BIGREDSHOOTER etches his name in stone with playful lead talk over artful production.
BIGREDSHOOTER arrives on the scene with a new album titled ‘DEMONS.’ This record follows the release of his 2020 singles Das Ok, Binny, GLO and his collection of lush and posh tracks – ‘Big Dawg Vol. 1.’ ‘Big Dawg Vol. 1’ is being contrasted with a more guitar-centric, reverse laden record ‘DEMONS.’
‘DEMONS’ is an empirical gem that allows BIGREDSHOOTER to shine with bold statements and undeniable flair. That flair is his beat selection, songwriting and lyricism.
On his track DAWGS, there is a heavenly vocal loop featured that stems from Alain Goraguer’s Ten Et Tiwa, which is considered one of the holy grails of Hip-Hop samples. The tracks infamous loop has been used on tracks from Quasimodo, Flying Lotus, Underachievers, Mac Miller and A$AP Mob just to name a few. BIGRED’s rendition and take on the track new and fresh with the ominous lead talk.
With his track STUPID OR DUMB, there’s a bit of grit displayed with poise and grace. In terms of songwriting and lyricism, he sings about “all my pockets, they stocked with blues” and “she just wanna fuck with me ’cause I ride Bentley trucks. And das ok” Mindful confidence.
A crucial moment of DEMONS is the warped guitars on Fader (Interlude), showcasing RED’s ear for deep references and tasteful infusions. This tape overall is a magnetic project, hinting that BIGREDSHOOTER and the rest of DON’T DIE are going up regardless. In the meantime, you can peep his latest music video for “Fuck Ya Baby Daddy” and if you want to catch him live, you can pull up to this Friday, May 15th in Austin, Texas.
Following the release of last week’s “Let Em Know,” Lil HBK joins forces with Very Necessary for a brand new track titled “Landslide.” The Houston rapper showcases natural and bold delivery with his vocal performance, painting a clear picture of his overall vision with witty lines over lavish and glitzy production.
“I need the number one pick song and them diamonds that blind you like shutters.”
The beat is laced with skittish hi-hats and mellow effects from producers Steelo Foreign, Roy Smiith and Zac Perez. A triple threat. The track overall, is a trap song that holds staying power due to HBK’s vocal inflictions and strong precense as he peppers in lines about gunning for his spot and claiming his title.
If this track is being a glimpse of where Lil HBK is heading this year, then he is most definitely going up by a landslide.
You can watch the music video for “Landslide” shot by MortyZapata with stunning editing from Dak.ta as HBK.
You can find more from Very Necessary and Lil HBK at the links below.
My first introduction to .Dani was a formal one at a Smoke Out Rap tournament during the early months of 2020. The venue was packed from wall to wall and from the corner of my eye, I noticed a ball of short dreads and focused energy politely pushing past the crowd of hip-hop heads to reach the judges table. He shook hands with me, Fresh Knight and TEDDYTHELEGACY and introduced himself, “Hi, my name is Dani. I’m going to be on stage tonight. I just wanted to introduce myself beforehand and share my IG if you like what you hear and wanna check it out after tonight.” I didn’t even see his set yet, but I was already rooting for him due to his initiative.
After he sauntered off, J Soulja took the stage to announce there had been last minute addition to the tournament. He went on to add that the person paid a hefty amount to go on dead last. Being last to go on is probably the worst thing for you as a performer. By the end of the night, the judges are tired, uncomfortable from the Texas weather and slightly distracted by that one girl who claims she’s Riff Raff’s future baby mama making a scene outside the venue. Basically, you don’t have the judges full attention and the constructive feedback you’re hoping to receive after pouring your heart out on stage can be lackluster or just plain mean. I was, of course, intrigued by whoever wanted the opportunity bad enough to face those odds.
J Soulja went on to mention that the last minute signee was the same confident kid who had just introduced himself to us earlier and all of a sudden, Riff Raffs baby mama was less entertaining and I straightened my back, ready to sit through the entire tournament just to hear this kid of the mic.
