Hurricanes, Floods, Genocides, and Fires. It’s safe to say that if this is just January, then we’re in for a hell of a ride. People are just now getting over everything that happened in 2024. Then the TikTok ban. What else can happen in 2025 that already hasn’t? It's a world of uncertainty with bad news after bad news. The world needs something to look forward to. Something to dance to, something to get their minds off this godforsaken planet. AP=Chem is doing just that with the release of their EP Imed=3. AP=Chem is a collective of two collaborating songwriters from Oklahoma City. Anthony Mahon, who also was in the band "The Gentle Art of Floating". And Eric Gorman, who also was a band member of "The Gentle Art of Floating" and also the band "Trap Queen". They describe their music as Inexplicable Modern Existential Dread. They have released multiple singles as well as their two EPs "Imed=1 and "Imed=2". Get to know the band that's changing the way we experience music. Right out the gate, track one, The Golden Path takes you on this journey. It's the beat that grabs hold of you with its infectious high-energy. This eclectic guitar that just takes control of the beat, and the hard-hitting drum and high hats, the crash cymbals that give it that rock band feel. This is my Guitar Hero. A monotonic voice plays in the background sounding as if he’s doing some lecture that is luckily being drowned out by the music. The only thing that can save us from the politics and the classes. And although the voice tries to break through, its the music that grows louder and takes control. Because the music is the people! Slick Black Pools, that’s a hell of a title, and it's a hell of a track. Its electric guitar is bold and in your face. It takes me back to those early ‘80s Retro movies like "Weird Science" or "Nerds”, especially the talent show scene. Classic! I caught myself multiple times just bopping my head and just moving to the beat. That sensational retro 80s club music where everybody was doing coke. The synth machine is the star of the show as it gets its spotlight moment and produces these edgy experimental sounds combined with the drum pad machine, this sounds like some expensive equipment. Another noticable part of the song is the airy voice singing, but rather than singing a verse or chorus the voice wades in the background like an instrument that blends into the beat. This song is arranged beautifully. Track 3’s title breaks the rules of traditional spelling, Lumme which is a phonetic way of spelling the words ‘love me ', it feels like this hip-hop boom bap beat mixed with a melodic voice that repeats, “She don't love me.” This is more like a traditional vocal song complete with verses and a chorus. The track keeps you engaged with the different vocal effects such as the vocal filter that makes the voice sound like he’s yelling through a phone. Love will make you do that. Other times the voice sounds like it’s in a slow drug induced state that’s reminiscing about a relationship. Love will make you do that too. The EP takes a hardcore shift when it gets to the 4th track called, One Week in Japan. which is on par since Japan has a huge punk rock scene. Tokyo's iconic punk venues like Antiknock in Shinjuku, Earthdom in Shin-Okubo, or even Osaka with its own set of legendary punk venues, such as Fandango and King Cobra. This track fits perfectly in the Japanese punk rock scene. That guitar gives the track this dark eerie feeling, walking on the beat like Micheal Myers walking with a knife or maybe a samurai sword. This track is perfect for an anime intro. There’s this sheer gritty-rawness and one of my favorite parts is where they just rock out, and how it then transitions to this hard-hitting kick drum. This is one of those trips only the best of chemists could create. The last track on the EP is “We Loved a Lifetime’s Worth”. It feels like this ultimate crescendo of sounds as this piano and staticky bass hold its elongated notes, mix that with a crying guitar and you've got yourself a soundtrack. The synthesizer comes in like an 8-bit Zelda mission and creates this hero effect. Or maybe it’s this album that is the Hero. Each bar is taking you through the hero's journey that ultimately ends with nothing short of triumph. Let the end credits roll. Because this is the way you end an album. It’s only January. The world has seen so much. But what’s gonna get us through this year is being free, and that’s what AP=Chem is showing us with their new EP Imed=3. It’s a freedom to not be bound by anyone’s expectations. You can do rock, you can do rap. You can take everything you love and create a something that’s for the people, because Imed=3 is for the people. The feeling that you get from this album can not be faked or made with AI, it's a music that can only be created through feeling and experiencing. That's what this album is. So, dance, laugh, and love for a lifetime. Because this is what the world needs now more than ever. Make sure you stream the EP Imed=3 from AP=Chem and let us know what you think. Make sure you follow AP=Chem on their social media: Instagram: @apchemband Facebook: AP=Chem Spotify: AP=Chem YouTube: AP=Chem BandCamp: AP=Chem SoundCloud: AP=Chem
