Flynn

Up To Date: Lush

The 8Hundred The 8/800 is a creative collective based in Maryland and in New York as well. 8Hundred has to be my favorite new and upcoming collective because they aren’t just a group of rappers, there are designers, directors, producers in there as well. Al Hostile, AndeFromThe8, Bel Mesbahi, Boz Kamara, Domingo, Half-Empty, Kasey Jones, Mylon Moore, Steez800, Trill800, TSHNSPNCR and VP800 are the members of this eclectic group that will take over and dominate the game. After their first project “Welcome To The 8”, they recently released their heavy anticipated tape “Sad Moms, Angry Girlfriends”. This tape gives us what 8Hundred has to offer, amazing production, impressive rapping and catchy hooks. My favorite track has to be the first track “Boy With A Gun”. This track initiated the tape with a bang. The song starts with a vocal sample of a guy singing about a boy with a gun, hence the name of the track. Al Hostile and Domingo create an atmosphere with a catchy hook and dope verses on an amazing oriental ambiance production. This song is so good that it could be on the soundtrack of any big movie.

Eugine Smithers Eugine Smithers is a producer from Cobb County. I found Eugine when I was browsing the infinite pool of artists on soundcloud and I was impressed from the moment I heard his first beat, “Night Air”. His soundcloud is full of incredible well produced songs. My favorites has to be all the tracks of his “Revert II” project which is a five track project where you can hear some oriental instruments coming into play. In every single track Eugine lays out a clean and clinical drum pattern with clean cut kicks and smart hi-hats with some truly catchy and crisp melodies on top. I feel like he challenged himself to play with some different instruments and he created a cohesive, well rounded, innovative five track beat project. It is ubelievable to me that he has so little followers.

RobOlu RobOlu is a rapper from Atlanta and is part of the new scene from the underground of Atlanta. I first heard of Rob through GVVAAN, another prodigious rapper from Atlanta, and I can’t thank him enough for introducing me to RobOlu. Rob released his “Rely On Belief EP” a couple months back and has been been going hard ever since. Recently putting out a video clip for the biggest song on the project “Holy”. RobOlu has energy, bars, great hooks all that over amazing production. Another track that I absolutely like is “Weed Man” with the multi-talented Benny Jetts. I advise you to keep your eye on Rob.

Benny Jetts Benny Jetts is a designer/producer/DJ from Atlanta and a member of the creative collectives Yako Pack, Larry League and Modern Outfit. Benny Jetts has to be one of my favorite new and upcoming producers pushing his own innovative sound. His sound has a very Lo-Fi atmosphere to it but is still unique. Muffled, thumping kicks, sub basslines and light up-beat melodies that is what you can expect from a Benny Jetts production. Bleudope WrecknCrü’s latest release “CoverTheEarthVol1” is fully produced by Benny and is amazing. But Benny isn’t just a producer, he is also a designer. Having made posters for several artists and events like EVK95, Larry League, Modern Outfit, Northside Mally, Odd Future, Pollàri and Yako Pack. Benny Jetts has just started doing his thing, so don’t miss out on his amazing art, production and DJ-sets.  

EMI EMI is a singer/songwriter from Seattle. EMI has an incredible voice and always comes up with a very catchy verse that goes along with the work from producers like Rex Kudo and Charlie Handsome. The spacious, catchy production gives EMI room to show us what ab amazing voice she has. 

Recently announcing that she will be on Young Thug’s HY!£UN35 tour is a huge step for her. Expect to hear more from this girl in the future, because she will not go unnoticed.

LuiDiamonds LuiDiamonds is an Atlanta/Los Angeles based recording artist and producer at the independent Label Awful Records. After hearing LuiDiamonds’ verse on “Tucked ‘N Rolled” back in the summer of 2014 I have been hooked ever since. Lui his production has this amazing toned down, jiggy vibe to it. If you hear a LuiDiamonds beat you know what time it is. Lui released “KILLLEWIS” a couple months ago to follow up his “LEWIS” project. But he has released several other project apart from that. A small three track project called “F L A” and GVVAAN his “DeathGuard EP” is fully produced by Lui. LuiDiamonds says that he is mainly a producer and engineer and that rapping is not the main priority but I feel like that he has really grown as a rapper as much as he has as a producer. I love the whole style that Lui brings out in his production, the minimal piano melodies, heavy thumping kicks and the way he combines his hi-hats and snares just makes you get jiggy.

