R.A.W. Magazine

A.Chal went quiet for a while after releasing his album entitled “Welcome to GAZI” in mid-2016. The album had 10 tracks without any features. The Peruvian R&B singer sparked a lot of attention through multiple media outlets online when his project was released, and many were anticipating more creative juice from A.Chal.

A.Chal delivered this a little later than expected, but definitely with good timing. To give the year a good start, A.Chal released his catchy and relatable song “To The Light”. The music video to the song received 12,095 views on YouTube and 175k plays on sound cloud. Don’t miss out on this song, we predict it will receive lots of attention.

‘TO THE LIGHT’ MUSIC VIDEO

It was 2015 when Homeshake released his last album “Midnight Snack” which was a phenomenal album that came with no features. It’s no surprise that in 2017 Homeshake came back 2x harder with creativity and uniqueness when he released his newest album “Fresh Air”. 

Homeshake , also known as Peter Sagar, was formerly recognized as Mac Demarco’s guitarist. Since then, he’s been creating music that comes from the soul within himself and released to the world so that we all could enjoy such a mellow and calming sound.

Along with the release of the album, homeshake released two music videos, one for “Every Single Thing” and the other for “ Khmlwugh”. Check out the amazing vibes below and tell us what you think. 

“EVERY SINGLE THING” VIDEO

“KHMLWUGH” VIDEO

TRACKLIST (Fresh Air)

Hello Welcome

Call Me Up 

Not U

Every Single Thing

Wrapping Up

Getting Down, Pt. II (He’s Cooling Down)

Timing

TV Volume

Khmlwugh

Fresh Air

Serious

So She

This Way

Signing Off

Niia was undercover for a minute, but to start 2017 off right, Niia released a banging single “Hurt You First”. The song is basically stating that she will hurt the one who is treating her so well before she gets hurt. This is something that happens commonly, people have been treated so poorly in previous relationships that when they find something real it’s hard to accept it. The concept of someone treating them how they’re supposed to be treated becomes confusing, so before someone puts all of their hopes and feelings into this one person they end up hurting them (which is what Niia is doing in this song) or just leave them before things get too real.

There are three different versions to the song. There’s the original studio version , A remix by J.Robb & the Kount , and lastly the mellow acoustic version. The song is available for streaming on all platforms, give it a listen. 

“HURT YOU FIRST” VIDEO

HURT YOU FIRST (Original) : SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE 

HURT YOU FIRST (Remix) : SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE 

Stephen Bruner, also known as ‘Thundercat’, has been slowly climbing his way to the top. After releasing his sophomore album ‘Apocalypse’ in 2013 , Thundercat’s song ‘Heartbreaks + Setbacks’ was featured on the popular HBO original series ‘Insecure’. Since then, Thundercat has been featured on songs like “Wesley’s Theory” by Kendrick Lamar accompanied by George Clinton and “Dead Friends” by Kirk Night.

Thundercat released his freshman album in 2011 and contained no features. Before the album he was in a boy band called “No Curfew” and a skatepunk band “Suicidal Tendencies” with his brother.

Since the bands and the freshman album, Thundercat released three projects , “Apocalypse” ,  “The Beyond / Where The Giants Roam” , and most recently “Drunk”.

“Drunk” has gotten a lot of attention from music lovers, mainly because it contains a different type of vibe that is not common to come across. The album was just released and the people are feeling it. The project had amazing features from artists like Kendrick Lamar , Pharrell Williams & Wiz Khalifa.

If you didn’t know about Thundercat, now you know something. Check out his music and wait for him to come to your city and bless your soul with his calm and mellow voice.

“THEM CHANGES” MUSIC VIDEO

TRACKLIST (DRUNK)

Rabbot Ho

Captain Stupido (feat. Flying Lotus)

Uh Uh (feat. Zack Sekoff)

Bus In These Streets (feat. Louis Cole)

A Fan’s Mail / Tron Song Suite II (feat. Sounwave)

Lava Lamp (feat. Sounwave)

Jethro (feat. Flying Lotus)

Day & Night

Show You The Way (feat. Flying Lotus , Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins)

Walk On By (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Blackkk (feat. Sounwave)

Tokyo

Jameel’s Space Ride (feat. Louis Cole)

Friend Zone (feat. Mono/Poly)

Them Changes (feat. Flying Lotus)

Where I’m Going (feat. Flying Lotus)

Drink Dat (feat. Taylor Graves , Wiz Khalifa)

Inferno (feat. Flying Lotus)

I Am Crazy

3AM (feat. Flying Lotus)

Drunk (feat. Flying Lotus)

The Turn Down (feat. Pharrell Williams)

DUI

HEARTBREAKS + SETBACKS: SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE

WESLEY’S THEORY: SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE

The masterpiece hasn’t dropped yet, but Little Dragon has already shaken us up with what hey have dropped. It’s been three years since the Sweedish band released ‘Nabuma Rubberband’ and their fans have been waiting for something fresh ever since. 

