Last week I sent out a Tweet in hopes of finding some new music to write about. Searching for music on DSPs has become a non-exclusive, long and drawn-out process because there are so many distractions as far as what they want you to listen to.
In today’s world we have a robotic assembly line of music that’s force-fed whether it’s on iHeart radio, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, or AmazonMusic. To me personally, it’s not a discovery when you have multiple ads thrown at you about one artist, or everyone is listening to the same playlist, with the same 20 artists.
So I decided to go straight to the music and see what artists got on deck. In doing that I also learned why you guys really follow me lolol – you want your music to be heard. I also learned how supremely talented so many of you guys are and I’m thankful you send me music when you do. I guess you never know who’s following you.
So, to fill that demand and to pay it forward, I created a new segment on my site called “Drop Your Link.” Every few weeks we’ll listen to all the music that people drop in the threads on social media and we’ll highlight it on the following Friday. For anyone looking to participate in the future we have created a new tab on the site where you can drop your links! We will be checking it periodically and taking it into consideration for future posts!
Thank you, I hope you all have a blessed weekend and here are my picks for Drop Your Link #1. The songs are in no particular order – I hope you enjoy!
Jon Wilde (@jonwiilde) – “Beach“
Some of the music we were sent was truly amazing work done by supremely talented creatives, and this first one falls under that category. I’m talking about my guy Jon Wilde specifically. This visual for “Beach” had me totally locked in like I was watching MTV in my basement as a kid during the summertime with nothing to do. I used to be locked in for hours on hours lol… As I digress haha this song is super chill though, and it’s like on some Pop/Rock/R&B/Rap chill lo-fi I dunno shit. Def had me watching the video several times.
Fleego (@Fleeego) – “WASSUP”
Look man I won’t pretend to be completely hip to every movement on NYC’s drill scene considering I’m based in Los Angeles, but lemme tell you the visuals that Fleego delivers for “Wassup” are all the way on point. This isn’t the first Fleego visual I’ve seen but he’s always seemingly ahead of the curve with his fun visuals and charismatic vibes.
Mark my words, Fleego is a hop, skip, and a jump from getting that major deal, because right now the vision he’s bringing to his content is truly captivating. Couple that with some sick beat selection and proper bars and we just might have something here folks!
Mike Ransom (@Super_Ransom) – This LP is 4 Opulen$e
Georgia based rapper Mike Ransom delivers a slowed-down and laid-back flow that is pure creativity. From the song titles to the clever hooks, to the catchy wordplay throughout, Mr Ransom is backed by production that is perfect for his smoke session punchlines and metaphors. If you like that Curren$y, Goodie Mobb, Pharcyde, mixed with that new age rap from GA, then you enjoy this Southern fried chill shit because this is it. Songs like “Turtle Race,” “lasaGna,” “Pockets” and “Gone Fishing” had us stuck.
Scream Geronimo – (@screamgeronimo) “Closing Act”
Coming to you directly from Virginia, Scream Geronimo raps about wrestling with his vices and hood ties all while remaining true to himself. He has intelligent rhymes and he’s super good with his words, but he isn’t too much for the listener with his delivery and sound. He definitely has that rewind factor to his music so be prepared to run this track back several times to pick up everything he’s putting down. Seems like he would fit well with the Dreamville crew. Would love to hear more of his guy’s music!
Isaac Zale (@isaaczale) – “Basil”
Kicking off the track with some crisp sounding acoustic guitar Vancouver, BC artist Isaac Zale jumps on the OnlineCrates radar with his new song “Basil.” We don’t know too much about Isaac but the production quality and engineering on this joint are super clean. He is an engineer, producer and artist so he’s out there in the lab doing it all and cooking up.
The song lowkey gave me the vibe that Isaac maybe could be influenced a bit by Travis Scott? I don’t know for sure, but it was a pretty dope summertime essence on that one that has definite replay value. According to his Spotify bio, he’s worked with artists like Kota The Friend, Mick Jenkins, Sylvan LaCue, Smokepurpp, UnoTheActivist, Chuuwee, Blu, Chris Patrick, and Khary so he’s super active – check him out here:
6. P1 – “Mobbin” – @GrandCampP1
Living in LA I’ve heard P1 plenty of times having dropped by the Mint Room Studios with Mickey, Backwood Brat, Daymo and others. But if there’s one thing that I can say about P1, it’s that he has a grip on the streets and he’s well adapted to moving around Los Angeles, meaning he’s well tied in if you know what I’m saying. That being said his pulse on the streets is uncanny and you can hear it in every word of his music. The authentically street-certified sound is there and he’s just moments away from a big break, he’s just gotta put it all together.
