Michelle Miriam

“Baby Welcome to the Party”… What a hook? I’m not sure about the rest of the world but based on the reaction from the small Rutgers Newark community I could predict the trajectory for Brooklyn artist Pop Smoke. In  2019 Welcome to the Party emerged as the hit of the summer and probably the year, allowing Pop Smoke to take the hip-hop industry by storm. By the end of 2019 Pop Smoke had already dropped his hit song Dior, exposing the world to Brooklyn Drill Scene once again but this time he grabbed the attention of major powerhouse artists such as Quavo, 50 Cent, and Travis Scott. Due to his untimely death, Pop Smoke was unable to witness the insane amount of love people had for his music and his New York style. Here a link to Welcome to the Party https://youtu.be/usu0XY4QNB0

In the Summer of 2019, there were plenty of amazing and catchy summer hits to choose from but at every frat/sorority party or regular summer cookout vibe, Welcome to the Party took the cake as the littest song of the night that everyone was waiting for. Pop’s distinctive scruffy baritone voice attracted the ladies but the Brooklyn lango and drill topics attracted the attention of the men. An online blogger site, The Cultured Nerd reviews Meet the Woo Vol.1 and the author makes a striking statement detailing Pop’s voice. He refers to Pop’s style as, “ [a] murderous junkyard-dog energy that makes his music stand out” (https://theculturednerd.org). Of course Pop was talking street shit, however it appeared as a great party anthem notorious for causing excitement in the crowd. After Genius posted a youtube video featuring Pop Smoke describing his lyrics, one particular clip of the interview went viral on social media, drawing more attention to the single Welcome to the Party.

Drill music emerged as a subgenre in hip-hop that started in the early 2010’s in Chicago. Artists like Chief Keef, Lil Bibby, Lil Reese, Lil Durk, and most notably King Louie introduced the world to their sound, however messages about gang activity and gang violence caused the genre to be silenced by record labels and police authorities. At the time drill music came to prominence Chicago had been named the murder capital in the US, hence it only makes sense as to why drill music was always going to inherently contain themes of gun violence and drugs. When the scene was phased out in Chicago, drill music found a new home in the UK amongst rappers living in the Brixton community. Rap groups: 67, Harlem Spartans, and Skengdo & Am made drill music the face of the UK rap scene after 2016. The genre was then reintroduced to mainstream Hip-Hop in the US when producer 808melo collaborated with Pop Smoke to create Welcome to the Party. When drill music reached New York it revitalized the sound of east coast rappers and there were plenty of hungry artists eager to stake claim over the genre. Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, 22gz, and Sleepy Hollow were of the New York rappers who gained popularity talking about gang culture in New York but also putting on for Brooklyn and the Bronx. Ever so often we get major stars emerging from New York, but these artists were apart of a larger movement and it’s still too early in their history to codify specific impacts their movement has made on the industry. The forerunners Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign drew attention to New York with their songs Welcome to the Party and Fivio’s Big Drip, another big hit for 2019. Here’s a Chicago Drill classic that gives some context to what themes recurring in Drill Music. 

After the release of Dior, another single released from his debut mixtape Meet the Woo, Pop gained attention from 50 Cent. The song PTSD poses a strong resemblance to the voice of 50 Cent, which consequently led the pair to meeting. As mentioned earlier Quavo and Travis Scott collaborated with Pop to produce his second mixtape Meet the Woo 2.A Pitchfork review of Meet the Woo 2 by Reed Jackson writes, “but Pop’s lyrics aren’t built for close inspection; they work best hurling out of a big speaker system”. Jackson is accurate when he describes how Pop Smokes charisma and illustrious status compensates for his simple and lackluster lyrics. As a 20 year old emerging rapper, Pop’s lyrics weren’t the greatest, however his ability to shake a crowd was more important.

After Pop’s tragic murder rapper 50 Cent took the initiative to get all Pop’s unfinished music cleared so they could create Pop’s Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. All three powerhouses saw tremendous talent in Pop and wanted to spread his legacy globally. Of course Shoot for the Moon, Aim for the Stars included several different music styles including drill, however the drill sound didn’t dominate the sound of the album, it was simply the phenomenon that stratified New York rappers and drill rappers into mainstream hip-hop. Pop smoke represented Canarsie, Brooklyn and New York until his passing. The culture of New York and drill music was reintroduced into the Hip-Hip scene because of Pop Smoke and 808melo’s vision. The success of Shoot for the Starz, Aim for the moon was widely celebrated in commerated not only in Canarsie and Brooklyn but around the world.

One artist that I would like to discuss who has had a large cultural impact on society is Jay-Z, also popularly known as Hov. Jay-Z was born Shawn Carter in New York City. Jay-Z turned hip-hop and rap artist into a businessman and media mogul is widely considered one of the most influential people not only in the industry but in society as well. Jay-Z co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella records when he was just 26 years old and released his first studio album just a year later. He is also the former CEO of Def Jam Records who has represented artists like Kanye West (another influential individual, but we will save that for another day), Rihanna (another influence), and J.Cole who is probably in my top five artists. 

Jay-Z’s success as a businessman should not go unnoticed either. In 1999, he founded the clothing line Rocawear. In 2003, he also founded a luxury sports bar chain called 40/40 Club. Both of these businesses turned out to be multi-million dollar corporations. This allowed Jay-Z to start an entertainment business. I’m sure you are all familiar with Roc Nation. After Jay-Z started Roc-Nation, he acquired the tech company Aspiro in which he took charge of their media streaming service, Tidal. Just last year, Jay-Z also launched a business called Monogram which is his line of cannabis products. 

Jay-Z has achieved pretty significant success over the years and has brought him a lot of media attention which has given Jay-Z a platform.

ye also better know as Kanye West is an American rapper from Atlanta Georgia. I think the first time that I ever heard about Kanye was probably back around in 2009 when the song Stronger came out. I really enjoyed that song and ever since than I found an interest in his music. Over the years he progressively got more and more popular with albums such as The College Dropout, graduation, yeezus, life of pablo, to his most recent Donda. The more he grew in fame the more it seemed like his name kept being involved in something. It seemed like he always like the attention from things like the beef with Taylor swift, to politics, to fashion. As a celebrity I give him props for trying to stand out and do things differently and this can be heard in his music and seen in his fashion which means there will be a lot of people that like it and people that will criticize him for it. 

