events

DJ Sweendawg and Mark Carson Deliver Mosh Pits and Mingling With The “Electric Maid Art Show”

As we passed the Electric Maid while we cruised the streets of D.C., we noticed the venues quaint size and comforting vibe. The place was obscure, yet inviting. Art from the SeshCollective (@seshcollectiv) and Dieglo (@dearestdieglo) decorated the walls and the stage as DJ Sweendawg (@djsweendawg) spinned a mix of music from an array of underground artists. The venue (which was empty 30 minutes ago) was now jam packed with performers, artists and underground culture enthusiasts who, just like us, had come to check out and support the talent.

As the event began, the energy was very high. Mark Carson (@itsmarkcarson), the host of the event (who donned a pair of dark shades the entire evening) readily greeted attendees as they entered the venue. Participants were extremely rowdy yet extraordinarily involved and interested in each performer who took the stage that night. Performers included Lil Xelly (@lilxelly), Texaco (@therealtexako), RewindRaps (@rewindraps) and Charlie Monroe (@itscharliemonroe) amongst others. As far as the 757 being represented, there was certainly no shortage of VA artists in the building. Shini Gang, AJ? (@ajquestionmark), ZaeK (@zaekta) and Bittersweet (@bitteraintshit) really set the tone as far as performances goes. The VA artists had the audience engaged 100% and gave some of the most high energy sets of the night.

All in all, the event was very successful. The show was a hub for DMV creatives where everyone who attended was able to see some dope art, experience engaging performances and network with other like minded creatives, making for an amazingly fulfilling and inspiring evening.

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Meet Heteroclites, Your New Favorite R&B Singer (And Hear His New Song, Too)

If you love hidden gem R&B artists who are extremely talented but work under the radar, then meet your new favorite artist, Heteroclites. With his incredible range and enchanting vocal theatrics, he has been creating beautiful music all while somehow avoiding the spotlight. With the release of his most recent single “Melancholy” The singer/songwriter is now making his way towards becoming your new favorite singer.

As an artist, Heteroclites remains lowkey. He releases music on Soundcloud occasionally and will interact with fans thru live streams on Instagram (@heteroclites). What makes him such a notable artist is his tremendous range, his unique songwriting abilities and the fact that he is able to take listeners on a wild ride with his voice without sounding like he’s doing the absolute most. He is extremely talented, but subtle, allowing his music to truly speak for itself.

Just recently, Heteroclites has released his new single “Melancholy” and the song is nothing short of pure magic and even though the song is entitled “Melancholy”, it is far from that. On the track, Heteroclites takes listeners on a journey both musically and emotionally by discussing the relatable topic of being stuck in a rut. The smooth vocals paired with the warm and cozy vibe of the track results in a very welcoming and thought provoking track that R&B fans are sure to love.

Our Favorite Lyrics: I live for a second/Got lost for a minute/Rethought it for a hour

Check out “Melancholy” here!

https://soundcloud.com/user-53535617/melancholy

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G RIEL Spits Straight Fire in “Latin Heat”

Last year G RIEL brought us his “Sum Slight” visual and proved he was a force to be reckoned with lyrically, now, the artist is back with his “Latin Heat” freestyle and he is showing that he doesn’t plan on letting up any time soon.

The track features witty punchlines and a fiery delivery from the young emcee all over a simple yet entertaining beat that sort of resembles SmokePurpps “Audi”. A really interesting feature about G RIELs execution on this track as well as “Sum Slight” is the fact that he delivers with a very modern sounding flow that the “new wave” rappers use but still delivers the wordplay and lyricism that fans of the more traditional style of hip hop will enjoy.

Favorite Lyrics: “I can show you Coca Cola, I ain’t pouring up no soda.”

Check out “Latin Heat” by G RIEL here!

https://soundcloud.com/the-riel-gabe-1/latin-heat-freestyle

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Khalif Just Wants “Peace” in New Single

On his recent release “Peace”, upcoming artist Khalif gives listeners a look into his mind and tells of his journey to find both inner and outer peace.

The track displays extremely raw emotion and discusses struggles that we all can relate to such as feelings of loneliness and experiencing jealousy and hatred from our peers when trying to achieve a dream. The song has a very dreamy, hazy sound to it which when paired with Khalifs deep, intense vocals gives a very menancing vibe to the song to match the somber message that the song relays. Tae also joins Khalif on this track providing lighter, more cheerful effects to the sinister track.

Check out “Peace” by Khalif here!

https://fanlink.to/Peace

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Czar Nicholas Did Not Come To Play With Y’all In “He Got Game”

Czar Nicholas has just released his newest project, and he did not come to play with yall.

A lot of unsigned artists are very opinionated in regards to the music scene and in his newest project “He Got Game”, the 22 year old artist takes “opinionated” to a different level. The project is very diverse as far the wide range of styles of music displayed. Nichols kicks the tape of on “Icy”, a hard hitting track that provides listeners an introduction to the artist. On “Don’t Call” we hear some pretty dope sampling of Ushers “U Don’t Have To Call” (a VA favorite due to the Neptunes production.) On “Price” we hear the artist become more sentimental as he speaks on losing a girl who he thought was down for him. It is also on this track that the artist scales back on the rapping and uses distorted vocals for a dreamy effect. The tape even has a twerk song (watch out J Roddy Rod) entitled “Used 2 It” in which he invites girls to “make it shake like you never did before”.

While all of the tracks on the tape have pretty notable features, it is what Nichols does on the final track of the tape, “Game”, that is probably the most attention grabbing stunt of the year. In this track Nichols goes into great detail of what he thinks of the music scene in Virginia. He even goes as far as to speak on Young Crazy and Young Money Yawn, who some would consider VA legends, and tells of his true feelings about them.

Is Czar Nicholas tripping or do you agree with his statements on the state of VA hip hop? Check out “He Got Game” here! https://czarnicholas.lnk.to/HeGotGame

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Meda Blaq Shows His Many Sides In “Bruce Wayne”

Meda Blaq is a 24 year old artist from Hampton, Virgina who on his project, Bruce Wayne, gives listeners a deeper look into the multiple aspects of his persona as an artist .


On this project, Blaq shows listeners a different side of himself as an artist throughout the different songs on the project. On “How It Go” and “Get Enough”, the artist displays a brash, hardcore style. However, on “Show Em”, Blaq contrasts the previously displayed hardcore style by becoming more transparent and relatable as he discusses his hardships and struggles he faces On “I Can”, Blaq gives his version of a motivational message and tells of his ambition and determination to succeed become successful by any means necessary. 


A notable feature of this tape is, of course, the beats produced by Virginia favorites Treez Lowkey and Ready Rock James and also how cohesively Blaq blends his different styles and flows on each track. 
Our Favorite Songs – Figures, Got Me

Check Out “Bruce Wayne” by Meda Blaq here!

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bruce-wayne/1439602669

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$inclair Just Doesn’t Want To Sleep “Alone”

Its getting cold outside and $inclair is speaking for many of us in his new single when he says he doesn’t want to sleep alone.

Cuffing season is upon us and $inclair has kicked off the season with a single for all the hopeless romantics out there entitled “Alone”. The dreamy song is produced by Al Fuery and on the track, $inclair combines a melodic hook with catchy bars in which he speaks on an array of topics ranging from heartbreak to the struggles of staying focused as an uprising artist.

On “Alone”, $inclair displays transparency and a lot of raw emotion that listeners are going to appreciate and relate to. In addition to the authentic nature of the track, the gloomy yet comforting beat as well as the catchy hook about not wanting to sleep alone gives us all the feels.

Check out “Alone” by $inclair here!