As an artist I’ve always wondered what famous people did with the art they didn't release to the world. What if Michael Jackson had a better album than Thriller? What if Lauren Hill had a better album than The Miseducation? Jay-Z doesn't write, instead everything comes off the top of the dome. Believe me he has too many great verses to just pick one. But what if he had a better verse that he forgot? These questions do linger, but luckily Steph Simon has answered this question with the release of his new project called "Lost Gems". 

Steph Simon is a hip-hop artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma that has continued to push the culture forward in ways that many would've considered crazy as an idea, he has always had the knack to make those ideas a reality. From throwing the biggest hip-hop festival in the Southwest called DreamLand Festival, to helping 50-plus artists be signed to the prestigious MoTown Records, to creating a hip-hop course curriculum that allows him to work with younger artist in high school and middle school. That's only scratching the surface of his community work. As an artist Steph Simon, has put out multiple projects that have defined the Tulsa sound and encapsulated its history. He's also appeared on numerous songs and has performed on almost every stage in Oklahoma. So, when an artist of this stature says that he has music that didn't make the anticipated album "All Roads Lead to DreamLand". I began to wonder what was he going to do with these unreleased tracks? That's where the album "The Lost Gems" was birthed.

The Lost Gems is a 10-track project that clocks in at only 29 minutes listening time. There are 7 credited featured artists in the project's tracklist. An interesting note about the track list is that out of all the featured artists, there is only 1 Oklahoma artist on the album, and that's Dolo Loco. Furthermore, there are no World Culture Music members featured on this project, which is really unusual, sort of similar to Benny The Butcher dropping an album without one single Griselda member on it. Is it a crime? No. But is it unusual? Yes. But to give context that this is more of a compilation of songs and not a true album gives us a little hope that there may be another World Culture Music album one day. (side note: "What Would Jim Do?" is no longer on streaming)

We also had the pleasure of going to the listening party for the project that was held at Silhouette Sneakers & Art, the same place that Steph shot the video for "Built Different". Let's sit with this a little. A listening party. What exactly is it, and what makes a successful listening party? The answers, in my opinion. First, not everybody is invited. It's not a place for socializing per say, it's a time to get the tastemakers in the room to have a truly transparent interaction with the art. The tastemakers include the bloggers, the newspapers, the podcasters, the publicists, the djs, the radio djs, the club djs, the radio program directors, A&Rs and other music executives. This isn't a time for you to have all the homies, every single rapper in the city, the social media influencer who posts funny videos, the streamer whose content is about gaming, the TikToker that does dances. The former is what will get your music played, and the latter might play you.

The experience is also supposed to be interactive. It should be a two-way interaction where the artist plays the song, but also gives space for feedback, which will also be data for the artist to maybe tweak the album or use for future releases. The listening party is as much for you as much as it is for the tastemakers. They get to listen to music early enough in the hopes that they can craft content for your up-coming releases. They also get to see trends happening real-time. Lastly, this helps tastemakers continue to build trust with their audiences by showing why they are tastemakers and the fact that they get into exclusive rooms and have these VIP experiences that the regular person wouldn't and put their necks out for why the listener should spend their time and money with an artist. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.

The Lost Gems Listening Party. Let's get into it. What made Steph Simon's The Lost Gems Listening Party so memorable is that he is great at storytelling and he's great at performing. Both of these strengths he leaned into by A, telling stories behind the tracks and how they were created, and B, by performing either a verse or a certain part of the song such as the hook acappella, this brung the words to life, and often was like relistening to the song through a different lens I noticed myself catching things I didn't in the first listen. Also this was my first listen to the album, I wanted to go in truely unbiased and be able to experience the album for the first time through a new purely objective perspective. Let's get to the album!

The Album Cover
Some might thing that album covers don't matter anymore, I can assure you that they mean more now than ever and Steph Simon has always been intentional with his. The photo for album cover for "The Lost Gems" is from the DreamLand fundraiser game from March 23, 2025 that was held at the Tulsa Driller's Stadium. This field is important not only to Simon, but to the community. A community that neighborhood kids would use to play games such as football or kickball in, the then empty field. But also, it is believed to be where the bodies of the Black Wall Street Massacre are buried. Now the field is built over by the minor league baseball team's stadium called, Tulsa Drillers Stadium. But on this day that same community reclaimed it for them as they competed in a kickball game with Steph Simon taking the mound as one of the teams' pitchers.

