 T.I. just came off a crazy side mission. He was a comedian. You read that right. Not just one show, he did numerous shows all around the country, not as a rapper, but as a comedian. But ultimately, for the moment this side mission had its final stage with the release of his own comedy special called “Cheaper Than Therapy”. It was shocking because he dropped this special with less than a year of comedy experience. Impressive? Or premature? You can read our review here (TIP Really Aint Funny). So now that he’s done with this side mission, what’s next? Well, The King, returns to the trap with the release of his latest single, “Let Em Know”. Let’s see what T.I. has to say. T.I. never really stopped releasing music. When you look at his YouTube channel you realize that he’s been dropping music videos as recently as last year. But that’s what happens when you’re no longer the priority of the machine. Albums get shelved and the machine no longer puts you on the front page of all the media outlets. I think what's interesting of the page is that he has also put his kid's music videos on the page as well, it's truly a Family Hu$tle. But what's interesting about this comedy side mission when you really dissect it is that it did get him back in front of all the media outlets. He got eyes back on the brand through the side mission making whatever he did next have even more eyes on it. Genius! Like I said T.I. is back. Back to the bald fade. Back to the cap tilted to the side. Back to the Trap. First, we gotta recognize that Pharell does what he does on this beat. It’s crazy. It’s nostalgic and feels like a reintroduction, setting the stage for T.I. to do just that. Another element to the song that stands out is that the ad-libs are like this reassurance that that’s T.I. and he’s back to rapping. The bass hits hard like and grounds the synth horns giving a futuristic mashup with a familiar footing. Pharell is still giving a masterclass in how to create “the” sound of a generation. What a way to announce the king. Big shit poppin', ain't no lil' shit T.I. is back. The first bar is that bravado and swagger that T.I. fans are so accustomed to, it just reminds you of "24's" or "Top Back". Many fans know of the multi-ego artist and can hear the T.I.P., the persona that got him here, which is more brash and street savvy then blends with T.I., the more demure version refined persona better depicted in Family Hu$tle and songs like "Let's Get Away" or "Live Your Life". Whichever one you choose, it’s apparent that both are needed to make the artist, and T.I. continues both story lines in his origin story. If we're doing a bar breakdown, I think this song was more swagger than pure bars, but one line that did catch my attention was, “From Center Hill to hittin' hoes in centerfold, better know”. This line further continues that dichotomy of his life T.I.P. mixed with a little T.I.. I also like how he gives us three verses, all though they are 8 bar verses, I still appreciate the song's structure and call back to the old way of song structure, adapted to the new way that consumers listen, because let's face it, at this time we've been conditioned to listen to shorter songs. In the end I’m proud to say that the King is back! Is T.I. done with comedy? I’m not sure, but I would like to think that we helped nudge him in the direction of going back to what he does best. Music. And maybe comedy was a hobby, just a side mission for that moment in time. One thing I know for sure is that when T.I. wants to talk to the people, they're mostly receptive to his raps. My honest review of "Let Em Know" is that, it is a reintroduction track that isn't supposed to impress you with double entendre's or crazy metaphors. It's a track that is supposed to ground you in familiarity with an artist that knows who he is, The King! Go listen to the track and let us know what you think!