When I said he likes to try and do things that push the envelope this is one of them. We talked about the one in class because it was controversial because he sampled a song called “strange fruit”. The song was originally was made to bring light racism that was happening back in the day. So Kanye using it in this kind of context definitely sparked a lot of peoples attention. I think people found it not appropriate because he uses the context of the song and raps about whatever he wants on it. 

She Instagram herself like #BadBitchAlert He Instagram his watch like #MadRichAlert He only wanna see that ass in reverse Two-thousand-dollar bag with no cash in your purse Now you sittin’ courtside, wifey on the other side

With lyrics like these it makes sense to view why some people thought of him as being not as sensitive to the meaning of the original song. Strange fruit had a deep meaning and message behind it and you have Kanye over here talking about how she instagrams herself and a two thousand dollar bag. 

just like my blog from last week, this will be centered around a Touhou related artist. This song is very special, both to me, and the culture around Touhou’s sampling scene and players. For those who are unaware, Touhou is a bullet hell style video game where you play as a character and your objective is to dodge bullets while trying to destroy the enemy in front of you. The concept is easy, however, Touhou is known as one of the hardest bullet hell games there is, also one of the most popular ones. 

Back in 2009, Touhou was not really that popular globally until this song came out. Prior to this, there was really no real exposure of Touhou music on a global scale. Bad Apple, however, made real big headlines when it got released. The song itself was one of the most high quality songs produced and along with it came an incredible animation. For a music video, this was a complete shock for the quality to be so good. 

With an insane 57 million views, this song is by far the most popular song from Touhou on YouTube.  Masayoshi Minoshima - Bad Apple!! came out of no where.  Masayoshi Minoshima was the original creator to this remixed Touhou track and nomico was the singer.  Minoshima had already been creating Touhou remixes for the past few years, but this is the one that REALLY blew up. As for nomico, she sang a few songs for Touhou, but that’s it, her career didn’t go much farther in the following years.

The song lyrics don’t really have much impact on it. I mean, sure, they are nice and flowy, but the main ingredient in this is the music video. PLus if a foreigner were to hear this, like most people globally, they would just be hearing the song and not the lyric translation. 

The animation is simple yet so remarkable at the same time. The animation is showing off Touhou characters and then it transitions into the next character after about 10 seconds. The transitions are incredible and so clean in my opinion. I didn’t think a falling drop of water could be used to transition into a new character so smoothly. The first time I saw this video, I saw so captivated by it. The simple black and white style of the whole video is surprisingly so entertaining and clean to look at. Just like PSY’s Gangam style shook the world with a form of KPOP, Bad Apple shook the world (mostly in Japan) to start listening to these Touhou arrangements. 

This song blew up and helped Touhou get much more popular on a global scale. The Touhou culture boomed as a result of it as well. Many more people started to participate in the sampling culture and make their own versions of Touhou music. This song catalyzed into a much bigger audience and that helped the Touhou culture develop further. 

I mean, just look at these covers people have done. For example, this is the English cover made by a YouTuber.

The quality is insane. 

If you were to tell someone in Japan to associate Touhou with a song, they are most likely to point to Bad Apple. It was so widespread and got people who never even heard of Touhou to start looking into it more. 

A simple game created all of these songs and the community in which it started with is to take credit. By creating these songs, it just expands to culture of sampling in Touhou and sharing your own creations. Bad Apple will forever have a significant spot in Touhou, as it brought many new people to start playing and listening to music from the game. 

It starts off with that iconic twangy guitar riff whose treble could peel paint off walls if only it was played loud enough.  “bah bah, bah-bah-bah”.  Then comes the counterpoint played by the bass, then some tambourine, and after that the song gets more comfortably into its 60’s rock n roll feel that became so iconic of this group.  I’m talking about the brilliant song “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones.  A song that epitomizes counterculture and the growing sentiment of American youths.  The funniest part about this song?  It was written by two Englishmen who never had a #1 song on the US charts before, at least until the song came out.  How could Mick Jagger, who dropped out of the hugely revered London School of Economics, have so perfectly encapsulated the rapidly expanding American attitude into this song when he really knew very little about it?

Mick is smart.  That’s undeniable.  And Keith knew how to write a riff, that’s even more undeniable.  The combined efforts of these two artists produced some of the finest music from this illustrious time period, second only to The Beatles in the genre of rock.  They were truly hitting their stride in this year, 1965, and they were paying attention to what the largest global market wanted to hear, despite being real Londoners at heart.  They also paved the way for other popular groups like The Who to write music that got into the minds and souls of its listeners.  They were almost writing music like anthropologists making a careful survey of the people most apt to their sound and giving them lyrics that just hit home.  So, what exactly did the youths of the time want to hear, and what were some of the events that were pushing them to create their own path and seek out their own validation through music?

For starters, the Vietnam war was as much a global cultural movement as it was a pointless battle for the United States.  Putting my views to the side, it was quite clear that this war was spearheaded mainly by propaganda and the irrational fear of the threat of communism, and it was hard to justify wasting so many young American lives over a conflict that so few people really agreed with.  If you were a young male graduating high school when this song came out and you hadn’t figured out exactly what you wanted to do with your life yet, odds are the draft was going to snatch you up.  Fighting for your country!  What a noble act!  Yes, that might be true, but Vietnam seemed like a death sentence and a trip to hell where you could only really bargain between the options of death or post-traumatic stress disorder if you made it back to the states alive.  And what happened to the GI bill and the support that American troops got for fighting in wars like the Second World War?  Well, they were still there, but a lot of people openly despised soldiers and gave them very little respect for putting their life on the line.  So, you either stay at home and dodge the draft which might make you seem un-American and like a lazy and selfish individual, or you go to war with a high probability of dying in the middle of the jungle just to come back home and receive scorn from the people that you protected and fought for in the first place.  Not ideal either way.

Another huge social pressure at the time came from people like Martin Luther King Jr. who was making a long awaited and long deserved push for minority rights and respect in a country that was trying it’s best not to progress and not to accept people that were often even more American and hard working than themselves.  The history of oppression in this country is long and incomplete, unfortunately, but there was finally a lot of progress during this period which naturally became a complicated topic depending on one’s political stance and essentially the amount of race-based corruption that they had learned in their lives.  Increasing the tensions that were already extremely high because of the war, the 60’s were turbulent and uncertain, but change was coming, and it was coming quickly.

