Hey everyone! These are the links for the Music & Life Podcast! Hope you all enjoy!
Spotify:
Apple Music:
Spotify Playlists:
Please feel free to follow some of my Spotify Playlists. They are updated regularly but are still a work in progress!! (Click the link above)
It’s been a very long time.
However, there’s always that one song that sticks with you and doesn’t leave your head. For me and pretty much most R&B fans it has to be Kehlani – Folded. I remember when I first started this blog it was due to me going through a very sad and depressing time, ironically a lot of Kehlani songs were on rotation. It feels almost full circle that she is the reason I’m back to writing again.
We’ve all been blessed with this song this summer/year but I genuinely believe if you had to explain R&B to someone not familiar , this would be a perfect contender. The content of the song of course isn’t a typical breakup/heartbreak song. If you were to compare it to stages of grief, you could argue this is the acceptance stage. It feels like she’s done with the begging, crying, screaming , hoping and pain and is now at the other end realising what she deserves. As always it’s a feeling I’m sure many can resonate or have resonated with at one point in their life.
For me, there’s something emotional about this song. Listening to it, I can really hear the harmonies, the beat, the instruments working in harmony together. It’s an addictive song which is ironic considering the message implying this is the end. Songs like this remind me why R&B is one of the best genres. It can evoke feelings in you that you don’t even realise you have. This is how kids can sing songs like Fantasia’s “When I see you” at the top of their lungs and adopt the pain she tries to evoke through her lyrics. Good music reels you in to whatever zone the song is in. Great music resonates with you and makes you think about all the emotions you have now opened as a result. This song does all of those things.
By far, this is the best R&B song released this year. I hope this is the just the beginning of a new era of R&B. I also recommend listening to the acapella version of this song. Sensational!
Real music is back!!
Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone has had a productive week and a relaxing weekend! The weather is definitely getting colder and gloomier now so it’s the perfect time to bring out the winter vibes playlist. This is the kind of weather I usually listen to even more R&B, slow jams, softer music in general. As always, I’ve created a playlist reflecting this season and will be adding more and more music as the days go on. Here are some of the songs I’ve added to the playlist recently.
Pardison Fontaine – By Myself
This is one of my favourite Pardison Fontaine songs! Before being known as Meg Thee Stallion’s boyfriend, Pardi already established himself as a successful writer and artist. If you haven’t heard his music before, I suggest starting with this song and working your way backwards! He’s very talented.
Yung Bleu Ft. Kehlani – Beautiful Lies
I can never seem to get tired of this song! Such a beautiful combination of voices! Kehlani never misses on features and Yung Bleu just has the perfect voice for songs.
Drake Ft. Lil Durk & Giveon – In the Bible
I feel CLB was one of those albums that you had to sit on. My feelings on the album now to when it first came out have changed dramatically! I really think a lot of the songs on the album have massive replay value, even more so than on his previous album. This particular song is one of my favourites on the album and for me, I liked the range of Drake’s voice on this. You hear rapping Drake, deep sounding Drake and high notes Drake. Durk and Giveon made the perfect pairing on this song however, Durk’s verse was extremely disappointing.
Young Thug Ft. Future & Bslime – Peepin out the Window
Thug and Future always make bangers and this song is no different. Perfect song for the playlist!
Ladipoe Ft. Fireboy DML – Running
Ladipoe is one of my favourite artists at the moment! He has a very unique sound. This song is one of my favourites from the EP.
Kanye West Ft. Jay – Z – Jail
You already know any song featuring Hov will be on one of my playlists. I like the slow-paced feel of this song and how Hov switches his flow to accommodate the laid back theme. It’s also great to hear Kanye and Hov on music again. Hopefully, as Jay Z says, it is the “return of the throne” and we will hear more music from the pair.
Have a listen to the ‘Winter Warmers” playlist below:
Hello everybody, I hope everyone has been keeping well and safe!! It’s been a while…
Firstly I apologise to all the loyal readers as I’ve been away for a while this year. It’s been a busy year and if I’m honest, I’ve lost my love and passion for music recently. It felt like music wasn’t exciting me as much, so didn’t feel right to write about it! However, I’m feeling a bit better and a bit more motivated.
I just wanted to explaon my absence but I have been excited by some music projects in the meantime and I will list some of them in the following posts.
Thank you to some of you for understanding!
Hello everyone! I know it’s been a bit of time since my last music update but hope you are all doing well! As I mentioned before, I feel like my love for music has taken a bit of a back seat recently. I find it hard to get invested in certain music I used to love at the moment. I don’t know if it is due to the saturation of music nowadays or if it’s just me! Either way, I’m sure it will pass soon and with summer coming (hopefully at this rate), music is the perfect component.
