[NEW] Drake – My Side

Drake
My Side

Follow a stellar performance last night to close out Coachella (which included a few unexpected surprises), Drake wasted no time in dropping new material, sharing “My Side” earlier tonight. Known for being the king of late night releases, Drizzy’s latest single is perfect for all the nocturnal adventurers out there like ourselves. The slow burning tune is slated to be a bonus track on the upcoming physical release of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, set to hit shelves on April 21st. Stream the tune above, and make sure to grab yourself a copy of the collector’s addition for yourself later this month.

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High Rule – Enough [TMN PREMIERE]

High Rule
Enough

A lot can happen in a few months, and nobody understands that more than Chicago-based duo High Rule. In less than 60 days, this act has gone from releasing their debut song to peaking at #2 on Spotify’s Global Viral 50 Chart, showing the world that they’re ready to make a splash.

Following up on that debut release, “Enough,” is premiering here on TMN. Stylistically, it follows the intriguing nature that we quickly fell for, showcasing an ambiguous sound that flirts with multiple genres. Somewhere in between dance music, hip hop, and RnB, we’re left hitting the repeat button again and again, just like before.

“Enough” does change gears from their debut single though, which had us grinning with its entertaining lyrical nature. This release has a more somber message, which is rooted in something that everyone can identify with – the struggle of not being able to let go of someone who isn’t right for us.

Click here to get free downloads from this up-and-coming act.

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[Hip-Hop] Vic Mensa – U Mad (Feat. Kanye West) (Prod. Smoko Ono)

Vic Mensa.
U Mad feat. Kanye West

U Mad? Cam’ron would be very proud of this brand new cut starring Vic Mensa and Kanye West. Produced by Smoko Ono, this hard hitting number serves as a nice follow-up to Vic’s performance earlier today at Coachella. It’s a great look for the Chitown native who previously collaborated with Yeezy on his own single, “Wolves.” A few years ago it may have been difficult to imagine a pairing like this, but now it seems like this move could launch Vic further into stardom.

Expect this one to stay on the radio late into the summer. We look forward to seeing what else the emcee has in store for his upcoming EP Street Lights, dropping sometime this year.

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[Electronic] Mura Masa – Someday Somewhere (EP)

After hinting at a new project at the beginning of the month, Mura Masa just surprise released his latest EP, Someday Somewhere.  The follow-up to his superb, instrumental debut, Soundtrack to a Death, sees the UK producer bringing in some friends to take on the vocals with features from NaoDenai Moore and Jay Prince. Sonically, Mura Masa continues evolving on the project with his lush, experimental and psychedelic approach shining and, although his production overachieves on its own, the talented featured singers and emcees (including himself!) make for a welcome addition that’s sure to add to the project’s appeal for some. Stream the whole project below or on Spotify here.

’Mura Masa – Are U There’
’Mura Masa – Firefly (ft. Nao)’
’Mura Masa – Terrible Love (ft. Denai Moore)’
’Mura Masa – your bones (intermission)’
’Mura Masa – Low (ft. Jay Prince)’
’Mura Masa – Lovesick Fuck’
’Mura Masa – When U Need Me’
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[Hip-Hop] Towkio – Heaven Only Knows (Feat. Chance The Rapper, Lido & Eryn Allen Kane)

Towkio
Heaven Only Knows (Ft. Chance The Rapper, Lido & Eryn Allen Kane)

SaveMoney’s Towkio continues to surprise us with amazing collaborations from his upcoming mixtape, .Wav Theory, this time teaming up with Chance The Rapper, Lido and  Eryn Allen Kane for a celebratory new cut called “Heaven Only Knows.” At first, “Heaven Only Knows” has a very similar soulful feel to many other SaveMoney releases from the past, but with Lido behind the boards, the track has just the added oomph to put it over the top. The vibrant tune is guaranteed to be a staple in our rotation long into the summer. .Wav Theory is due out later this month on April 28th, and features additional appearances from Vic Mensa, Kaytranada, Leather Corduroys and Donnie Trumpet.

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[Event Preview] The Underground Music Showcase – 7/23-7/26 – Denver, CO

After the raucous and discovery laden journey that was last year’s Underground Music Showcase in Denver, CO; we are once again gearing up for another edition of our favorite music festival in Denver. One of the few remaining music gatherings in our the fair city of Denver to eschew the typical smattering of major label festival fare, The UMS has dropped the first glimpse into a lineup boasting over 1,500+ acts strewn across various shops and bars dotting Denver’s South Broadway district, and we’ve already got stars in our widening Ninja eyes as a result. Buoyed by the gleaming synth-pop of Portland, OR’s STRFKR and the psych induced dream-rock of Brooklyn trio DIIV, as well as TMN Favorites Rose Quartz, Wild High and The Epilogues, this year’s UMS looks to be as top heavy as ever without skimping on any of the underground qualities which brought it to prominence in the first place. Grab your tickets here, and quite honestly, for our friends in Denver, $50.00 for a four-day paradisaical dip into some of the best atmosphere and music (of an absurd number of genres as well, mind you) the Mile High City has to offer is what we like to call in the industry… “a steal”.