Fast forward to January 2021 and that same kid has been dropping back to back tracks that are both pensive and lively. With MAGA Runtz, .Dani celebrates Trump being pushed out of the White House over neat and heady horns.
“Fuck a xan, fuck a perc, fuck a molly, cuz of covid we don’t party but today we burning up the fucking trump pack!”
“Four years now, it’s done, it’s over. Been a lotta pain and struggle. Yeah, that’s a shonuff. Bum ass nigga thought that he could play with the rona. Now he getting kicked out Jazzy Jeff oh no huh!”
On TFF (Thugs For Floyd), .Dani expressed what we’ve all been internalizing this past summer over smooth production. .Dani speaks his mind and touches on real issues, real emotions and real struggle. It’s inspiring.
His latest track “No Rest In The A” is just as inspiring as he touches on topics of stepping up his hustle and feeling restless through winter break, clocking in 60 hour weeks. We particularly love the “strict bout my work just like Benson” – a subtle nod to the Cartoon Network character from Regular Show. This song is unique in it’s own right because it’s not a typical “I stack then flex” track. It’s a “I have a vision and I’m going to see through to it” track. We’ve all felt restless and struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but Dani masters making a track that keeps the listeners head up as they follow through and reach their end goal.
And speaking of end goals, keep reading below to learn more about .Dani’s favorite lines in songs and how mentor’s have helped him on his path:
You signed up for an rap tournament last year, what did you take from that experience to apply to your new material?
Last year when I did The Smoke Out, the biggest thing I took away from that is if you’re going to participate in a competition, you have to perform a material that moves a crowd. I did a song that was not a great example of that. I learned from it. It was my first performance. I had a mentor that suggested I do one song, but I didn’t listen and performed a different song that I thought was my best song up until that point. After performing, I understood that the best way to win something like The Smoke Out would be to perfrom something that was hype and could get the people moving and jumping.
What was the process like when writing 3AM Insomniverse?
It was rainy day. I was trying to record “No Rest In The A.” It was like I was fighting the the weather. All throughout the day, I weld finish writing something and then I would try to go record it, but because I record at my house with my home studio setup, if it rains, I don’t have anything to block the sound from coming into the recording. Constantly throughout the day, it was rain rain rain every time I would get ready to record. I went to sleep that night, but I couldn’t sleep and decided “Ima use this time to work if I can’t sleep.” I ended up going into a server and I found this beat that was fifty-one seconds. I thought, “Oh, I could cook something up quick to this.” I wrote the first version and was getting ready to record again and like clockwork, the rain came and stopped me again. So I was like, “You know what? Ima include this.” So, I erased the whole first part of 3AM Insomniverse and included
“second time to day. seconds away plug in my interface. the pitter patter turned to splishy splashes is in my way today.”
That was based off the rain that was blocking me from recording.
Who are your influences?
If I had to give a top five, it’d be
A Tribe Called Quest
Tyler, the Creator
N.W.A.
The Notorious B.I.G
J. Cole
That’s just top five in general. Outkast would be in there too – that’s what I grew up on. When I got in high school, I thought it was weird how Tyler was doing different stuff from all the other stuff I’ve heard. It clicked with me and I decided to stick with it instead of the stuff that’s usually on the radio.
Whats your favorite line from one of your most recent tracks?
The 3AM Insomniverse. Off of my music, personally, that bar is probably one of my favorite things I’ve written. I’m telling you the rain was getting in my way without being direct. I’m describing it rather that saying, “Oh, it’s raining today, so I couldn’t record.”
What happened to 19?If the last question doesn’t work out for you another question would be:
19was the first project I made over the span of five days. It was mainly writing the first three days and the last two days was recording and putting it out. I only posted it up on SoundCloud because I’m not in the position to get all the money squared away or do anything to make it like a serious release. It was something I did for fun on my birthday. I pushed it a lil harder than my singles because I thought it was cool I finished a project in five days that isn’t a complete trash piece of work. It’s actually decent in my opinion. I just didn’t get around to putting in on everything (streaming platforms) because of money and I didn’t feel like it was something I wanted out on all platforms. I felt like I didn’t put in enough work to be at that caliber.