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 Over this past weekend I decided that I would finally give in and give TI's new comedy special "Cheaper Than Therapy" a try. You may be thinking why? Like you, I questioned my decision in thinking the same. Why now? Why Comedy? But my curiosity had gotten the best of me. For one, because I am an avid T.I. fan, we're talking about I'm Serious, Trap Muzik, and of course, King. Since T.I. came on the scene in the early 2000s, I've always admired T.I's songwriting ability, his swag, his vocabulary (which has become a social media inside joke), and that he always stood on morals. His album King was practically the soundtrack to my 2006. But as I grew, I noticed that there was a clear disconnect between his new music and the music he I had grew up listening to. I met him as dope boy TIP, and he had become T.I. the reality star and social activist. Now even further from his 2006 album King, T.I. has switched gears to comedy. Before I press play on the review here are a few thoughts about it. What qualifies me to critique comedy? I have watched every Dave Chappelle special and every Kevin Hart special, which shows a complete spectrum of comedy, Dave’s dark humor and Kevin Hart’s comedic timing when it comes to his mannerisms, plus I watch Chocolate Sundaes on YouTube, but my most proud qualification of all, I was a Comic View baby. There were so many nights I would stay up watching Comic View on BET. Also, I used to watch Def Comedy Jam, we only had HBO for a bit, but when we did, best believe I was tuned in. Stand Up Comedy is a genre I regularly look for on NetFlix, so with well over 100 watch hours of comedic routines and from a wide range of comedians, this qualifies me to answer the question for T.I.'s comedy special. For T.I. is comedy really cheaper than therapy? We start with his appearance, which was undoubtedly inspired by Eddie Murphy's outfit in his special "Raw". But it also seemed inspired by Martin Lawrence's loose look in his special "You So Crazy". With a swagger and an outfit that paid homage to Eddie Murphy’s Raw red leather suit I can say, at least he's done some studying of the greats. But did he really put in his 10,000 hours? He’s only 3 years in and has a comedy special in his hometown of Atlanta, which from the start of the show he made sure to let the crowd know that this wasn't a concert. A clever jab to start off the job, but this is heavyweight fight and it's gonna take more than a snicker to get a good laugh from me.  Let's talk about some of the science of comedy. Comedy is an artform that has so many measurable metrics, one of the most important ones being, timing. I've gotta admit his timing seemed off. His jokes ran together. He didn't know how to let some jokes breathe and when to breathe at times. They just didn’t land the way he had in his head. A lot of the laughs seemed to be forced from the crowd more like a studio audience on queue than a real audience that connected with the jokes. It was a room of friends and it seemed like his friends were being nice. But there were a few bright spots. T.I. has always been a great storyteller and this did translate to his show. He came out to his song “About The Money” which he used to set up his jokes about Young Thug. He talked about the government using his lyrics against him in his RICO charge, which he told a great joke about nobody knowing what Young Thug says in the verse of the song, "He obviously rappin in cursive." Then he proved that know one knows what Young Thug is really saying as he had the crowd hilariously try to recite his "Live My Lifestyle" verse, the first 4 bars nobody could repeat. Then went into a story about repeating back Thug what he thought he said in the verse, which Young Thug hilariously replied, "OG you right!" Atlanta has a lot of competition when it comes to dating and T.I. let the crowd know that love in Atlanta is circumstantial, she with you until she sees someone like Usher. He then went into a story about walking home because Usher called shotgun with the person he rode to the club with, which then led into a horrible imitation of Usher. It's his transitions from joke to joke that were really rough and often were awkward and off kilter. He then gets a little personal as he goes into his relationship with Tiny, starting with his jokes about her beating him, the way his voice inflections came off it sounded more like boy who cries wolf than funny joke. It’s like his jokes that were building from a story at times weren’t fully flushed out and just went to a dead end. But I've gotta say one of the most disappointing parts of the special was the part he used in the trailer. In real-time the joke wasn't funny. It was the edit of the trailer that made it funny. Mostly because the timing was off so bad. Back to relationship jokes. He also had this joke about he and his wife going on a double date with friends and that comparison is the thief of joy. Great life advice. But bad joke. The joke didn’t land when he was comparing his reaction to his wife being late to his wife’s friend being late. But the story never really took a funny turn. It was funny when he said take me on a double date with couple that’s been tested like Kirk and Rasheda. Cardi B and Offset. Yea that's a real test.  