Derrick Milano Derrick Milano is a rapper from Orlando, Florida. I first heard about Derrick by watching Denzel Meechie dance to the viral hit “Cellular”. The moment I heard the song it instantly became a favorite. Rolling kicks with a upbeat, choppy melody absolutely get you on your feet and dancing. I feel like this is only the beginning for Milano, having a viral hit under his name he needs to use this moment to hurl himself into the big spotlights. 

Pronto & Mahalo Pronto and Mahalo are rappers from Atlanta and are pushing the new sound alongside Benny Jetts and RobOlu. I like Pronto and Mahalo because they are genuine and real artists. They rap about how they really are and don’t try to portray some kind of façade. I respect that because it’s hard to find those qualities in rap these days. Pronto is a very talented rapper with a more experimental sound. His project “#Stay (+)” is a clean, unique, fresh project. Mahalo has a harder, more turn-up ambiance but he also has a softer, more dreamy aesthetic to him that you can’t miss. Mahalo has not been releasing music for that long but he is already a heavyweight in my opinion. Both Pronto and Mahalo are rappers that have just started and won’t stop. I expect some amazing projects from both of these talented artists.

Villa Villa is an artist from Atlanta. I think that the best way to describe Villa is to use his own tag “Dream Rap”. I feel that Villa’s whole domain can be described with one color, pink. Every track has a dreamy, smooth feel and makes you feel like you are floating on pinks clouds eating breakfast watching the sunrise. His latest project “Vertical” entirely produced by the young talented producer Richie Souf. On every song Villa raps and sings elegantly and gracefully over pretty, delicate, beautiful production. The combination that Villa and Richie bring to the table is polished and gentle. I think that if you would put this on in the bedroom, you won’t have any trouble setting the perfect mood. Keep watch on Villa his actions and you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. This article is part of a DJ-set, listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/leanderflynn/lush

Dexter Dukarus

When you are talking about producers alot of people instantly drop Metro Boomin or Sonny Digital or the producer team 808mafia, but the first producer you will hear me talking about is Awful Records own and without a doubt my favorite producer Dexter Dukarus. 

Eerie piano pieces, hard hitting kicks, smooth supporting basslines, amazing sense of melodies, all those aspects are always represented in Dexter’s work. But don’t be mistaken, Dexter is not a regular producer, he is alot more than that. He has a very experimental sound, yet very unique. His first solo EP released on Soundcloud “Push EP” shows us how Dexter can create an atmosphere within a track that is really captivating. In the Push EP Dexter gives us a mix of haunting sweet melodies and a steady flow of percussion. 

Having produced beats for artists like Key!, ILoveMakonnen, Jace (from Two-9), Pollàri, T-Bruin, Mike G, UnoTheActivist and the whole Awful Records roster, Dexter Dukarus is a very present producer in Atlanta. 

Dexter Dukarus his latest release, the four track “What Am I Doing EP” has to be my favorite project he has brought out so far. The clinical execution of the beats are so amazing. Every beat is a world on its own that Dexter guides you through. Every track has a minimal feel yet very outlined at the same time. The drumpatterns bring out the perfect atmosphere for Dexter’s amazing melodies to really come out and shine. Every track has a carrying eerie, almost sinister, melody that really enhances the smooth kicks, snares and hi-hats. How every song is set up really shows us how a talented and eclectic composer and producer Dexter Dukarus really is. My favorite track on this EP has to be “Unseen”. What I really love about this track is how the high piano notes and bass play together. Every little piece is so perfectly in place that the complete track is a masterpiece.

The Collaboration between Archibald Slim and Dexter Dukarus on “Don’t Call The Cops” is amazing. Dexter and Archibald deliver us a project that is coherent and has alot more of a trap feel to it than Archibald usually brings us. I feel like Dexter really stepped up his game on this tape by creating beats that fit Archibald style like a glove but still stays true to Dexters unique sound. If you want to hear an amazing rapper snap on incredibly well composed trap like beats with a heavy key and synth sound, this tape is definitely something for you.