7. Ashoka – (@ashoka.kdm) – “Sleep On Me” ft. Deanté Hitchcock
Its my first time hearing Ashoka and let me tell you Ashoka is not to be slept on whatsoever. Hailing from Rockland County, NY Ashoka is a talent that we don’t always see in rap. It’s not every day that you come across an artist with this kind of delivery and cadence over this kind of production. This song features Deanté Hitchcock and if you know anything about him, you know that you better get your bars up if you want to hold your own on a track with him. This is not rap the Olympics, but this is def not the type of situation where you leave your punchlines at home. Thank you to his management team @Kayvanmd for sending this one over.
8rae (8raeden) – “Lost Cause”
Combining pop/house/rap and R&B, 8rae brings a completely different element to the music scene in 2022. Upbeat and music that would largely appeal to the ladies, this Orange County-bred talent has it going on. To date he has released 12 singles, gaining support from platforms such as Genius and other rising rap websites but he lowkey sounds like Bieber. This kid bout to go crazy if he can keep up this kind of momentum.
Safian (@safdo) – “Summer Rain”
So Safian is coming straight from Paris, France and if you ask me I can’t help but hear the pain in homie’s voice. It’s expressive and infused with the kind of energy and emotions of a relationship bulging at the seams on the verge of breaking. As warm as “Summer Rain” can be, this song has a cold, sad and lonely sound that def makes me want to curl up in a ball under a blanket. Nevertheless, there’s a time and place for every song and emotion, maybe I’ll play this one a cold winter Sunday.
9. Kei – (keiweifruit) – “Made Me”
Massachusetts-based rapper female rapper Kei got our attention with her song “Berserk,” but after digging through her catalog we uncovered her punked-out style of rap screaming on tracks like “made me.” Couple that with her ability to flip her words and we almost have an aggressive punk Nicki Minaj vibe going on. There is 100% a market for that in today’s music world and I’m here for it. I can imagine an artist like Kei crushing it at Afropunk Fest.
Guddaa (@Guddaa_) – “Moment”
Guddaa is a Los Angeles based artist that has a sensual R&B/Rap vibe geared towards the ladies. We keyed in on his song “Moment” that appears to feature a scene from City of God for the cover art. SUPER LA in cadence, production and with his lyrics, Guddaa has a catalog worth diving into, the potential for growth is there so we are tuned in for this crossover artist’s future releases.
CLUB INDGO – (@clubindgo) – “Are You In The Room”
WOW, WOW, WOOOOW, they really got such a good vibe! We 100% had to add this one into the mix. Also from Boston area if I’m not mistaken CLUB INDGO is a conglomerate of several different acts that diverged and have been able to make some incredible music. This was one of our favorite songs by far. If you like Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals this will brighten your day.
Dregs One (@dregs_one) – Sucka Repellent
Dregs is a well-established San Francisco artist that’s super tied into the community and has some pretty dope music to go along with his knowledge of the Bay Area scene. Bringing that player pimpin-type Bay shit, Dregs knows his history and educates the world on topics like Bay Area slang via his IG page. Above all he reps his city and even though LA and the Bay have a big rivalry, I gotta show love to the homie for holding it down in the Bay area. With integrity and with a desire to service the fans with quality music Dregs has unlimited knowledge of the culture! His new project ‘Sucka Repellent’ is a nice intro to the homie’s music. Check it out below:
J Coop – (@RealJCoop1) – “Amazon”
If you’re from NYC you might know a rapper from BK who has been featured on Adidas bits and other places by the name and J Coop. He’s a super well-polished East coast rapper that lyrically delivers sharp rhymes while still maintaining commercial viability as you can see with his recent success working with large brands. Check it out as he tries on an “Amazon” themed video in this latest that is solid entertainment.
