Tag: Russ

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Playlist Picks: New Music & What I’ve been listening to…

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Hello Everyone! I hope you’re all doing well?! Today’s post is on all the new music I’ve been having on repeat for the past week! It’s a strange coincidence that all these releases are from men! That was not the aim haha!

I’m trying to provide you all with more content from now on for you all to enjoy! Please feel free to contact me if there’s some things you want to see more of!

My Top Playlist Picks are:

Pop Smoke:

There was no way I wasn’t going to mention the man of the hour. The late Pop Smoke’s posthumous album ‘Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon’ was released on July the 3rd. The album boosts features from Roddy Ricch, Quavo, Future, King Combs, 50 Cent and many more. If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t a huge Pop Smoke fan while he was alive however I always appreciated how talented he was. He made the drill sound a mainstream success in the US and it was clear he was only just beginning his journey. I recently read a really great review from ‘Shahna Says’ of this album release that summed up most of the songs. Have a read here:

Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon – Words From The Woo

Having listened to this album however, it was clear that Pop Smoke was a lot more versatile that most people including myself expected. A few of the songs on the album stood out for me.

  • The Woo Ft. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – This was the first song on the album that instantly got me. I never really realised the similarities between Pop Smoke & 50 Cent before this album but it’s clear why 50 Cent decided to take control of this project. Roddy of course provides great vocals but for me 50 was the star of this song and it was nice to hear him rapping again.
  • Got it On Me– This was one of the most anticipated singles to come from this album. Pop Smoke’s version of 50 Cent’s classic “Many Men”. The song definitely did not disappoint! It’s unreal how similar they sound! it could easily be a part 2 version of the original.

Burna Boy – Wonderful

Oluwa Burna does. not. miss!!!! This song is such a vibe honestly. Burna said that the song is about the impact his music has on the world and this song is a perfect example of that. Regardless of whether you can understand some of his Yoruba dialect, you will, using his words “feel it in your soul“. The song has a stripped back feel to it and has a lot of emphasis on the instruments. For me this is reflective of Nigerian music in general. The song makes me happy and feels like I’m back home. Have a listen below:

Just Rome Ft. ShoSho – Cheque In

I recently stumbled onto this song and I’ve had it on repeat ever since. This is my first time hearing from any of these artists but I’m impressed. I like the fusion of the melodic chorus from ShoSho combined with the raw rap on the verses from Just Rome. The last verse is my favourite as I love when artists have back to backs within their songs. For me, this makes me feel like both artists are in touch with one another. Have a listen below:

Ramz – Scratch Cards

I don’t know what spirit has entered Ramz but I’m grateful for it. He has completely taken a new route in music and it suits him. Coming off the release of his previous single ‘Brixton to Oxford Circus‘ he releases this new banger. Drill really suits his rapping style as he is able to keep the pace and keep his clarity which is a rare talent. In the song Ramz reflects on his upbringing but also his success now. I hope this new sound continues with Ramz and I feel there’s much more talent for him to show. Have a listen below:

Jacob Latimore Ft. Trevor Jackson & Rotimi – Real Love, Pt.2

With so many wonderful females taking over R&B at the moment it’s nice to hear men doing their thing too. This remix features 3 talented men in their own rights and the video is just as creative being shot during quarantine. I wasn’t even aware Trevor Jackson could sing as I knew him as an actor but was pleasantly surprised. Trevor and Jacob’s harmonising was my favourite part of the song. Have a listen below:

Rayven Justice Ft. Case, Eric Bellinger – Missing You (DJ Carisma Remix)

More men doing it for R&B in this song. I like the original song from Rayven which was released earlier in the year but this remix is even better. Any song that features an R&B legend like Case is always going to catch my attention I like how even though Case is old school R&B and Rayven & Eric are new school, they all blend well together.

Russ – Give Up

I have not heard one bad single from Russ before. This song continues with that tradition. Russ is so good at releasing stand alone singles that genuinely are good songs and not just throw away singles. This song touches on Russ’ love interest giving up despite Russ’ reluctancy to do the same. Have a listen below:

Franglish Ft. Tory Lanez – My Salsa

French rapper Franglish treats us to a nice anthem from his 2020 mixtape “MOOD” featuring quarantine king Tory. I hadn’t heard of Franglish before but after this song I will be checking out his other songs. Tory Lanez is perfect on this song. The tone of his voice is made for this kind of music. Have a listen below:

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Playlist Picks; New Music and What I’ve been listening to…

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Hey Everyone! Day 100000000 of quarantine, I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe while following your government’s guidelines! Today’s post is dedicated to all the music I’ve been listening to and loving in the past 2 weeks! Some are from established artists and some from upcoming. Please give them all a try, there should be a song here for you!