A shining moment. I gotta give it to him on the part where he talked about his kids, it was one of the funnier parts of the special, especially when he talked about his son King. He literally talked for the last 15 minutes of the show just about his son. But his timing was still off at times, and he hasn’t perfected mannerisms the way Kevin Hart has. He talked about being shocked his son graduated, I was thinking, us too. He talked about his son Messiah slash Buddy Red being the one who had the ultimate confidence and a free spirit. Which he says his kids all got a piece of him, "But King, he got the skip fade, cap to the side T.I. How does he act like me at a time he didn’t even know me." He also did an impression of King standing up on the table and yelling, “Hell, naw where were y'all niggas at when the Feds hit?" The End! Well, that's what it felt like, the ending was so awkward, he just said, "Thank you Atlanta" and walked off stage with his single "I'm Serious“ playing in the background. It seemed like he was on a time crunch, like he would have to penalty to the building if they didn't get everyone out before the hour was up. There weren't any end credits, no pictures, or audience reactions. Just The End! The verdict. T.I. is on a side mission. Not all side missions earn money. Not all side missions make you popular, for the right reasons. Truthfully, I say don’t watch this after watching a Chappelle special. This is like watching a new comedian that is still finding his own style and delivery. He put this special out too soon. But he has the money to do it, and he tried, which I can't knock him for trying. This is a new medium that will take time. He's still a rap legend. He still can get audiences to buy tickets. But would I recommend you paying to see this comedy special. Maybe not sober because a by shot 5, who cares how bad the joke is. And as always, drink responsibly. So to answer the question. Therapy might not have been cheaper than comedy. But At least with therapy, the therapist isn't laughing at you, or at least in your face. Let us know what you think of the comedy special and if you see T.I. having a real future in comedy. Watch the comedy special here: TIP AINT FUNNY  Master P said it best, "Ain't no money in the music business." He was speaking about the fact that streaming has become the preferred form of consumption when it comes how people access music. This has caused record labels to scramble to adapt, with many missing the ball on creating their own platforms and eventually just conceding to the major streaming platforms. The industry has never been the same. Everything's digital. But when everyone's going digital, this is the opportunity for artists to pivot and go back to physical media. But who's really making the money? The tech companies, the Spotify's, the Apple Music's, the YouTube's. Not only are they getting money from the fans by charging monthly fees, but artists also pay to rent digital space on their platforms, sometimes indirectly by going through a distributor or getting on a playlist, and other times directly by paying for advertising on the streaming platforms. Artists pay for advertising to run ad campaigns on these platforms in hopes of getting new listeners, but they don't have the analytics to see the listeners' emails or phone numbers in order to directly talk and cultivate an audience. Not to mention, these streaming companies get free advertising every time an artist or a fan posts a link to their platform. When you own the house, you can control the rent. Get it out the trunk like P. How do artists go physical? To go physical means to sell your music on CDs, Vinyl, USBs, cassette tapes, etc. I know what you're thinking. Who owns a CD player? Who owns a vinyl player? As far as vinyl, there's actually a community of vinyl collectors who are already expecting to pay for the premium product that vinyl offers. Also, a selling point is that these physical products offer a sound quality that streaming sites can't match. It also offers an opportunity to get into the physical product space. Why not buy some CD Players off Amazon or Alibaba in bulk and create a packaged experience? In this example, you get to control how your music is consumed. You're not competing with other artists; you’re not competing with algorithms or even annoying ads. It’s your music that is a curated experience that your audience would love to have. Also, there is a generational shift occurring where people are choosing to unplug, meaning no smartphones or even just dedicated time away from a screen, and this is where music shines brightest. The example has been proven. Kanye West’s Stem Player is an example of how controlling the listeners' experience can make millions. Going physical also means that you can gather information from your customers like their emails or phone numbers, or even birthdays, in order to keep the relationship open to a second transaction, or third, and so on.  Lastly, don't forget merch. Master P also said, “Get you some products”. Do you have a song that resonates, or a quote that everyone likes? Put it on a shirt, make an item that is unique to what you like, and share it with your audience. One example of this is Larry June. He’s seen the benefits of creating products that coincide with his healthy lifestyle brand that he raps about in his music. Some of the items he sells include a branded bike light, branded water bottles, and tote bags made from recycled material, all products are true to his lifestyle brand. Even Dame Dash saw the importance of merch and he literally used music videos and movies as hidden advertising for Roc-A-Wear and all the products under the Roc-A-Fella umbrella. This caused fans around the world to buy the merch that their favorite rapper wears in videos. The thing about merch is that it sells when you’re sleeping. Companies like Printful can even do all the printing and drop shipping for you with you ever having to touch the product. Now that’s distribution, without a Def Jam!
