Young Money Records rising star and Philly’s own, Drizzy P officially shares new EP 3 Sides,available now on all streaming platforms. Showcasing his versatility as an artist, the project features a unique blend of R&B and rap that fans have been eagerly waiting for.
In anticipation of the EP, Drizzy dropped a surprise freestyle to Lil Wayne’s newest single “Kan’t Nobody (Feat. DMX),” proving that his skills are only getting better with time. Watch here. Previously, the rap star released, “Hard 2 Believe,” displaying his infectious vibe and lyrical flow, accompanied by a visual that perfectly captured the song’s mood and energy. Watch here.
As if that weren’t enough Drizzy P recently performed alongside his label mates at the Young Money x BeerNTacos SXSW takeover event this past Friday. The event was held at the Soho Lounge in Austin, TX, where Drizzy P took the stage by storm with his electrifying energy and impressive rap skills. The Philadelphia rapper solidified his place as a top upcoming artist in the game after his unforgettable freestyle cypher on Bars On I-95 last year.
Piano Republik, the forthcoming collaborative album from emerging South African superstars Major League DjzandMajor Lazer, is slated for release on March 24 via Mad Decent/Because. Today, the two groups share a new track, “Mamgobhozi,” which features a vocal sample from the late South African singer and activist Brenda Fassie’s “Vuli Ndlela.”
“Brenda Fassie was not only an icon, but she inspired many black South Africans to be their authentic selves,” Major League Djz say. “Her energy was infectious on and off the stage. Her music catalogue brought joy to the many South Africans that filled stadiums to see her perform and is a true reflection of South African history. ‘Vuli Ndlela’ is undoubtedly one of Brenda Fassie’s best bodies of work, holding the title of ‘Song of the Decade’ and a song we heard playing at every South African wedding and home then and now. It embodies the township sound of the late 90s, a true anthem as it celebrates a mother’s joy as her son gets married. Brenda Fassie knew how to narrate the African story, and her music catalogue speaks for her long after she has left us, a true force.”
The new track follows initial album offerings, “Designer” featuring Nigerian star Joeboy, and “Koo Koo Fun” featuring Nigerian icon Tiwa Savage and DJ Maphorisa, Major Lazer’s first new music since 2021 that features further contributions from Don Jazzy and Stargate. The track was later remixed by Bianca Costa, Chloé Caillet, Francis Mercier and Nic Fanciulli—listen here.
The music on Piano Republik falls under the genre of amapiano, a South African style of house music that emerged in 2012 and is descended from the South African house genre kwaito and Afrobeats. Pioneered largely by Major League Djz, amapiano is a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterized by synths, airy pads and wide percussive basslines and is currently topping charts in the U.K. and beyond.
The BET-nominated amapiano duo Major League Djz—twin brothers Bandile and BaneleMbere—have quickly risen to international visibility as stars of the South African dance music scene, serving as pioneers of the genre and de facto global ambassadors with hits like “Bakwa Lah” and “Dinaledi.” Since the release of their critically acclaimed album from 2021, Outside, they have gone on to break the world record for the longest DJ set performed by a duo, performing for 75 hours for a special edition of their Balcony Mix Xperience. Last year, they performed at Coachella alongside Black Coffee and sold-out a headline show at the O2 Academy Brixton. With fans and supporters including TEMS, Burna Boy, Honey Dijon, Jorja Smith, Rema, Asake, Stefflon Don and Jayda G regularly attending their parties in South Africa, Ghana and beyond, they’re now poised to take the world by storm.
Major Lazer is the global dance trio of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. Named for the group’s fictional figurehead, a one-armed Jamaican Zombie War commando, Major Lazer’s mission is to free the universe with music. The band has released four acclaimed albums, 2009’s Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, 2013’s Free The Universe, 2015’s Peace Is The Mission, featuring the Diamond-certified “Lean On” with DJ Snake and MØ—one of the most successful songs of all time—and 2020’s Music Is The Weapon, which features songs in five languages and collaborations with Nicki Minaj, J Balvin, Marcus Mumford, Khalid, Alessia Cara, Anitta, Paloma Mami, Busy Signal, BEAM, Shenseea, Nucleya and more.
“Veeze, the Detroit, Michigan rapper has just shared a new video single, “GOMD”. Veeze broke out on the scene with his viral 2020 single, “Law N Order” (20M+ Streams), a reinvention of the 80’s television theme song of the same name, introducing his dynamic charisma, punchy one-liners and nonchalant, hop-scotch flows to the buzzing Detroit scene. In the summer of 2022, Veeze independently made his official debut on the Billboard Hot 100 alongside his close collaborator Lil Baby and fellow Detroiter 42 Dugg for the single “U-Digg”. He also served as a key player in Lil Yachty’s mainstream introduction to the Detroit scene for his Michigan Boy Boat album, appearing on “Fight Night Round 3” alongside Babyface Ray and “Don’t Even Bother” with Baby Smoove. Although he has a scarce solo catalog, he’s already been co-signed and mentored by the likes of Drake, Future, James Harden, Lil Baby, and many more, a nod to his quality control and the faith heavy-hitters have in his craft.