Check out our 2014 coverage of The UMS here, stream our mini-playlist featuring a tune from each aforementioned act to stoke your UMS fire, and read the full lineup of announced artists thus far for the 2015 installment of The Underground Music Showcase below.

UMS 2015 first lineup announcement:

STRFKR, Diiv,  Milo Greene, Brick + Mortar, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Mac McCaughan (Superchunk), Moon Hooch, Until The Ribbon Breaks, Accordion Crimes, Beginners, Bud Bronson and the Good Timers, Colfax Speed Queen, Dragondeer, The Epilogues, Eros & the Eschaton, Gabriel, Garzón-Montano, In the Whale, The Knew, Land Lines, The Lonely Wild, Ned Garthe Explosion, Plum, Rose Quartz, Ryan Chrys and the Roughcuts, Shady Elders, South of France, SPELLS, Wild High, Wiredogs, The Yawpers.

’Golden Light’
’Doused’
’Leaving Now’
’Tidal’
’Hunting Season’

 

 

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The Hip-Hop Dojo: March 2015 (Artist Spotlight: YoAstrum)

hiphopdogjo

What up y’all? Welcome back to The Hip-Hop Dojo. As you know, since the very beginning, we’ve aspired to be your one stop shop for all things hip-hop. At first, we started this as a simple weekly playlist to help you keep track of what’s trending. After a long hiatus, last month we relaunched the series with an added twist: the inclusion of an artist spotlight that would allow us to recognize some of today’s freshest talent. Well, the construction crews have been hard at work, because today we’re expanding the Dojo once again. Along with our new multi-page format, we’re also adding a “Mixtape Roundup” designed to showcase the top projects to drop in the last month. We believe we’ve highlighted some very special independent releases, so please check out what we had to say when you make it to page 3.

In the meantime, we’d like to introduce you to our spotlight artist for the month of March, YoAstrum. For the uninitiated, the 20 year-old New Jersey native is a one-of-a-kind wordsmith who weaves his way through complex instrumentals that few would dare to navigate. Armed with unwavering confidence and an inexorable work ethic, YoAstrum is surely a name you won’t forget anytime soon. We caught up with the eclectic rapper to chat about his upcoming projects, anime and Charles Hamilton‘s comeback. Read further to see what he had to say, and click over to the next page once you’re done to listen to this month’s playlist. On the final page you’ll find our newest addition to the Dojo, our “Mixtape Roundup.”

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: YoAstrum

Yo_Astrum

’回 YoAstrum 回 – Wishing (Prod. By Geotheory)’
’回 YoAstrum 回 – Like Whoa (Prod. By TEK.LUN) #allrapperssuckexceptme’
’回 YoAstrum 回 – Megaman X (Prod. by AbJo)’

 

TMN: When did you first start making music, and how did you decide that it was something you wanted to pursue full time?

YoAstrum: I started making beats when I was 17; when I turned 19 I decided to start rapping though. It was a couple of months after I graduated from high school, I was living in Harlem at the time and went to college out in NY. I left school after only one semester though, college didn’t feel so much for me; I used to skip class to make beats. Once I fully decided I wasn’t going to school anymore, I realized how much I loved music and really wanted to live it so I was like “fuck it, this is what I wanna do. I’d rather just be getting by and happy doing what I love rather than secure, but sad as shit that I never pursued my aspirations.”

TMN: Is there any significance behind the name YoAstrum?

YA: Ever since I was a kid I was into stars and space. Not only that, but I always liked how Latin sounded when it was sung. A lot of older cartoons on some Tom & Jerry shit would have opera randomly in episodes and when I got older, I found out the words they were singing were in Latin. I read somewhere that Astrum is Latin for constellations, stars, heavenly body, and other worldly. Threw a Yo in front (of it) and got YoAstrum.

TMN: You’ve always done a great job of selecting unconventional production from the likes of Lakim, Mr. Carmack, AbJo, etc. What initially drew you to that style and how does it challenge you to evolve as an emcee?

YA: I came across all of them a bit after I got put on to TeamSupreme. Awhile after, I found out about Soulection and then all I was listening to was those two crews. After a while of hearing those beats you want parts. Going over their individual styles of melody is the most fun and challenging part.

