[Trap/R&B] Falcons & Ekali – I Won’t Lie feat. Vanessa Elisha

Falcons & Ekali
I Won't Lie feat. Vanessa Elisha

We won’t lie, this latest offering from Falcons, Ekali and Vanessa Elisha is an international collaboration of epic proportions. “I Won’t Lie” is the epitome of style and substance. What seems like a party jam on the surface is undermined by a darker message behind it, as the desperate songstress vexingly struggles with all the doubts surrounding her relationship, forcing her to sputter into utter madness. It still makes for a pretty killer break down though, comprised of hypnotic pan flutes and ingratiating trap snares, with Vanessa’s seductive vocals coiling around the beat beautifully. Kick your weekend off the right way and make sure to grab a free download of this one as soon as possible.

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[Chill] Snakehips – Money On Me (feat. Anderson .Paak)

SNAKEHIPS
Money On Me ft. Anderson .Paak

Snakehips and Anderson .Paak are two artists who have seemingly worked with everyone. Last year saw the UK production duo of Snakehips making hits with artists from Chance the Rapper to Syd (of The Internet), while everything-man Anderson .Paak teamed up with countless rappers and producers on his way to signing with Dr. Dre. So, when a collab between the two popped up in our Soundcloud feeds, we can’t say we were surprised but that didn’t make us any less excited. On “Money On Me,” Snakehips craft a smooth, low-end atmosphere over which .Paak delivers one of his most chilled-out vocal performances. Even as the production fills out, the song doesn’t lose its smooth, summery vibe. Warm up with this tune above and make sure to check out Anderson .Paak’s Malibu if you haven’t yet.

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[Hip-Hop] Kai Straw – The Business feat. Keak Da Sneak & Roach Gigz

Kai Straw
The Business ft. Keak Da Sneak & Roach Gigz

Another single off the upcoming Toothpick album has hit the web thanks to Kai Straw. The San Francisco artist already released “Friction” last week, and now “The Business” is here. This single has Kai keeping more in line with his hip-hop roots and teaming up with fellow Northern California artists Keak Da Sneak and Roach Gigz. For all you Bay Area cats out there, you now have another anthem to slap.

“The Business” has each of the emcees sharing a bit about their hometown within the bay, covering Oakland, Fairfield and San Francisco. James The Bear produced this record, which has one of the sickest beats we’ve heard in a while. Fans of Kai’s older works will find this especially dope, as it is a sort of new-school homage to the hyphy movement where Kai got his start producing records. “The Business” stands out as something exceptionally special within Toothpick. Two more singles are to be released before the full album is out on Tenth Gate Records on April 12th.

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Sam Paye & Eleventy Million – The Yoga Pose [TMN Premiere]

’Sam Paye + Eleventy Million – The Yoga Pose’

Sam Paye of Seattle has brought forth his latest original single “The Yoga Pose” as a premiere for us ninjas. We present to you his creation with rapper Eleventy Million. “The Yoga Pose” is a danceabale mixture of hip-hop, pop and electronic music. There’s a lot going on in this three minutes of audio that is tailored for the eclectic taste.

Sam delivers an instrumental whose sound jumps around with different sounds ranging from progressive synths to 80’s basses to saxophone. On top of the diverse beat is Eleventy Million’s vocal performance that, for the most part, isn’t just straight rapping. We get a crowd-controlling expression that is more akin to a hypeman than someone spitting lyrics; although there are phrases of straight rap. After all, this is a party record. “The Yoga Pose” will be available through Bomb Recordings tomorrow. Until then, stream the full preview before it’s up for grabs.

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[Future/Trap] SoySauce x lil aaron – BOUT TIME

SoySauce x lil aaron
BOUT TIME

After raising 15,000 meals for the Los Angeles Food Bank, SoySauce is back with another record. “BOUT TIME” is a collaboration with vocal artist lil aaron to celebrate the success of the charitable Lunch Money EP. This future meets hip-hop record is silky smooth. lil aaron’s acclaimed song writing shines through the magnetic production by SoySauce.

“BOUT TIME” is one of those underground releases that could very well bubble its way up to the top, garnering radio success on top of an already strong internet campaign. Fans of someone like Drake or Post Malone are going to be in love with this song, as it rivals their sounds without pigeon-holing itself into their styles. SoySauce hasn’t released any digital store or download info around this track, so it has us wondering if there’s another EP on the horizon. If there is, stay tuned, as it’s sure to be something special.

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[Hip-Hop] Kaiydo – Reflections

Kaiydo
Reflections

Kaiydo is up next. It’s that simple. Following up the Sampha sampling “Arcade,” this dude drops another top notch song with a dose of energy that we’re sure you’re in need of on a Monday. “Reflections” is the third installment of his Colors & Sounds project, and it nicely balances out the massive hype of “Red Freestyle” and the smoothness of “Arcade.”

Kaiydo already has demonstrated his deft hand at writing catchy hooks and firing off speedy verses with this debut project so far, and, given the massive reception on each tune, he’s certainly poised for a breakout later this year. Once Colors & Sounds comes to fruition, we’ll get a better scope on just what Kaiydo is capable of, but “Reflections” stands strong on its own and makes a case for his highly probable popularity on the way. Each of these tracks explores his range as a rapper, and, more importantly, an overall artist since he is involved in his own production also. Keep your ears open for Kaiydo. There’s plenty of great stuff ahead.

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Noise Pop 2016: 7 Acts We Loved–SF, 2/19-2/28 [Festival Review + Playlist]

DNP_1039

All photos by Dom Powell except for photos of DIIV, which are by Ash. 

Over the last few years, San Francisco’s Noise Pop Festival has grown into our favorite week for music in the Bay Area. Taking place at venues across the city, the logistics can get tricky, but the venue hopping and set-time speculation is completely worth the broad variety of music the lineup offers. As is true for any festival. there’s no way to catch everything and there was plenty of FOMO to go around between the surprise guest filled late night Cafe Du Nord shows to the various events at Noise Pop’s home base, Swedish American Music Hall. With a couple years of experience under our belt, we definitely feel like this was both our best go-around thus far as well as the festival’s. The one great thing about the staggering number of events is that every publications experience is slightly different, each choosing different favorite takeaways based on their schedule. Take a trip back with some of our favorite sets, songs and moments from the week below. Continue reading

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