One of the all-time talented West Coast lyricists Ras Kass has teamed up with Australian rappers Alerts and Simplex on the new single “The Vortex” filmed across Los Angles and Brisbane in Australia’s northeast. The near 4-minute single has long been in the works and delayed by COVID-19 travel restrictions, with film production companies No.One Network and Revolving Productions seamlessly overcoming the physical distance barriers to provide a quality product of the highest order befitting of the lyrical content – watch below.
The new single finishes off in some respects Ras Kass’s recent debut tour of Australia’s East Coast in which he was supported nationally by rising Australian rapper Alerts prior to the global pandemic that has meant all major international tours are on hold for now. This first natural collaboration between these three extends itself to potentially not being the last time we see them together on a track carrying on with that classic boom-bap flavor that has gone well and truly international. A new and exciting chapter for the legendary Ras Kass, proving his influence as one of hip hop’s greats knows no real boundaries. “The Vortex” is out now.
Off the back of two sold-out shows in Sydney and the 2020 J Award for Best Australian Music Video Of The Year overnight, ascendant Bowraville-born rapper Tasman Keith today shares his latest single, ‘CONFIDENT’, and announces the forthcoming release of his debut mixtape To Whom It May Concern due this year.
Muscular and minimal, ‘CONFIDENT’ leans into the trunk-rattling, bare-bones style of previous single ‘BILLY BAD AGAIN’. With twisted, nocturnal synths, skittish percussion, and a late beat switch leading to a raucous, half-time climax, ‘CONFIDENT’ is not the first time Keith’s music can compare to Kendrick Lamar’s. What makes the comparison all the more apparent is Tasman’s finely-tuned craft; a flow that moves between leisurely, unapologetic aplomb and razor-sharp lucidity, oozing tenacity, perseverance, and an elemental self-assuredness no matter which gear he’s operating in. The result is goosebump inducing furore.
“Over the three verses in this song, I’m speaking to three different things,”Tasman shares. “In the first verse, I’m speaking on the confidence within myself. The second is me showing my confidence to the suits in the industry, and the third is showing it to racists/bigots. The third verse is also a moment where all three things are addressed in one verse.”
2020 has seen Tasman’s profile continue to rise through collaborations and guest features, appearing on Jimmy Nice’s ‘Same Water’, Northern Territory producer Kuya James’ powerful single ‘No Country’, including its own stripped-back version ‘No Country (Piano In F Minor)‘, and alongside Jessica Mauboy on ‘First Nation’, the second single lifted from The Makarrata Project, Midnight Oil’s first studio album in over 18 years. Tasman capped yet another banner year with his debut TV performance twice on the second season of The ABC‘s live music series, The Sound.
Despite ‘CONFIDENT‘ being only his second solo release of the year this far, Tasman Keith continues to live up to its title – and then some. ‘CONFIDENT’ by Tasman Keith is out now, buy/stream it here. To Whom It May Concern Mixtape out Dec 11.
The latest video from Juice WRLD’s posthumous album, Legends Never Die has been released. The visual for “Come & Go” by Juice WRLD and Marshmello, directed, shot and edited by Steve Cannon, is out now. The highly anticipated new album Legends Never Die is available now (Grade A / Interscope Records).
This week also brought a special commemorative collaboration with gaming organization FaZe Clan. FaZe Adapt and many members of FaZe were close friends with Juice WRLD and the Grade A team sharing a common love for video games and paintball. Marked by a tribute game of “Team 999 vs Team FaZe Clan” last week, the limited-edition collection is available at www.juicewrldxfazeclan.com
In April, Juice’s mother Carmela Wallace announced the establishment of the Live Free 999 Fund, which will receive additional support via Grade A and Interscope Records. The Live Free 999 Fund will honor the legacy of her son by supporting young people in their battles and to do so with love, joy, and emotional honesty. For more information on the Live Free 999 Fund see HERE.
