Madison - "As the World Turns" Music Video

Fresh out of the frying pan we have the first music video from RoxFontaine.com's Indie Album of the Year, Vanilla Sky. While pretty much any of the tracks from the project could make a great video, "As the World Turns" get the first crack at a visual treatment.

The video does a great job of complimenting the dark and brooding mood of the song. The song itself is one of my favorite tracks from the album. I really enjoy the direct nature of the lyricism and the honesty in the expression. Madison has a sound and delivery all his own that is backed up by genuine artistic vision. To be able to write is one thing, but to write, see and hear with such distinction is special.

Check out the video below. Be sure to click that HD button...


Madison - As The World Turns from King Klaviar on Vimeo.

Top 5 Indie Albums of 2012

5. Triple Threat - 'C.L.U.T.C.H.'

There is much to be said about Triple Threat and her abilities but the most simple way to put it is; she's a visionary. After the intro, it's all onslaught. She's taken raw and gritty and polished it over very well. Only a small hiccup or two for my tastes. There is a ton of content in this album and I still discover new things every time I listen to it. 'C.L.U.T.C.H.' is really dope material. Know about it.



4. AC - 'Courtesy of a Nightmare'

This project is amazing! It popped up on me out of seemingly nowhere so it was worked out somewhere in the universe for me to find this. Please allow me to point you to a specific point on the album to display how brilliant this work is: "I Killed the Future President" - Press play and prepare to be amazed.

'Courtesty of a Nightmare' is very high level artistic work and AC is the writer's writer. If you're a fan of Hip-Hop, especially lyricism, this album is a must own.



3. Kokayi - 'Pro Deo et Patria

This is easily the most abstract of the bunch but an incredible experience none the less. Kokayi went above and beyond everything I knew of his music with 'Pro Deo et Patria' and shattered every expectation I had. His ability has earned him a Grammy nomination in the past and I'm hoping that this album earns him another nomination at minimum. Let's cross our fingers for a win! Kokayi is in a class by himself and deserves the industry's attention. He's ridiculous both as a producer and as a songwriter.



2. Cocoa Sarai - 'The Black & White'

My favorite R&B single of 2012 is featured on my number 2 album of 2012. There are so many moments on this album that it is still parked in slot 1 of my car's CD changer. I know pretty much every lyric to every song because I pretty much listen to it every single day. Yeah, I'm a fan.

'The Black & White' is a masterpiece. If you didn't tell someone that this is an entirely independent project, nobody would know that it's not a big budget major label effort. It is that good. Cocoa Sarai is a once in a lifetime talent and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings.

(No stream of this project. Sorry. Preview and download via iTunes.)

1. Madison - 'Vanilla Sky'

'Vanilla Sky' is a 16 track ode to dreamers - a wildly creative and daring project loaded with some great story telling. What I love most about this album is the emotional setting that Madison delivers. It's young, arrogant, contemplative, lustful, angry... but all wrapped up in desire. Desire to be great.

The writing and production are married perfectly. Each track takes you to the next and back again with no disjointedness whatsoever. The sprinkling of clips from the film Vanilla Sky and it's inspiration Abre Los Ojos tie everything together with additional focus. It's just all around the most enjoyable listening I did last year from an independent artist.

Click to Stream/Download

Madison - 'Vanilla Sky'

Madison is probably the most dangerous artist you've never heard of. Dangerous because he's lyrically gifted enough to outshine your favorite rapper ... whoever that may be. Dangerous because his musical direction is Euro infused melodic fancy without the auto-tuned rap ballad styling of Drake. Dangerous because he has the ability to be an overnight success.

Everything that Madison is starts with his voice. He has a tonal quality that commands attention at his first utterance. It's a special kind of power and control that's almost preacher like. A captivating sound like that of Tupac. This is not to say that Madison is all style and no substance. Once the voice draws you in, you are exposed to the pristine delivery Madison posseses. His lyrics are incredibly witty, personal and truthful. "Me and my Pops wasn't speakin', and every day that we didn't my soul got weakened." and "Lost here in my thoughts. All this privacy that I've gained thanks to all this s**t that I've lost. And if these 4 walls could talk, they'd probably drown me in my own f*****g sorrow." are just two great examples.

I know what you're thinking: "Not another emo rapper!" Not at all. There is a big difference between self loathing and self exploration. This record is a collection of songs that are, seemingly, pieces of an incredible dream.

