Pennies and Pens,
We’re all used to over-saturation when it comes to music, and that makes picking out quality artists to listen to very difficult. Radio is shackled to the established artists, and the volume of music being created and shared these days makes the task of sifting through it all daunting, at best. So I wanted to get you started with a few artists, all of which I really dig and have been showing promise with their work and originality. These are artists that have a genuine love for their craft, and it shows in what they put out. I hope you enjoy them and continue to, as I have.
Raven Sorvino – Starting across the country on the west coast, we have the Houston, Texas-born and LA-raised rap artist, Raven Sorvino. Raven’s style can best be described as Pimp C with a sprinkle of Eazy-E, meaning it’s a healthy dose of playa music with the right amount of gangster to it. A bit hard to process at first, but I promise you that it works. With a face as beautiful as Aaliyah’s and a mouth as slick as Biggie’s, she has a presence that refuses to let you ignore her, and the rhymes to back it up. Her most recent project is Playa Del Rey, which is one of the most complete bodies of work I’ve heard in a good while. Raven’s newest single is off of her upcoming album, Queens of Hearts and it’s called “In the Beginning”. As with any newer artist, it feels like her sound has a bit of refinement left to be done, but Raven is definitely someone worth watching over the next couple of months.
Check Out: www.ravensorvino.com and Soundcloud.com/ravensorvino
SZA – Hailing from St. Louis, MI, SZA (pronounced “sizza”) has made news most recently being signed to TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment), which is Kendrick Lamar’s home label. She’s the crew’s first female signee, and she’s looking to be a great fit. Officially, her music is described as “glitter trap”, and that’s a pretty spot-on description. Her music has its fair share of bass-heavy tracks and 808s but it always ends up being a unusually smooth mix, with her airy vocals never being drowned out. SZA started generating buzz back in December with her EP release See.SZA.Run, which was followed in April by her S EP. Over the course of just two EPs, her sound has evolved very quickly but gracefully. One could even say it’s matured over the course of less than six months, and if you ask me, anyone who grows sonically at that rate is on the right career course.
Check Out: www.iamsza.com and Soundcloud.com/justsza
Muzik Jones Drew – Coming down to the sunshine State, there’s a crooner who’s known to drop a smooth 16 and is no stranger to a little funk. Muzik Jones Drew is from Delray Beach, Florida, but is very well known in Palm Springs and other parts of the state. Word on the street is that he started his music career as a producer/engineer, but things have evolved significantly. MJD’s first official release, Ghetto Harmonizin’ introduced his MCing skills, and put his music in the category of funk rap. He flexed his rapping and singing chops with the well-received 2011 mixtape release “Kloud Life” with Florida-based rapper 1Hot, also from Delray Beach. As of late, however, he’s been honing his singing and immaculate harmonizing prowess with his most recent singles, “Falsettos and Fly Shit” and “Believers”. Those two are off his upcoming Believers album, due in Q4. The thing about MJD is that he’s versatile but still skilled in his different disciplines. Too often, artists spread themselves thinly, which actually takes away from everything they do. Fortunately this isn’t the case with him, which is why he’s got a promising future ahead of him. His is definitely a sound to get cozy with.
Check Out: www.muzikjonesdrew.com and Soundcloud.com/muzikjonesdrew
ill Camille – Out on the west coast, iLL Camille is a relatively new wordsmith with a keen ear for good beats and a smooth but sharp tongue. Growing up in Los Angeles, ill Camille managed to go from intern in the industry to emcee and hasn’t looked back since starting her rap career. She put herself on the map with her 2011 release, The Pre-Write, which got her some notable attention as she began to open up for some more established artists. Her writing style manages to bring alive everyday emotions with a subtle but sincere delivery, and her use of descriptors uniquely personalizes every song she makes. Camille’s sophomore effort, iLLUSTRATED is a display of her sharpening her skills as a writer and emcee while familiarizing you with her sultry voice. I’m excited to see how far she goes, especially as she’s an artist who’s about what you hear, instead of what you see. She wants her words to be what you remember about her, no so much the image that a label would love for her to push forward, and that’s what I really dig about her.
Check Out: Soundcloud.com/illcamille
Kuul – Going back over to the east coast, we have a rap artist born and raised in Queens, NY. At 15 he got his start learning about rap and its technicalities from SP, who was part of the Queens-based group Breeze and SP at the time. During his time under their wing, he was featured on many songs of theirs, gaining crucial writing experience early on. Now, at the age of 21, Kuul is managing to maneuver the ins and outs of life as a young man in a big city, with a maturity that’s not usually found among most young rap artists you come across. His debut release, Homecoming dropped this year at the top August, and in it he exercises a veteran-esque command of timing while telling stories of a young man coming up in a popular yet unforgiving city. Being that there is an almost appalling amount of New York-based rappers who rap about the same drivel, it’s refreshing to hear a kid with a bit more sense and a forward-looking mind, which is why he stands out in my book. He has a sensible ear for beats and a good feel for how to flow on said production. Definitely worth more than one listen, and someone to watch.
Check Out: Soundcloud.com/kuulyork
It’s never easy finding quality music, so when you come across a source of it, or when someone shoots you that random download link of amazingness, you have to hold on to it! That’s how I usually come across artists I end up liking, and that how I share the good art I stumble upon. The old ways aren’t as reliable anymore, so it’s imperative to take advantage of new technology and mediums available to us today. These artists tick the few requirement boxes I have, and I hope they all appeal to you and match your tastes!
Be sure to follow BranTheDon on Twitter: @BranTheDon_ and check out his blog: www.branthedon.com.
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