Social Change have been a fixture of the Adelaide Hip Hop scene for over a decade now, working closely with producer Funkwig, SC have released projects such as The V High EP, The Phat Tape and the Coming Through EP.
Internationally, Social Change have collaborated with the likes of Del The Funky Homosapien, Inkswel, Pugs Atoms, Blu, and countless other Hip Hop heavyweights and have showcased some of these collabs on the ‘Change Got Collabs Mixtape‘ available exclusively via bandcamp.
Their latest track titled ‘Top 5’ marks the next journey in the SC legacy, swift raps backed by ‘bang it in ya jeep’ beats from Funkwig. It also begs the question, who is in your Top 5?
Freesouls deliver yet another blow with the brand new music video from their recent single ‘Living Legend’. The film clip welcomes you into their South-West Sydney lifestyle when good times are ever present. Light hearted, homegrown and vibe friendly, Freesouls stay true to their music as it pays homage to their friends and family.
The video orchestrates that feeling you get when you just want to kiss your mum and say thanks after 3 beers. Dancing for a good time, drinking with your mates and getting up to date with happiness. Something we can all agree we have missed more than anything. The clip highlights what we are so eager to be a part of once again, making it so relatable.
From the moment it launches, you are instantly drawn in by the melodic hook that quickly paints a picture of gratitude of which is the group’s intention with ‘Living Legend“. World class production combined with varied but effortless vocals, makes for a great visual and a wave of nostalgia.
Living Legend is a special release for us as it’s an ode to those who have shared this journey with us from the beginning. Our family and day 1’s have been our biggest support.”
Freesouls
With proven versatility as a collective, together with their live show and recorded content, we are reminded that Freesouls are a group in love with their art and it’s hard to not get excited about the trajectory they are on, and with a debut EP slated for late this year, ‘Living Legend’ presents itself as the perfect breakthrough.
Jonathan Stewart aka DJ Skarface has just released our DJ Mix Of The Week. Titled ‘Rage The Jewels’, Skarface has taken vocals from a selection of Rage Against The Machine tracks and mashed them over beats by Run The Jewels.
Originally this mixtape was made as a response the Rage Against The Machine/Run The Jewels tour announcement, not as a response to the events of the past few weeks. Having said that, there is no better time for DJ Skarface to have dropped this one.
I’m not equipped to speak on the matters at hand but DJ’ing and music have always done a good job of expressing how I feel”.
DJ Skarface
Having received a co-sign from el-p on Twitter, there’s no better tick of approval on that one. Spin the mix above and grab a download whilst you’re at.
Right after summer officially hits, 6LACK (LVRN/Interscope Records) serves up his newest EP 6 PC HOT for the world. It features production from Timbaland, Fwdslxsh, Gravez, STWO, and more as well as one guest feature from Lil Baby. Aside from the music, he has a lot of news to announce as well.
Fans can enter an augmented reality chicken shop pictured on the EP cover via Instagram to view merch, including the hot sauce, tied to the project. It can be found by searching “6pc hot” in the IG filter search menu. A link to the filter is available HERE (to be opened on a phone). Once selected, a 3D shop will launch through the camera to share pictures and videos. The AR shop was created by Jackie Carlise, a 3D motion designer who recently graduated from School of The Art institute of Chicago. She created it using the Spark AR platform.
6LACK is running a number of special activations across both Atlanta and Los Angles. 6LACK also showed love to Australia by working with Butter who delivered custom orders of 6 hot wings. The first 70 fans (35 per store) received a special t-shirt. This box contained 6 of BUTTER’s crispy fried chicken wings covered in a one off hot sauce curated by their exec chef Julian Cincotta.
In addition to local fans in different parts of the world, 6LACK is looking to help aspiring Black entrepreneurs by presenting a handful of them with 6LACKCARDS. These will be Amazon gift cards to purchase any equipment and supplies to help get their dreams off the ground.
After 6LACK collected over 25K addresses in under an hour through his 6LACKBOX “6PC Scratch and Win” folder, he sent fans a classic scratch off lottery-styled ticket which they should receive this week. It reveals the tracklist to the EP, the date of release, and the chance to be one of the select few to win physical prizes.
