Aside from featuring on a remix of ATO’s ‘no caroline’ in April, FLOHIO hasn’t released new music as the lead artist since December’s Final Rage EP, but now she’s unveiled the God Colony-produced ‘Cuddy Buddy’, which is accompanied by a Petr Simons-directed video. FLOHIO said of the new release, “Have you ever been at a point where you feel your energy being drained, because that was me, I was at a stage where I felt my energy being drained and ‘Cuddy Buddy’ was me expressing how mentally tired I was. We captured the hook on the first day, but the verses I wanted it to be impactful so I kept coming back to it months after.” [via the Line Of Best Fit]
During the closing credits of the premiere episode of Disney’s new series Ms. Marvel, a scorching hip-hop track can be heard playing in the background. As it turns out, the song, titled ‘Rozi,’ is by Eva B, who is dubbed as Pakistan’s first-ever female rapper. Entirely rapped in Urdu, the track marks Eva B’s first release on Naughty Horses Records. Gingger Shankar co-wrote and produced ‘Rozi,’ which features both Pakistani and Indian influences. The lyrics match the journey of Ms. Marvel protagonist Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) as a Muslim teenager navigating life in New Jersey. “Asar he ye mjhpe logon ki baton ka,” Eva B spits with authority. “Faraq he ye soch or duniya ki nazron ka/ Duniya to bolti thi bolti rahegi ye/ Himmat ka he parwana parwaz he hoslon ka.” In English, this translates to: “This is the effect of people’s words to me/ The difference is this thinking and worldview/ The world keeps talking/ But the courage to fly is the flight of destinations.” Shankar opened up about the song in a statement, saying, “The track is done in Urdu, which for a mainstream Marvel series to do is fantastic. I’ve always been a fan of Marvel, but if you had told me five years ago that we would be doing an Urdu hip-hop track with Pakistani and Indian influences for a Pakistani female superhero, I wouldn’t have believed it! ‘Rozi’ is an anthem for women’s empowerment and Eva B delivers. Eva and I worked on it through the pandemic between Los Angeles and Pakistan and are thrilled for folks to see its debut on Ms. Marvel.” [via Consequence]
In recent weeks, the New York rapper Princess Nokia has been making new connections — showing up in a Kacey Musgraves video, opening for HAIM at Madison Square Garden. Soon, she’ll star in Daughter Of The Sea, a short film about grief and spirituality in Puerto Rico. She’s also coming out with her own music, too. Princess Nokia released her single ‘No Effort’ a few months ago, and now she’s got a new one called ‘Diva.’ On the song, she sings and raps about feeling like a pop star, a goddess, and a diva, ratting off the names of her inspirations and showing off her own confidence over regal horn bursts. Princess Nokia shot the accompanying video in Puerto Rico with director Robot MoonJuice, and she looks absolutely unreal in it. [via Stereogum]
Sound London riser Cristale has provided us with a new set of visuals for ’13 Going On 30′, taken from her debut EP. Teaming up with director Yukki, Cristale provides us with a football-themed set of visuals which mirror the youthful nature of ’13 Going On 30′ and the reflective lyrics. The track is taken from Cristale’s debut EP, What It’s Like To Be Young, which she’s described as being a “tribute to my younger self” and is out now. “Turning 21 has been challenging to say the least,” Cristale explains. “Some of these songs date back 2 years, but some of the experiences that I touch base on are at least 10 years old. I’m using this project to say congratulations to my younger self, all of the challenges that I faced, I overcame and now because of the music, the process will live on forever and always mean something somewhere.” [via GRM Daily]
Within the last few months, Rubi Rose liberated new singles for the masses including ‘I Like’ and ‘Single.’ Now, she makes her swift return with yet another strong offering titled ‘Wifey,’ which sees Rubi drop some lyrics about owning her own narrative over a sample of NER*D’s iconic track, ‘Lapdance’. [via Revolt]
Sophiegrophy, an Australian-based Nigerian-born hip-hop artiste has released a new song titled ‘Question mark’. ‘Question mark’ is the third song to drop from Sophiegrophy’s forthcoming sophomore EP. Recorded in Lagos (Nigeria), ‘Question mark’ effortlessly blends raps rendered in Yoruba with the hard-hitting punch lines that have become her style. The song places Sophiegrophy in a narrative of false assumptions where the definition of one’s perceived identity is in a constant state of flux, based on misdirection and under attack by fake news and the endless enquiry into an artist’s real state of mind. According to her: “Don’t ask a question when you have already assumed the answer. The real answer won’t fit your reality. They want to get to know me so they ask questions, but the answers I give does not fit the narrative so they continue to ask more questions.” [via The Guardian]
DMV rapper Kelow Latesha puts her energetic personality on full display for latest release, ‘Titanic.’ The accompanying visual feels like a variety show equipped with costume changes and personas. Her lyrics challenge haters and provide an instant serotonin boost. ‘Titanic,’ has a playful trap beat. The rapper toggles between high pitched inflected vocals and casual bars. She raps, “Free the nipple, call it Janet. I love money, it’s romantic.” Featuring the late rapper, Goonew, the two artists serve witty verses with a boastful candor. The track has a unique SoundCloud rap vibe with the articulate flow of a chart-topping single. [via Earmilk]
Currently touring with the Tony award winning Broadway musical HADESTOWN, artist Hailes has also somehow found the time to self release her own music. This time, she shares the free-flowing single ‘Only One,’ a heartfelt narrative of falling in love with someone special. Written about someone she’d just met and the “prospect of falling in love in the summertime ‘Only One,’ showcases Hailes incredibly rhythmic flows. Despite not considering herself a rapper, her talent prevails. A mixture of sleek beats and lo-fi rhythms, the track is an expressive revelation of feeling in utter contentment. Harnessing those feelings of finding the perfect person for you, ‘Only One,’ navigates the enchanting waters of new romance, touching on the whirlwind of heightened emotions. Telling us more about the track’s creation, Hailes says: “During the pandemic I escaped to a little beach house in Cape Cod with my writing partner/producer Daniel and this is one of the songs that came out of that time. We wanted to get away from the chaos that was New York City at the time, and surround ourselves with good vibes and nature.” [via Earmilk]
