DMV-based Viral Hip-Hop Star, Layla Khepri releases her new video "Pokerface" from her Lottery Pick mixtape. Layla hosted a People's Choice campaign to pick her new video and after thousands of votes and interactions the winning video was chosen. Learn more at www.laylakhepri.com and follow @LaylaKhepri on social media.
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Ricardo parlays successful Gospel career into new sound with new single ‘Angel Muzik’ BROOKLYN, NY – When Ricardo Felisme was a child growing up in Haiti, he would often find himself in the church. His family was deeply religious and spent most of their days helping with one of the Baptist churches in Port Au Prince. His grandfather was a preacher who played the accordion and served as a choir director. Ricardo almost always went where his grandfather went, and more often than not that meant he’d end up on grandfather’s lap while he would play the accordion and lead the choir. “That experience was very influential to me,” said Ricardo, who now is pursuing a music career in New York City. “I think I learned how to play the piano just from sitting on my grandfather’s lap watching him play the accordion every day. Beyond that, Haiti is a very musical place and it’s in my bones. My music will always reflect a bit of Haitian folk.” When he eventually moved to the U.S., he fell in love with hip-hop while also discovering rock and roll and becoming intrigued with pop and the hair bands of the 1980s. Combined with the influence of Gospel music that was passed along to him by his family and upbringing, and Ricardo found himself experimenting with an eclectic variety of sounds that would eventually become his own unique style. “It’s a sound for everybody,” he said. “There are so many aspects of my music that you can love. That’s why I named my new single ‘Angel Muzik,’ because if the angels were to come in, what they would hear would be something that they recognize. In the same way, fans will be able to react to a little bit of everything. It’s a very broad sound that everyone – even if they have a specific genre that they hate – will be able to listen to this and enjoy.” When not creating his own music or producing music for others under his own label, Ricardo has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps as a music director and choir leader of sorts for his own church in Brooklyn, Emmanuel Tabernacle. Much like his music, he describes the church as eclectic and multi-denominational – an open-forum church that uses Jesus as savior as a springboard for further discussion about any topic of interest. The single “Angel Muzik” is a spinoff of that philosophy, he said. “It’s basically a song that says I don’t need anything but Jesus,” Ricardo said. “Not religion or tradition or any of the other trappings of religion. It’s explaining to people outside of religion that you don’t need anything beyond the basic message of love that comes from Jesus Christ. It’s for people who may not be on par with the Bible, but are familiar with its basic message. My focus is to get everybody around the spirit of the music and not make it about religion but instead about camaraderie.” “Angel Muzik” is the latest single from a successful decade-long career that has seen Ricardo release singles and albums with the genres of Gospel, hip-hop, jazz and even rock and reggae. This most recent single also has a music video that Ricardo said is a parody of some of the over-the-top aspects of church. It’s available for fans to watch on YouTube. Fans can also check out “Angel Muzik” on Ricardo’s CDBaby page, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook for more information about upcoming music releases or live performances. More links for Ricardo’s music include: Spotify Amazon iTunes Google Play Tidal iHeart New York, NY – Music has always been an inherent part of D. Tuckah’s (born Darius Tucker) life. In his pre-teen years, the artist discovered his knack for music and was inspired by the likes of Tupac and Lil Wayne, dynamic rappers who valued the art of wordplay and true lyricism. “I admire their wordplay; how they produce music, their creativity.” When music became a career choice for Tuckah, he took that inspiration and wit with him to create a sound that is truly unique. “It’s different,” explains the artist. “Unordinary. Versatile.” The artist isn’t afraid to span different genres and incorporate a blend of unique styles. “My writing format is different, and so is my delivery.” His writing centers around his everyday life and his environment, drawing inspiration from the world around him. His latest project, called the Leaked Tracks project, was a collaboration between the artist and his brothers. A family affair, the artist admits, “I had fun doing it. It was a good experience recording with my brothers and putting our ideas together.” The artist is most excited about a single off of the project, entitled “Like I Pop Bottles,” a club banger. “It’s fun, but you could also chill to it,” says the artist of his single. Though music is his ultimate passion, the hardworking D. Tuckah isn’t done dreaming. “I just want to go for it,” he insists. He is committed to working his way to the top, and dreams of one day having his own record label and expanding his brand to other platforms – acting, modeling, clothing. The sky is the limit for D. Tuckah. SoundCloud YouTube Fredricksburg, VA - For most people, going blind at the mere age of 17 would seem like a death sentence. For artist NovaCain, it meant a new life and renewed sense of purpose. When an irresponsible doctor left the up and coming Nova without his sight due to unforeseen side effects of medication, the artist found himself unable to play basketball, which had been his first passion. But, when NovaCain discovered he had a knack for music, there was a kind of rebirth and Nova realized his life’s work was to make music and a difference in the world. With no formal training, the young rapper set out to defy stereotypes and create his own brand of rap that was effective without being crass or inappropriate. “Instead of letting it beat me down, it made me feel like I was supposed to go blind so I could represent a group of people who didn’t have a voice.” Losing his vision opened his eyes, metaphorically speaking, and soon he was creating music that was inspirational and motivating to all who would listen. Nova’s music is unlike most rap you’ll hear on the radio today; it is fun and exciting, but it doesn’t require any of the degradation, cursing, and bragging about drugs that most popular rappers feel pushed to write about. “I can do just as well, and talk about everything that Lil Wayne and Jay Z do, but without any of the disrespect. I can make a clean hip-hop song, and people can vibe to it without finding it cheesy. It doesn’t take away from the sound.” His latest project, a single entitled “I Should Have Went to College,” was released on January 3rd, 2017 and has already garnered over 44,745 streams on Spotify. NovaCain partnered with the popular musical platform KeepRockingIt.com to campaign for much-deserved awareness for the talented rapper. The song, which is dedicated in part to NovaCain’s late mother who was committed to her children’s education, is a message to her even though she is not here to hear it. The song is about the developments in technology and the avenues of education that allow for success; it explains that despite not going to college, NovaCain is ultimately going to be successful because of his heart and grit and smarts – not because he went through 4 or 5 years of schooling. “People are going to college and having their dreams beaten out of them,” explains the rapper, “That’s not me, and this is what I want to do – but I’m still going to be successful. My mom raised thinkers, so I’m keeping up those morals.” NovaCain believes in the power of music – to inspire, to change. While his goal is to be heard, his ultimate dream is bigger than himself. “If I’m going to do this music thing, I have to help the people around me.” The artist is working on a Braille Music Blind Awareness campaign, a tour to partner with corporations and go into blind schools and encourage children. “I’ll show them my story and how I overcame it, and tell them life is still possible with a disability.” He may be blind, but NovaCain’s music will show you the way. Learn more on NovaCain.net Listen to “I Should Have Went to College” on KeepROCKingIt.com. Listen on Spotify and SoundCloud. Fans can find NovaCain on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Washington, DC - Singer and songwriter Jessi Kay began writing poetry at the mere age of 8 – an escape away from being an ambitious only girl living in a low-income neighborhood. Writing was an outlet that allowed her to purge her emotions, to describe her experiences and to hone her skills on paper. Inevitably, her knack for words led her to writing songs and trying her hand at singing. As she discovered she had a true talent for music, it quickly emerged into her life’s work. Her sound, is an eclectic mix that transcends genres, pulling from all ends of the musical spectrum creating her own class of music that is not just original but also quirky. The Jamaican singer often finds influence in her heritage as the sounds of reggae, soca, and calypso rhythms pulse through her. She still manages to be simultaneously be engrossed in the American hip hop, pop, and rap scenes. Like her musical idols, Missy Elliot and Mary J. Blige, the artist isn’t afraid to tell a story and speak her mind. Jessi Kay’s music has truly developed and matured while keeping its identity. She has uncovered her many skills and gifts and is comfortable in her ability to experiment with new sounds and trends. During one of the transforming moments in her writing/musical career while listening to a beat, she found herself inspired to spit lyrics to a hip hop beat. Uninhibited, Jessi Kay found the lyrics just came to her and she naturally progressed into rapping. Eager to venture into new musical territory, the artist is working on an impending album (which fans can expect to be released later this year) that will display Jessi Kay’s musical maturity and confidence in her sound. “I’m a little bit of a hidden gangster,” laughs the artist about her emergence into the rap genre, “I’m a modge podge of mystery and that translates into my music. I listen to a melody and if immediately lyrics start to come in my mind, I’m going to run with it. One day it might be pop, the next day reggae, and the next it might be trap. Music just speaks to me.” Jessi