We’re rooting for Dani and believe his stuff is up to caliber. For now, though, we’ll continue to enjoy his music, no matter the platform.
When we last encountered Khayos Kel, he was hellbent on a lionhearted mission to be the leader for the new era of punk. He followed up our previous interview with the release of ‘Rager 616,’ ‘4ever Gone,’ and his most recent track ‘Hakisho’ – remaining true to his word.
‘Hakisho’ is yet again, another stand out moment in his catalog. In two words, it’s absolutely stunning. We’re greeted with fourty five seconds of booming bass and shimmering arps that Khayos uses to artfully create a clear image of a world only suited for vampires and punks alike.
This is just a slither of what else Khayos has in store for us this year. With his urgent and energetic flow, use of punk guitars and previous tracks and his droned out vocals, we’re sure this sound will develop into a full blown lifestyle on his upcoming album Heartlust Shadows.
Fresh off the stage of Expired Milk’s Virtual Fest, we caught up with T-HallMP3 who has been steadily working on an acoustic album that is packed with new renditions of tracks from his Mink Coat T-Hall album. T-Hall has even hinted at a possible ukulele version of one of our favorite and playlist-worthy tracks, “Spicy Lil Thang.” That track was our first introduction to the lively and swagged out T-Hall we’ve come to grow as fans of. As we dug deeper into his collection, we discovered that he holds the capacity to forge both breezy guitar-led ballads and bombastic pop anthems. In this interview, T-Hall takes the time to discuss reaching new heights by setting challenging goals, creating music that makes him happy, and his musical influences.
You’ve stated before that you’ve been social distancing “before it was cool.” Now that it’s the norm, are you still in your element or have things changed?
When I said I’ve been social distancing, I meant like, I never really left the house. I’ve never been one to go clubbing. I always liked to be a homebody. This made me just want to stay home and work on more music. This pandemic has been a blessing and has forced me to sit down and get better. I’ve been writing like crazy.
You wear your heart on your sleeve and are incredibly open. Has your music always been this honest or is this a new development?
I’m not afraid to say how I feel because sometimes it feels like no one is listening in the first place. Songs are just a bookmark in time for me. When my grandma died back in 2015, I wrote a song about that. It felt good to be able to express those raw emotions how I needed to express them. I know people want the “Mink Coat” T-Hall, but I can’t be always be swagged up. I knpw people also want the “Sad” T-Hall, but I don’t always want to be sad. I’m just going to make whatever emotion I feel at the time. My dad actually asked me, “Why do you always make sad music?” I dont feel that it’s sad music because it makes me happy. Making sad songs makes me happy. Theres beauty in that. I feel like I’m not alone. If it makes me feel like that, it might make someone else feel like that.
You are constantly working. 20+ Releases. Where would you say your hunger for success comes from?
My hunger comes from my dad because he was always hard on me growing up – strict with how I spend my money. That has made me invest more and made me hungrier in general. I don’t want to settle for less. I don’t want to be average. I want to be great. I want people to know who I am for being a good person and having great achievements. The hunger for success hurts sometimes because I feel like I’m falling behind a lot. I feel like I’m not dong enough. I get in a mindset where I think, “Maybe this is all my fault,” “Maybe I shouldn’t have pursued music if I wanted to be successful,” “Maybe I should’ve just…I don’t know…become a pilot…or do something.” I always pictured myself being a great musician, playing shows in front of thousands of people. I’m trying to manifest that. I’m going to keep going down this lonely road. It’s lonely. Very lonely, but nothing great comes easy.
Would you consider Mike Posner to be one of your influences?
Some of my biggest influences are Mike Posner, Blackbear, and Linkin Park. Those are the mainstream influences. I have a lot of local influences, too. I would be lying if I said that Platuz (the man who produced the Mink Hall T-Hall project) wasn’t an inspiration. That dude…man…that was a whole experience. The first time going to Elevate studios and recording with Platuz was an eye-opening experience because I realized that I don’t know everything and that I can become even better. Everyone at Elevate: Steelo, Mask, Mason, and Zeus. They’re all influential. I look up to them. Shout out to them. Shout out to my friend London. He helps me with videos and also helps me with production. Shout out to Teddy. He’s doing things. It’s crazy. Go, Teddy! Keep going. Shout out to Jedi512. I appreciate all the love that he shows. He’s a very very kind individual. There’s so much influence. I’m happy to be a part of this scene.