Another amazing Dexter produced EP is his “Display None EP”. This tape consist of dark and hard trap beats, with features from Awful Records members: Coodie Breeze, KeithCharles SPACEBAR , Archibald Slim, Lord Narf, Slug Christ and Stalin Majesty. This tape is so good that everytime I spin some tracks that I always include one of the four bangers. If you want to jump around and get crazy on beats with banging 808′s, evil melodies and some amazing verses, you should definitely give this tape a listen. 

As always I made a DJ-Set to go along with this article, you can listen to it here. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

FREE DEX

GVVAAN a.k.a. G-Baby

GVVAAN is an artist based out of Atlanta and member of Bleüdope Wreckncrü. You could best describe G-Baby’s style as authentic and hard, almost agressive, yet very organised. I advise you to plug in your headphones and listen to all he has to offer and I assure you, you will not be dissapointed.

When I listen to GVVAAN I notice some kind of bounce that reminds me of old school Outkast mixed with the new sound coming out of Atlanta. Adding to this refreshing, yet nostalgic sound is GVVAAN’s impeccable and authentic flow. Those two attributes are hard to find in rap these days. A lot of rappers trying to be Future or just catch a wave and go for that one viral hit, but GVVAAN is not like that. You can see he really puts a lot of time into his music and I really love that. The well thought through tracks he releases keep you super excited and interested in what this man will do in the future.

The first thing I heard of G-Baby was a song called “Bone” with another rapper named Moody back in the late spring of 2015. Ever since then G-Baby has been busy working. First he released his well received four track “LIFEGUARD EP”. I really enjoy this EP because it allways gets me on my feet and feeling good. The EP brings a summer, hot weather feel and puts a smile on your face. You should definitely put this in your playlist when the barbecue is out.

GVVAAN has also collaborated with some amazing rappers, Atlanta rapper UnoTheActivist being one of them. G-Baby and Uno bring us “Backwood”, a druggy, hard hitting track that fits Uno’s slurred flow perfectly and GVVAAN’s straight hitting hook. G-Baby also collaborated with Awful Records members Lord Narf and Ethereal called “Bwoi Stop”. G-Baby and Narf absolutely bring out some crazy flows and bars on the bouncy beat made by Ethereal.

GVVAAN recently released his new project with Awful Records member LuiDiamonds called “DEATHGUARD EP”. On this EP there are several little skits that reminded me of “Enter the Wu-Tang”. G-Baby shows us he is a force to be reckoned with by giving us incredible lyrics, good wordplay and amazing flow on the dark,deep, authentic production by LuiDiamonds, all this brings us a coherent six track project that has a darker feel than his LIFEGUARD EP.

In the past few months GVVAAN really became one of my favourite artists, having released 2 EP’s he has also definitely taken a strong position in my daily playlists. Being inspired by such a hard working and genuine friendly man, I also made a DJ-Set including only tracks by the man G-Baby himself, listen to it here

GVVAAN is also featured In my “Up To Date: Glacial” article I wrote a while ago, you can read it here.  

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy my DJ-Set.

Up To Date: GLACIAL

ICYTWAT a.k.a. LIL FENDI

ICTWAT is a producer/rapper based out of Chicago. When you say Chicago, you think of Drill music artists like Chief Keef, King Louis, Lil Herb... but FENDI is nothing like that. His sound is very melody based with snapping snares, hard hitting kicks and trunk shaking 808′s.

The first time I heard of ICYTWAT, I fell in love with the bells and tropical melodies over hard beats. ICYTWAT’s collaboration with fellow Divine Council member $ILKMONEY’s “PS42WW$” was the first track I heard. After that I instantly downloaded his tape “Dior Junts” and is still one of my favorite projects. He has released more work since then like his “STAIN EP” and “WET TWAT”.  Go check out his Soundcloud!

LORD FUBU & CAPTAIN KREEP

Lord Fubu, a young producer from South Carolina and his apprentice Captain Kreep are two producers who have been in my daily music playlists. These guys stay busy! Fubu and Kreep have a very special sound, it is best described as a wavy, bouncy and smooth vibe. Every track has amazing kicks and very soothing melodies. Go check out Lord Fubu & Captain Kreep on Soundcloud,  new beats almost everyday!