The Tides are slowly turning. When you look at Spotify and all the major streaming companies, people are getting upset. The prices of these platforms continue to rise as the economy gets worse and worse. Soon people may have to decide between music and going out to eat. But this is where Physical media is starting to make a comeback because also people are seeing that some of their favorite music is being taken off streaming sites or even altered, which may ultimately lead everyone back to the Napster days of pirating. Also streaming services that aren’t morally aligned with their customers are seeing mass cancellations. We saw this with Spotify after it was discovered that their CEO had been investing through his private equity firm into a software company that uses AI to operate weapons used in war. Just this past year major artists like 2 Chainz who is releasing his short film Red Clay on a digital VHS which streams to your phone, and Chance The Rapper released his new album Star Line on CD that has a tap feature that allows users also to stream the album from his website. These are not only physical releases, but it also gives fans something unique and collectible. Believe me, if the major artists are doing it, then Indie artists should be doubling down on it.  One artist that took this idea and ran with it is Oklahoma City artist Chris "The God MC" Cain, who at his recent show in OKC, dropped a merch pack that included a CD player along with a burnt disc of his 2 albums "A EASTSIDE STORY" and "Bird's Fly East" that he sold for $40. This same album (that is on Spotify) would take 28,500 streams of his music to make $100, but with this concept of selling this packaged album experience, all he has to do is to sell 3 and he's already passed the $100 target. Like Jay said, "I can divide".
Is the solution only physical? Is the solution only digital? No. The answer is somewhere in between. Spotify, Apple, and YouTube still have a huge audience that you can’t deny. This is where the market is. And you always want to go where the market is. But you also want to give the market another option. That means releasing 2 to 3 songs off a project but only releasing the full project independently through physical media. Another option would also be sites like BandCamp and EvenApp that give the artists a way bigger payout and allows people to talk directly to their customers including giving them their customer's emails. Customers can stream on the app, or they can just simply download the project. This is how you can exist in both worlds and participate in the business of making music. Art is meant to be shared with the world. In the end you have to decide how you want to share it. Do you want to be an artist who follows the trends? Or do you want to be one who can create their own rules? That’s what going physical means. It’s owning the house and being able to set the rent. It’s being able to control the listener’s experience without having to compete for attention. It’s being in front of the trend and never having to worry about being behind it. Lastly, it’s how you show that you’re in the music business and not the music hobby. Physical media gives you back control in a world fighting against digital monsters. The artist can still win and reap the rewards bigger than any dream they could’ve imagined. Because like Master P’s vision, there’s NO LIMIT! 
We dropped a new mixtape. The Purple Tape Volume 3: Thunder in 5. I would like to thank all the artists who continue to trust us with their music, this series has become a labor of love and one we continue to do. Our goal with this tape was to celebrate the amazing artists from Oklahoma as well as to celebrate the Oklahoma City Thunder's championship win. We also wanted to destroy the argument from anyone who still says that Oklahoma artists all sound the same, because if you listen to this tape there is so much range that if you still say it after listening to this tape, then you're just hating. This tape truly is a collection of talented Oklahoma artists who are showing why Oklahoma has such an amazing music scene. But don't take my word for it. Listen to the album exclusively on BandCamp! 