What should we keep an eye out for from you in the future and which of your most recent projects do you think we should revisit?
I’m not thinking of any albums any time soon. Just singles. Just a few singles here and there to keep the algorithm happy. I’d like for everyone to check out my project Temporary. Temporary is entirely produced by Mason Flynt. That’s an intense and emotional album. It’s an album you’ll want to lay down and listen to at night. It’s about love drama. It’s an intense album from front to back. I think that’s my most slept on the project, but it’s always a good time to go back to listen to Mink Coat T-Hall. When I feel down, I put that one on to remind myself I have the sauce. I’m thinking about releasing Mink Coat T-Hall 2. I have a lot of songs. I’m going to be dropping into next year. I have a lot of songs coming. Be on the lookout for T-HallMP3 somewhere.
Less than 24 hours ago, HVN made an Instagram post with a simple caption, “Out everywhere @ Midnight. Thank y’all for everything. #demon #don’t die.”
“Demon” is one hundred and twenty-six seconds of HVN boldly spitting on a diabolical beat with heavy bass and even heavier ad-libs. The producer makes use of incredible key arrangements and HVN does not shy away from displaying his raging energy throughout the track with the layered ad-libs and the occasional, but matter-of-fact lines that mention HVN effortlessly stealing the attention of your main girl, taking your belongings for no reason and not second-guessing the need to be cutthroat if it comes down to it. If you’re one of the unlucky few that lost your girl to HVN, this track hits a little close to home. If you’re a fan, though, you’re raging along with him. It’s demon time.
We recently came across a San Antonio based artist with a set of pipes named TARA. TARA has released a slew of tracks touching on the need for normalcy, learning self-love and not being satisfied with the pace of her career. We were impressed with the talent brewing and shot over a few questions for a quick interview.
How did you go about picking your stage name?
I actually had a previous stage name the first time I dropped music in 2019. It was Baby T. It was a nickname I had from years before – from high school years. That should’ve been a hint it was bad. One day, I was listening to “Kendrick Lamar” by Kendrick Lamer. I looked up the lyrics and basically, it was about how K.Dot was Kendrick Lamar’s first name. He says, “Fuck a stage name. This was the name I was given.” That really hit me because I’m not just talking about mindless shit. I’m talking about real shit. So why would I have a fake name if I’m talking about real shit and trying to be real? So that’s where TARA comes from. That was my given name.
How long have you been performing and what was your first “official” performance like?
I was a competitive cheerleader for most of my life. I’ve been performing for a long time. I love performing live. The first time I performed was at a venue in San Antonio called Paper Tiger. When I performed my first ever set, the AUX chord kept falling out and the microphone kept popping. The sound guy just looked at me like I was dumb -irritated. I just said “fuck it” and I dropped the mic, finishing the rest of my set acapella. It w as a great experience because it showed how great of a live performer I am – especially under pressure.
We did a bit of creeping and noticed a ton of retweets of an artist name Sizzy Rocket. Would you say Sizzy is a major influence of yours?
Sizzy is definately my biggest inspiration. I learned to play the keys because of her. She’s everything. Artist wise and person wise, she empowers us so much as women. She empowers us to use our sexuality and the good things about us that others may see as weak. She empowers us to be who we are. I love that about her. Her music is right up my alley. I love singing to her music. I love watching her perform.
How do you go about writing your songs? And what’s your favorite you’ve written so far?
Usually I, retain a beat. I have a producer who is my boyfriend’s good friend. He has beats in a vault ready for me. I sit down. I pick a beat with the vibe I’m on. I flow with the beat. I honestly put a lot of bullshit down and by the end of me sifting, deleting and typing…I have the outline for a song. I work on it for the next few days and it’s done besides a few minor tweaks. My favorite song I’ve written so far is called “Cotton Candy Skies.” It’s unreleased. I’m excited about it and it’s definitely my favorite piece of writing so far.