One of the features of this song that makes it so impactful is its universality.  It seems like almost no one in this period could really get any satisfaction.  The country was divided, and everyone seemed to have something to gain or lose, so status and future prosperity were on the line for so many individuals no matter their walk in life.  The persona in the song can’t seem to escape the turbulence which follows him in the car, on the television, and in every corner of the world.  There’s a frustration to this song, a confusion about why things need to be this way, and a sense of growing tension about the current moment and the future.  There’s a plethora of “useless information” going around that could lead someone toward a corrupted idea of a major event, which gives the impression of a lack of trust in the world and the public at large.  Who do you believe in this time?  The government?  The countercultures?  The progressives?  What about yourself?  That doesn’t seem possible, after all you seem to be continuously on a “losing streak”.  The persona seems to want to find a confidant that can give them a break from the chaos that seems to be surrounding them at all times.  There’s an undertone of an identity crisis going on for this person, where they might try to put on a nice, collared shirt and act like the perfect nuclear middle-class family man that Americans seem to champion only to find out that some very insignificant fact like smoking the wrong cigarette invalidates you from attaining that role.  Gratification is delayed, and the persona is so close to enjoying the fruits of their efforts but is constantly told to “come back” like being on a treadmill toward their desires.  And this was all so powerful because it touched on the experiences of so many different people in a way that transcended race, income, and status across America.  

In today’s society, people feel as though hip-hop music glorifies sex, money, and drugs. The three essentials to creating a hit hip-hop song. And when it comes to men in today's rap industry, they aren't seen as sexual deviants in any way shape, or form compared to women in the same industry which is total bullshit. For example, Megan Thee Stallion. A queen that I feel honored to have today, has faced so much hate and criticism in her life about her music and everything it stands for when the real message behind her music is for women who have been put down in their lives to love themselves and be the baddie they were always meant to be. Point blank period. Starting her career in 2016, Megan created a platform through her music for women, especially women of color, to be comfortable with who they are and love everything about themselves and I admire and adore her for that. But sadly people feel entitled to criticize her for being a woman as if men in the hip-hop industry aren't making the same kind of uplifting, inspiring music about a group of people as well. The hypocrisy Megan Thee Stallion and other women face in this industry are beyond aggravating for all they want to do is be respected for their work and not feel less than a man. Artists like Megan aren’t running the culture of hip hop today but are saving it from the downfalls and self-hatred and lack of meaning or message.

As more and more of her songs became hits when released, the more hate and criticism she received as an artist. Usually all men, people would comment under her music videos with responses such as, “Why would she make a song like this, she has to be a whore” or “My kids should not be exposed to stuff like this, shame on you”. Meanwhile, these same men are probably so sexually preoccupied and feel as though their wives don’t love them enough and cheat over and over again. All they are doing is just feeding into the hypocrisy they have created rather than trying to tear it down. It saddens me to hear and read about such hypocrisy because all they need to do is just mind their fucking business but no, they choose to spread hate since she is a one, a female artist, and two a BLACK female artist that is successful. Now even though Megan acknowledges all this hate she only acknowledges it to thrive off of and prove all the fucking haters and criticizers that they are wrong.

In a New York Times special about Megan Thee Stallion, she goes on to speak about what she stands for and how she wants to be a voice for black women everywhere. Same time around this interview, Megan was shot twice in the leg as she was trying to leave someone with whom she wasn’t in a relationship, but that’s not how he perceived it. For a while, she was silent about the situation in fear of what the media and the whole world would say about the situation since women of color are always criticized negatively in situations like this. Megan goes on to state: “My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for myself and my friends. Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment. The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted.”(https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/opinion/megan-thee-stallion-black-women.html).

Not only because of the criticism black women face in today’s society but the criticism Megan faces as a black artist, she chose to live in silence about an issue that we as non-celebrities don’t think a celebrity would or could go through. And the fact that people would ever even consider that it was her fault that she got shot makes them a sick piece of shit because who the hell asks to get shot, I know I sure as hell wouldn’t so I know she wouldn’t as well. And in the same article Megan continues on with her interview allowing the reader to know that she isn’t afraid of a little criticism anymore and for that, I applaud her and am deeply inspired by her.

Ok so when it comes to her music, of course, she receives hate for basically all of them since they glorify being a girl boss or just a powerful, comfortable women figure in society. Men do not want that tho. They want a woman who is dependent on them and needs a man figure in their life and Megan challenges that thinking through her music. One song of hers I know that received a lot of hate and backlash when it first came out was ‘Body’. In her song, ‘Body’ Megan glorifies the beauties of one’s body and the love and pride she shares about her own. The mindset of loving one’s body doesn’t sink in well for toxic men of today’s society since they feel as though women should love their bodies because a man justified their beauty for them. And respectfully but disrespectfully Megan said FUCK THAT and that mindset. This song was a great eye-opener for women today to just love who they are and the skin they are living in. Can we have more Megans in the world, like PLEASE?

^Megan Thee Stallion - Body [Official Video]^

At the end of the day, Megan Thee Stallion will forever be an icon for the hip-hop/rap community and will always inspire young black girls and women to love who they are for who they are. Even though society constantly criticizes her and her music, as if men in the rap industry aren’t doing the same, Megan still prevails. Over and over again she dismisses the hate given to her and knows that her work isn’t what is wrong with the world, the world just isn’t ready for her work or someone like her who defies the social constructs of what a lady or woman should be. Challenging the system of cultural/societal criticism allows the system to change and grow and Megan Thee Stallion will always be a prime definition of being herself and saying a big fuck you to the status quo. Hope yall enjoyed this piece. Peace and Love.

The most industry focused person to never have had any prior experience in the industry, Lil Nas X has his finger on the pulse of pop culture more so than any label executive could ever wish for. Being raised by the internet served as a perfect template for everything that he would bring in to marketing his works. An absolutely stunning blend of pop music anthems mixed with a natural talent for marketing his own music you can tell that everything that comes out from this artist is uniquely his own.

Speaking about pop culture Lil Nas X recently collaborated with Maury to bring his own drama filled spectacle to the screen that went viral as with everything else he has done. Just one of the countless examples of being so in tune with what the consumer finds engaging and the material they love to see.

