Local Heroes, VA Edition: Khemistry, Skuziman, and Phil The Thrill
So, I know what you're thinking. You read the word 'local' in the title of this post and immediately lost interest. Why review such small acts and avoid a more notable artist? Well I'm here to enlighten you with a little piece of advice: great artist exist in your OWN city. In an age where social media outlets can be proving grounds for many new and veteran artists, any one can be a 'new' artist to somebody. Who knows: we could be your first access to these very promising new comers to the rap game. So, for this Monday (and Tuesday) we will be reviewing some local Virginia natives to give them some shine and to put you on to new talent. Shout out to C. Gibson for the artist info.
And without further ado, here's your hot list for the week:
Phil the Thrill makes his debut onto mixtape scene with his first offering titled 'Barely Awake.' This mixtape offers a diversity of sounds all with crazy drum loops and hard hitting bass you would expect coming out of the south. Stand out tracks to me are definitely 'grlfrnd,' classic tale of guy not falling for a girl with some ethereal vocals on the chorus, and also 'make you famous,' a hard-hitting track I can bet will be making it's way onto the radio very very soon. This 22-year old Newport News native has recently picked up speed with mentions on XXL magazine's website as a new breakout artist. Check out the video link below for Phil's interview with Kendrick Lamar (the second interviewer in the video).
LocalKhemist (aka LK or Khemist)
Location: Hampton, VA
Latest Mixtape: Exotic Prodigy Pluto Distributors [download]
More artist info at: http://localkhemistry.com/
Definitely one of the more polished emcees out of this review, Khemist comes to us by way of Hampton, VA where he currently is a journalism student at Hampton University. One of his most recent mixtapes is titled 'Exotic Prodigy Pluto Distributors.' Originally, from Northern Philadelphia, Khemist has been able to develop a decent following in both Philly and VA with his mixture of clever raps and strong production credits. Some stand out tracks would definitely be the synth-heavy anthem 'Official' and 'I Need You,' All in all, the mixtape was a little on the chorus-heavy side, but the mixtape reflected a great level of production and some decent lyricism worth a listen. Khemist most recently dropped a full length album called Puzzle Pieces, available now in the itunes music store.
Skuzi is no stranger to holding it down for hip-hop. A Newport News native, Skuzi is a member of the creative crew Team Duece, an urban based team of performers which includes rappers, musicians, and dancers to name a few. Skuzi's latest mixtape 'T-Shirt x Vans' just dropped this November 2011. A little more of what you would expect out of a mixtape with some recycled beats from songs like Wale's 'Lotus Flower Bomb' and Common's 'Go.' Skuzi showcases a vast array of talents on these tracks from singing the chorus on the track 'The Panties' to witty rhyme styles on the jerkin-friendly track 'Uptown.' The best track by far was the uptempo sneak peak track called 'Never Ever (I'm Gone)' which is slated to be included on Skuzi's next mixtape titled 'Dirty Chucks & Levies' (clearly loves the clothes theme). I'll be checking for that album for sure next year when it's slated to drop in January 2012.
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