What are you working on these days and what else can we expect to see from you this year?
I have four unreleased songs sitting in the vault. I don’t know if they’ll be out by the end of this year because I wanted to do an album with the three singles I’ve already dropped plus some new shit. Timing is everything, though. Whenever I feel it’s right to drop something, I drop it. My focus though, is on Loud Fest 2020. It’s in Houston, Texas. It’s the biggest Summer Indie Festival in Texas. It’s the 3rd Annual one. One hundred of us was picked to perform and pretty pumped. It’ll help me get my name out there. More exposure. I’m sure excited to perform in Houston.
Nicholas Whipps and Andwan Zonez are feeling just fine on their latest project OuiSi.
Following the release of “How You Feeling Inside,” Andwan Zonez and Nicholas Whipps release another collaborative effort titled OuiSi. Together, this collection of tracks is translated as “yes” and “yes” in both French and Spanish. Oui Si. Pronounced as “We See,” – hence the eye on the cover art.
The first track, “I’m So Fine,” makes use of otherworldly vocal chops over glossy pads and grainy keys. Nicholas naturally takes the lead, opening with the chorus.
I’m so fine
I’ve been feeling so flimsy
Must be summertime
Everybody won’t kiss me
Bitch, don’t make cry
I’ve been too busy
But I feel alright
I guess I feel alright
Andwan follows with his verse, touching on topics such as figuring out his role, facing his opps, and never folding in the face of envy with the thoughts of eventually providing more for his family motivating him. Nicholas hops on and mentions a similar sentiment, mentioning being slept on despite the paid dues. It’s a reflective track. A slow build-up. The grind.
If “I’m So Fine” is the build up, then “Be Nice” is the flow. And each track follows the pace, matching the overall tone with the otherworldly sound mentioned previously. The track “Please” specifically takes that otherworldly sound to the next level with it’s reminiscence to the X Files theme.
Throughout the project, ours ears are hit with the “I Want That Purple Stuff” tag, indicating Nicholas is the mastermind behind a majority production. Andwan also makes his mark with production on the tracks “Benji” and “Going Left.” On “Exhausted” and “I’m So Fine,” the two put their heads together through and through. FRom vocals to production. Following those, there are more tracks with upbeat vibes as the two artists harmonize with heavier use of vocal effects. There are only a two features, though. Vontay Galaxy makes an appearance on two separate tracks “Going Left” and “PSA.” 00Slevin makes an appearance on the stand-out track “Running” which features an interesting interpolation of t.A.T.u’s “All The Things She Said.”
The lead single “Let You Down” is the second to last track. The come down track. Nicholas Whipps is again on the hook and Andwan again, steps in with his refreshing flow. The track is laid back with a west coast bassline.
The last and final track “PSA” is the stand out for us. Low, fluttering winds and steady percussion give Andwan, Whipps and Galaxy plenty of room to air out some more introspective thoughts. The project is a solid one and you can find the entire project on all streaming platforms.
Deezie Brown and EC Mayne come together to give listeners a collaboration washed in Southern drip titled ‘Candy Blue Like Screw.’
Candy Blue Like Screw features laid-back production, smoldering vocals and plenty of nods to Southern culture. Those nods are prominent in “South Side,” “Screwville,” and “North End.” On our personal favorite track “Screwville,” Deezie formulates a plan to navigate the “haters, plots and schemes” over a sweet, bass-led track. Deezie also reflects on his frustrations with the only “way out” being one of three options: sell crack, play ball or rap. Despite the the lack of options, Deezie decides to shoot his shot and go with music – a more positive route. The track “Screwville” eventually slows down and fades into an entirely new beat with Rhodes keys now over powering the bass. EC Mayne touches on topics such as maintaining respect, honoring the greats that paved the way and loving his city, yet having to avoid it due to the “crabs in the bucket” mentality.
Deezie and EC both talk to us with a vulnerable, yet matter-of-fact stand point with the entire project touching on subjects of hope, loss, success and makes a point to use classic Southern fixtures such as gospel, chopped & screwed and twangy vocals.