Being so in tune is such staggering feat when you realize nearly everything hes put out has blown up and basically promoted itself by going viral, and despite the attention being shown on this artist everything has steadily gotten gayer!

Starting with the pretty tame “Old Town Road” that opened up the star to his rise to fame actually feels pretty devoid of what is making him ubiquitous now. The constant push back from society for his increasingly proud acts of self acceptance and gayness only serve as vocal reminders of the culture that he is shaping whose detractors ultimately fall at the wayside for the ones who need it the most.

Probably the biggest shift was the release of “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” a song that garnered complete ire of those that sought to shut him down. Just for the visuals of him pushing the culture and bringing more depictions of being Black and gay than most artists before him that have reached his level of notoriety. In my opinion those are only NIMBY homophobes that hate to see the world change around them (AKA Boosie). The constant pushing of these boundaries serve as a way to make it more acceptable for Lil Nas X’s target audience to become more comfortable with being who they were born to be.

And this shows in his music too, whenever he gets push-back for being gay he just out-gays the haters leading to a feedback loop that will only serve to make things gayer if theres more hate. People being more comfortable with who they are born to be isnt the cornerstone of his success, instead its the opposite. He came out after already reaching stardom and under so many eyes as a testament to the fact that his sexuality isnt what put him on top but will keep him there. Part of this I like to believe he explores himself in the song “Industry Baby” where as Genius lists the lyrics of the pre-chorus as

I ain’t lost since I began, yeah Funny how you said it was the end, yeah Then I went did it again, yeah

Funninly enough I hear it more as

I ain’t lost since I been gayer, yeah Funny how you said it was the end, yeah Then I went did it gayer, yeah

People like watching other people play video games. It can be comforting when you don't have the time or patience to play a game, or maybe the personality playing the game makes it a more enjoyable experience. Either way, it is a favored pasttime of a great many of those who dwell in the virtual.

Livestreaming is a relatively recent invention of the contemporary internet, and being able to watch someone do something live on the computer has created communities and careers for the viewer and streamer alike. In the beginning, however, it was the wild west: people would simply hit 'record' and see what sticks. On websites like justin.tv (now Twitch.tv), random, faceless chat members rallied around these streamers, building them up to what they are today. And, squarely at the beginning of this phenomenon, was Vinesauce.

Vinesauce, hosted by Vinny (who has scarcely, if ever, told his last name to the internet--probably for the better) was created in February 2010, where Vinny uploaded amateur gaming videos and and personal recordings. Soon after, he took to livestreaming. Pre-dating Twitch, streaming was a new concept. Vinny took on the name Vine, and simply added "sauce" for fun. He recounts this in a Q&A session:

"It all started in a basement a number of years ago. A group of friends were gathered around a television playing one of the GameCube Mario Party games. The mini game in which vines grow out of the ground and into the sky appeared on screen. A random member of the committee was said to have uttered "Doesn't it look like those vines are growing out of an asshole?" Many jokes and laughs later, "Vinny" became "Vine." At least, that's how the rumor goes. Oh, and for the record, sauce is just a fun word.”

The following year, in 2011, Vinny launched the Vinesauce website. The stream was born, and other fledgling streamer were recruited to the Vinesauce banner, creating a network of streamers--gamers, friends, even people from across the world. From then on, Vinny has comfortably enjoyed a modest audience while he plays whatever game strikes his fancy. His streams could be considered "chill" in the highest capacity.

Of course, we aren't here to talk video games and livestreamers. We want music, and who am I to deny? Vinny was not only proficient at playing video games: the man had a passion for the guitar. Mentioned various times throughout his streams and conversations with chat members, Vinny made clear his love of music, and the particular artists that influenced him. Thus, together with long time college friend "Jabroni" Mike, in 2015 the Staten Island indie rock band Red Vox was formed. The name came to Vinny in a dream, and the music certainly reflects that. Each album inherits its own genre, and while some call the music "psychedelic", and the influences are there, it is not exclusive to Red Vox's theme.

Prior to Vinesauce, Vinny had played in other bands with Mike and friends, and had some experience playing in a group setting. Working with Joe Pecora of "Happy Anarchy", the first feature length album was recorded. Calling upon the myriad musical influences of Radiohead, Pixies, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Tame Impala...you can see what kind of music this might be. In fact, Vinny cites Tame Impala as a major contributing factor to the starting of Red Vox, and for me personally, Vinny was what fully introduced me to Kevin Parker, who has become one of my favorite artists today.

The first album to be released under the Red Vox name, What Could Go Wrong was described as a "loose concept" and applied to the band as well as the music. Dropping in March of 2016, each song in the album is connected by a theme of something going wrong; this concept could have been sourced from a feeling of nervousness or anxiety in releasing a fully produced album for the first time. Despite this, only some minor amateur shortcomings appear. Vinny and Mike are naturally talented musicians, and What Could Go Wrong was simply them finding their voice as Red Vox. AltWire described the album as, "...excellent in concept and execution. The musical pieces fall together neatly in place on this album, heralded by the fantastic musicianship of Vinny and Mike, where each song is gifted with a lovely suite of cool guitar-and-drum tunes, accompanied with strong and earthly vocals from Vinny."

That same year Red Vox would release Blood Bagel, a parody album that was really not intended to be anything too provacative or even, really, good. Described by Red Vox themselves in their description of the album: "For our next album, we wanted to strive for more depth and experimentation. This is not that album. This is Blood Bagel. Fuck you."

On a more serious note, the following year would see the release of Another Light, and two years later, in 2019, Kerosene. Each album improved and builds upon the last, and their latest album, Realign, is certainly one of my favorites for this very reason. The music is superb, with heavy usage of synthesizers being the key to Realign. Inspiration is drawn from MGMT and Tame Impala, and each track carries a distinct groove. A following was created behind Red Vox at this point, and Realign was eagerly awaited. As Haley Kennis of Afterglow writes, "Fans have been waiting since 2017’s Another Light for more music from Red Vox...But much like everything else in the world, the album was delayed at the last minute due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, it was released on the evening of June 9 with a celebratory premiere of the album on the band’s Twitch page. But the question remained: Would Realign be everything we hoped it would? In short, Realign didn’t just live up to its high expectations — it blew them out of the water." Vinny is confident and his writing is on point, each song with a story to tell. Mike on drums carries the energy of the album and drives each beat home. Guest members Joe and Bill work the synths and everything blends together to create a smash hit.