From the 10 tracks that are on their new album ‘Season High’ , Little Dragon made three songs available for listening. “Celebrate” feat. Agge , “Sweet” & “High” which has been accompanied with a music video.

The album has a set sound , a complex mixture of 80′s pop and 90′s R&B compacted into 10 well thought out tracks. This is definitely something new with Little Dragon, yet it is such a unique and exquisite sound that’s so hard to ignore. “ Season High “ will be available for purchase and will stream on all music platforms tomorrow, April 14th. This is an album you don’t want to miss.

'HIGH’ MUSIC VIDEO 

TRACKLIST (SEASON HIGH)

Celebrate (feat. Agge)

High

The Pop Life

Sweet

Butterflies

Should I

Don’t Cry

Strobe Light

Push

Gravity

CELEBRATE: SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE

HIGH: SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE

The rise of Smino continues with the release of his debut album “Blkswn” and a new music video to his song ‘Anita’. The 26 year-old St. Louis rapper has released previous projects prior to ‘Blkswn’ , two EP’s ‘Blkjuptr’ (Jan. 2016) & ‘S!CK S!CK S!CK’ (Oct.2015).

Along with his debut album, Smino annouced a 22 city tour of the U.S. and Canada. Smino will be accompanied by Monte Booker, Jay 2 & Jean Deaux on the ‘Swanita’ tour.

The sensual album ‘Blkswn’ has been receiving great feedback from major media outlets like Fader , Vibe & HotNewHipHop. ‘Blkswn’ will soothe you with tracks like “Glass Flows” and “Amphetmaine” but will also put you in a contended mood with “Spitshine” and “Netflix & Dusse”.

Listen to Smino’s progress as an artist by listening to his new and old work.

‘ANITA’ MUSIC VIDEO

TRACKLIST (BLKSWN)

Wild Irish Roses 

Maraca

Glass Flows (feat. Ravyn Lenae)

Flea Flicka (feat. Bari)

Spitshine

Netflix & Dusse

Anita

Lobby Kall

Edgar Allan Poe’d Up (feat.  theMIND)

Father Son Holy Smoke

B Role

Blkoscars (feat. Jay2)

blkswn

Long Run (feat. Via Rosa)

Innamission

Silk Pillows (feat. Akenya)

Ricky Millions (feat. Drea Smith)

Amphetamine 

BLKSWN: SOUNDCLOUD // TIDAL // APPLE MUSIC // SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE

As the year is kicked off with lots of artists bringing all that they’ve got, Bonnaroo comes back displaying artists that have already shown what they’ve got. Recently, Bonnaroo released their lineup, and it include popular artists like Aminé, Chance The Rapper, D.R.A.M., Flatbush Zombies, Lorde, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, Tory Lanez, Travis Scott, U2 and more!

Besides the music, Bonnaroo has plenty of other things for their attendees to participate in. There’s camping, lots of activities to play with others, art exhibits and other things that you’d have to see to believe.

This isn’t a parking lot carnival though, the tickets are pretty pricey. The only tickets that are left to purchase now are the 4-Day General Admission (Tier 3) which is price at $324.50 + Fees and the GA Ticket + Nashville Shuttle Package (4-Day) which is priced at $554.50 + Fees. That’s just the General Admission Fees, They also have VIP, Platinum & more packages priced at over $1,000.

Bonnaroo is one amazing experience that everyone should be able to participate in, want to go? Information is below, and have fun at Bonnaroo!

Sometimes when you listen to a new album you don’t realize its a producers album until you notice you didn’t hear their voice at all ..... Or maybe that’s just us?

