Although the self-proclaimed "party boy" claims that he likes to make music for people to dance and feel good to, Ray Lavender's latest single "We Love" is a classic R&B ballad. Best known for his appearance on the reality tv dating show The Ultimate Merger, Lavender may have lost his chances with infamous reality villain Omarosa but still wants to show the public that he is ready to love. The VDJRisow produced track is a little too generic of a R&B ballad for my taste and Lavender's voice doesn't seem strong enough to pull it off either.
Never would I have thought Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller and VA native super-producer Pharrell would have collaborated but their track "On a Roll" is pretty dope and oddly works. The first release off their upcoming EP Pink Slime, this electronic heavy and percussion infused beat is signature Skateboard P but complimented by Miller's rhymes. The track isn't classic but definitely a banger. The EP drops later this summer.
Following the trend of unexpected collabos, Canadian singer Nelly Furtado pairs up with Harlem rapper Nas for her latest single "Something". The second single off her upcoming album The Spirit Indestructible, dropping September 18th, has Furtado experimenting with other genre's of music. Mixing a little Hip-Hop with some old West sounds, this single is actually kind of an interesting mix and the verse from Nas is a nice touch.
Usher is back with a new album and although the album is streaming live, two new Neptune produced tracks "Twisted" and "Hot Thing" were released last week. Both songs are uptempo, signature percussion driven beats that mix well with the R&B crooner's iconic voice. On "Twisted", Raymond delivers a fun throwback dance track with a modern twist and a 16 bar rap from the Skateboard P. On "Hot Thing", Usher experiments with a more electronic sound and a little dubstep. Recruiting the lyrical styles of A$AP Rocky, "Hot Thing" is actually a recycled Maxine Ashley tune of the same name. Looking For Myself drops on June 12th.
Wichita, Kansas hasn't exactly contributed the most to the top selling artists or basically much of anything in the world's of entertainment. There isn't really any news of Kansas being a "hard" state or many thug rappers who rep it, so emcee XV doesn't try to keep that persona or facade but just is being himself. With his new track "Be there or be square", he even admits that at a point in his early rapping days that he tried to be like that. Although admitting he used to want to rap like Harlem rapper Mase, XV realized that wasn't his style and fortunately changed. His new mixtape "Popular Culture" is due out later this month.
Rap trio and Richmond, VA natives Suburban District have been well known around VA for their live performances, high energy, and dope lyrics. From performing for parties to opening for Flo-Rida , emcees Octavion Excellence, Tim Porter, and Fair, continue to keep a steady buzz with their new single and video for the party anthem "Hands Up". The high-energy, synth beat produced by TazzyontheBeat emphasizes the fun-loving nature of the group. Lyrically not their best work but, then again, what party anthem delivers both thought provoking rhymes over a dope beat. There digital release Beer for Breakfast drops later this summer on June 12th.
Sexy with a sultry voice perfectly define the R&B songstress Teairra Mari. Although she has yet to top her early career hit "Make her feel", Mari has been working hard with career reviving producer Rico Love to make that mainstream comeback. With her latest single "Lil Mama", Detroit native Mari continues the sex appeal but wants to let her listeners know that she is a boss too with her man. In some cases, a producer will provide a singer with a great beat and sometimes its a hit or miss. With this single, I call it a hit and she really rides this beat for all its worth. This is a great blend between the two (producer and singer) and hopefully the visual, if there is one, will live up to the hype. Her mixtape Unfinished Business drops July 4th.
Taking a brief hiatus and switching labels, soulful R&B starlet Tweet has re-emerged with a sound and single titled "Day Dreaming". Released last Tuesday via Twitter, Tweet decided to cover the Arethra Franklin hit for her upcoming album Simply Tweet.
Just dropping today, Canadian singer The Weeknd opens up his 09 archive to deliver an unreleased track titled "Our Love". Currently touring nationwide, Weeknd has taken a short hiatus from releasing any new material so this new track is an attempt to quench the thirst of webbers and fans until an official release hits. Although Weeknd normally comes through with some chill R&B fire, this new track is a poppy love song with a cliched guitar rip looping in the background. Produced by T-Minus, this could probably be radio hit if it were released in the early to mid 2000's by a boy band. Be sure to see the Weeknd perform in a city near you and make sure to download his free critically acclaimed and dope mixtapes.
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