The album art of Realign is notable in that it was based on an AI-generated image uncovered by Vinny in one of his streams. The art perfectly encapsulates a psychedelic sort of feeling of uncertainty, and illustrates the intersection of Vinny the streamer and Vinny the rock star.

Vinny Vinesauce and Vinny Red Vox are two sides of the same coin, and more than likely appeal to the same person. If you watch a Vinesauce stream, its like watching a close friend just chill and play some video games. If you've watched Vinesauce as long as I have (since around 2014), its comforting to hear Vinny's voice come through his music. If you listen to Red Vox first, the Vinesauce streams almost act as an inside look into the lifestyle of an indie rock guitarist. As you'll find, it is generally quite lax.

Today the band is working on their next album, with a single being dropped here and there. I eagerly await what next lies in store for Red Vox, as even aside from the Vinesauce brand, they have built a solid foundation for some of the most underrated indie music in the business.

Thanks for reading.

-G

A duos who wings were clipped tragically with the passing of one of its members. One half comprising of Jeffrey Sfire a DJ whos formative introduction to music scenes began in illegal warehouse dances in Detroit at age 15. Coming from a wealthier upbringing this escape from that brought him into new music scenes which he would use as an opportunity to delve into meeting DJs and musicians that would open up the doors of a new creative aural space. Honing his creativity he would develop the skills needed to be a DJ naturally and all before the age of 18 would be sneaking through the back of venues or using a fake ID so he could DJ afterhours in sleazy places. Late after hour parties and gay clubs were scenes that would take him in and foster a place for being able hone his live performances and would be the scenes that would lead him to collide with the other half of ‘Sfire’. Rummaging through crates of records in stores and linking up with retired DJs would define his life after 18. As soon as he hit that age he would be off to Chicago a place that would have a profound impact on his musical palette after being introduced to the blood rushing scenes of high energy music like Italo Disco and other electronic sounds of the 1980s.

https://www.movement.us/pages/jeffrey-sfire

The other half of the duo being the late Sophie Xeon more known mononymously as SOPHIE, a trailblazing electronic musician of Avant-Pop. As a young child she would be played cassettes full of electronic music by her father that she would later steal from the car. At a very young age her father would also take her to raves and was someone who she described as having creative instincts that led to an ”ability to see into the future and not be about some bullshit nostalgia. Not someone that’s like, “Sixties, ’70s, this is the real rock and roll.” He was always like, “That was rubbish. Electronic music’s the future.”” https://www.lennyletter.com/story/sophie-interview

This would inspire her music influences all the way throughout her life. After being given a keyboard for one of her birthdays as a birthday gift she began locking herself away in her room as a form of escapism and would later want to drop out of school in pursuit of it (which never happened).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_(musician)

Theres something unmistakable about her production where once youve heard you can recognize songs that shes worked on, a terrific feat for any electronic musician to have an obvious touch on tracks through their discography. The music is at the same time freeing as it is energizing bringing you up high and making you feel a range of emotions that can be translated onto the dance floor. Although this duo probably wont be releasing any more music after the tragic passing of Sophie, shes known for a tremendous back catalogue that has been known to leak on the internet.

The artist profile I want to cover is my fellow Bengali Brother Muza!!!!!! He is a South-Asian American artist from the city, and he is actually making big movements for the Asian community of artists in the city. His main focus on music is covering pop song covers in international languages like Arabic, Hindi, English, Spanish and Urdu. What I love about his music, is that he wants to cover all cultures, like Bollywood songs, pop songs, rap and different languages. Incorporating different languages, is a great way to build your persona as an artist, what I love about Muza so much is that his story is a rough start, he didn’t want to pursue music because his family wanted him to go into medical school and he did just that. He called it his version, of the closest he got to an “arranged marriage” LOL. But, he decided to leave medical school and pursue, his dream of being a singer/songwriter. He wanted to chase it, even though he knew his family would cut him off for his decisions, what I see in a pattern for a lot of great artists, weather that is artists or actors alike, is that they all, had a similar story, like Jlo who had to leave her family in order to make her dreams happen for herself as a dancer and Al Pacino whose family did not support him. Muza is defiantly chasing his dreams, which I think will show in his music as his career grows more and more in the future. His songs like ‘Oporadhi’ a classic Bengali song, was turned into a pop/rap song with his killer vocals and animated features. He knows exactly, how to appeal to the older generation by including classic songs and mixing it with the younger generation by including the rap part. I really like that he includes these spontaneous twists, which help his songs stand out more. One of his albums include Spanish songs, Arabic songs, that he sings with his very melodic voice. He was gracious enough to answer some questions and get more vulnerable which is something he hopes men in general do more with music instead of trying to be some “hard shit” as he says, his rap content focuses on romance too and not just drugs, or degrading women. It is not normal for artists to do all kinds of languages and genres all at once, they usually have to break out into one thing first but he really did not want to wait the process and simply wanted to immerse himself in the music as soon as he could.

Tanisha: Was it hard to emerge as an artist unknown and coming from a background without starting young? Since you were studying something so different in school?

Muza: It was hard of course, the whole process was hard, imagine your entire life being told and forced to pursue something you didn’t like, it was engraved into my brain and our brains, as you know, that success more than happiness comes first. Medical school is stable, its what my entire family did and my parents. Imagine their only son, pursuing his dreams, and becoming something so different than everyone else, it was hard of course, and so many times, I though about going back, because you do think of those adult things, like “Am I going to make this work?” “Where will I be in the future” and “Will it work out” but I really sat down with myself and knew if I didn’t pursue music that I would die the unhappiest man ever. My talent and voice, is something all my teachers, friends and family alike told me I have been blessed with. But what’s funny is no one thought I would take it seriously, they thought wrong, not only do I have a great amount of views on my songs, but I have performed at universities and schools alike.

Tanisha: Wow, and what about making music and you’re songs? Was it intimidating not knowing who would view it or was it just the passion you cared for?

