Kiah Victoria - "Lover's Anthem"

It's Valentine's Day, one of my absolute favorite holidays, and as expected there are a bunch of new tracks and projects releasing today to join in on the love parade. It is my job to find and showcase the best of the indie group and I am of the mind that I am very good at what I do.

Kiah Victoria kicks off today's posts with "Lover's Anthem." It's a minimalist rhythm based track that really shines with Kiah's silky smooth harmonies. She's masterful at that and it's propelling her into superstardom. As a matter of fact, she's currently vying for an mtvU Woodie Award. Please listen to this track and support her by voting. It's free and you'll score good karma and she's dope as all hell!

Anyway, jump into the track and free download below. Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

XOXO,

Rox

Click Here to Download

Redz - "Joy" Music Video

Broward County, FL. Fort Lauderdale to be more specific. I lived there from ages 8 through 15. At 15, after having seen enough peers shot, fighting in the streets and trying drugs, I decided that I needed to get away or fall victim to my environment. I refused to become a statistic.

Fast forward through a whole lot back story and here I am today looking back to that time and place and saying, "I did well."

I bring that information up because that's what drew me into this record from young BC artist Redz. He was clear, concise and eloquent. Very impressive for just 16 years old and promoting for himself.

"Joy" is an examination of dreams vs. reality. Redz says, "The first verse is me enlarging my own ego only to bring myself down to the reality of my music career within the second verse." It's very well done. Redz shows that he's serious with a pen with lines like, "I got that number 3 flow/I give these niggas Heat stroke/and that's Dwyane Wade" and "So far away from home/So close to alone/Local niggas hit me up/Producers blowin' up my phone/But I'm in the same position/Niggas got the same wishes/But all our dreams are different/and so are the means to get it."

This young man is on to something! I'll definitely be checking for him and I think you should too. Get into the video below and support him further by downloading his mixtape "Pride and Joy" from DatPiff.

Baiyu - "Mourning Hangover"

At this point, Baiyu is just not playing fair. This 2nd release in her 2013 series of monthly releases called "Mourning Hangover" is SO EFFIN' FLY! I happened to be up last night when the track hit YouTube and I was swept off of my feet at first listen. Her work with producer KQuick is always epic.

February is here which means we can expect a LOT of songs about love and relationships as everyone gears up for Valentine's Day. Many of them will stink. (You won't hear about those from me.) Some of them will be really good. Others still are this level of dope.

One of the greatest elements of Baiyu's songwriting is her mastery of metaphors. In style and approach, "Mourning Hangover" reminds me of "Mind Freak" from her latest album 'Hunter.' Brilliant writing that marries two separate themes with wordplay.

She's got another hit on her hands with this one! Check it out....

F.Y.I. - "Incense"

I hear a LOT of rappers and one of rappers' favorite thing to say is, "I'm working." What that usually translates to is, "I spend a lot of time in my friend's bedroom studio creepin' on a come up." It's terribly cliche and repetitive but that's what rappin' ass rappers do, so whatever.

Then there are rappers like F.Y.I. He is working. From performing at some of the country's biggest indie music festivals like A3C and CMJ to landing a spot on a reality TV show to being named a Top 25 Artist to Watch on URB Magazine; F.Y.I. is doing real work.

The newest showcase in his storied history is the single, "Incense" produced by LA based hitmaker Shlohmo. It's a cloudy tale of a lascivious late night told in a cryptic style that really sets F.Y.I. apart as an artist. There is a behind the scenes clip available from the video shoot and I can't wait to see it.

Now I need to find my damn incense. "We burning incense slooooowwwww...." 

Blitz - "Disappointment" Music Video

This is a nice little pick from my inbox. Fresh new music by way of Gary, Indiana transplanted in Atlanta and delivering a solid visual shot in New York. Blitz has some potent influence coming from those 3 cities. The King of Pop was born in Gary, everything on mainstream radio sounds like the ATL and New York is the birthplace of Hip-Hop. How does that translate in Blitz' sound? Pretty well, actually.

"Disappointment" is a contemplative record that kicks off with the fantastic motivational speech delivered by Al Pacino's character in the film 'Any Given Sunday.' The production is my favorite part of the experience but that's no knock to his rapping ability. He's dope! The track is just that smooth. What makes it even more impressive is Blitz produced it himself. Of course, it fits his flow like a glove and makes for a fresh sound. I had to repeat this one a few times because that groove is so official. Head nod supreme.

Check it out...