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 I'm not a producer. But I am an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit. I've always chosen to be a writer, from those early days of printing off lyrics at the Rudisill Library to writing 10 page essays the day before they were due. We talking about high school and college papers, and I got an A. But that's enough writer flexing. There was a small period of time where I was also a producer. When I was in the 7th grade, my mom had got me a PlayStation 1, and I had purchased a demo disk with 9 free games that played the demo version of games. This particular disk had a game called "MTV Music Generator". It was the first time I had been able to produce. My first studio. And I had beats. But I also realized I didn't have the patience to sit and listen to a metronome while I looked for the perfect sounds. I wanted the finished beat now. Fast forward years later and the Stem Player by Kanye West is just that. It’s the finished product that allows you to re-finish/re-make the song the way you want it to. The Stem Player is an audio remix device by Kanye West. What can’t Ye do? Well, it's not all Kanye West who built this device, actually it was a collaboration with Swedish company Teenage Engineering. Their minimalistic and often retro modular style has built a reputation on quality, innovation, and looking damn good doing it.
The late Vigil Abloh first introduced Kanye to this company that was revolutionizing studio equipment. But like I said, I'm not a producer. But the Stem Player changed that. Stems. Stems are defined as a type of audio file that breaks down a complete track into individual mixes. This allows you, as a creator, to control each of the particular mixes for your production. Stems tend to break down into four tracks, usually covering the melody, instruments, bass, and drums. The Stem Player appeared with Kanye doing a concert, then an interview with Big Boy but never was generally available, that's until some YouTubers found a closet with thousands of them and some Grammy’s in a storage locker in Hollywood. The plot thickens..... So I copped one. My first impression is this thing is small, but it’s tight as hell. Its design is small and sleek and retro, with a modular feel as it incorporates manual sliders for you to manipulate the different stems. The buttons have the feel of Steve Jobs first iPhone where even the smallest detail had a quality feel to it and was initiative. The side rocker is one of those features that ergonomically feels good and smooth when you use it. The only other comparison is the Orbo and the Kano player which we will talk about in another session. Let’s get back to this version. Don’t let the Stem Player’s small form factor fool you. This device packs a punch and is louder than I thought it would be. Like I couldn’t believe how loud it got. Also it's not just loud, it also has really quality sound. The device literally fits in the palm of your hand and can be used with just one hand. But I’m ambidextrous with this device and I like using it with both hands. I turned it on. That’s when the magic began. And even though it only you can only play one album on it, Kanye's Jesus Is King, I found out that the album is actually fire... when I make it. I say this because I feel like some of the tracks are overproduced. I found myself turning down certain stems during playback. Maybe it was removing certain sounds altogether, maybe it was speeding up certain parts, or looping parts of a song. For the first time I got to be better than Ye at making music. Did I mention that it didn't come with any instructions! But to my luck the internet has all the answers including some videos to show you everything you need to know.  