Muza: I knew for a fact, that I would be successful, why….because I would not take no for answer no matter what. Because so many disbelieved in this dream, I didn’t care if I had to stand outside of Times Square hanging my album out every.single.day, I told myself I would have a certain amount of views by the end of each week and when you hustle, network and commit, it truly does pay off. Then on top of that, I would get signing coaches to really make my voice better, spend hours and hours in the studio working on my voice, piano, beats and gather my other artist buddies, to network, collaborate and use social media for branding. I have to pay a lot of my success as well to the community of artists of color, who really help each other, there is a whole network and scene of our music genres only that get SO many views by us only, and I am okay with that. I love making music in different languages and cultures. So for me it is the passion and making music that drives me but a lot of it is also calculated and strategic planning.

Tanisha: Talk a little more about how you want male artists to be more vulnerable and include that in their art?

Muza: Haha, it’s more of just men in general haha…not even artists, but yea, I think for me chasing my dreams in of itself is vulnerable, it really is something that most men don’t do, because at least with how I was raised, I was always taught to not show emotion, make sure stability and success came first, because that is how I will take care of everyone around me and my duty as a man was to provide, protect etc…and of course I still believe it is, but as an artist, I like being in touch with my vulnerable side, most male artists, and people in my industry in general, operate off of ego…a lot of narcissism too, how many followers you have and views all of that matters. But I think the more we become vulnerable we can work better by not trying to be BETTER than anyone but be better together, and that’s also better to make more dope content.

Tanisha: So, final advice to artists out there what would it be?

An artist that I would like to highlight and discuss is Juice Wrld. Juice Wrld was one and still is one of my favorite artists and an artist that I still listen to. One of the main reasons why I like Juice Wrld so much is because he’s not your typical rapper. He’s got a unique voice and style. His music just stood out to me for whatever reason as compared to other hip hop and rap artists. Another reason why I like Juice Wrld so much is that he was the first artist who I discovered before he blew up and made it mainstream. I heard a snippet of one of his own songs on Instagram I think and I looked in the comments to see if I can learn anything about who the artist was. Next thing you know, I’m listening to his music on his Soundcloud profile. 

Juice Wrld was born Jarad Anthony Higgins in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School from which he graduated in 2017. Which also stood out to me. Juice Wrld was an artist who was taking over the world (pun intended) who was only a year older than me. Realizing that a kid who is about my age with that much fame and success was mind-blowing and it really gives you a whole new perspective. Juice Wrld’s parents divorced when he was just three years old, forcing his mother to raise him and his older brother as a single mother. Juice Wrld’s mother was also very religious and conservative, so Juice was not allowed to listen to hip-hop and rap growing up. Juice Wrld was then introduced to rock and punk, listening to artists such as Billy Idol, Blink-182, Black Sabbath, Fall Out Boy, Megadeath, and Panic! at the Disco. He discovered these artists through video game playlists in the games Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Guitar Hero. 

What made Juice Wrld so relatable was his public battle with mental health. No one likes to admit it, but we all battle our own demons to an extent. Everyone has something that they are dealing with in their respective lives. Juice Wrld has three total albums out at the moment with one being posthumous. It was also just announced his second posthumous album “Fighting Demons” will be released on December 10th. His first album Goodbye & Good Riddance is a classic. This album also put Juice Wrld on the map. Two of the most famous songs on this album and probably Juice Wrld’s two most famous songs are Lucid Dreams and All Girls Are The Same surpassing over one billion streams on Spotify. Juice Wrld’s second album Death Race For Love is my personal favorite. This album includes songs Empty, Hear Me Calling, and Robbery. These are the most famous songs off of this album. However, this album has my favorite song by Juice Wrld. That song is called Fast. In this song, Juice discusses how his life took off after fame and how fast the world is moving around him. That stood out to me. It made me realize how fast life actually is. It taught me to live each day, one day at a time, and to live in the moment. To appreciate all of the little things. No matter if they were good or bad. Every day is a new lesson. 

https://youtu.be/_bgjyNeN-Vo (Playlist to Goodbye & Good Riddance)

https://youtu.be/lzQpS1rH3zI (Fast)

I was fortunate enough to attend Juice Wrld’s Death Race For Love tour at the Mann Center in West Philly back in May of 2019. I went with a friend from high school. It was such a great experience. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the show was that they used actual instruments. Yeah, I know that sounds idiotic to say if you are at a concert. However, specifically in hip hop and rap concerts, the artist just plays their recorded track on the speakers while he’s partially singing over it on the microphone. Juice Wrld’s inspiration in music came from mostly rock and punk, so I’d be willing to bet that he wanted to give that same type of vibe to his fans at his concerts. 

Unfortunately, that would be the last time I would ever get the chance to see Juice Wrld live. About a little over six months later from that concert, Juice Wrld passed away from a drug overdose in December of 2019 at Chicago Midway Airport. Rumors started swirling of what exactly happened when he died. It was rumored that on the private jet Juice Wrld and his crew were on, that they had guns, pills, and over seventy pounds of weed on the plane. Which is a felony. The pilot had then notified authorities of what was going on and where they were headed. The rumor that had since been debunked is that Juice Wrld swallowed all the pills in an effort to not get caught. Juice Wrld’s photographer, Chris Long, debunked it by saying “J did not swallow a bunch of pills because the police were at the airport. We gave no f*cks about them being there. He could have flushed them down the toilet if he cared.” He also went on to say “J was just hooked bad. The amount he took daily was absurd and he hid how much he really took from mostly everyone. Everyone around him tried really hard to get him to slow down. When he agreed to rehab it was because he wanted to lower his tolerance. He didn’t want to stop.” You can hear the pain in Juice Wrld’s music with his battle against addiction. He couldn’t control it and that was the worst part. 

https://hypebeast.com/2021/5/juice-wrld-photographer-talks-his-final-moments (source)

Juice’s latest album, Legends Never Die is his first posthumous album. Some notable songs on this album include Righteous and Wishing Well. Two beautiful songs. Wishing Well is another favorite of mine. Another song that discusses drug and substance abuse. It has been said that Juice Wrld has over two thousand unreleased songs. That’s how good and efficient Juice Wrld was at making music. In my opinion, Juice Wrld is the best freestyler. He can make a hit over a beat right off the dome. He didn’t even need to write it down. He actually recorded Death Race For Love in a matter of four days by freestyling the whole thing. His talent was unmatched and it is a shame to see an artist die at such a young age with a lot of promise. Be sure to catch his new single Already Dead which is actually out right now, or by the time this blog post is due. Also be on the lookout for his second posthumous album Fighting Demons on December 10th. Long Live Juice Wrld. Legends Never Die. 