Kay expresses that she is just a vessel that the music speaks through and she wants to remain true to that without attempting to control every aspect of that. Jessi Kay has come a long way by building upon a sound that is uniquely her own. Her latest debut comes in the form of the grind anthem “Paid in Full”, a clubby hit that celebrates the art of the hard work. A rap track with a hint of singing, the song marches to the beat of its own drum (quite literally), just like the up and coming Jessi Kay. Ultimately, Kay’s goal is to reach as many people with her music as possible. “I want my music to be touchable for people. I want them to live through the music, laugh in the moments and just have fun.” Follow Jessi Kay on Instagram and Twitter (@IAmJessiKay) Listen on SoundCloud Learn more at: www.IAmJessiKay.com/ M.F.P an Hip Hop artist hailing from Memphis Tn. Started free-styling at the age of 18 and started writing music at the age of 19. M.F.P found his love for Hip Hop at an early age of 6. M.F.P comes with different flows and all kinds of story telling type rhymes to capture the ear of anyone who’s listening. With his mixtape “Mindz Of A Deadman” which he released in April of 2012 M.F.P came with a lot of raw aggression. Gritty lyrics, an hardcore rhyme scheme that’ll leave you in an state of shock. A lot have changed for the Memphis emcee since then. With his debut album “Repressed: Mind Of A Man” comes with a more diverse mind set from M.F.P. Giving his audiences more personal stories about his life. Ranging from love/hate relationships to the crime that’s happening in Memphis to an all around story of a man that’s putting his soul on music. M.F.P has gotten his influences from the late Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Also from Eminem, N.W.A, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, DMX, Three Six Mafia, and Yo Gotti. M.F.P has a strong love for what he do and will work non-stop to make sure everything goes correctly. All in all M.F.P is one of the best in the underground hip hop world. Facebook: @mfpteam Instagram: @mfp1990 Twitter:@mfp1990 MIAMI, FL – For more than a decade, Khalifa Lasana was a professional musician with the stage name Jahalla. He was a self-described conscientious rapper, and the stage name reflected that. And over that decade-plus of work his music was modestly successful – multiple EPs, a couple of hit singles and collaborations with big names such as CeeLo Green. But after riding the waves of success and exploring multiple avenues of musical genres, Jahalla found himself at a crossroads, of sorts. “I got to a place where I was contemplating whether I even wanted to keep going in the music industry,” he said. “Seeing the transformation in the music industry and knowing the kind of artist that I am, I began to ask myself if I continue to follow this craft, where would I be going with it? Had I said everything I wanted to say? I’d been doing it for so long, where did I want to go with it? It was a time of heavy introspection, and I reached a place personally where I went through a metamorphosis. A transmutation took place – musically, personally and mentally. I identified where I want to go, and it’s different from what I was doing before. I’m reaching back to a time where stories and content were more cerebral. I’m operating from a different frequency. But in that difference I’m trying to figure out where I can be placed in the realm of rap and where the music industry is today.” Out of that exploration and new direction has come a new stage name and a new album. The stage name is Redd Fidel – Redd being the popular nickname in Florida for light-skinned brothers, and Fidel being a nod to his Cuban ancestry. The album is “Metamorph: My Last Beginning,” and it’s a project that features 15 songs, an intro and three interludes, all highlighting the new identity of an artist who is ready to make a unique mark on the hip-hop world. (Intro and interludes are only available on bandcamp version of album.) “It’s a very organic album,” Redd Fidel said. “It’s more musically laden with orchestration than any album I’ve done before. It falls back from your typical or common rap songs and is more musical in nature. I suppose you could say my approach with this album is like a 90s mentality, when hip-hop was original and everything had a sense of creativity. I have an innate love for music and I’m a natural writer and poet, and this album shows who I am today. We as artists often battle and war with the inspiration behind what we do – what do we want to accomplish? Fame? Notoriety? Just making good music? Asking myself all those questions, I had to come to a place of peace within myself, and this album was born from that. What I want is to make good music with the intent of my music touching someone that will inspire and move them in a positive manner – whether that’s two people or two million people. As long as I’m motivating, I’m successful.” Anyone who wants to sample the album can do so on Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, Tidal and many other popular streaming sites. Also, you can check more about his music and his history as an artist by visiting his website at ReddFidel.com. Fans can also follow him on social media on Facebook, or @reddfidel on Instagram and Twitter.