One example is on the track “Use This Gospel”. Crazy song with The Clipse and Kenny G. But the one thing I would didn’t like about it was that it felt overproduced. When I removed the dinging metronome like sound it sounded perfect. And when I isolated Malice’s stems it felt like The Gospel. This song also made me learn about the power of loops as I created a simple loop at the end with part that repeats “Work”, I could create a whole song off just this looped bar. And this is just in the simple mode. You heard that right, there’s more than 1 mode, actually there’s 4. Simple, Advanced, Simple Midi, and Advanced Midi. Also it has Bluetooth!!! Yep. No display but Bluetooth pairing capabilities. This little device? Yes, in this little device. Advanced mode, which is the second mode, takes all the things from Simple mode and puts them on steroids. The grey function button is everything in this mode. One of the cool things is that the buttons at the bottom when pressed with the function button actually have 4 different effects, and those 4 effects have 4 modes of their own. You have the filter, the chorus delay, distortion, and gate distortion (which is the only function you can do in simple mode.). It's like you can do everything you can in simple mode, but more. The isolation of loops and able to make them longer and shorter. All this in one simple device. My final thoughts would be that this is a revolutionary product. In an age of streaming where artists are getting pennies or nothing if you're a smaller artist, this device has the ability to create money and create a unique experience for the fans. Some people didn't like the $160-$200 price tag, put when you look at the price of the iPod when it first came out, it was $399. So this is even cheaper than that and does more. Obviously, this is for the super Kanye West fan, or the Tech Music fan, but I imagine this would be a way artists can take charge and drop something cool that is another price point item in their catalog. This device also brings back listening to albums. It forces you to sit with an album and it also added to the replay value of the album. In a world of streaming, this device forced you to listen to tracks over and over and the fact there is not a way to directly select a track and that you had to cycle through the album each time made me listen to tracks I never would’ve. I was going through parts thinking this would be a nice part to loop, or what if I isolated Ye’s voice on this track? So long answer yes, I say if you won't go into debt, then buy it. Here's the video that probably helped me out the most.  There’s been a video circling around the internet of rapper Richie Rich doing an interview on Sway’s podcast. What’s interesting about this episode is that Richie Rich tells how the industry is all about payola and that Lyor Cohen had told him that this was the reason why his record went number 1. Lyor even went as far as to say that because of payola he could have Rich’s grandma the number 1 artist in six months. This led me to think about LiAngelo Ball’s viral song “Tweaker”. Who is LiAngelo Ball? Some might say a mediocre basketball player who was promoted and marketed to the point that he made the NBA. But in actuality he only played 2 seasons for the G League Hornets team before moving to the Mexico’s Astros de Jalisco. He’s the middle child between Bulls guard Lonzo and Hornets guard LaMelo who both seem to be talented. Now LiAngelo wants people to know him by his new rap name G3 Gelo. Whatever you call him is up to you. ‘Tweaker’. Let’s be real here. The first play makes this sound like a blast from the early 2000s. It’s sound is dated that at best is a meme or funny background music. The song doesn’t sound mixed or mastered and times just has this unpleasing busyness to it, like I can’t concentrate because there are too many stacked layers. Usually I like a raw, gritty, unmixed track, but this one is bad. G3 Gelo also doesn’t really show any rap skills on the track. There are bars that are subpar and downright puzzling like, “Rest my Glock against her fuckin' waist, I got some pottery”. What the Hell are you talking about? What the song does have going for it is the catchy chorus, and melodies, like when he says “woooaaahhh, woaaaahhh,.” it brings you back to that New Orleans Cash Money vernacular that everyone was saying. I would say the best line of the song happens to be the last line “But I'ma keep it real, she lost respect when you said, "Follow me", "me”. This is just an OK literal bar, but like I said, I'm pretty much grasping for straws looking for something to like about this song. Lastly the song ends with this weird crescendo and 3 seconds of silence. This is your champion??? Hit songs are born by unnamed artists all the time, right? Not exactly. Most hits songs come from familiar people with a fanbase, Tweaker is LiAngelo's first published song. Also, his brother Lonzo is credited as a co-writer of the song, which is a no-no in rap. This song definitely isn’t “They Not Like Us”. But how did it get so big? PAYOLA!!!!! Payola is technically illegal. But this is America, and the lines get blurred pretty quick. The only time something would go this viral from a mediocre song is because of Payola. Payola happens when artists pay to get their music played. This line might get blurred because the way people market and promote songs aren’t necessarily only on radio these days. Enter the power of the influencers. Streamers like Kai Cenat with millions of fans, 'allegedly' were paid to play 'Tweaker'. Also, enter the fact that G3 Gelo has two brothers in the NBA that have lots of connects, and you get the new payola. So it's probably not a coincidence that basketball stars like LeBron James or Damien Lillard SOCIAL CURREN$Y. The cool factor that you get when you’re an athlete, rapper, streamer, or social media influencer. It’s with this social curren$y that is taking Tweaker to have millions of streams on Spotify. Add TikTok dancers and boom! A hit. And the industry fell for it. First, Rolling Loud, who announced that G3 Gelo will be performing on their Rolling Loud California stage on March 1. An new artist with just 1 hit song gets to perform in front of one of the biggest rap crowds? 