Anyways KAYTRANDA is an amazing producer. Just listening to his beats are amazing and they make you feel all types of ways. We found KAYTRANADA on our favorite music app ever, TIDAL. His album “99,9%” featured various artists like Syd Tha Kyd, Vic Mensa, and Anderson.Paak. KAYTRANADA has tracks on his album that are strictly instrumental, our favorite one is track 13. Lite Spots. The song starts off kind of skeptical but 50 seconds in you’ll see why we like it so much.

KAYTRANADA’S real name is Louis Kevin Celestin, he’s a 24 year old DJ out of Port-au-prince, Haiti. He’s currently signed to XL records and is emerging quickly as a DJ

Listen to our favorite track!

Because our love for Kelela is infinite , we are excited to bring you some new music by this queen. 

Before her performance at AfroPunk Atlanta , Kelela posted via Instagram the soundtrack of her new EP Hallucinogen.

A photo posted by KELELA (@kelelam) on Aug 21, 2015 at 5:52am PDT

Some people shared a few comments that I believe all Kelela fam feels.

Anyways , after Kelela’s iconic performance at AfroPunk: Atlanta , She posted that her new song ‘Rewind’ had been released on Zane Lowe’s show on Apple Music.

Here are some fans who shared the same feels on this track.

In other words , if you’re not a Kelela fan click the links that will be at the end of this article to become one ASAP. If you’re already a Kelela fan , please brace yourself for the Hallucinogen EP because the Queen is back.

 Ok yes , R.A.W. is late. Seeing as though the track was released 3 months ago and Steezy lives in our city , cut us some slack because we’re always trying to give show you guys raw underground artists.

Anyways ,I connected with Steezy through social media and found his soundcloud. I listened to his most played track “time” and I really enjoyed it. The song is very laid back and chill and definitely deserved recognition. 

Also , Steezy recently released an EP called “The Garden” which consists of 3 tracks and is available to stream on soundcloud.

It’s sad to say that my summer is coming to an end and I already want to choke my jr year teachers that I haven’t even met. Fortunately , I have a list of 6 awesome items that will prevent me (and you) from choking your teachers.

Portable Outlet $17.99 // PURCHASE

I’m literally screaming while typing this because this is the only item on this list that I do not have. A portable charger is the most important thing that you could ever take to school because not only could you charge your phone in class , you can make your classmates pay a small fee to hook up their phones also. Easy money.

Earbuds - $8.99 // PURCHASE

By the grace of god please get the earbuds without the rubber alien at then end. Those things are painful and you have to shove them in the back of your throat in order for them to stay in place for ten seconds. Having a pair of earbuds are the best thing ever. You can use them when your teacher is extra boring , when your tired or while you’re taking a test to help you stay focused.

Portable Mirror - $2.48 // PURCHASE

So you may not need this exact one , but it’s so dope because it’s like a mini macbook air. Everybody needs a mirror , male and female. Of course females use it to check their makeup and what not but males can use it to just to make sure that their edge up is still on fleek.

Mini Pillow - $12.99 // PURCHASE

Why would this need any type of explanation? It’s a small pillow that can fit in your bookbag. Having this and a pair of earbuds is priceless while your sleeping through your english lecture. Or in detention … or in ISS….

Reusable Water Bottle - $10.30 // PURCHASE

I don’t know about you all , but I refuse to use the crusty water fountains at my school because of all of the people putting their germy hands on it. So having a reusable water bottle is great so you can just fill up during class transitions without having to wait in a long line of thirsty & nasty kids.

Small Wallet - $12.73 // PURCHASE

Last but not least , a wallet. This is very handy for keeping your school ID , Drivers License , Permit etc. in one safe place. You wouldn’t want anybody stealing things from you so definitely keep this in a secret compartment inside your bookbag.

19 year old rapper “Y God” took social media to another level. Starting with controversial topics and settling with heart to heart communication with his fanbase ,Y God is slowly creating an image for himself and for the youth. Get into the details of Y God’s past , present and future and see his creative output on life in this exclusive interview with R.A.W. Magazine.

Where are you from & how old are you?

I was born in New Orleans , Raised in Compton and various other cities across America. I’m 19 years old.

What is the #1 thing that made you want to get into music?

It’s always been the way I expressed myself and decompressed from everything going on around me.

Where do you get your creative drive from?

Honestly , I don’t even know. I think it’s God given to be honest. That and the will to make a difference and make the world a better place. 

Where did the name “Y God” come from?