The 6LACKBOX has also been updated with resources like voter registration tools and a contact sheet for Black businesses. A Black author history reading list and access to social justice reform information and participating organizations will also soon be available. 6LACKBOX was announced alongside his open letter to his fans regarding the social unrest stemming from the murders of innocent Black men and women. Inside the 6LACKBOX, you’ll find snippets of unreleased music, the East Atlanta Love Letter movie that he premiered at his album release event at Starlight Drive-In Theatre in East Atlanta, never before seen photos, and more. It will also contain some content leading up to his upcoming third studio album.
For those who still have cookouts to prepare for during the warmer months or also need a new hot sauce for the collection, 6LACK will be releasing his own hot sauce brand “600 Degrees.” It’ll be the perfect addition to your own 6 pieces of wings as you listen to the new project.
Hailing from South-West Sydney, Freesouls have been carving out their lane with a track record of consistent releases since their debut in 2018. The trio of diverse and hugely adept artists each bring an individual talent that combined with a dedication to their craft, has seen them garner the support of the national hip hop community in such a short amount of time.
When thinking about the finest acts in this genre, Freesouls are now placing themselves right at the forefront of the conversation with their first single of 2020 “Living Legend” and thus propelling them into the ranks of the track’s title.
From the moment it launches, you are instantly drawn in by the melodic hook that quickly paints a picture of gratitude of which is the groups intention with ‘Living Legend“. World class production combined with varied but effortless vocals, it starts to become clear that Freesouls are collectively levelling up with what is their most exciting release to date.
“Living Legend is a special release for us as it’s an ode to those who have shared this journey with us from the beginning. Our family and day 1’s have been our biggest support.”
Freesouls
With proven versatility as a collective, together with their live show and recorded content, we are reminded that Freesouls are a group in love with their art and it’s hard to not get excited about the trajectory they are on, and with a debut EP slated for late this year, ‘Living Legend’ presents itself as the perfect breakthrough.
Trippie Redd is keeping busy in quarantine – in May he released ‘Excitement‘ feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR and also featured on the late Juice WRLD’s postmortem single ‘Tell Me U Luv Me‘. Today, the prolific rapper and singer shares his latest single ‘Dreamer’ in celebration of his 21st Birthday – out now via 10K Projects / Caroline Australia. Zane Lowe aired ‘Dreamer’ on his New Music Daily Beats 1 show and caught up with Trippie via FaceTime, check out the interview HERE.
One of the most versatile and creatively daring artists in hip-hop today, platinum-selling rapper, singer and songwriter Trippie Redd has landed four albums in the Top 10 in the space of three years. With the November 2019 release of A Love Letter To You 4 —his first-ever album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart — Trippie offered up his most dynamic body of work to date, delivering a 21-track effort that amassed more than 125 million stream in its first week alone. The now–21-year-old Ohio native continually defies genre boundaries, embedding his melodic take on rap with elements of rock-and-roll and heavy metal to ultimately create a sound that’s wildly experimental yet massively appealing.
As he recalls, the urge to create his own music arose soon after his older brother, an aspiring rapper who went by the name Dirty Redd, died in a car accident when Trippie was 10. “I took his dream and did it myself,” Trippie says. Drawing much of his inspiration from the free-flowing style and inventive lyricism of Lil Wayne, Trippie began recording in his cousin’s basement and later relocated to Atlanta to further hone his skills, quickly landing a record deal with 10K Projects in 2017.
Since then, he has had a deep commitment to evolving his sound and to constantly create new music, but despite his desire to continually evolve, there are certain qualities that endure across all of Trippie’s music—most notably, his penchant for crafting songs that hit on a visceral level. “I like making timeless music,” he says. “You’ve got to think of a timeless concept—love, hate, anger, sadness—all that shit is timeless. And if you can make something without it just meaning one thing, people can feel it and turn it into their own. That’s what makes it timeless.”