TMN: Beat selection aside, you’ve proven yourself to be a worthy producer as well. What’s your process like when creating a completely original song from the bottom up?

YA: Appreciate that bruh. My process is pretty free. I usually make the beat first to set a tone, then build in whatever direction that sends me. The mixing is usually one of the most experimental parts for me.

TMN: You first caught our attention with your last project, Alchemy In Heav3n, which came out nearly a year ago. Was there any significance behind that record, and did you take a different approach at all when recording it? Did you have any specific goals you set out to achieve with that project?

YA: The energy put behind it felt personal. I want people to really feel the shit I make if anything. It was a big ass experiment built from an idea. There’s a lot of little details in that project that I know everybody didn’t catch, but it was cool for me to do. I try to approach every project differently than the last too. I hate redundant shit, so I like to do something different every time. As far as goals, I wanted to grow as an artist more than anything, and ever since then I’ve been getting a more defined vision of my direction, identifying more with myself and figuring out what I really want to create.

TMN: Your style is so unique, that it’s kind of difficult to pick out who your influences are. What artists do you find have been the biggest inspiration to you in your music?

YA: So many. From N.E.R.D. to FlyLo, to old Adult Swim bumps, to Nas, Nujabes, Cudi, Ye, and Lupe. Charles Hamilton was a big one too. He made me decide that if I were to ever rap I was gonna make my own beats too.

TMN: Speaking of Charles Hamilton, have you peeped any of his new material? What are your thoughts on his comeback?

YA: Yeah, I peeped two tracks I think. One reminded me of his older vibe, can’t think of the name but it was tight. I’m low-key amped to see him come back though. Him, Ye, Pharrell, and Cudi were my high school soundtrack. I watched the freestyles he did on Sway (In The Morning) and Hot 97 too. He’s still that guy with the off-tops.

TMN: You’re a part of the Organic Geniuses tribe along with such artists as Rakeem Miles and Mike Melinoe. Can you tell us a bit about how you first got involved with them?

YA: Yeah, I actually got hit up by Keem (Rakeem Miles) over Twitter one day. He was telling me how he and Mike (Melinoe) were starting a crew up, and at the time me and my homie Hijayy were doing the same thing (Zero Saga) so we figured why not connect? Later on, we linked up with Matt Granpap and Cash Jay. The tightest part is we’re all from different places in the country.

TMN: Jersey doesn’t get the quite the same recognition in the hip-hop community as its neighbors New York and Philly. What can you tell us about the hip-hop scene where you’re from, and has it influenced your music at all?

YA: Yeah man, I’m trying to change that. Jersey is slept on, but the music scene where I stay is low-key looking promising if you’re talking Jersey as a whole. North Jersey I’d say is eating a bit more than South though. The biggest influence Jersey has on me is how big of a melting pot it is. To me it’s a grey area. It inspires me to find that grey area in music where we all can be in tune. Here you’ll find every type of person from hood niggas to suburban hipsters, from skaters to Jersey Club heads. Jersey’s identity is tight because it can be a bridge between Philly and New York natives too.

TMN: What else can we expect from YoAstrum in the coming months? Any projects of yours on the horizon?

YA: A few surprises and shows for sure. I’m dropping my next project Days Of Violet this Fall, and plan on releasing my first beat tape too sometime in April.

TMN: We noticed you take heavy influence from anime and Japanese culture in general. Can you tell us what you’re watching right now, and if you could be any one anime character who would it be and why?

YA: Right now I just finished up Tokyo Ghoul and am watching 7 Deadly Sins. Waiting for that new season of anime to kick in. But if I were any one character, I’d be a cross between Mugen and Jin from Samurai Champloo. Mugen to me is like a rough around the edges genius that’s built off instinct. That nigga’s unconventional as fuck and goes about things free-spirited, and he’s a savage. Jin on the other hand, is a lot more calm minded and disciplined throughout situations, but he’s just as strong. They kinda remind me of fire and water.

TMN: What’s one quality you think you share with a ninja?

YA: I’m a low-key dude and I fuck with hoodies.

YoAstrum’s Shuriken Six

Each month we’ll be asking our spotlight artists to tell us which artists or songs they can’t get out of their heads at the moment. This will be known as their “Shuriken Six.”

’R.O.M – #daydreaming’
(dc) – SWITCH’
’Melo Zed – For Real’
’AbJo – From Now, ‘Til Then (v.2)’
’Future – Move That Dope (LAKIM Remix)’
’Mike Melinoe – Fear Within Melinoe (Prod. By Hijayy)’

 

We’d like to thank YoAstrum for graciously agreeing to be our Hip-Hop Dojo spotlight artist for the month of March. Continue on to the next page to check out our March 2015 playlist!

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