Ok so I started out with the name “Steezii Wxnder”. And a couple friends started playin’ around and i began to do my own name flips to see how many clever thing I could come up with in my lyrics. Soon after that I thought my name was entirely too …. long and hard to explain. So I shortened it to “No Wxndr”. My reason being that my real name is Jo’Juan pronounce (Yo-Wan) a lot of my family calls me “Y” so a couple of fans would began to call me “Wxndr Y” … Soon after I had a fan tell me “Y … You really getting our dreams. Like everything you create last forever because of the way you set things up connecting and having full circle ideas that impact people in a special way …” Then it came to me. Y.G.O.D … Y Getting Our Dreams …. Y Granting Our Desires. There’s plenty more acronyms but I leave it at that. Also , I have a theory about all great creatives being gods in a sense.

How have you grown intellectually from “10 The EP” to “The Y? EP” and now to “Wolves Don’t Cry”?

The 10 EP was a very emotional time in my life and I was still coming into myself. The Y? EP was more of the “aha!” moment where I found who I was musically. Wolves Don’t Cry is the introduction to my forthcoming legacy

If there is one thing that would stop you from making music what would it be and why?

I’d stop when i’m dead. Even if I lost my vocal cords i’d be producing. 

Have you always aspired to be an artist? And if not what did you want to be?

This was always plan A.

What are your goals within education?

Right now i’m working on my second associates at age 19. If all else fails , which it won’t , i’ll be a radiologist.

What inspires you the most about Ian Connor?

Honestly , his lack of giving a f****. Also , he showed us that you can be into fashion and be a model and not be the most … Typical looking person.

A lot of people try to bandwagon on people like Ian Connor , saying things like “ his music is dope” when he’s in fact not a rapper. What was your first impression of Ian Connor?

At first I was confused , like how most people are about me right now. But I was more interested than confused. He drew me in with his creativity. I could tell our minds was the same.

Being an artist , especially in rap , comes with a lot of hatred. There’s always somebody who will call you trash and a whole bunch of other negative things , sometimes without even listening to the music that you make. How do you deal with negative people on social media and in real life?

I have my days where I fore back on some ‘brazy’ s**** lol. Other times I have a Kanye moment and rant. Then tell everyone that i’m the greatest. lol.

What’s the best advice that you can give to an aspiring artist?

Be inspired by what and who you like … But always stay true to yourself. You’re the only you .. Ever. There will never be another YGod. There will never be another Kanye. There will never be another Tupac. There will never be another you.

After hours of screaming and typing my fingernails off , I’ve finally discovered that I will not have to wait outside FootAction at my local mall to receive a pair of the new Yeezy Boosts by Adidas x Kanye West.

Adidas had told all of the Yeezy Boost fans that they would give details on the 16th about how the sales would work but waited very late to give any communication with their fans. All tweets have since then been deleted , so now any fans who’ve missed the twitter communication have yet to get details on the sales.

So if you’re one of the many fans that’ve missed the twitter conversation , here are the details below.

Raffels 

Apparently for those who cannot use the adidas confirmed app because they don’t live in LA , Chicago or NYC have to enter in a raffle. If you win the raffle you get “a chance to buy a pair of the Yeezy Boost” (????????). 

So basically they’re telling us that you enter this contest against thousands of people and if you get picked your allowed to stand in line for hours to spend $200? Like that makes any type of since.

So lets cross raffles off of our list.

Waiting In Line On August 22nd

lol no.

Buy The Shoes Online

That’s more like it.

I came across an article from GQ that states that you are %100 able to buy the shoes online Saturday morning which is perfect for me because i will not spend my 16th birthday waiting in line for my kings shoes.   

Here’s the list of stores that will be selling them online:

“finishline.com, 8 AM EST

.footlocker.com, 8 AM. EST

champssports.com, 10 AM EST

.eastbay.com, 8 AM. EST

barneys.com, 12 AM EST

.newyork.doverstreetmarket.com, Time TBD

Adidas.com, Time TBD (Yeezy Boost 350 "White" was released at 11:30am)

YCMC.com, Will Not Announce Time

DTLR.com, Time TBD”

That’s it. That’s literally all you have to do what you do every morning   wake up an hour before they go on sale with your debit card and cash out and congratulations you have a pair of the King’s shoes and nobody can tell you nothin’ 

Oh & check our cool yet very basic yeezys video edit on instagram.

IM5 will be coming to Mesa Arizona on August 15th at 88.7 Pulse Studios! Tickets are available online now through Eventbrite and it includes the following.