The Interaction
The interaction of the Listening Party started with of course the people, the free food, the free drinks. But also came with the music. dj noname. who set the vibe with a crazy setlist of curated music that only added to the anticipation of hearing the new album, dj noname. continues to be a name that is respected and one that is apart of the Tulsa sound from his musical family linage all the way to the music he is creating now. Another great interaction was the art installation of Simon's lyrics. This is the ultimate form of vulnerability and was basically like reading through his journal where there was the good, the great, and a few diss tracks that the world may never see. 

Let's not forget, the interaction with Merch, this was something I also appreciated. We're literally coming here to support you, the artist, so why not have merch there as a second way for people to support you. That might be exclusive merch or first looks on merch that won't drop until later. Steph Simon did this very well with an assortment of t-shirts, hats, buttons, and stickers. There's only one other artist that I've seen sell merch at their listening party with a more curated feel and that was PG Louie who had a custom candle called "Creed N' Candy" that felt a part of the marketing and vibe of the album. More artists should have merch at their listening parties. And as an independent artist, really you should always have merch on you. The last interaction that really set Steph Simon apart was the fact that he had a Google Form that asked listeners questions specific to each song on the album. such as; What's your overall thought for the specific track? What stood out most about the track?

I encourage you to fill it out the Form and let us know some of your answers:

The Lost Gems Listening Party Form
 
The Music Please
Now let's get to the music. The album started out with Keep Diggin which is motivational and a great starting point for the album. It's Steph Simon in reassurance of his position and the values he's practiced. The featured artist Dometrius, has a soulful voice that becomes sort of an internal conscious for Simon, encouraging him to continue moving like he's moving, because he's so close to hitting gold. I really like the song.

The next song is of course "Built Different" (read our review here). Simon has put on a masterclass when it comes to promoting a single, and continues to push this song like it just came out. The social media impressions and user generated content from the single alone has shown the song's impact, all evidence of a well-executed on the marketing campaign, and also shows that it pays off to stick with a single you truly believe in. But I can't help but to think, it would be a total loss of momentum if this song wasn't also on the "All Roads Lead to DreamLand" anticipated album from Simon. Hopefully, Simon recognizes. It's the radio single, it's the one that gets the listener in the story and anticipating hearing a familiar sound, "Built Different".  Also, the video is sooooo dope! Just watch!

The 3rd track on the album is Fundamentals. The song is as good as the story behind it. Simon had been working on music with the famous West Coast producer Blaqthoven who's worked with every major West Coast hip-hop artist known such as Snoop Dogg and E-40, Kurrupt, even Talib Kweli. And uncle Charlie, yeah that's really his uncle, Charlie Wilson. So as Simon put it, he made a song with Blaqthoven that he wanted to get Das and Kurrupt on, but unfortunately this was the same time that the two were beefing, so it never happened. But God always has a funny way of laughing at your plan because he already had His plan in mind, that was put into motion when Simon did a show in OKC with Jabee and Mistah F.A.B, who is a bay era legend, the result, Fundamentals. What Steph Simon wrote down on paper as a goal had morphed into something that was better than he could've expected, also Simon told how he felt like he is the Mistah F.A.B. of Tulsa, so there were a lot of synergies in these two being on the record together.  

The song itself is a call back to getting back to the fundamentals of hip-hop, of which Simon has always been a student of. Simon raps about pushing back against the algorithm and getting back to making good music. Mistah F.A.B. is back to the fundamentals of bars and lyrics and regional sound. One of my favorite bars from the album is when Simon raps, "Probably catch me posted by that Mid-K, I think's that's why so many rappers out here dropping mid-tapes". It explains the fact that music back in the day had to be good, because in order to sell your music, people had to like it. Now all artists have to do is to come up with one catchy bar, or one hook, and you can get millions of streams from a TikTok. But chasing that one viral moment has come at the cost of good music and lots of horrible music. Or even worse, music that you only know that one viral part. You might as well create jingles if your goal is to go viral. Because to make real music that lasts, you need the Fundamentals!

