Baiyu - "Surface"

It's crazy how this year is flying by. It's March already! As promised, a new month means new music from Baiyu.

This time we're hit with a rhythm heavy uptempo track called "Surface." A tribal feeling poetic song produced by Polo Crew about finding one's way through trials and tribulations (whatever they may be) to the truth. Navigating the darkness to find glory in the light.

As usual, Baiyu completely aces it and adds another significant ribbon to her already heavily decorated rack. She's lookin' like the Champ out here for 2013!

This is my favorite release so far. I feel like this could have been slotted in her last album 'Hunter' which I do not remove from my car, by the way. I feel like she could have easily switched "Surface" with "Lost in Lisbon." It's a really strong track and while I love pretty much everything that she touches, I'm really motivated by her uptempo work.

Get into the free stream and download below...  

Bugatti Biggz - "Insanity"

Born Starz Entertainment is one of those insider things. Either you know or you don't. I liken it to other upstarts like, TDE, Odd Future or ASAP. Those who knew were just waiting. To everyone else, it seemed like they came out of nowhere. This is what I am expecting of BSE's Bugatti Biggz.

The Harlem born MC has been on my radar for quite some time as we lived just 2 blocks apart for years. His story is one that is best told from his own mouth and "Insanity" is a brooding track that gives the first public look at that story. A brief tale of his humble beginnings on 148th and Broadway, run ins with the law and trying to keep the pieces together in the present.

"Insanity" has the feel of a movie soundtrack standout from the '90s. It reminds of Tupac's "Starin' Through My Rearview" or Crooklyn Dodgers '95 with "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers." This is something old that's new again. I can't wait to hear what else Bugatti has in store for the masses. His sound is one to watch out for.

Check out the free stream...

Villa - 'Pack Light, Travel Far' Repack

'Pack Light, Travel Far' is back. Yes, back... as in second time around. Repackaged and re-imagined. Almost double the amount of music and new art direction.

The sound is still a complete idea, which is expected since production is handled exclusively by Brandon Rossi, but much more detailed this time around. I'm loving the new bonus track called "Roses." It has the same ambiance as my favorite track from the first release, "Polos With No Logos." Not much has changed sonically since I first reviewed this project. Listeners are just afforded more opportunity to examine Villa as a lyricist.

This is the sound of New Atlanta. A futuristic blend of trap and trend. A dope effort and unique sound. Get the full stream below...

 

Bueller Da Don - 'Cruise 2 Fame II'

Bueller Da Don. Rapper. Visionary. Consummate professional.

I'm pretty sure I've said that before but I don't care. It's the truth. It is the way you make a dream a reality. It's what separates the men from the boys. It's what makes it seem that Bueller Da Don really is cruising to fame. 

His music is self-described as "the soundtrack to success." He talks a whole lot of $#!t but it's more inspiration than it is you-cant-do-what-I-do. It's the music you (you meaning I) play when you're gettin' ready to hit the club for the night. It's feel good music about giving your best and loving hard.

Buell's progressive sound and songwriting ability should have him on radio right now. A consistent face on iTunes with each project, he's proving that his brand of music is marketable. It's really just a matter of time before a label signs him. The quality of product he's producing at this stage is remarkable.

'Cruise 2 Fame II' is an evolution from the first project in the best possible way. The most noticeable growth is in the level of musicality. The depth and breadth of the production was scaled up significantly and the introduction of singer Mike-O adds even more polish to the two tracks he takes hook duty on. Producer Hotman takes the heaviest workload with 4 tracks. Traxx Trigga and Brad M. take 2 each and Stretch Banguz, Jay Criss, Sunny Norway, White Mike and Chosen 1 fill out the rest of the album. Each producer has a distinct style and sound but the total vision is consistent. 

The album is available on iTunes so you'll have to buy into this one but do check it out and listen to the preview clips. Below, I have one of my favorite tracks from the album. "Mission 2 Hearts (Galaxy Love)" featuring and produced by Jay Criss. This is far and away the best example of the radio readiness I spoke of earlier. This record is BIG! Major props to Buell for this one.

Get into the stream and, again, check out the full project on iTunes. Click here to listen.

Pato Pooh - "Fallback" Music Video

There's something to be said for respecting the foundation of the art of Rap. You can do new things and experiment with new sounds but you can't just throw the foundation away and call it Rap. Yet, here in America it's happening regularly in mainstream Rap and RnB. There's a whole bunch of house, techno, dance music, electro, dub-step whatever being passed off on Urban radio as Rap and RnB. It is not.

In the many corners of the world, there are artists like Pato Pooh who are creating exciting new music with commercial appeal and still honoring the roots. "Fallback" is a return of sorts for the Sweden based rapper. After a Grammy snub in 2010, Pato went back to the drawing board to evolve himself and his sound. This music video is the first look into what he has coming up for 2013.

The production by K-One is very "coupe-speeding-in-the-night" with it's bouncing synth line and crunched guitars. Pato Pooh proves that it doesn't matter where you're from. Only skill and sound matter. He's got both well in hand and "Fallback" is a highly enjoyable track.

Check it out...

Vanessa Elisha - "Home to Me"

The songbird from down under is a super clean 2 for 2! This number slipped out quietly last night via her twitter account and everybody is buzzing about this morning. Well played, Ms. Elisha. Well played. Everybody can't do that. Especially unsigned artists.

After you hear "Home to Me" and the previous release "Blur" you too will understand what the chatter is about. Vanessa Elisha is so right now. Her soft and soulful vocals work so well over Jrdn Gxnius' bass heavy production; Hard vs. smooth. A real throwback to the girl power vocalists of the 90s like T-Boz of TLC or Pamela of Total. Now don't get me wrong, Vanessa is a much more capable vocalist than either of those ladies but the sound and feel are similar.

Jump into the track below and see for yourself. I'm convinced that Vanessa Elisha is on the fast track. What do you think?