (attached below). In this first of its kind …

“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 …

Not every single person in the music industry needs to be completely groundbreaking or have a brand-new sound that catches on like wildfire. Some emcees just need a natural skill, a knack for music, and an interesting personality in order to create a foundation and build up a loyal fanbase from there. In fact, I almost applaud these artists more because of the fact that they were able to do something amazing without needing to include all of the other frills that others seem to include, and they also don’t need to create a false persona just to grab attention. Kody Lavigne is someone who entered the hyperpop scene a little while ago, and while there are definitely hyperpop musicians who lean on wild instruments and heavily altered vocals to make a name for themselves, Kody has done the same exact thing with a skillset full of naturally captivating aptitudes that I have become a massive fan of since I first tapped in with the young icon. He seems to drop music periodically, sometimes more consistently than others, so when I see a track come out, I waste no time and head right to my phone to listen. “Leave Me …