- A meet & greet with Dana , Gabe & Cole

- Pictures with IM5 

- A private Q&A session

- Pizza Party

- And VIP Access to the performance at San Tan Village Back-to-School Bonanza

Don’t live in Mesa Arizona? Don’t worry there’s one more location!

IM5 will also be in Surrey United Kingdom on August 29th. They will be performing along with The Vamps , Little Mix , Ella Eyre & more!

Click here to purchase Surrey United Kingdom Tickets!

 Click here to purchase Mesa Arizona tickets!

Ever since Prodigy released his first single “Be My Valentine” a year ago , he went on a long haitus. Rarely posting on social media and not releaseing any new music. Recently , Prodigy has been updating his fans through Instagram assuring them that new music is on the way. Also , he notified his fans that his “Be My Valentine” song & video was a huge mistake.

A photo posted by PRODIGY (@_prodigyofficial_) on Aug 2, 2015 at 8:56pm PDT

Since then , Prodigy released a video of him dancing to music. The music sounds like it’s his song since we googled the lyrics and nothing came up , watch the video clips below.

A video posted by PRODIGY (@_prodigyofficial_) on Jul 29, 2015 at 12:25pm PDT

A video posted by PRODIGY (@_prodigyofficial_) on Jul 29, 2015 at 9:28pm PDT

“Forever” Jaelyn is a upcoming youtube star. She is popular for vlogging about Beauty , Fashion & Lifestyle tips. During the interview Jaelyn shares with us details about her future and her videos , read the dialogue below.

When & Why did you start making youtube videos?

I started at the end of September making videos. I've always been the girl that always wanted to be in front of the camera . Being an Actress has always been my dream job. I had a camera that I really needed to put to use more. Two girls that i’m now really cool with , TooBlessedMaya & SimplyyKierstin (who are also youtubers) came along and asked if I had a channel , I told them yes. They encouraged me to keep making videos & supported me every step of the way.

 Is becoming a makeup artists one of your dream jobs? If so why & if not what is your dream job?

I have never really thought about becoming a makeup artist. I do have quiet a few makeup products, but Im not a pro at makeup. Maybe in the future when my skills have improved!

We've seen your amazing video of your sweet 16 , What was that experience like? Did you enjoy all the performances?

It was a fun and amazing experience. Especially for something you only get to celebrate once. Camera always in my face, everyone wanting a picture with me, trying to multitask, it's crazy , but fun. The attention was all on me for the night. I definitely enjoyed all the performers! They helped turn up the night and keep my guest entertained.

What was it like meeting your internet best-friend for the first time? Was it an emotional experience or was it more relaxed? 

I was nervous & excited when it was time to meet her. It was awkward at first but we loosened up & we had So much fun & did a lot of activities together. You would have thought we have known each other for years lol. It was sad to see her go. I miss her a lot & can't wait till we link up again!

Makeup product reviews seem like a big thing right now on youtube. Would you be interested in promoting for MAC and/or NAKED? Why or why not?

Of course ! Especially Mac! It's one of my top 3 favorite makeup brands. Their lipsticks are everything & pretty much last all day. It would be nice to try on a lot of their different shades I haven't had the chance to try & give my subscribers new lip tutorials. It would be amazing to promote for such a huge brand.

Is attending vidcon one of your goals? why or why not?

I haven't looked into what Vidcon is all about so I can't quite say, but going to BeautyCon NY in October 2015 is definitely a maybe ! I've heard so much about how fun it was & it would be an awesome experience to see some of the big youtubers in person & meet new people!

How would you describe your youtube channel to people who haven't subscribed?

I say it's a beauty, fashion & lifestyle channel all in one. Everyone has different likings , so why not have all the above ?!

INSTAGRAM // YOUTUBE // TWITTER

Bahja Rodriguez released the highly anticipated music video for “Lipstick”. The song was initially released July 7th via soundcloud and currently holds 24,801 plays and 2,000 likes.  Rodriguez recently released the music video on August 2nd via her VEVO youtube channel and received 32,906 views with 291 comments.

The same day , as a surprise , Rodriguez released a new single entitled “Next One” which was written by Cairen Buck and produced by Bobby Barrett. “Next One” was also released via soundcloud and holds 24,801 plays and 2,000 likes.

Watch the Lipstick music video below & click here to listen to “Next One” for free