1 song? REALLLYYY? He's never performed before but he gets to hit the biggest stage. Then there is Def Jam who has reportedly signed him to a record deal (including his own label) worth as much as $13 million, with 8 million upfront guaranteed. An artist with 1 song gets 13 million at a time when all the record labels are dying and downsizing. A&R's are clearly grasping at straws trying to make a star out of anybody, but in opinion, anybody but G3 Gelo. But I hope they get what the paid for. "woaahhhh". The real artists that have put in work and have done open mics with 10 people in the crowd, these are the artists who may never get an opportunity. These are the ones who deserve it more than anyone. The capitalist system that hip-hop has become has made it so that the real talent gets pushed to the side, while anyone with enough social curren$y can have all the opportunities and the riches. But who knows, maybe G3 Gelo will get better and sharpen his skills. and truly learn the craft that has saved so many lives. But until then I guess everyone will just " might swerve, bend that corner, woah" If you feel like you still need to listen to the song or watch the video. Here you go: 
Mike JC has been working. It’s the first of the year and he’s in the studio. Ya'll remember his singles “Higher” and “Ion got free time”? Well, 2024 was the Introduction. So, 2025 is the dedication. He’s showing the game that he’s dedicated to the art that we call hip-hop and just like his streams, he's going up! Look no further than with the release of his new single “Running”. Mike JC is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has a growing following. He’s also a supporter of the culture who pops out to numerous events and local businesses. And last but not least, is that Mike JC is a cannabis activist, his Instagram page shows videos and pictures of only the stickiest of the ickiest, so it’s no wonder that his music would emulate his life. Let’s get to the music. This beat. We gotta talk about this first. I don’t know if Mike JC called Juicy J, but this one. It has this high energy and hard-hitting bass that reminds me of 3 Six Mafia. I’m literally waiting for one of Juicy J’s iconic ad-libs to come blaring through the speakers. But you know I’m a student, so when I did a little reading, I found that producer G3NO was the one who deserves all the praise. The fellow Tulsa artist/producer has credits with Juke21, Phil Sosa, and the late 4Chianno. Basically, he is the producer people come to when they need a hit. Let’s get to the good part. The lyrics. This track has plenty of good ones. But let’s take a step back. The concept of the song, Running. Mike JC puts a spin on it in a way that is not what you think running is. Running in this song is more like when Wayne said, “I hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave.” But it’s more than that because Mike JC raps about his woman’s hustle and how he sees a side of her that she doesn’t show just anybody, also how he likes to have deep conversations with her. He bagged a good one. My favoite line from the song is, "I hate to see her leave, but I love it when she cummin, so every time she go, it feels like she runnin'." And the best of all its a line he repeats throughout the song. But also, let’s not forget his delivery. He stays on top of the track and finds these pockets that emphasize his words. Mike JC is rappin! You gotta respect a woman that hustles and that’s just what Mike JC does, he respects his woman’s hustle while also honoring her and making sure she’s satisfied. And the beat is crazzzzyyy!!! Like we said earlier, this is the year of dedication, and Mike JC is showing just how dedicated he is with Running, an ode to a once in a lifetime woman, Mike JC found a real one and isn’t afraid to tell the world, kind of how Fabolous went on that run where he made a lot of love songs and Fabolous is one of the most respected rappers out there, and Mike JC is well on his way to cementing his legacy. Until then, stream "Running". Make sure you listen to "Running" by Mike JC. Checkout the track below: |
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