We also have 5 limited-edition MP3 players that include: - 1 MP3 Player - 1 wired white earbuds - 32 GB Micro SD Card - The Purple Tape Volume 3: Thunder in 5 (preloaded on MP3 player Hit us up if you want a copy! ​Go jam the album and let us know what you think! Also, here's the track list. Again, thank you to all the amazing artist who contributed to the album: The Purple Tape 3 - Thunder in 5 (Tracklist)
 It's the end of the year. a great time to reflect on goals and accomplishments, but then I start to remember, there hasn't been a World Culture Music Festival this year. I look through Instagram posts and Facebook posts and even Eventbrite posts and there's not one mention of a World Culture Music Festival or a DreamLand Festival this year. We're in November, there isn't much time for promotion, let alone time to have a full-blown production like year's pasts. That's when the feeling sets in. That feeling of disappointment, that feeling that this is one more score for the argument that there's nothing to do in Tulsa. That feeling of 2020 when there wasn't a World Culture Music Festival. But does it matter? My answer is yes. For one, this was a huge stage for Oklahoma artists. For some, the World Culture Music Festival will be the biggest stage they perform on all-year, possibly their whole career. This was also a bridge for artists from other cities to see the hip-hop scene in Tulsa and how much the artists and concertgoers enjoy the music and support the scene. Also, that meant that when people did come to town they would go back to their city and tell how dope the town is, which would create more buzz for the town and the artists here. There have been collaborations that may never have happened if they didn't come to the festival. The festival was a form of appreciation in letting artists know that their hard work hadn't gone unnoticed. The revenue. The festival was a place where the dollar circulated. From vendor to vendor, artists to artists, person to vendor and artist, the dollar circulated. Also, when people came to town they stayed in hotels, they paid Ubers, they tried local restaurants. The festival brought in not only attention, but it also brought in dollars that the town benefited from. For bars this was a week where sales skyrocketed. When people came to town, they wanted to try local, and the festival championed that. But they don't know! This is one of the most frustrating parts of throwing any event. They don't know. Which is a hard to argument to challenge. Social media has become the first place for information but with the algorithm how can you confirm that everyone knows about what you've posted? There are 3 levels that I want to talk about here. 1st a simple post. If you post something and you have followers, you believe that they will see what you post right? That's iffy with the ever-changing algorithm. Which brings us to level 2, Instagram Ads. Now an Instagram ad should be the end all be all argument, right? If I use an Ad, then all my followers should see it, on top of new followers in your area or with similar interests, right? Maybe! It still depends on how good you are at setting up Instagram Ads and how well the algorithm interacts with this ad. Level 3, the last one should shut down any argument. The DM. If I DM you then you should have no excuses, with the caveat that we have to be friends. Then again Instagram can also ban your account, saying that it's a spam account. So, as you can see, there's no straightforward answer. But that doesn't mean that all three should be proof that people didn't know, but it's really close. And the promotion for the World Culture Music Festival did them all, plus fliers, plus radio ads, plus being highlighted on the news, plus whatever form of social media marketing you want to throw in there. This kind of promotion in a small town should've reached the masses. 2025 won't have a World Culture Music Festival or DreamLand Festival, we didn't even have a Hip-Hop 918 Festival (it was cancelled because of the rain), but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe the city will show up if there's ever a next one. I would love for people to not have the excuse that they didn't know about it next year, because If we do want dope events to continue to be created here, then we have to show up to the events we already have. You have to ask yourself, why would a big named act want to come somewhere where no one is going to show up? You wouldn't, you would just move on to the next big city like Dallas or Kansas City. So, I challenge everyone to show up to the next World Culture Music Festival / DreamLand Festival, even if you're tired, even if you can only come for an hour. Lastly. even if there isn't another World Culture Music Festival or DreamLand Festival, I'm appreciate for the memories they have let me be a part of. Make sure follow the @dreamlandtulsa page for all updates about the festival Also let us know how you would like to be contacted about the festival. Here's a little playlist of some of the festival's performances: 