If you're familiar with Simon's music than you know that the Black dollar has always been a part of his messaging and this tape was no exception. Big Fish is a track that promotes the black dollar circulating amongst the community and showing that everyone can eat, even a Big Fish in what others may consider a small pond. The featured artist AJ Snow talks about taking risks for a bigger profit as well as investing. Steph Simon's has always been a quarterback of the DIY movement, so when he mentions Jeff Blake, it was the perfect comparison, Blake was a an Black quarterback who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, and has the record 92-yard touchdown pass in a Pro Bowl game, while Simon has been throwing hail mary passes his whole career, and scoring more often than not. The last feature on the track is Jayson Cash another California artist who had a great line about realizing that his first time he flew out of LA was actually a connecting flight in OKC, the world is truly that small, especially to a Big Fish.

If you're from Tulsa, then you immediately recognize the early 2000s Tulsa sound that comes from the track T.A.N. the acronym stands for "Tulsa Ass Nigga". The song pays homage to that Tulsa era where artists had a certain draw in the way the said things, the shops that people used to shop at, such as Big T's, and the accessories that was work, such as hoop earrings or basket earrings, Jordans, and the iconic Herringbone chain. Also, the rodeo culture that people didn't run from, they ran to, many putting the rodeo culture in their music as well. Simon also chose not to have the track mixed and mastered as to stay true to that Tulsa sound, he noted the nasally Tulsa flow that he even incorporated into his verse. Not to mention the featured artist that is so Tulsa, Dolo Loco. He lets you know all that comes with being a T.A.N. "On Me". 

Nothing New is a track produced by long time Tulsa producer Papa. During the listening party Simon mentioned that he draws comparisons to LaRussell, but also he says he's like E-40 because at the point that he entered the rap game it was going through a pivotal shift, social media had yet to be created, so for him, his timeline gets lost with many people approaching him as a new independent artist without knowing that he's been grinding for years. He also mentions this as one of his favorite songs on the album which I can see why. It's real talk and real flexing, or as he says, "I ain't on these murals for no reason".

 You might remember Lil Wayne and Drake had a song called BB King, Simon's bodies the beat just as much with storytelling and metaphors that punch through each bar. "Line it up like a Keezy Kut". Simon continues to immortalize his homies in his bars and takes listeners on a journey through his lens. He just wants his blues like BB King. Also, I have to mention that you know you're important to the culture when rap juggernauts Jabee and Chris "The God Mc" Cain pull up. It was like 3 Kings, truly a moment for hip-hop!

Time For A Hard Truth...... The track Tell Me. I'm not the fan of. It's a love song that felt forced. The vocalist's performance on the track could have been stronger. It felt more like an in the shower performance than a man singing about love. The energy was so low and mundane. It's missing the passion. I think it's Steph's own vocal presence and lyrics that literally saves the track. I would like to see the singer either redo the vocals or bring in a stronger singer using this as a reference track.

Think of Some Ways is a track that signifies that Simon has figured out how to tie all of his entities into a self-sufficient machine rather than stand-alone businesses that he hustles continuously to keep going. His anchor begins with the DreamLand Festival that helps gather funds to help grow the other entities such as TMC Records and other school programming. It's also a realization that he is similar to the hip-hop pioneers like KRS One, that will open the doors for the kids to make millions even if that means he might not fully see the millions himself. He will help the kid in Monroe that will be able to see his vision through, that's legacy. And within that, like JAy-Z said, "I’m over charging niggas for what they did to the Cold Crush". This song is Rapanomics!

Gotta Eat is the last track on the album. Steph Simon sounds hungry on this track, the youngins would say he's rapping like the rents due. But he has already said the rent's paid. Simon mentioned the track was written while riding the Blue Line train in Santa Monica, it would be there that he would ride bikes on the beach. It was also on this train ride that Simon saw a naked man, and that's when he had the sobering thought that life ain’t bad. Also, it was on this hour-long train ride that he actually wrote the song to 4 different beats, before choosing this one produced by Blaqthoven. My interpretation of the production is that it's really busy, it's hard at times to track where to anchor your ear to because of the competing vocals, instruments, and tempos. As crazy as Kanye is, he's good at stripping beats down and finding places for emotion over drum patterns. I wanted more of that emotion to come through on this track. The lyrics are there; the emotions aren't.

