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thestand4rd LP
thestanda4rd decided to drop a self-titled album on us, for free. In a recent post, I gushed over the mystical visual for this super group’s lead-single, without knowing their plans to release a complete project. They then announced a tour, which I am excited to witness next week at The Roxy in Los Angeles, only days after Flying Lotus and days before FKA Twigs! While festivals cover the rest of the seasons, the Fall time is the most active for unique live shows, I’ve noticed. thestanda4rd is what happens when four unexampled up-coming artists decide to collaborate with some assistance from Dock Mckinney. Dock Mckinney is responsible for two of…
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Xavier Isme – Monotone
Deciding to dive into writing the frolic has introduced me to many inspirational voices. I always reflect on this because it both humbles and energizes me each time I receive a wonderful new submission. It’s another strong reminder that you recieve what you put out. This particularly gifted sixteen year old rapper who I decided to give a listen recently surprised me. Xavier Isme’s newly released song Monotone touches on the topic of identity. He expresses his own struggle while channeling the conflict encountered when deciding who you are and trying to fit into public personas. Topics like this are close to my heart and are especially important to address…
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ValDagrain – Easy Feat. Son Lux
The new visual from Val DaGrain takes my love of this song from his 2 Cents EP to the next level. I am ever grateful for music with messages as important as this. I respect and appreciate those who are able to articulate themselves to touch us with ideas that might be commonly experienced, but are not commonly addressed out in the open. It is a bit rare to see a music video that closely follows and enhances the song it features, which is one of the many reasons why I like Easy so much. Take a moment to watch this beautiful piece below to understand just what I mean…
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Etta Bond – #COOLURBANNEWTALENT
This week already sounds amazing. I tend to go from not expecting anything to sudden excitement and anticipation over the creator of today’s musical delivery. In about two years, Etta Bond and producer Raf Riley have given us two gems in the form of their projects the Emergency Room EP and Meds EP. Since the first one was dropped, it is a surprise treat to catch the random songs the singer shares via soundcloud, such as the new EP’s closing track. Feels Like created waves and curiosity when it was shared earlier this year, just days before the decided smoker’s holiday on April twentieth. #COOLURBANTALENT is Etta Bond’s offering of…
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thestand4rd – Simple Needs
I am setting this new video by Alex Howard here, hoping that it will add some magic to your day. It fits in perfectly with this year’s second blood moon upon us. I previously mentioned this mesh of up-coming singers, rappers, and producers called The Stand4rd in a post about Allan Kingdom’s elusive Future Memoirs. The quartet, which features Allan Kingdom himself, Spooky Black, Bobby Raps, and Psymun, has premiered a fourth song via soundcloud, along with this visual to match. The video is packed with mystifying images and effects of nature, which seems to be a recurring theme in a few of their individual visuals as well. Some of…
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Brandy Shanice – Eclection
The first I heard of Brandy Shanice was her Mos Def-sampling collaboration with Danny Watts, who happens to have been the subject of my first music-related post here on the Frolic this past January. Like Watts and his other collaborators, she caught my ear tension (see what I did..) immediately. The same song that introduced me to her jazzy vocals now has a spot amongst the beautiful sounds on the debut project she recently released, Eclection. Brandy Shanice has the sort of voice which pulls you to where she is in an instant. There is so much strength in her delivery that you feel her every word, regardless of your…
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Cub-J – Love Abuse
The music I am receiving leaves me energized, like clean, nutritious food. I cannot stress how magical the divine timing is when art reflects what I am experiencing in my own life. We love that, don’t we? The flow continues with this freshness I pass to you today. Love Abuse is some destined collaboration between Chicago rapper Cub-J and up-coming producer Adam Rubman, known as Rubz. The mixtape is Cub-J’s premiere project. In its entirety, I feel it to serve us a story for every form of love, touching on a bit of everything while dwelling on the the common romantic idea the word “love” prompts. This is a creative…
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Mick Jenkins – The Water[s]
Water’s more important than the gold. If you have not yet heard Mick Jenkins, here is your glass. His second release since last year’s Trees and Truths mixtape caught me. I let this one marinate for over a week and there are still too many words that come to mind for me to comfortably summarize its importance. I will express that Mick Jenkins has managed to draw the attention of many while seeming to appear out of space with a theme of what we need more of. That is the beauty of his latest labor of love, The Waters! It is smart and so necessary while being full of blissful…
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Val DaGrain – 2 Cents EP
This is one of the best things I have heard since summer began! Released those few months ago, New Jersey native Val DaGrain’s 2 Cents finally drums against my ears and I’m in love with the sound. It successfully struck my heart in an instant. The blow was soft, though. A few of my favorites are Be Free, Easy, and 1ove. The EP embodies much of what intrigues and continues to excite about music, hip hop music, current hip hop music, and the generation’s use of their individual voice. I like the dateless feel while it references the 90’s through much of the production. I also really enjoy unique samples,…
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Dumplings én China – Subtleties EP
Good music has the ability to guide us into self healing and connects us, in addition to moving us and serving as a soundtrack to our existence. However I come across gems like what I’m presenting today, I always feel a sense of gratefulness to be able to take in something generated entirely from the perspective of another creative. I could not stop moving when I first heard this fresh EP by upcoming New York based artist, Dumplings én China. The production features some clean, classically jazzed hip hop beats and bass which cradles an interesting flow. It is impossible to not bob my head from beginning to end! After…