​Steph Simon "Diamond" continues to be a staple in the Oklahoma music scene. He's had an illustrious career with more highs than lows while being able to pull off some pretty impressive feats as an independent artist. The Steph Simon of today is wiser and just as driven as Stephon R'Kel. If you know you. For so long, Simon has been the glue that's kept the Tulsa hip-hop scene together, at times putting himself on the back burner while others got their shine. That's changed, Steph Simon seems to have a new energy where he's more career focused even if that means less involvement in his peers' careers. I see this as a good thing because if GUnit hadn't have concentrated on getting 50 Cent's career off the ground, there may have never been a Lloyd Banks or The Game, and especially not a Tony Yayo. Steph Simon is back, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect with the release of his new single "Built Different". The beat starts with these long sustained piano notes that create a depth that is carried throughout the track. The song has such an energy to it, especially the kick drums that creating this building effect that feels like that drive that tells you to go harder. The snare stays on course in a very military synced cadence, it guides the lister through the verse like an NPC player in a videogame. The beat lays the groundwork for Steph to do what he does best. "Got it out the mud,
At this point Steph has a superpower to make bars that are relatable and at the same time technical in both delivery and lyrical composition. Even the beginning tell just how talented of a rapper he is as they are both relatable and build to the perfect metaphor, "I built a lane like this, it was brick by brick, every day I was perfect attendance." And this is the opening bars. "Got it out the mud, had to water that dirt, Just a seed they couldn't see, now I'm in season." Steph then goes on to rap, "Lended my hands, I can't waste no more limbs. Standing on business, and Ima be still". As you can see, it's hard to pinpoint just one bar in Steph's writing because it's that good, it's technically sound, and unpacking it fully would feel like a Genius lyrical breakdown video. Don't worry, that we may be onto something. Lastly, Steph has stepped into the knowing, and that's how his music has come across. He knows he's the best and sometimes that means throwing the oop to yourself, you can hear it in his delivery that has a confidence to it. This confidence allows him to have fun on the track and experiment with different vocal effects such as in the ending where he uses a telephone vocal effect, this very creative element also reinforces the replayability of the chorus. The song plays like and anthem and has been used in various User Generated Content such as, workout videos, work videos, and overall motivational moments. You'll get it if you're Built Different!
This single might be an indication that Steph Simon is back in album mode. 4th Quarter Release? Who knows? But what I do know is that Built Different is a hit. ​Checkout Steph Simon's new single "Built Different". Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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Instagram: @stephxsimon YouTube: Steph Simon Spotify: Steph Simon  Phil Sosa pays homage to the late rapper Drakeo The Ruler in his new video "RIP Drakeo". For those who don't know was Drakeo The Ruler, was a rapper artist from Los Angelos California that has a huge following and a simple internet search returns tons of interviews, videos, and millions of monthly Spotify listeners. LA Times called him "The most original West Coast stylist in decades". Unfortunately, he was killed during a while backstage during the Once Upon a Time in LA festival in December of 2021. Phil Sosa is making sure to give Drakeo his flowers. The beat immediately goes into full production; the soft playing violin competes with the 4-part kick bass that has stamped West Coast production. The final kick bass and clap are the last added elements that make the make the beat complete and are also the distinction between the verse and the intro. The rest of the song is a running loop of this which is expected given that the track is only one minute and 36 seconds long. "RIP my nigga Drakeo, this a ruler, nigga that part" Phil Sosa is truly an artist that has found his style that is undeniably his and is representative of the time he's put into his craft. The West Tulsa artist continues to be a go-to feature for artists wanting to get their music in front of solid fanbase, which Sosa continues to grow while adding to his discography of hits. On this track in particular Sosa takes such a sorrowful subject and uses it to fuel gun his numerous gun metaphors, this one in particular pays homage to the late rapper while also showing off Sosa's rap skill, "RIP my nigga Drakeo, this a ruler, nigga that part.". What I also like about the track is that Sosa is able to switch up his flow even as the beat stays on this continuous loop, to keep the listener engaged he chops up his flow mimicking the drum pattern. Sosa gave us so much in so small of a time frame, and that's what makes him one of the best. Many have seen the impact that Drakeo The Ruler had on the rap game, there's no doubt that Phil Sosa is having his own impact on the game as he continues to drop hit after hit. Check out his new single "RIP Drakeo" and let us know what you think! 
