There are some of us dedicated to rummaging the inner regions of the web in search of that good alternative urban music and serving it directly to music lovers.
This initiative is what we call "The Slice" at EARMILK. Every fortnight we share with you 10 ear-grabbing songs from genres ranging from hip-hop, grime, soul, afrobeat/pop and dancehall. So let us do the digging for you while you sit back, relax to some brilliantly crafted music from around the globe.
Gene Evaro Jr. "You're The Flower"
Singer-songwriter/producer Gene Evaro set it off with a summer-tinged single titled "You're The Flower". The groovy record has a laid-back draw while Gene delivers a smooth performance that captures an early morning vibe. It's essentially a feel-good track that works for all intent and purposes.
Roxanne Tataei "Crimson Eyes"
Armed with a commanding vocal tone, Roxanne Tataei delivers a stunning performance on her new record "Crimson Eyes". Over a trip-hop backdrop, the South London singer aims to unmask true intentions and motives as she stares at the "crimson eyes" monster in the eye. The title is a play on the Jamaican patois term ‘red eye’ meaning jealousy and envy. The visual is quite vivid and somewhat abstract as well.
Ali "Funeral " (Prod By.J.robb).
Ali Funeral flips the script on this one titled "Funeral". The bouncy backdrop has a nice groove as Ali showcases his unorthodox lyrics and vibrant flow. The young act doesn't conform to the standard and offers some interesting outlook on fake love. The title is a reference to all the people who didn't love him then and want to love him now. He is pretty much dead to them. The insanely beautiful and edited video is directed by Lonecricket, who helps Ali show himself dead in multiple scenarios. Ranging from an overdose on the piano, being found in a back alley and more insane scenes that make the visual side of this release just as dope as the audio side of it.
Timmy Tortuga & Brian J. " GROOVY"
"Groovy" is a refreshing track off of Timmy Tortuga's Concept Album Humbly Beautiful. The soulful backdrop courtesy of Papi Blanco & Marc Battaglia fits Timmy's mellow flow and love-tinged lyrics. he is also joined by Brian J who comes through at the end with a solid verse bringing something different to the table.
Tamara Bubble "Rumors"
Rising rapper Tamara Bubble's newest song/video "Rumours" tackles character assassination and rumour mongers. Over a bouncy anthemic backdrop, she goes to town on the haters who prefer to spread false news about her as she feverishly attempts to clear her good name of the all these nasty rumours. The visual is pretty descriptive as well and has some humour in it too especially the parts where Tamara is being questioned by her folks regarding some awkward news they received about her. "Rumors" produced by Beat Abuza is a new single release off her recent EP "Your Favorite Rapper is a Girl"
Monique Angele " Pink Coloured Sky"
Monique Angele gifts us with some surreal soulfulness on this new song titled " Pink Coloured Sky". The dreamy piano-driven backdrop makes for an engulfing piece of art. Her style is a mix of pop and classical elements and her vocal repertoire is undeniably astonishing. Like the cinematic backdrop, her soaring vocals aim to put the listener in an ethereal state of mind, far away from any negative vibes. The visual takes the one-shot approach and keeps it simple from start to finish.
Jane Handcock "Function" (Prod. By BenG & Jaden Wiggins)
We head to Oakland, CA for some straight up trap bounce with singer/rapper and songwriter Jane Handcock. Her newest record called “Function.” is a standard lighthearted summer anthem crafted with a melodic and catchy chorus and with verses full of examples of all the ways Jane can turn the party up, “Function” is a fitting way to showcase her versatility while having a good time.
“Function.” is taken from her new EP Where’s Jane? Series 1. Get it here on Spotify
Karl Nova "Calm"
Hip-Hop artist/poet Karl Nova takes us into his day to day grind as a Londoner. "Calm" is a song inspired by living in London and dealing with the daily reality of living in a city where anything can happen. The video depicts Karl Nova moving through the city of London where he was born and lives and him musing over what life in the city means and how he aims to try to maintain calm.
It is taken from “for such a time as this” Karl Nova’s 3rd self-produced studio album. He recently won the CLiPPA award for his debut book “Rhythm And Poetry”. Get the album here on Spotify
Kayo Genesis "Distance"
Kayo Genesis delivers some summer vibes in his new video for his song "Distance". The visual comes just in time for summer’s peak season, also known as a breakup season, and narrates the need for space in a relationship. The self-directed video takes personal space to a whole new level with humorous intent. The track itself is super catchy and Kayo totally displays versatility with his melodic performance and relatable content.
The Palmdale, CA native is gearing up to drop a new EP which is expected to be released in the second half of 2018. Stream the song on all platforms here
ManaLion " Sucker Punch"
New Zealand raised duo Duan & Mondo help wrap up this week's edition of The Slice with their latest release titled "Sucker Punch". The record is pretty catchy to begin with and it blends hip-hop, roots/reggae with a slight nod to indie pop. A very summery record that will surely get you ready for the weekend.
If you dug what you heard, you can revisit our previous episodes of "The Slice" here.