Longview TX - If you’re listening to modern radio, it might seem as though music in 2017 has lost sight of the true art of storytelling. Enter B.I.G. Lo Da Artist, the lone star state’s up and coming artist who is bringing genuine lyricism back to rap. The artist caught his knack for music growing up listening to his favorite musicians, and ultimately discovering he had the “gift of the gab” himself. Inspired by rappers like Nas, Wale and J.Cole, wordplay is extremely important to the artist. B.I.G. Lo Da Artist pulls from everyday experiences and his relationships to create music that is compelling and versatile. His newest EP, Eliminate Da Box, which will release on Friday, January 13th, 2017, is B.I.G. Lo’s personal homage to his home state and features two of his hottest singles: “Shake it Down Low” produced by Grammy nominee Young Shun and “Bang That Screw,” which features Texas hip hop legend Chalie Boy, Mr. "I look Good." Fans have long awaited Eliminate the Box, an EP which shows how versatile an artist B.I.G. Lo has become; with subject matter that runs the gamut of topics. With quickly rising views on SoundCloud, this is one artist to watch. His advice to other up and coming artists? “Keep grinding and invest in yourself.” Fans wanting to get more of his music can visit his Soundcloud page. His EP, Eliminate the Box is on Audiomack. Follow him on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Marsha Musik uses inspiration of strong female musicians to launch first single, ‘Your All Mine’1/14/2017 BATON ROGUE, LA – For as long as Marsha Musik can remember it’s been her dream to be a professional musician. Some of her oldest memories of the joy she felt from music – whether it was from songs she heard on the radio or performing at family events. In particular, she remembers growing up and listening to successful female artists – such as Mariah Carey, Monica, Celine Dion, J-Lo and Mary J Blige – and being amazed at their strength and boldness. And it’s that same strength and professionalism that is portrayed in her first single, “Your All Mine,” which was released earlier this month. “All those successful female artists have inspired me,” she said. “I admire their strength. A lot of times I study their lives beyond the music and I’m always inspired by their stories. A lot of the music they made told stories of what they were really going through, and they were healing from those things and they turned those experiences into great music to help other women who were going through similar thing. When people hear my music, I want them to get the same thing that I get met – I want my music to be able to touch them and give them joy, no matter what they’re going through or what’s going on in their lives.” The single, “Your All Mine,” is born from that inspiration of strong female performers. She said the song is an anthem for women who have special person in their life and don’t what to share them. And just like those other female artists created songs from their own experiences, Marsha Musik said this single is pulled straight from her life. “This song comes from me being a woman myself and growing up and having boyfriends who were players or other women who wanted them,” she said. “It’s a fun song, but it’s also making a statement that this is the person in my life and who I want to be with and I don’t want to share him with anyone. My life inspired me to write it.” She said she married her “soul mate,” Jason Muse Sr., in 2013. She gave birth to their first son in 2015, and in the years since the birth of her son she’s been focusing on developing her career and creating the best single she could. “Your All Mine” is the first single off the EP “I Am Marsha Musik,” which will be released sometime during the first quarter of the year. She said the EP will display a unique sound that she brings to the world of hip-hop and R&B – a sound that features her very southern, Louisiana accent. “There aren’t too many female artists from Louisiana, and not really many at all with a Southern accent,” she said. “That alone gives me a unique sound. In fact, so many people tell me all the time that my voice is so different and unique that if they hear one of my songs they know immediately that it’s me. I think that immediately helps me stand out from other artists out there and I know it will help me to be successful in the music industry and to be able to reach out to people through my music.” Her single is currently available on Soundcloud and will be available for purchase on digital download sites later this month. Until then, fans can follow her @marshamusik on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to find out more about upcoming music releases. ATLANTA, GA – Like many children whose parents go through divorce, DeTimmeyon “B.A.M.” Williams spent much of his younger years dealing with anger. Having grown up listening to rappers like Tupac, Little Wayne and Jay-Z, he was inspired by music and used it to help him cope through some of the hardest times. Eventually he began to use music and songwriting as an outlet for that anger. “When I first started making music, my whole process was based off of me striking out at my dad,” he said. “It was that way for a long time until I got older and realized the real situation of things. I eventually started branching out to other genres, but I still go back and write out of anger even today. People tell me not to do that, but it’s the only way I can make my music be at its best. Ultimately my lyrics might be dark, but they don’t end up as angry.” While recording music in a home-built studio when he was younger, B.A.M.’s cousin – who is an entrepreneur and owner of Revolutionary Entertainment Group LLC – walked in and was extremely impressed with his lyrics, delivery and way with words. He helped steer B.A.M. in the right direction for a successful music career, inviting his cousin to move to Atlanta and attend The Art Institute of Atlanta, where he would major in music production. Eventually B.A.M. found his way into a professional recording studio, where he laid down his first song “Remember Me.” A month later he went on an extensive performing tour. In recent years he has had nominations for “Best Artist of the Year” and “Best Hip-Hop Male Artist” for the GA Music Awards. He’s scheduled to release his first studio album “Before & After Music” toward the end of 2017. His goal is to become one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time – both through his successful music and as an established businessman who can change the world through song. “My voice and my personality set me apart, and that’s what I hope to inspire in others,” he said. “The only way you can be different in a good way is to basically be yourself and be who you are. That’s the only good way I know how to stand out. The mixtape I released in September, called ‘The Throne,’ is specifically about that idea. It’s a mixture of me being dark and gritty and teaching everybody that they can be kings and queens – inspiring them to be more than what people say they can be. If you dream that you want to be something, then do it. Don’t listen to people saying you can’t achieve things.” “The Throne” is currently available for digital download on Soundcloud, Audiomack and Spinrilla. B.A.M. said he released it free so that he could give people an idea of the kind of music he’s going to create. Fans can also find out more about him as an artist by visiting his website at bamforhiphop.com, or by following him on social media on Facebook or @gottaknowbam on Instagram and Twitter. |
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