​The Dream Team was formed after the embarrassing performance of the USA men's basketball team struggling against international teams in the 1988 Olympics where they finished with a bronze medal. The 1992 Summer Olympics proved that with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing as your starting 5, there's no competition and not only did team USA take the gold medal, but they also left no doubt that the USA started this ballin' shit. Much like The Dream Team, Klovis Khepri and his fellow featured artists are looking to put Oklahoma hip-hop in its rightful place with the release of their new single "You Crazy". The beat starts off with this slow playing violin that reminds me of OTS J Huncho's song "Lion's Den", but also there are parts in the song where the violin plays quickly (or Détaché) creating almost an ad-lib with the verse. The track smoothly transitions into this 4-part bass kick that feels very West Coast inspired, and with Klovis Khepri having roots in Compton, it feels very natural when he sings the chorus. Phil Sosa, MikeDaDon, Sayso Da P. and OTS J. Huncho are the other featured artists on this star-studded track, which only makes me wonder, with all these artists is this a clue to possibly a larger project in the works for Klovis Khepri? What's also surprising is that again with this many featured artists that the track is only 2 minutes and 44 seconds, but I choose quality over quantity anytime. Let's see how the starting 5 did. Just like The Dream Team, each artist attacks this track differently. Phil Sosa kicks it off and delivers in 8-bars nothing short of magic, his metaphors are crazy, and his delivery is confident. He knows he can hold his own on any track. One of his lines that caught my ear, no pun intended. was when he said, "canary yellow hugging on my lob, bitch I can't hear." slight work for the hip-hop all-star. Immediately after Phil, OTS J. Huncho asserts his presence on the track by wasting no time showing off his rap skills, "I'm like T.I." I don't skate with niggas", His bars are so masterful that have to break them down like sports announcer, bar after bar, I also like that he showed love to a Tulsa legend when he said, "I'm like Josh Jacobs, because I put the G on top." Bar! Josh Jacobs, played for McClain, now plays for Green Bay Packers. slam dunk! What more do you want! Khlovis Khepri plays the point guard slash floor general on the track, not only does he make sure everyone gets shine, but he also makes sure that everything stays on track. But let's not forget that he's also a scorer, so it's no surprise when he comes in with a verse of his own, "hottie in the East who say Klovis you a 1 of 1", his delivery is so much in a pocket that your drawn in by his melodic rapping. Next up is MikeDaDon he's been one of those songwriters that knows how to make a hit and his own lane as an artist that can do it all, "I been a P ever since Phat Pharm", it's lines like these that showcase why putting him on the track just makes sense. The last artist on the track is Sayso Da P, who is the wild card. He delivers on the track with swagger as well as a few bars, "Mister swing my dough, like a nigga playing Top Golf". If you don't think this is a hit. YOU CRAZY! It's crazy to think you can see this many stars on the same track, it had to be what fans felt when they saw Jordan and Magic on the same team. Take a listen and let us know what you think!