To throw a listening party means that you have to have a few different elements. The right people, the right interactions, and the right equipment. I think Silhouette is a great place, but I did find that even sitting close to the speakers that it was at times hard to make out the lyrics. Bass is important, but it's more important during a listening party to be able to hear the lyrics. I think that could've been executed better.  There was lots of great activations. But also I would've liked to see a few more djs and radio personnel there. But this may just be a practice run before the real album drops. I think the Google form was genius, not only are you collecting feedback but you're also collecting another contact point that is outside of the social media machines. Direct to customer. That's the answer. The final goal is to get people to listen to the album, and from everyone I polled they did. The last goal is to get those people to create content to get people to listen to the album. That's what this is. So, mission accomplished. That's what makes a good listening party. 

I do suggest that you listen to The Lost Gems. It's a great album.  And it's streaming everywhere!

I also encourage you to fill out the form. 

​The Lost Gems Listening Party Form​

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)

1. Keezy Kuts - Purple Tape 3 Intro
2. SGA scoring 1st quarter
3. Barry Bonds - by Jimmy Season
4. Ballionaires - by Neva Beena Rookie
5. Doodie Thunder in 5 Skit
6. Bang Dat - by Bambi
7. Test Drive - by Donny Vinn
8. Like A Villain - by Kahmencents
9. Meat Hooks - by Bafol One ft. Theologic
10. F.M.B. - by Cortney Lachelle 
11. SGA Before The Half
12. Who Harder - by Lily Auset
13. Tableside Origami - by Jay The Icon ft. Joey Organic x HoodieLando [Prod By dj noname.]
14. In Stereo - by GPSxy
15. MENTAL HEALTH DREAM - by SP@D3Z
16. No Team - by CriZzley
17. Stay Riding High - by GOLDIELXCS ft. Themes
18. Know My Name - by YLL Willie G ft. Flexionar Joven
19. 1 OF O.D. Slowed Dine Intro
20. Sphere - by DialTone (Slowed Dine x 1 OF O.D.)
21. Ballin' Like This (Interlude) - by Keeng Cut ( Slowed Dine x 1 OF O.D.)
22. Built Different - by Steph Simon (Slowed Dine x 1 OF O.D.)
23. SGA Championship Speech
24. Doodie OKC Thunder Parade Skit
25. Keezy Kuts - Purple Tape 3 Outro

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. 

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!

Make sure you follow Steph Simon on social media:

Instagram: @stephxsimon
YouTube: Steph Simon
Spotify: Steph Simon

Follow Phil Sosa on social media:

Instagram: @philsosa23
Spotify: Phil Sosa
YouTube: Phil So
​

​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:​

Follow EBE TD on social media:

Instagram: @ebethedonofficial
YouTube: EBE The Don
Spotify: EBE TD 

There are a lotta steps on your way to greatness. For some that means the path is straight forward, while for others that might mean a few twists and turns. No matter how fast you get there, the journey will be just as enjoyable as the destination. Theologic proves this on his recently released track called "Stepping Stone", an audible journey on his way to greatness. Let's take a listen.

The beat starts off with this slow playing guitar that literally leads the listener like a steppingstone to the next bar. But by the 2nd bar it's full hip-hop, the beatboxing, then the record scratching, and of course you've gotta have a kick drum and snare, these are all the elements of a hip-hop track. Who would've thunk that Theologic was also the mastermind behind this crazy beat that is emphatically inspired by the early boom-bap hip-hop production. Theologic is a student, and this is just one of the many lessons he shares with his listeners.

Theologic keeps true to the very hip-hop style by being very technical in his delivery and chopping words very much like hip-hop's early pioneers while also being very crafty with his wordplay by stringing together tongue-twisting bars. Ironically Eminem also has a song called "Stepping Stone" off his Kamikaze album by which Theologic pays homage to the legend by including a line from his hit single Lose Yourself. One thing that could've been executed a little better was the ending chorus/bridge. I realize with this song he's showcasing his lyrical skill, but a chorus can also be the difference between someone being good at rapping and someone who makes great songs. When he starts serenading the listener it gives the track more of a folk-lore type of feel. This is where sometimes doing everything isn't the answer, I would've liked to see him outsource this to possibly a female vocalist to counterbalance his hard-hitting bars and delivery. 

The song is good. There's a lot of elements of hip-hop and technical rap skill in this track. It has a very creative execution that keeps you engaged, and I can truly say that it's very unique. Go listen to Theologic's new track "Stepping Stone" for yourself and let us know what you think!