I have however had a few songs on repeat recently so thought I would fill you all in. Check out the tracks below!
iceè tgm – TLC
You probably recognise iceè’s voice from her feature on J Hus’ hit song “Helicopter” from his previous album. Her new single “TLC” highlight her versatility and crazy talented vocals again. With the sweet melodies in this track compounded with her nonchalant rapping style, you can see why she is one to watch. There’s no doubt this song will be embedded in your head after listening and the video is just as creative too. I’m hoping we get a project from her soon! Check out the song below:
Dj Khaled- Khaled Khaled Album
DJ Khaled recently released his star studded album and as usual contained many many hits. I was impressed with the quality of the music as I was not a fan of his previous album. With every listen, I have a new favourite song. These are the 3 songs that have stuck:
DJ Khaled Ft. Bryson Tiller, Roddy Ricch & Lil Baby – BODY IN MOTION– Love this song! The fusion of these 3 singers fits so well. For me Lil Baby smashes this feature, definitely my favourite verse. Bryson does a fantastic job on the hook too!
DJ Khaled Ft. Jay-Z and Nas – SORRY NOT SORRY – The fact DJ Khaled was able to get Hov and Nas on the same track is crazy alone! Everyone was shocked to hear that this was going to be the features on this track. Both artists on this song demonstrate their maturity but also their growth in life. Nas spits on his Coinbase empire while Hov also raps about his equally bulging legacy. Both artists have come a long way from being rivals and it’s amazing to witness 2 greats in the rap scene (especially the NYC rap scene) coming together. The cheeky Beyoncè vocals were great too!
DJ Khaled Ft. Justin Bieber & 21 Savage – LET IT GO – The sentiment and message of this song is quite beautiful and very very true. Justin Bieber and 21 both nail the assignment. This song will be the motto of any stress I have in life!
Dexta Daps Ft. Davido – Scripture
With Dexta being one of my favourite Jamaican artists and Davido being one of my favourite Nigerian artists, this pairing made so much sense to me. I won’t lie, I think both could have made an even better song but nevertheless, it’s a great track. It’s nice to see both embracing each others’ culture while still being authentic.
YG Ft. Blxst & Mozzy – Perfect Timing
I’ve preached enough about my love for Blxst! Blxst and Mozzy together is already a match made in heaven, so this song was guaranteed to be a banger! YG is great at adapting to his featured artists and he did well on this track. This is a perfect summer hit and the production is perfect. I can’t say a bad thing about a song featuring Blxst.
SpotlightFirst Ft. Efosa, Donalee & J Kaz – Handle It
SpotlightFirst are back with another collaboration and this song is gonna be on repeat once you hear it. The Afro-Swing themed song starts off with Efosa’s sweet vocals and then gets even sweeter with the addition of Donalee’s vocals. Her voice for me stands out on the song and I will definitely be checking out her solo music. The third piece to the puzzle J Kaz also hits the nail on the head with his verse! The song has been added to my Summer ’21 playlist and can definitely see it being played at any upcoming day parties.
Chris Brown Ft. Young Thug, Future, Lil Durk and Mulatto – Go Crazy Remix
Following on from the success of the original, Chris and Thug are back with the remix! I really enjoyed this remix! For me, Future and Mulatto stole the show! It would have been nice to have heard Chris spit a verse too though!
Odeal & Marzi – Na You
When I first heard this song, instantly my ears opened up! The song samples the classic Duncan Mighty ‘Obianuju‘ song. Both Marzi and Odeal do an excellent job at modernising the hit and adding their own flavour! Sometimes it’s risky remixing a well known and well-loved song but kudos to them! I really enjoy this song!
Russ – Small Talk
Russ claims he’s on a challenge to release a single every week and I am all here for it! Last week he released this track and yet again he does not miss! Russ is able to display his rapping abilities on this track (the flow is a joy to hear), as well as producing talents! He really is a triple threat!
Hello everyone! Hope you are all well and continuing to keep safe and healthy! I just wanted to make everyone aware that I have released an album review episode of the Music and Life Podcast. The album review is on US artist Rod Wave and his latest album “SoulFly”. The episode is exclusive to Spotify as it features some tracks from the album!
I really enjoyed listening and taking in this album. As mentioned on the episode, I talk about how Rod Wave is great at demonstrating his pain through his music. The album was emotional and raw but highlighted the beauty of expression in music.
Have a listen and let me know what you think! The episode is out now!
Hey everyone! Just wanted to direct you to a great post recommending some great music podcasts to listen to!
The Music and Life Podcast is featured among a few others! Thank you all for the conintued support and new episodes will be dropping soon!
Check out the article below and feel free to check out the rest of his page! He has so many great in depth and thought-provoking posts!
I could dedicate a whole blog to Blxst or even Russ. There aren’t many artists out there at the moment that I can say I have liked every single song they have put out. (UK group WSTRN would probably be next in the list). Seeing Blxst and Russ collab was everything I expected it to be. Both of them could easily drop a collab tape!!