For this weeks blog post we had to pick an artist to do a profile on. I already know I used him for the artist interview and decided that I would cover him again because I know him so well and continue to show support. Joshua also known as J Bandz was born February 4th, 2000 and comes from a small town in New Jersey Called South Bound Brook. Growing up he was always was listening to music and found some interesting ways to do so. I remember super early in middle school he used to carry around a PSP and listen to his music that way. At the time he was really into Michael Jackson and lil Wayne and as he progressed into high school he really got into rap. Before he ever professionally started making music he was really into sports especially football. Overtime I watched as he transitioned from wanting to take sports seriously to wanting to be a well known artist. He started making music when he was 18 and has continued to keep getting better and better as he keeps releasing new songs. 

This is his most recent song “I Cant Link” and in my opinion one of my favorites so far. Since he is one of my childhood best friends and still continue to talk to him daily there definitely is some sort of bias. Even then If he was not my friend I would probably still have the same opinion as I do now because he makes good music. I think this song also shows more of his progression as he is trying to put more effort into the production quality of his music. When I interviewed him he also said that this is one of his favorites too because of the production quality and the meaning behind the song. In my opinion I could start to see a change in the music that he is producing and I can see how he is trying to put more meaningful messages in his songs. Knowing him my whole life I could easily say that his personality is shown through the music that he is making and that it is not just a “mask”.  Throughout his songs you can here how determined he is to make it big and how much he believes in himself and how he wants to make it big especially for his mom. 

In my lifetime, I have met very few STARSET fans, which is crazy considering their fanbase is in the high millions. I would have liked to meet more, and maybe one day I will, but until then, I will keep sharing this band with people with the hopeful intention of showing them an artist they will enjoy. In sharing the music, I got my good buddy Jason Capehart hooked on the band, and we’ve had deep conversations about their music ever since. Jason and I attend the same music school and we are both in the third year of our respective programs at the time this is written. He is a composer who has written amazing works for orchestra, wind ensemble, small chamber groups, and marching band, some of which I have had the pleasure of performing. Jason is also a percussionist within ensembles he participates in, and he has a vast knowledge of both percussion and compositional techniques. Given his experience in writing music, his insight on percussion, and his love for STARSET, I decided to interview him to get his perspective on the band and to hear what he has to say about specific aspects of their music. Here are three questions that were asked, which he answered as follows:

Q: As a percussionist, what do you have to say (good and bad) about STARSET’s music from a percussion perspective?

A: When I had the chance to meet STARSET drummer Adam Gilbert, one of the things I remember most distinctly about what he told me was that his general approach to drumming for the band was to serve the overall product without stealing particular attention. I think this approach is evident when listening to the percussion parts in STARSET’s music. The drumset parts are consistently solid and feel very appropriate to the musical context they’re placed in. A song like “Manifest”, with its hyperactive bridge, is the place for Gilbert to complicate the rhythms and syncopations, because the nature of the song is meant to be chaotic and intense. Something like “Ricochet” has a completely different musical purpose, and Gilbert serves that purpose well consistently. Sometimes, this effort to serve the musical purpose makes certain drum parts feel a bit ‘cookie-cutter’, but coming up with completely original drum grooves for four albums worth of songs is practically impossible.

Q: From an overall compositional perspective, what do you like and dislike about STARSET’s music?

A: One of the biggest things I’ve noticed about STARSET from an overall compositional perspective is that their music is notably formulaic. They are far from being the only artists about whom this can be said, but anyone who takes that term “formulaic” to be negative by default is mistaken. Formulas exist for a reason, and the STARSET formula really works in my opinion. Two songs can follow the same rough formula and still sound very distinct. This formulaic nature comes in many forms: structure, melody, and harmony. Generally, STARSET keeps their harmonies fairly simple and—considering that the melodies are all being written for the same vocalist(s)—their melodies have lots of common patterns and tendencies. I think STARSET is a great example of how to make formulaic music work. They strike a good balance between consistency and an element of surprise. In some ways, this makes STARSET’s music a bit easier to predict, but I don’t think this level of predictability detracts substantially from the quality of the music they’re making. In my first listen through HORIZONS, I found myself consistently surprised by certain compositional devices while still feeling like the music on the album fit STARSET’s standard formula. An exception (that I can only imagine is an exception very intentionally) is the final track of the album “SOMETHING WICKED”. A lot of the formulaic elements (verse-chorus structure, existence of rhyme scheme, general musical and narrative contour) are subverted in a way that brings the album to an intriguing conclusion. I don’t think this track would have the same impact that it does if STARSET hadn’t first established a formula for themselves that listeners could get used to.

Q: What do you think of their latest album HORIZONS?

A: I think HORIZONS is an absolutely incredible addition to an already very strong discography. In this latest album, STARSET continues to find new ways to use their formula. I have a particular liking for “OTHERWORLDLY”, “ICARUS”, and “EARTHRISE” (three tracks that play consecutively on the album, and lead so smoothly into each other). “EARTHRISE” quickly became one of my favorite STARSET songs when they released it prior to the album release back in October, and I think that HORIZONS offers a plethora of emotions and interesting compositional ideas. The optimistic and heartfelt nature of “OTHERWORLDLY”, the powerful melancholy of “ANNIHILATED LOVE”, the raw and aggressive string parts in “TUNNELVISION”, and “SOMETHING WICKED”, which simultaneously shocked me and also felt like the ideal way to end an album like HORIZONS. This is an album that is worth a listen from a band that deserves a lot of credit for creating something really special.

When you’re capable of just about everything in life, how do you decide what you most want to do?  And how does that idea shift over time?  These larger-than-life questions can be puzzling and cause paralysis as people catch themselves with boundless opportunities but barely enough time to balance them into their daily schedule.  When you take someone that seems to have no limits, the question isn’t whether they can become exceptional at certain tasks, its simply what tasks are most worth putting their time into.  I have one particular friend, whom I’ve known quite well since we were both in the single digits in age, that seems to be able to do just about everything well.  He started off with a passion for basketball that eventually shifted into a concurrent interest in physics and classical piano.  He could play a passage of Rachmaninoff with as much grace as a routine crossover move, and I remember he started teaching himself from a calculus textbook in middle school that seemed almost impossibly easy to comprehend.  This friend is now a biology student at Dartmouth College and is seemingly able to glide through academics while maintaining far more interest in studies that exist outside the classroom.  However, I think his identity is best summarized in his music.  It is an extension of his personality and his background, and it offers a portal into his perspective of life.  As someone who has been a dear friend of his for a long time now, I’m proud to introduce you to the music of Thomas Flynn.