Yung Pinch

Yung Pinch is a young rapper from Cali. Recently he released a tape called “#4EVERHEARTBROKE”. You can hear that Pinch is influenced by the Atlanta sound. On the song “No Good” the Atlanta rapper Key! really enhances the Atlanta feel of autotune like vocals and thumping 808′s. The song allready has 85k plays on soundcloud, people are definitely catching the wave. The vibe that Yung Pinch brings to the table is really something to keep an eye on, this boy has just started! Go follow his Soundcloud.

GVVAAN a.k.a. G-BABY

Gvvaan is a rapper from Atlanta and member of the Bleudope Wreckncrü. I stumbled upon his profile whilst browsing on soundcloud and he had release a new song called “BONE” with another rapper called “MOODY”. I was bouncing from the second the song started. After hearing “BLOODSPORT” produced by Awful Records member LuiDiamonds, I was sold and I have been listening to this guy since then. His sound reminds me of Outkast alot, with the funky beats and good flow and bars. You should follow him because of his refreshing sound and I can only predict that his upcoming releases will be outstanding. His Soundcloud is full of gems.

YAH WAV

The multi talented artist YAH WAV based out of Florida is someone who has been focussing on creating his own sound. If you want to hear what YAH WAV sounds like you should listen to his track “Slo Mo”. That was my first encounter with his music and It threw me into this dark, melancholy, turn-up mood. Expect deep bass, rolling hi hats and smooth kicks. Go follow his Soundcloud, you will not be disappointed.

Abra - The Darkwave Duchess

Abra is a female artist from atlanta who really caught my eye and ear because of the lo-fi feel. She can’t be put in a box or genre because that would be limiting her broad range of influences and talents. I would describe Abra as a combination of feel good and a dark atmosphere with a high DIY aspect to it. Abra is part of Awful Records, an independent label with a DIY work ethic based out of Atlanta. 

Influences If you listen to Abra you will definitely hear alot of different sounds. I think it comes from the fact that she moved around a lot when she was young. Like she said in the mini-documentary about her: “I always had this deep sense of non-belonging”. You can watch it here!  When Abra’s mother was pregnant, she didn’t want to have her baby in India, so they left for the States and the Darkwave Duchess was born there. Since Abra’s mother and father were doing missionary work, they went to the UK to help build a church and Abra grew up there during her early years. She grew up around gospels in the churches and would often sing with her mother on stage, this later influenced her to layer her vocals and melodies. Later when the church was finished, they went back to the states and stayed there. 

Needsumbody Needsumbody was my first encounter with Abra. In this song and video she really shows us why she’s called the Darkwave Duchess. “Needsumbody” was made by Abra when she wasn’t really taking herself serious as a producer. She sang a bassline and pitched her voice down, I find that super creative and talented. What I find so amazing about this song is that it has an amazing raw vibe and that makes it very special for me. The lyrics really spoke too me and I also really love the bass. A good bassline, that is always one of the first things that catches my ear when I listen to a song. 

Growth You can say that Abra really grew as an artist on and off stage. Last year on stage, Abra made a huge transformation. In her search to become more comfortable during her performances, she tried to recreate the same atmosphere on stage as in her living room. Now her stage presence has become powerful and captivating. Her first tape “BLQ Velvet” differs in topics and atmosphere from her latest album “Rose”. On “BLQ Velvet” the mood is dark, in both vocals and production. The beats are also more bootleg than on rose. “Rose” on the other hand is alot more light and dancey. The topics are less serious and the production is more housey but still RnB. 

The Future “Sick Girl” is the latest solo track released by Abra. It has a skeletal drum pattern mixed with clubby synths from the ‘80′s. She has a new solo album on the way.  A few days ago she shared a preview of a new song, you can listen to it right here. The song is very influenced by UK music, you can hear harsh basslines and synths, what surprised me the most is how much her vocals have improved. She is also going to release a joint tape with Father called “Jacuzzi” and another tape with Tommy Genesis and Father called “Daughter”. You can expect a lot of new music in the near future from the Darkwave Duchess!