There is no stumbling here or question of who Madison is as an artist. This is not the "feeler" that 'The Pro Log' was. This is the definition of. Mark my words ... Madison is long gone. Click the download link below and turn your eyes and ears toward the Vanilla Sky.

Click Here to Download

Madison on twitter

E(dot)Milz - "The Green Tape"

New music from Bronx MC E(dot)Milz! The young MC just released his second project for 4/20. The music is the first of several projects set to release this summer. One of the most anticipated of the bunch is Hero x Sidekick, a joint effort between E(dot) and Madison.

I was supposed to post this on the 20th but a message with a forgotten download link threw a monkey wrench into that plan. Better late than never however! Click below to download and check out one of the most intriguing young MCs coming up.

Click Here to Download

Madison - "The Pro Log"

CLICK TO LISTEN & DOWNLOAD

Your playlists just got a whole lot fresher!  Madison releases the prequel to "Test Launch" entitled "The Pro Log".  Just in time for Music Monday on Twitter, so listen, download and tell a friend.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

Only.NY x West Trunk Show

West sneaker boutique hosted Only.NY for the evening in a joint "trunk show".  This invite only event brought friends and fans of the Only.NY brand together to catch early sale of the summer line as well as some very limited early collection pieces. 

The crowd shopped, networked and cooled out over free Bud and Bud Light.  After throwing a few back, people took hold of some Krink pens and bombed the wooden Post No Bills sign in the store.  It was a ton of fun watching everyone go crazy.

Only has some really big things on the horizon that I'm not at liberty to share here, but definitely check out what they are doing.  You can check my previous post on the brand here.  Shop and view their lookbook at the official Only.NY site.

Madison was in the building as well taking in the festivities.  Be on the lookout for 'Test Launch' in the near future.  Dude has some seriously dope material in the works. 

Here are some other pics from the night.  Thanks a million to B.C. aka Sour Diesel for the invite.  Also special thanks to West for hosting a great event.  Last but most certainly not least, thank you to Mr. Anthony Landi.

Madison Goes To Kush Lounge

Madison and I went to Kush Lounge last night to meet up with his new stylist, Nikki. We did some networking, talked shop for a while and then lost ourselves in the music of DJ Lady Chellez. It was a great time and I got to see some old faces that I haven't seen in a long time. (Shout out to Cas!) Eyeris came through later in the evening.

Here are a few pics from the fracas we held in the middle of the lounge:

Madison - "Can We Go Back" Free Download & Contest!

We took this song out of Madison's archive to bring you a little something different before the mixtape release.  It's a free download so click the link below to listen and save.  This is the ONLY time this track will be released.

We are also running a twitter event in conjunction with this release.  Hop over to twitter and follow @therealmadison and tweet under the trending topic #canwegoback and you'll automatically be entered to win a limited edition Nintendo DS Lite! The contest will run through until Sunday, March 14th, at 10 pm.  A random verified entrant will be chosen on Sunday night and announced on twitter.  Tell a friend to tell a friend!

You can win!

Message from Madison:
Originally, "Can We Go Back" was supposed to be a poem. It was the first time that I had ever tried writing poetry and it came out way better than I expected. Then I came across the instrumental (produced by Dr. Dre) and just couldn't resist it. As soon as I heard it, I knew that those (CWGB) lyrics would fit perfectly. Every now and then I catch myself thinking about the "good ol' days". The times when the biggest care in the world was getting home in time to catch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or who had control over the first controller when playing videos games. I know at one point in time, we have all wished we could go back and relive those moments. So I tried my best to recapture a lot of the things I remember from my childhood, jotting them down on paper, and laying it down on wax to create my own little audio time capsule. People from my (era) and maybe even some people before me can take a trip back and remember the good times, and those who come after me can get a glimpse of what life was like growing up for me. - Madison (@therealmadison)

Madison - "Can We Go Back" Free Download

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Madison - "Test Launch"

 

Every once in a while, you hear something truly special.  Something so special that you want to run out and tell everyone you know.  Today, I had one of those moments.  I pressed play and everything just seemed....perfect.

What I strive to do here is bring you the official.  Real people doing real things.  Not selling products.  Changing the world.  Changing how people think and act.

World, get ready for Madison.  "Test Launch" coming soon to speaker near you.  Exclusive interview coming in ther VERY near future.  Stay tuned...