I’m in the unique position to be able to examine the influences for his sound while being able to make fairly accurate guesses about where they came from.  The following series of email questions should provide an overview of his identity and how that comes across in his music.  Please check out his stuff, if you are a fan of indie music, I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Q) What’s typically the biggest challenge for you as a songwriter?  Is there a particular part of the process that always feels like the biggest hurdle? A) I’d have to say vocals because it’s such a vulnerable element in any song.  I’ve spent a lot of time more recently developing my voice and having the confidence to let that show in the recordings, and I think over time you just get more comfortable with the sound you have and start feeling better about how that fits in and adds to the songs.

Q) I remember our days watching Mac Demarco music videos and idealizing him as a musician and songwriter.  Is he still someone that you feel has a tremendous influence on you today? A) For sure, not necessarily even in the music itself but the kind of spirit he brings to the songwriting process.  He makes music that he likes and that he wants to make.  He doesn’t seem to be very concerned about anyone’s reactions to it, he just stays true to himself and was able to craft an audience around what makes music special for him.  I’ve reflected on that countless times and want to keep that in mind no matter what happens in the future.

Q) Do you reflect on home and your past in your songwriting a lot?  Especially the town we both grew up in? A) It’s probably not something I actively try to include most times, but I’m certain it has had a huge influence and will always influence my sound.  I love nature and feel that my music embraces that feeling you get when you’re totally immersed in it.  I think a lot of my songs have a warmth to them that reflects on that nature aesthetic.

Q) Do you find it easier to write songs by crafting them around lyrics, or instruments?  And what comes first for instruments, guitar or piano? A) In the beginning I was gravitating more toward the guitar as the creative base for my songs, but I’ve taken a greater interest in piano more recently.  They both give a different energy to the song and wind up pushing it in different directions, so I think they work really well to add diversity to my albums and break up the songwriting monotony.  As far as lyrics go, I can never really tell.  Sometimes they just come to me and other times I have to let them sit out for a while before the content starts speaking to me.

Q) Do you feel like you’ve gotten to a point of mastery with the recording aspect of the music? A) I’ve definitely gotten better, but I’m still not totally happy.  It’s like one of those things where the better you get the more you realize how much more expertise it takes to get things to the next level.  I think my recordings sound pretty good right now, but it’s another part of my songwriting that I hope keeps expanding endlessly.

Q) Do you feel like listeners are able to get a sense for who you are through your music?  Is your identity clearly revealed? A) Yes and no.  I think the better you know me the more you’d be able to know where certain elements come from, but there’s always something left on the table no matter how much you try to bring yourself into the music.  I just write what feels natural for me, and I think my songwriting has almost crafted me in a way, as well.

Hello everyone, I’m gonna be showcasing someone a little bit different than my normal routine for this week’s post. This week I am gonna be showcasing my good friend Marco. I have know Marco ever since early middleschool. It wasn’t until a few years after that, that I realized he was actually a really good violinist. Like really good. I remember when I went in his room for the firs time, I saw this whole area of his house dedicated to him and his instrument. That’s when he told me that he actually has been playing the violin ever since he was 6 and after that when he played in front of me, I was so shocked (in a good way) of his skill. At that point of my life, I had never heard someone as good as him play that instrument, and to be honest, I didn’t know anything much at all about the violin. Even though we don’t talk as much as we used to, I thought it would be a great idea to ask him a few questions on his view of music.   

Yesterday night, I gave Marco a call and see if he still played. After we greeted eachother, I started off by saying.

Me: “Now, since you’re here I wanted to actually ask you some things about your violin, actually before that, do you still even play it?”

Marco: “Oh!, of course I do, I don’t play it as much anymore cuz of college, but whenever the weekend comes around, I try to play a few songs and refresh my memory on the old stuff I learned.”

Me: Oh shit, that’s sick, it’s nice to know you still play it, because the first time I heard you, you were fire.

Marco: “Haahaahhaa, I was so ass back then what do you mean? hahaha”

Me: “Nah, you were crazy good dude, okay, next thing I wanted to ask, what made you want to start palying the violin?”

Marco: Damn, okay, uhhhh, I started off because my parents really wanted me to get involved in something, I don’t know if you remember or not, but I never played sports in middleschool or high school, so my parents kinda forced me into playing an instrument. They thought I was being useless without doing something during my youth. At first I hated it, but after I learned how to play a few songs, I started enjoying it.”

Me: “Oh, I guess that’s what my parents wanted for me as well. I didn’t really want to do anything, but they made me sign up for baseball, and after one season, I really started enjoying it. 

Marco: “Yeah, it be like that.”

Me: “What keeps you wanting to still play the violin?”

Marco: “I really love making my own covers on violin to new songs that I jam out to, yknow? Like a few months ago I tried learning that one Dua Lipa song (Levatating) just cuz I wanted to know how to play it, it’s something I just do, I dont know, if I really enjoy the song, I try to play it for myself haha”

Me: I guess I kinda relate to that, somewhat, like if I really enjoy a song, I try to learn the lyrics to it and know a little more about the artist and message of the song.”

Marco: Yeah it’s kinda like that, I guess.”

Me: Alright, now for my last question, do you wanna go pro one day? 

Marco: “Hell no hhahahaha, I definitely can see myself playing for a long time, but as for going pro, hell no. I like just playing the violin casually, yknow, like I said, I like doing things like the covers, not shit like learning the old classical shit because that’s too difficult. I tried a few when I was in high school and didn’t enjoy it because I had to put so much concentration in on them. It kinda ruined the fun of playing, so now I just play it as a hobby.”

And with that, that concluded my interview with my friend Marco. It was pretty interesting how he viewed music. He wanted it to  be more of a hobby and not get into the competitive aspect of it and I can totally understand that. Like he said, just playing the violin to new songs on the radio must be pretty casual, which is why he still plays the instrument. It was really nice experience. I learned a bit from Marco and the way why he (an artist) plays the things he does.