Emerging rapper Tspokes shows love to her home state on her latest release, ‘Westcoast Matters.’ The young lyricist serves tight bars over a smooth tempo, showing appreciation for her Southern California roots. With each verse, the rapper invokes a subtle head nod to the bass. ‘Westcoast Matters’ has a mellow hip-hop beat equipped with snares and keys. The bass is subtle yet prominent, hovering in the background. The rapper delivers fast-paced bars with an effortless bravado, each a different brag about the Golden State. Her timing is calculated as her voice takes a stylized inflection reminiscent of West Coast rap. She spits the chorus, “Say it loud, I’m from the West and I’m proud,” before giving a shoutout to Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle, and Drakeo The Ruler. [via Earmilk]
Kenyan rapper Elsy Wameyo goes hard on new single ‘Umva’. The multi-faceted artist is breaking out, fresh from a cavalcade of red-hot performances in Brighton over the weekend. Debut album Saint Sinner lands on July 29, and each single seems to arrive as a ready-made anthem. With co-signs from Masego and Lady Leshurr, it’s clear that Elsy Wameyo has huge breadth to her sound. New single ‘Umva’ is a case in point – the shuddering beat points to Stateside hip-hop reverberations, but the icy atmosphere is sheer grime. There’s something else, though, something harder to pin down – Elsy’s flows aim to disrupt, and she’s constantly seeking out new modes of expression. ‘Umva’ startles with its originality, relishing the shock factor while also impressing with the sheer force of character at the centre of it all. Elsy Wameyo comments… “It came from a place where I was writing and I didn’t exactly know where it was leading. I had to say certain things and this was one of those verses, where it was my body – whether I liked it or not – saying, “We have to get this out, because it’s the only way we’re going to heal. ‘Umva’ means “listen”. My photographer at the time, at the camp, he’s from Burundi. When Wuod had done the track, we were jumping around and listening to it and he said the word “umva”. I thought it was really cool, and he told me it means “listen”. I ran with that so hard. It was perfect. It was exactly the energy I wanted: when I speak, you’d better sit down and listen. When I enter a room, you stand up and you must salute. Respect.” [via Clash]
Saweetie has debuted the sunny, catchy single ‘Nani,’ which she’s been teasing for weeks. “‘Nani’ isn’t just a track; it’s the soundtrack to a good time,” Saweetie said in a press release. “This track gives main character energy! This single has been a labor of love, and it’s just the beginning. I’ve been working on this new music for a while, and I’m excited to share more of this journey with you.” The video captures the musician combing her hair before a pool party, twerking in a pull, and doing choreo to her radio-ready track at a badie-filled party. In the lyrics, Saweetie celebrates her glamorous lifestyle.“Plane. Sprinter. Glam. To the club backdoor. Section. Shots. Another club,” she raps referencing that one viral Lady Gaga interview. “Two shows. One night. What’s that? A hunnid plus. Whole room full of bad bitches, it’s a lot of us.” [via Rolling Stone]
Detroit hip-hop queen Kash Doll has dropped a new single and accompanying video called ‘Kash Kommandments,’ which sees her laying out some life lessons. The video sees Kash entering what looks like a formal business environment, looking executive-elegant, and then imparting her wisdom on a group of similarly-attired women. The lessons are pretty straightforward: don’t get fucked over more than once, get the money that you’re owed, and so on. Fair enough. “The video, directed by Diego, showcases ‘Professor Kash’ imparting invaluable lessons on being an empowered boss,” reads the press release. “Since its release via MNRK Music Group, Kash Doll has ignited the streets with ‘Kash Kommandments,’ garnering fans to jump on board, taking flight on social media, and creating over 12k videos within days of the song’s release.” [via Music Connection]