Kicking off 2023, Rolling Stone hailed him as one of ‘11 Rappers Set To Make It Big in 2023’, noting that “Veeze’s slow build is poised to pay off soon enough, and he knows it”. Continuing to build momentum in 2023, he’s joining his longtime friend Babyface Ray for his multi-city ‘Courtesy of the Mob’ tour alongside Shawny Binladen, and is gearing up for the release of his long-awaited debut album Ganger.“GOMD” is an ample exhibition of how Veeze has dazzled his cult-like fanbase and staunch critical supporters with such a limited solo discography. The video for the single plays like a psychedelic vision, as candy-colored animations and vivid typographies align with his woozy metaphors and syrupy flow. With “GOMD”, Veeze is continuing to hone in on his craft, expanding on his calculated wordplay and one-of-a-kind flow. As he turns up to “GOMD” outside of a parked car along with some of his closest collaborators, such as Babyface Ray, LUCKI and Brooks, all shouting out the lyrics, the music video encapsulates the collaborative approach and adoration for Veeze’s talents among his peers. “7 Mile popstar, bitch, I’m Justin Timberlake”, he exclaims, asserting that he’s ready to take his career to a new level. As Veeze himself put it on his breakout hit, “Law N Order”, he knew that this success was going to come all along, “just like he seen it on The Simpsons”.
Atlanta’s prolific, independent rapper, Tony Shhnow has just announced the 4/28 release date for his forthcoming project, Love Streak, along with a new video “ILY / IH8U”. After introducing Atlanta’s buzzing “plugg” sound to the Hip-Hop mainstream with his breakout hit “Vet” (10M+ Streams), Tony Shhnow garnered the attention of R&B superstar Brent Faiyaz in 2022 with the release of “Don’t Look At Numbers” (5M+ Streams). Continuing to release music at a breakneck pace, Tony shared three projects in 2022: Kill Streak 2 (Deluxe), Plug Motivation, and Reflexions,all of which received critical acclaim from Pitchfork (7.5), The FADER, Audiomack, Okayplayer, and Stereogum among others. Noted by HipHopDX, “Tony Shhnow is a black sheep, an artist who raps for himself first and everyone else second… no flashy trends, hit-hungry A&Rs or marketing gimmicks in sight.” Breaking away from his traditional “plugg” sound, Tony’s forthcoming project, Love Streak features the Atlanta MC rapping with a sharp and well-researched East Coast flair over new-age boom-bap production as he fills the rhythmic space with lover-boy raps, his dizzying technical ability, and an impressive guest list to match. In the words of Tony:
“I went into this with more compassion, this is the most vulnerable I’ve been on a project and I tried to put a lot of my own love life into it. A lot of the samples came from iconic Black love movies like Romeo Must Die, Poetic Justice, Two Can Play That Game, and How To Be a Player. I studied those soundtracks when making Love Streak, and tried to recreate the feeling the tracks added to the storyline and themes of the films.
This is not just a love project, this is a life project. It’s tastefully toxic-––this is what it’d sound like if Billy Dee Williams and Luther Vandross had a kid, and they made an album. This is for everyone…this is for your girlfriend, this is for your mom, your sister, your brother, your uncle, your father. This is for you––this is for me.“
Fresh off of a booked and busy 2022, Tony Shhnow is continuing to expand upon his dynamic sound with his forthcoming project Love Streak—a spin-off of Tony’s official Kill Streak mixtape series. The forthcoming project is a strong shift for Tony, replacing cold-hearted raps with flirtatious bars over smooth-sailing Solange samples. In his new video for “ILY / IH8U”, Tony pays homage to the 90’s R&B visual aesthetics that influenced him growing up as he goes back and forth on the pros and cons of being in a relationship—reflecting on intimacy, reciprocity, and familiarity as he introduces the overarching themes of Love Streak. Produced by frequent collaborators Grimm Doza and CashCache, the project includes features that coincide with Tony’s new artistic direction—“On The Street” finds Tony sparring with lyrical phenom Mavi and “Reminisce” features the R&B superstar DRAM who contributes his signature soothing vocals. While “ILY / IH8U” serves as one of the project’s most essential tracks, Love Streak as a whole helps to showcase Tony Shhnow’s extensive artistic palette, expressive lyrical abilities, and a rarely heard but welcomed emotional presence.