I’ve got a few ideas for the blog that should be coming into effect within the next couple months so pleas stay tuned! If you enjoy the site, please share and pass on to friends. I’m grateful for all of you!

My top playlists picks:

Promise – Gara (2020) – Produced by Randsombeatz

I stumbled upon this guy and since then I have been addicted to his music! If you are an afrobeat fan, this is the perfect song for you, Even if you’re not, have a listen. The song is from a British Nigerian artist that goes by the name of ‘Promise’ hailing from London. His music is usually a fusion of afrobeats, dancehall and UK rap. Usually when I hear a British artist that does afrobeats, I sometimes get disappointed because on occasion I feel the actual African essence is sometimes missing from their sound. This is definitely not the case for Promise. His music hits the spot in terms of that special authentic African sound. I was more disappointed that he only had 3 songs for me to listen to! Hopefully this is the beginning of a long career for him! I will be first in line waiting to hear more great music from him. (Check out his song ‘Promise‘ too, another one of my favourites)

Chris Brown x Young Thug – Go Crazy (2020) – Produced by KanielTheOne

Chris Brown and Young Thug recently released their joint album called ‘Slime & B’. I was pleasantly surprised with this tape, I feel their voices blended really well throughout and I think they both were able to showcase their individual talents too. This particular song stood out to me as a summer track and has now even been made into a dance challenge! The beat is a perfect pick me up and I can see this being a big song this summer.

Young Thug x Future – Help Me Breathe (2020)

This outro from Chris Brown and Young Thug’s joint album happens to be my second favourite on the tape. This time it features Young Thug collaborating with the toxic king himself, Future. We already know that Thug and Future make good music together based on their joint tape released in 2017. Personally one of my favourite joint songs from them was from Thug’s album ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’, the song being “Relationship”. With this song “Help Me Breathe”, I feel it is actually quite a sweet one. Both of them talk about the importance of their partners in question indicating that they are giving them life. Check it out below;

Shana – Crush on You (2020) – Produced by Jiffthegeneral

Moving to an RnB theme, this is a new song from a new artist! This debut song is from London RnB singer Shana. With this being her first single I am hoping we hear much more from her in the future. I’m pretty sure this song will have you singing “I’ve got a crush on you” over and over and doing some kind of shuffle. I like the freshness that I get from this song, no gimmicks, just pure good vibes and excellent production. The female (even male) Rnb scene in London isn’t as big as it can be and it’s refreshing to hear more and more newcomers. Have a listen to the song below and enjoy:

Kehlani Ft Jhené Aiko – Change Your Life (2020)

Following on from the RnB theme, I had a listen to Kehlani’s new tape this week and this song for me was one of my stand outs. Jhené and Kehlani on the same song makes complete sense, both queens have the perfect sensual voices to blend with each other. I love Jhené’s verse in the second verse as she sings to the person in question hyping them up while also pointing out that they would be even better together. In verse 3, Kehlani lays it all on the table and when I first heard this verse I replayed it multiple times. “Used-to-be models, IG honeys all shaped like bottles but now you seein’ that it’s more than body, face, and smile. You see me, and you look beyond it, you feel inspired…”. So beautiful. Check it out below;

CE – Who Am I? (2020) – Produced by DCQBEATZ

Another one from CE! I’m a fan of this track for sure, it has a nice vibe to it, the beat is great too. CE raps less on this particular track and lets his singing do all the talking! This will have you singing “Everytime you find me, you try to remind me of who I am” like it’s been doing to me! The artwork is great too! Have a listen below:

Russ Ft Ty Dolla $ign – 3AM (2020)

If you haven’t checked it out already, I have a Russ album review out https://musicandlifeblog.com/2020/02/18/album-review-russ-shake-the-snow-globe/ . Russ has now brought out a deluxe version of the album including this new song featuring Ty Dolla $ign. He teased the song earlier this week and I had a feeling it was going to be a good one. Ty Dolla on any song is always a joy to listen to and you will not be disappointed with this track. Ty’s verse is such a pleasure to hear, the harmonies and rifts as perfect as always. I’m gonna have to dive into the extra tracks Russ has blessed us with but for now, have a listen to this song below;

Some other songs I’ve loved:

  • Joyner Lucas Ft Will Smith – Will Remix (2020) – Will killed his verse with that old school flow, his verse content was solid and he was speaking facts! Always great when idols jump on the tracks about them.
  • French Tha Kid – Dream (2020) – Produced by KP Beatz – I recently came across this guy and he’s pretty good. I like the flow switch up on this song. I think he’s got an exciting upcoming career in the works.
  • DaBaby Ft. Roddy Rich – ROCKSTAR (2020) – I’ve had this song on repeat, definitely my favourite from the album. Da Baby shows himself in a different light here for me, his rapping is solid. Beat is crazy too!
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Album Review: Russ – ‘SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE’

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Another album review it seems! This time it’s from US rapper Russ. I’m a big fan of Russ, if you read my blog regularly, you probably would know. I was excited for an album release from him finally! Russ makes music that you can have playing for any occasion and this album is a great example of that.