Here is my DJ-Set that consist of some of my favorite songs by Abra and a new song called “Why Don’t U” with Father and iLoveMakonnen. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Artists to look out for in 2016

Hudson East If you like PND check out this dude. His latest tape Eastway has been on repeat for days now. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/HUDSONEAST

Rikki Blu This boy is in his own lane, don’t sleep on him. He out there with Chance, Tunji if we talking ‘bout talent. His latest tape Pleasant Grove EP only has gems. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/RIKKIBLU

Lord Fubu This boy @LORDFUBU is a crazy ass producer, his beats got this wavy, island vibe. Go follow his tumblr and soundcloud, he always blessing us with fye beats. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/LORDFUBU

Adonis The Ace This guy has one of the most innovative ways of flowing. Going hard over crazy trap beats and his singing got this wavy vibe to it. Check him out HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/ADONISTHEACE

Stacy Money Druggy flow over trippy ass beats, if you into that kinda shit, check out this one. Netflix n chillin, his latest tape has been in my rotation for a minute now. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/EVANNNNNN

Cor Blanco This guy is on the top list of producers who I listen to right now. Next up if ppl quit sleepin. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/CORBLANCO

Strado Strado, this guy is on the come up fr. recently featured on a Timbalands new mixtape and only one solo track out. He really got me looking out for new shit. This dude got bars bruh. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/SUPERSTRADO

T-Bruin @bleudope artist T-Bruin has been on my radar for a minute now. His latest tape “Majin Bru” brings out his strong points in flow and bars. Don’t sleep on him, imma keep saying it. HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/T-BRUIN

   The 5 best contemporary underground rap songs                                               of 2015

If you think that after all the anual reviews and lists there are no more secrects, think again. In this post you will find a selection of five tracks that you might not have heard in 2015. Artists Like Father, Playboi Carti, the guys who call themselves Divine Council, the young trap sensation 21Savage and a Dutch artist who is taking over their scene called Sevn Alias.

Father - Who's Gonna Get Fucked First

Father, founder of the independent label Awful Records, his distictive way of rapping really shines over this selfproduced song ‘Who’s Gonna Get Fucked First’, the title track of his latest album. Father and the 17 strong Awful Records grew into one of the most aspiring labels out of Atlanta and they are not stopping. Father’s 'Cry $$' -tour through the states and Vancouver & Toronto in the summer of 2015 was a big succes, you can watch this video to get a feel how it was. If you say Awful Records you got to say DIY, every artist on the label has a strong individual style and personality and that’s hard to find these days with every rapper trying to be like Future.

Playboi Carti - Fetti

I still remember when ​Playboi Carti had 2k followers on Soundcloud. Now the young rapper has over a 100k followers. He is now signed by A$AP rocky and travels the world with Ian Connor. Carti has collaborations coming up with Frank Ocean and Skepta. Playboi Carti is definitely someone to keep on your radar. On Fetti Carti brought two rappers along, Da$h a rapper from New York and Maxo Kream from Houston. The result of this collaboration is a druggy track with a hard beat that makes you jump out of your seat. Another suggestion is the collaboration between the Chicago rapper/producer ICYTWAT, who is part of the collective called Divine Council. Watch the video here

$ilkMonkey - The Fine Household ft. Cyrax! & Lord Linco

Cyrax, $ilkMoney and Lord Linco are three rappers from the Divine Council. Everyone flows in their own distictive way on this amazing Shlohmo beat. Expect a druggy, trippy and hard track. Don’t sleep on these boys! $ilkMoney shows us how he can flow quick like a boss and deliver some hard bars. Cyrax uses his lazy, druggy, bouncy vibe and Lord Linco finishes the track with his dark and slow rapping. The result is a mix of styles that you can expect if you listen to a Divine Council track.

21 Savage - Slaughter Ya Daughter

21 Savage is not a new face anymore. The Atlanta rapper really got the people watching to see what’s next. With a feature on the track ‘Peepin’ by Gucci Mane, 21 Savage is on his way to stardom. In 'Slaughter Ya Daughter' 21 Savage brings out Key!, een rapper from Atlanta who is known for being a member of FatKidsBrotha and also has a feature of the very popular track 'Wrist' by Father. iLoveMakonnen, known for the tracks 'Tuesday' and 'I Don’t Sell Molly No More', is also on this song and together they bring us a song that you just have to party to, produced by the young talented Fukk 12 out of Virginia. 21 Savage recently released a new mixtape, listen to #SlaughterKing  on his Soundcloud!

Sevn Alias - Gewicht