Follow the Theologic on social media:

Instagram: @akatheologic
Spotify: Robert Roland tha Theologian / Theologic
​YouTube: ​Robert Roland tha Theologian / Theologic

In all my years listening to rap music I have never heard anyone flip the song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", the hit single from Cyndi Lauper. It seems like the furthest sound from any hip-hop producer's record collection, and they would never even consider sampling it, but that's just what happened with Jay The Icon's new single "123" featuring 130 DollaSign. And I have to say, that I'm not mad at it. The sample itself exudes a fun bright upbeat feeling, which is further amplified by the synth chords and supporting clap. I would've liked to see the beat a little more stripped down, there are times when listening to the production where it becomes too busy, one example of this is when the chorus where the words get lost in the instruments added to the production. Not terrible, but room for improvement.

Jay The Icon starts off the track with the chorus using the age old adage, "1 for the money, 2 for the show", but after that Icon puts his own twist on the saying using 5,6 to talk about his height while also continuing the sequence of counting. Icon has a great pen and is able to go from bar to bar with ease, I think in that though, I would like to see him leave room for the track to breathe, so that not only the listeners aren't overstimulated but also help put more emphasis on the bars. Jay-Z learned this lesson early in his career when his flow switched to from a fast-passed technical to a now more strategic and substance driven. As an artist there can be a tricky balance between showing skill and entertaining, Icon can do both, and he still does entertain in the verse with some really clever lines. One line in particular I liked was, "thinking you're that nigga, you're an extra off GTA".  That's a hard dose of reality. I had to laugh at that one.

The other featured artist on the track is 130 DollaSign. His flow immediately reminds me of a Lil B where his words aren't exactly on beat, but surprisingly it actually sounds good, and because of that he really shines on this track and is able to deliver on not only flow but also his bars. An example of this is in the line, "I've been making plays like I'm Popovich", not too many rappers can put Popovich in a rap. As he continues to rap he switches gears to a faster flow and begins to speed thru the rest of his verse fitting in multiple metaphors in a short amount of time. I worry they may get lost on a listener who isn't actively listening, but maybe that's what the second listen is. 130 DollaSign is definitely now on my radar.

All-in-all, this is a fun song that has some really good raps in it. Give this a listen and let us know what you think about Jay The Icon featuring 130 DollaSign in their new single "123".

Follow both artist on social media:

Jay The Icon Instagram: @officialjaytheicon
Jay The Icon Spotify: Jay The Icon

130 DollaSign Instagram: iam130DollaSign
130 DollaSign Spotify: 130 DollaSign

D'Angelo his art was so impactful that with only 3 studio albums he was able to define a sound that would be the soundtrack for so many. It's something about hearing his tracks that unlocks your soul. DeCook is an artist from Desoto, Texas who is looking to recreate this soulful feeling with a little bit of Texas with his new single Dangelo.

The production starts off with the familiar chords from D'Angelo's "My Lady" combined with the track's backing vocals of D'Angelo singing "My Lady" but sounds more pitched up than the original tracks. This familiarity grounds the track for listers, but also producer XtraFlyMusic added his own twist to the track that created new territory for listeners to explore. The beat seems to compete at times with the high-pitched up-tempo vocals which are then anchored by the original tracks familiar chords. Also, the use of the kick drum and snare give it a very hip-hop texture. This lays the runway for De Cook's words to take off.

De Cook masterfully cooks on this by not wasting anytime on a beat that's already preheated in familiarity. "I don't see nothing coming in between us but this interface", this is just one example of his vivid bars that paints the picture of the relationship and activities that De Cook raps about. He has a presence on the track that gives credibility to the bars, he's speaking from experience and not artistic liberties that are sometimes put in raps. "I crossed the gunline just to get them panties", not only is it connecting the previous bar of "I the papi", but it also tells that he's going to great lengths such as going into rival neighborhoods for a woman he is entertaining. Lastly is the chorus, it has this one distinctive part that sticks out when he says, "She think that we in Miami, we in Dallas", this bar alludes to the fact that De Cook is able to show his lady the finer things that Dallas has to offer. 

The track is rooted in nostalgia with a Texas feel. Make sure you give "Deanglo" by De Cook a listen.

​Follow De Cook on social media:

Instagram: @desoto_cook
Spotify: De Cook
YouTube: Desoto Cook