SEARCH FOR: VIDEOS

Writing about music, I’ve received countless pitches over the years for songs that mix genres, or sound like if X artist met Y artist. Some of these songs are impressive, but I’ve come to realize that cool songs only go so far. They might land in playlists, or get sent in group chats as neat things to listen to, but music that finds an engaged, lasting audience, is music rooted in lore and belief. Because it’s about more than some neat songs. The ethos behind music that lasts is an extension of the artist who created it, and it’s the source code that characterizes a fanbase as more than a group of people who listen to the same thing, but rather, a group of people who choose to believe in something greater than cool songs. This is where gabby start comes in. gabby start is the artist project of a 20-year old NYU student formerly known as Knapsack. And while gabby’s songs are neat as they come, pairing the energy and anthemic qualities of rock music with EDM drum kits and pop song structures, they’re also rooted in a value system that defines what the artist project is all about. …

Since COLORS first began running their iconic live performance series several years ago now we have seen a number of copycats across all genres, trying to trap the magic of a live show but in the most intimate setting possible with raw unadulterated vocals and legendary instances of breath control. As content creation, especially in the music world, is becoming more and more boilerplate and automized, it was zero suprise that many media companies hoped to take this live show format and run with it. Now A Zae’s ‘From the Block’ series definitely predates this ‘Mic Check’d’ session with VisualzByDee that surpasses the aforementioned in both location and overall visual and sound quality. It is very clear that a lot of effort is put into his videos on an organizational end and he has been giving a host of young artists across the south an opportunity to have their music heard by the masses, up close and personal. Arkanasas artist J1Hunnit is the artist in question today on the Mic Check’d platform and he floats and glides over the regal Detroit-tinged production, unloading bars about hustling, coming from a small town, and facing the hate that comes with that. I …

I’ll forever find myself allured by music that attaches itself to a “lifestyle,” whether communicated through lyrics, visuals, or otherwise. When an artist is able to effectively bring listeners into the world that their music comes from without losing the truest and purest version of the feeling that the world exudes, a new dimension of appeal is added to each release, and in turn, the artist is generally better suited to stick around for the long run. Such is certainly the case with Toronto artist RealestK, who may have built his momentum on TikTok — a platform infamous for flash-in-the-pan musical moments — but is already proving to offer so much more with his incredible new music video for “WFM.” Sonically, “WFM” pinpoints a marriage between dark, lush production and silky smooth vocal runs that gives it an addictive characteristic, complete with illustrative lyrics that ask a romantic interest, why can’t you wait for me? The songwriting is fantastic, tinted with a layer of desperation and sadness that effectively communicates the emotional weight that the topic holds in the narrator’s life. And then there’s the visual, which perfectly illustrates the song’s aura with night-set scenes of RealestK walking around Toronto wearing his signature, …

Los Angeles based group Daisy premiered their newest visual to their addictive track, “Eastside,” on Oct. 8. The vibrant and colorful video features an array of different videographic capture styles, allowing for a multiple creative perspectives and angles that viewers seldom see in short music videos. The production and editing crew emphasized color and tone in the montage as well, with vivid colors and textures as well as scene-setting shots that certainly provide an inviting experience for such a feel-good track. Clip segments that stood out were beautiful portrait shots of a group picnic in the park, and a follow-cam from the back-end of their convertible as they cruise through the L.A. hills. The visual has amassed nearly 100,000 YouTube views in the short time since.  Daisy brings a groovy twist to modern pop, with beautiful inclusion of a combination of instruments that provide a rangy, vintage feel that can attract listeners of all preferences. The group has been known for its’ wide spectrum of style and influence, with several of their songs having distinct switch ups and redirects midway through. Not necessarily the case with this track, however, but make sure you hear and see the beautiful guitar changeup …

Atlanta-based, New Jersey-born artist babydraco is back in our pages again, this time with his first visual under his new moniker following his recent self-titled EP that we covered last week. He teamed up with Shifty on this latest visual, better known to many as SoarShfity, who is a director and editor who first made his name in the gaming community who has seamlessly transitioned into the world of music videos and also is capturing some very rare underground studio footage in his new home of Atlanta on his channel. They brought the track “F1” to life which was produced by Hnst whose fast-paced and trunk-rattling instrumental set the perfect tone for Draco to rock out. I really enjoyed this video and was very impressed by Shifty’s editing skills and would definitely recommend checking out babydraco’s new self-titled EP if you have not already.