Make sure you follow all these amazing artists on social media:
Klovis Khepri Instagram: @klovis_khepri Klovis Khepri Spotify: Klovis Khepri Phil Sosa Instagram: @philsosa23 Phil Sosa Spotify: Phil Sosa MikeDaDon Instagram: @itsmikedadon MikeDaDon Spotify: MikeDaDon Sayso Da P Instagram: @saysodap Sayso Da P Spotify: Sayso Da P OTS J Huncho Instagram: @ots_jhuncho OTS J Huncho Spotify: OTS J Huncho Also checkout the video below:​  Hip-Hop is an ever-evolving genre especially when you compare it to more traditional music like country. From its beginning it’s splinted into different sub genres from the boom-bap that started it all to crunk, drill-music, and the most recent, pain music. Pain music at its core is still very much hip-hop because they both are able rooted in the people. Artist like Rod Wave and NBA YoungBoy's have been able to tour the world with this new form of music because of the way the music connects to their fans. EBE TD is an artist whose pain music is helping him gain recognition from fans and peers alike. Now he’s back with his latest single “Lost & N Luv”. Let’s hear him out. As soon as the first few seconds of the song go by, I could do nothing but think that this beat touches on familiar notes of songs past, it feels very drill music like. as if it came from a song that I've heard many times, and even if not directly sampled then maybe a commonly used beat pattern, with quick snapping drums and hard percussive endings. But it's not only that this beat feels and sounds familiar, it's also that it feels safe. Like I would expect him to rap on this beat. I would’ve liked to see EBE TD try something a little more outside his comfort zone. The beat treads down such a beaten path that it makes the track more of a passive listen then something new for the listener to be immediately drawn to. Not every song has to make you feel really happy or really sad, but the great songs do. “This 50 making drummer sounds” “Lost & N Luv" Lost & N Luv stays true to the essence of pain music in that EBE TD tells the story of a lady that betrayed him, but ignoring the signs because of love. EBE TD’s pain comes through as his melodic flow is followed by bursts of lyrical emotion that comes through in lines like this one, "Can't believe I had a cobra, laying right beside me." Contrary to the beat mentioned earlier, it's his delivery that saves the track, at times his voice becomes more prominent than the beat and truly more enjoyable. He also dropped a video to accompany the song, which is as graphic as the bars and follow the songs story of betrayal. One scene plays out like a horror movie where EBE TD's henchmen can be seen holding a power tool as a terrified former love interest awaits her fate. Check it out for yourself. I think the content and lyrics of a great song are there. Let us know what you think of EBE TD’s new song “Lost & N Luv". 
​It's a great time to make great music. That's what people may be failing to understand. When times get hard and people begin to lose hope, music has always been a vessel to carry people through those times. Music has the power of giving light in a time of darkness or creating a call-to-action to the restless. History is passed down through music, and great music continues to make history, it continues to make people feel. Nia Moné is an artist looking to bring that feeling back to music with the release of her new single "Veins". Let's get into just how deep these feelings go. Sonically, this track has inviting instrumentation that feels like very much straight out of a high school prom where the anti-cool students form a band and the lead singer gets the popular girl. The lead guitar immediately asserts its authority on the track while the drums play as right hand man and enforcer of structure. Keeping true to that rock band spirit there are times when the vocalist Moné breaks from singing allowing the instruments to take centerstage as the drum becomes the lifeline of the track. I can literally see the crowd dance as the lead singer runs to kiss the girl and make her cry. Moné paints love as this addictive drug that courses through her veins, her lyrics stating headaches and withdrawals as side effects of this drug, as well as being unable to break this addiction even through the use of other drugs. Her vocal tone has this euphoric feeling that she expresses through numerous runs and repeating lines. As the drug takes it course you hear Moné in waves of emotionally driven highs and lows, in one line stands out is when she says, "you just got here and you're already leaving", this expression withdrawal is amplified as she sings the chorus, which then sends to lead into Moné going on a drug induced trip as the drums mimic a pounding heart that is feeling the effects of the drug. So powerful is this drug that Moné again wakes to sing a powerful wave of chorus driven emotion, which ends in fragmented cooing. By the time we get to the second drum break the drums feel like rhythmic chest compressions fighting to keep Mone alive. Love is a powerful drug! You can't deny great music. That's what Nia Moné's new song "Veins" is. Give it a listen and let us know if you get the same feelings!
You Follow Nia Moné' on social media:
Instagram: @niaxmone Spotify: Nia Moné' YouTube: Nia Moné​ |
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