The thing I love the most about Russ is I feel he is effortlessly talented. His singing and rapping ability are on par with each-other, both so good to listen to. It doesn’t feel like he’s doing too much or any gimmicks, it feels like he is all about the talent. Some of his songs are also very deep and the content of the songs always draw me in. He is a quadruple threat in music, he can sing, rap, produce and song write. He is also really great at picking the right collaborations for his song and we had already been treated to his earlier singles from the album; “CIVIL WAR” and “BEST ON EARTH” featuring BIA. There has never been a song that has featured someone else that has not been the best for the song. I really enjoy every project he puts out and this album is no other.

Below are a list of some of my favourite songs; (Most of them to be honest are!)…

NEED A MINUTE – This is the first song off the album and is Russ reminiscing on all his success and new wealth and being thankful. You could argue that this is more of an ending song for an album but at the same time, I think it’s nice to start to an album. You later realise that this song is actually setting the tone of the theme of appreciation that Russ manifests throughout the rest of the album. The title “Need a Minute” could refer to the fact he sometimes needs a second to process how far he’s come as he sings in the chorus; “I can’t believe what I’ve achieved, I can, but damn, I need a minute”. Anyone who is a long time fan of Russ will appreciate how far he has come. The whole song is Russ showing gratitude which is nice to hear.

Favourite Line- It’s hitting me way differently…this is a dream, I need a minute”

GUESS WHAT FT. RICK ROSS – This may be my favourite from the album. I’ve always said how much of a fan of Rick Ross and of Russ I am. The both of them on this second collaboration is great for me! Ross comes in so smooth on the beat reminding us of his never ending wealth of course and comparing the two of them; “Me and Russ coming like Dre and Snoop”. Most importantly for me, the beat of this song is so upbeat, everything just fits!

Favourite Line: I want roses when I’m livin’ not just roses when I die”

A LOT MORE- So the first two songs, Russ was speaking about his gratitude for his success and in this song he is telling us he is nowhere near finished! Russ lets us know he has always been working and hasn’t stopped and he still has alot more fun to have.

Favourite Lines: There’s two kinds of people; Those who can’t, those who can, those who say, “there you are”, those who say, “Here I am”. I’m the latter, fuck the chatter”

CAN’T GO ON– I like this song for the flow, his adlibs and the beat. A nice chilled back vibe in this song.

All TO YOU FT. KIANA LEDÉ- This song is a nice slower love song from Russ and Kiana’s vocals sound so beautiful on it too.

SHOTS – Hands down my second favourite from the album! The beat and his flow on this is crazy!

PATIENCE – This is another deep song from Russ. I get the feeling the song is about the aftermath of a breakup/broken heart but can also be applied to a stage where you feel your life is spinning out of control. The song is about how you recover slowly and pick yourself up again. The song is quite reflective and makes you stop and think.

MOMMA – Concluding the album and continuing on the theme of gratitude throughout the album, Russ here is singing about how his success has allowed him to treat his mother. This song serves a conclusion to his song “Purple,” where Russ made a promise to his mother that her dreams would come true. It’s a nice positive end to the thankfulness Russ had been showing throughout the album.

Favourite Lines: “And we don’t gotta chase our dream no more, mama We live it (Yeah)”

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New Music: What I’ve been listening to this week:

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Russ Ft. Davido

US singer/rapper Russ is back with another song I love! This time he links up with Nigerian singer Davido, Mr ‘Thirty Billion’ himself! There are so many reasons why this song works. Firstly I love how Russ attempts to try Pidgin English (a common dialect spoken in Nigeria), even Yoruba! I also like how he incorporates Nigerian references in the song. His references seem to be like paying homage rather than a forced idea. Although, He does say “Abuja” in a funny way! I had to rewind it to make sure thats what he wanted to say! He tried though! Secondly! The video is filled with Black women of all shades! I love that! Of course Davido does no wrong with his feature as expected! I have been singing “All I want is you” since I heard the song as well as “Don’t divide us girl abeg ooohhh”. The video had over a million views in less than 48 hours!! Have a listen and watch the video below:

Stormzy – Vossi Bop

THE WICKED SKENGMAN IS BACKKKKK!!! LIVE IN THE FLESH!!!! After what has felt like a very long time…UK rapper Stormzy has come back and hit us with a hit. The song was actually started off over 3 years ago via a guy on Twitter called Vossi who was doing a dance to Young Thug’s song “Check” which he called the “Vossi Bop”. Stormzy loved the video at the time and it has been in the works since then. I’m glad he’s used this song to come back as it is quite lighthearted and is here just in time for summer. I’m beginning to realise a secret to a successful song nowadays is to have some kind of viral dance that can go with it. With summer coming up, this song will definitely be played at events. While this song may seem lighthearted and “fun”, Stormzy still uses it to spread his views as well as witty metaphors. The “facial” metaphor is an interesting one. I won’t say too much as it is quite ambiguous but I did hear the little laugh he has after that line!! Naughty!! ha! Most importantly, I know Stormzy has a lot more greatness in his locker and I cannot wait for some new music from him! He has been missed!! Oh and the video is incredible!!! Honestly I really look forward to Stormzy’s videos! When he started out his videos were always creative so imagine now he has the budget for so much more, Amazing!!

Beyoncé- Before I Let Go

Speaking of viral videos, this song has one too! Beyoncé released this bonus song as part of her Homecoming: The Live Album tracks. The song actually reminds me of one of her songs “Ring Off” in terms of the production and hopefulness that comes with the track. In this song she is singing about the fact she will not give up on love with her man. This resonates with the theme on her ‘Lemonade‘ album. My favourite part of the song is actually when her voice tone changes “Pull up to Coachella”, her voice goes deep! She also goes into dance instructions reminiscent of her “Move Your body” song. The challenges that I have seen and she has posted have been great to! Have a listen below and see if you can recreate it for yourself.

Mist Ft Lotto Ash – Different Strokes

M I S to the T is back with another song recruiting Lotto Boys member Ash. Ash has one of the most beautiful voices in the UK at the moment and this mix really goes well. For me though, I feel Ash stole the show on this song. I found myself listening to him more than Mist. Regardless, it’s a good song for the summer and hopefully this is a sign we are going to hear more music from both of them.

Darkoo Ft Br3nya – Juice

I am here for this female power! Br3nya for me is 100% a talent and I have been enjoying watching her rise into the music scene. The song is a good vibe with a hint of an afrobeat fusion. Have a listen below:

Don’t forget I have a summer playlist. Have a listen below!!

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Songs I’ve been playing into 2019;

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Happy New Year everyone! Hope you’ve all had a great break!

Thank you all again for your continued support last year and I promise to try and be more regular with my posts. 

Here are a list of songs I’ve had on replay this week.

1. Kaytranada Ft. Ty Dolla $ign -Nothin Like You;

You may have seen or heard this song in my Instagram stories (if you don’t, follow http://www.instagram.com/musiclifeblog18). Ty Dolla is infamous for his memorable features and this song does not disappoint. Kaytranada is Haitian-Canadian DJ and record producer meaning he produced the beat while Ty offers his vocals. The track provides me with a 80s/90s r&b nostalgic feel. In the song Ty sings about a woman who is unique; “They don’t make ’em like you”, he repeats throughout the song.

2. Memphis Depay – No Love;

Dutch International and Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) footballer Memphis Depay has released his first official single. Rapping over a strong beat and melody, Memphis spits in Dutch and English. I think he is a talent on and off the pitch to be honest and I’m sure we will hear more great music from him. Have a listen below!

3. Cadet X Tion Wayne X Ay Em;

UK artists collaborate here to create a catchy song that will have you singing that you are “Trendy” without a doubt. Clever wordplay from Cadet (as usual) with the addition of Ay Em singing the hook and Tion Wayne adding his distinctive feature verse. Have a listen below ;

4. Russ Splash – Gun Lean

Another fellow UK artist comes in the form of Drill Rapper Russ. This song and dance has been taking the UK by storm. The song will have you wanted to do the “Gun Lean” dance wherever you hear it. The song reminds me of the huge impact from US songs such as “Crank That” (Soulja Boy, 2007)  and “Teach me how to Dougie” (Cali Swag District, 2010) had on the comparison between dance moves and rap. Have a watch below. 

 

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Sunday Song.

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Today’s song of the day is called Back to Life” by American rapper Russ.

The track contains the the theme of Russ resisting his haters and persevering through all obstacles and criticism. The song is very motivational and can be seen as an uplifting song to anyone feeling like they have a lot of people against them. It is filled with useful , positive phrases such as “To get through it I go through it. No losing, just learning”. Those are definitely words to live by.

Having recently discovered Russ , I feel he is quite unique in the sense his music has a habit of captivating you with a certain message. In the second verse he says “My rival is my reflection
When I pursue perfection…I’m using your negativity, Channeling my aggression”. The song is evidently filled with great quotes and the positivity really does resonate throughout the whole song.

Take a listen below