Nardo Wick has been a rising star in the music industry for a minute now, but I feel like he’s about to really blow up with the help of his brand new music video for “Who Want Smoke Remix” featuring Lil Durk, 21 Savage, and G Herbo. Just by looking at this lineup of superstars talents on the same song, you can assume that it’s going to be a hit, but trust me when I say that it will exceed your expectations. Lyrical Lemonade CEO + video director Cole Bennett did his f*cking thing on this one, this is one of the most action-packed LL videos that I have ever seen, it’s definitely one of my favorite of recent memory. This video just has the feel of an instant LL classic, don’t take my word for it though, watch it below! produced by emkay

A few weeks ago, I was put onto good problem, a music duo comprised of Eli and Elton, two Massachusetts-based talents who I was pleasantly surprised with after my first listen. Even though they’re still very early on in their budding careers with only a couple of songs out, it’s obvious that their talent and passion is there, and these things come through incredibly well in every single release they’ve put out so far, so it’s sufficed to say that I’m incredibly excited for the future of this tag team. Despite their recent beginning, they’ve been grinding their hardest, and the most recent contribution to their catalog of releases is a music video for their song “Bloodbath” that came out last week. This has been a song I’ve been playing over and over, and even though it’s not necessarily my particularly favorite style of music, there is something about it that just keeps me coming back, and I’m not complaining for even a second. Opening up, there is a message at the bottom of the screen from the group’s singer Eli who is attempting to kill his ego in order to bridge the gap between him and the people he …

Kiraly Payne is somebody who I personally have been familiar with for the better half of a decade now, he’s been a part of the Chicago scene for a minute now, and I recently brought him by the Lyrical Lemonade office for a new interview on The Lemonade Stand! This was a great conversation where I spoke to Kiraly about plenty of topics including his appearance in our old LL cypher videos, being a part of the Outer(net) crew, his recent appearance with Saba in LA, his upcoming music releases, growing up in the Chicagoland area, attending Plainfield East + Plainfield North High Schools, his skills at the game Tekken and more. Get familiar with one of Chicago’s most talented spitters by watching this new interview!

DavidTheTragic is showing zero signs of slowing up since his visual last month for his track “LORI,” this time returning with another exciting new single “ALLERGY” that reveals David’s exemplary creativity, self-reflective lyrics, and versatile delivery patterns that always keep you guessing and keep his music unpredictable. His newest single + video, “ALLERGY,” is yet another testament to DavidTheTragic’s originality and masterful rapping ability. It’s clear that no one else sounds like him or flows like him right now. The video, directed by Brendan Mcgregor, matches the aesthetic of David’s recent videos for singles “Money First” and “Lori.” It shifts from scenes of intense color correction to David on a roof or in an alley shaking his dreads and talking his shit. The track is a two and a half minute frenzy of clever bars that set David apart from many of his musical peers in this city.

While the summer is over, there’s never a wrong time for artists who still come with that “We outside” energy—The songs that would make sense out at a summer function, or posted on the block—there can never be too many anthems like these. Virginia-native 804 Nano is someone who has been on my radar for quite some time now, and I have been patiently waiting for that moment where he will begin to get his proper recognition as an artist and really deliver that one anthem that will take off. Today, Nano is dropping off the visuals for his addicting anthem “Buss It”. While there are tons of different music video styles out there that are narrative-driven, I still have a love for those videos that still give off that raw energy of the artist’s hometown, and just having a good time. In the visuals for “Buss It”, Nano is seen having a night out in his hometown of Petersberg, VA with a bunch of his homies, flashy cars, and beautiful women. With a smash hit like this, this is the type of video that this song calls for. Speaking to 804 Nano about the direction of the song, he …