Their song “Fck Boys” was released on Friday with Blxst’s 2 song project “Just For Clarity“. The song focuses on Russ and Blxst singing about a woman who has been burnt and hurt by a “Fck boy” in the past and is finding it hard to let other guys in. Both artists are perfect at serenading and singing about women.
My favourite line in the song would have to be from Russ when he sings “Girl, who the fuck is he to fuck you up for life?”. A word!!!!
Check out the 2 song project below:
Hello everyone, in the latest podcast episode I talked about 4 tracks that I’m loving at the moment.
Drake Ft. Rick Ross – Lemon Pepper Freestyle
As mentioned in the podcast, Drake and Rick Ross always have incredible duets! This verse is one of the reasons why Rozay is one of the best rappers we have. For me Rick Ross glided on this song so smoothly. There’s no way you won’t want to replay his verse again!
Yaw Tog Ft. Stormzy & Kwesi Arthur – Sore Remix
Ghanaian artist Yaw Tog’s hit song has been in circulation since last year and this remix is even better. He recruits Kwesi Arthur and UK rapper of Ghanaian heritage Stormzy. It’s a great collaboration and will be the perfect song for the summer!
Big Sean Ft. Nipsey Hussle – Deep Reverence
Big Sean has been on fire recently. The deep meaning and passion that is portrayed through his music as of late has been amazing. This song features no other than the late great Nipsey Hussle. A great song with wonderful meaning. I love the video too!
Jessica Akin – Roots
I came across this song recently and what a pleasure! I really love the tone of Jessica’s voice! The song is a wonderful ode to culture and heritage. I hope this is the beginning of more music from here and potentially a project too.
Check out episode 4 of the Music and Life Podcast which is out now below.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/music-and-life-podcast/id1543981409?i=1000512083960
Music and Life Podcast Playlist:
https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/music-life-podcast-picks/pl.u-GgA55k5UbNz5vz
24 years ago on March 9th 1997 we lost one of the greatest rappers, The Notorious B.I.G. I have always mentioned that Biggie will always be one of my favourite rappers of all time! His flow, delivery and energy is still unforgettable. To have music still affect, inspire and entertain people so long after your death is a real privilege. If you were to ask someone what their favourite Biggie song was, I’m sure they will struggle to narrow it down to only 1!! It’s hard to imagine how much further he could have gone if he was given much more time on this earth!
I haven’t checked out the Biggie documentary that is currently out on Netflix but I will give it a try! This week’s #TuneTuesday is one of the many Biggie hits, “Sky’s the Limit” featuring 112. The song is a great song to describe Biggie. Each verse on the song describes and portrays different parts of Biggie’s life. The intro of the track also contains a clip of Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace.
R.I.P. Biggie!
In other news, March 9th is also Bow Wow’s birthday! Bow Wow was my childhood crush and I am still a huge fan of his previous music! If you haven’t, check out my earlier appreciation post on him:
Hello everyone!!! I’m finally back with another episode!!! In this week’s episode, I talk about my love for Rick Ross, new music I’ve been listening to and why I believe music nowadays doesn’t really have replay value. I hope you enjoy this episode! Links will be below:
Spotify Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts:
Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZmM1ZmZkYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
The title of the episode is inspired by this Rick Ross song below:
Feel free to also check out my previous album review below for Rick Ross last album release for ‘Port of Miami 2’, released in 2019.
Another article where I discussed his talent:
Free Mason
I love hearing upcoming Nigerian artists so it was a pleasure to hear this project. The new EP is by Nigerian born British artist K4mo. This EP is a follow up from his 2020 project ‘Spider‘.
You may recognise his voice from the hit song by Mr Eazi and Major Lazer which also featured Nicki Minaj! The song ‘Oh My Gawd‘ feature K4mo’s vocals on the intro and the hook.
The EP starts off with the vibrant track “2 Slugs“. One thing you can always guarantee with afrobeat inspired projects is that the production and beats will always be top tier! You can usually feel the energy trying to be conveyed via the song and this EP is living proof of this argument.
One of my favourite tracks from the EP would be “Lamba” featuring SK. I love the fusion of K4mo’s different tones on the song. SK also adds a bit of spice with his input . This is the perfect track to zone out to.
Another solid track that stood out for me would have to be “Diana“. The song has a Carribean/Dancehall feel to it with a steel pan kind of mood.
‘Chain Reaction‘ is also a stand out track on the EP. With this song we are able to hear K4mo’s rapping ability. His flow on this song is very impressive while still maintaining his melodic sound.
The EP is a great glimpse of the talent of K4mo and possibly a hint at even more to come!
Check out the EP below which is out now.
As a follow up to my previous Ghetts Album review, I just wanted to put the links of his 2 part YouTube documentary. Both videos provide a deeper insight into Ghetts’ mind. Have a watch below!
