With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (3/29)

So last Thursday night, March 23^rd, I celebrated my 22^nd birthday. Now, I live in Las Vegas, Nevada; so me celebrating my birthday may have a different connotation than somebody in let’s say, anywhere else? Anyways, we partied all night, hopping from various bar to bar making our presence felt. As expected, I hardly remember 90% of that night – I was told that I had fun – though it definitely should’ve been 100%. The 10% that I remember? LISTENING TO KING KENDRICK LAMAR’S “The Heart Pt. 4” OVER AND OVER AS I TRIED TO NOT TO LOSE MY SH*T! I mean wow, did you guys hear that? I’ll be honest, at first listen, I thought he sounded a bit lackadaisical and bored, but that must’ve been the gin clouding my ear drums because he’s actually the exact opposite. I won’t sit here and try to figure out who those shots were for in the second verse – Big Sean you’re on notice, “bro” – but whoever it was that Cornrow Kenny had in his Terminator like vision, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that out of all the people to send shots toward Kendrick in the last few years, that you’re the one to potentially “end up like the last n*gga I know” – Drake you’re on notice as well. Though the war declared by Kendrick – 4/7 can’t come any faster – might’ve dominated the headlines last week, some dope, underrated music has been circulating around the net, and these five tracks need not be lost in the Spotify shuffle. Featuring tracks from Supreme Ace, Michael Christmas, Zelly Vibes and more; check out this week’s, With All Due RESPECT.

Free P – “Midnight Poetry”

Checking first to this week’s list is buzzing artist Free P with his track, “Midnight Poetry”. Perfectly titled, “Midnight Poetry” sounds exactly like what the title may infer. Self-reflective lines like, “I been drinking so much, it’s like I’m swimming with the fishes,” coupled with generationally — not a word but it sounds right — relevant bars such as, “She telling me to hit it slow and pay attention” create an aesthetic to the track that reminds me fondly of DMV native Goldlink. While the sonic direction of, “Midnight Poetry” differs from damn near all of Goldlink’s work, the two share a similar flow and choice of topic: Make it out the jungle (alive) with a lioness by your side. I came across the hotspitter’s music in the most 2017 way possible. While browsing through Twitter looking for memes, I came across P’s music through a retweet by a colleague on my timeline. The cover art boasted by the track intrigued me, so I asked my colleague’s opinion of him, in which he raved about the promising artist. I proceeded to listen, and instead of finding one track, I found a whole stash; highlighted by the gem that is, “Midnight Poetry”. What a time to be alive, am I right? Join the club and stop snoozing on P, check out the track below.

https://soundcloud.com/freep/midnight-poetry

Corey Lee – “Greedy”

Greed is a tricky word, and in Hip-Hop, it’s tossed around more often than a groupie. How many times have you heard an artist complain and complain about how a label – or supervising artist – is greedy and just trying to shade their shine? Approximately, about how many times has that artist been factually correct, instead of just throwing an warranted temper tantrum? Checking in next on the list, Philadelphia native Corey Lee, is not one of those artists. On his track, “Greedy” off of his new project, A Shot in the Dark, Lee makes it known his time is coming, and it’s coming fast. Lines like, “Make a mill and I’m never coming home” as well as the hook, “You been eating long enough, stop being greedy/ Keep it real, I know you wanna see me,” make this such an authentic aggressive style Philly track. This is the type of song that’ll make you want to go tell your boss, “Give me the raise or I’m out!” right before you go sit right back in your desk and get back to work – don’t forget you’ve got bills. After releasing the project to rave reviews and tearing up SXSW, it seems as though Lee is ready to make that change. I suggest you stop sleeping and ride that change with him. Check out, “Greedy” below.

Zelly Vibes – “We Can Have it All”

Every so often, an artist comes out and you can just see the sauce dripping from their aura. Some artists take YEARS to develop a style that’s accepted by the masses and some artists, pick it up at the drop of a hat. Las Vegas native Zelly Vibes is one of those artists. Though she was originally a Spanish singer exclusively, Vibes reinvented her whole image and sound in a way that not only was more marketable, but more comfortable it seems as well. The result? Her newest track, “We Can Have it All” which carries some serious Kehlani vibes throughout the track. Utilizing her soft voice to accentuate every single note and lyric, the Vegas rep switches seamlessly from angelic to aggressive, essentially capturing the essence of women everywhere – can’t wait to be attacked for this one. Lyrics like “I can be your muse, baby light me I’m the fuse,” highlight her strength as a song writer as well. Personally, I love the message of the chorus as well, as Zelly chooses encouraging lyrics to go with the tropical beat in an attempt to keep spirits high. Check out the new track from the Sin City songstress below, and be sure to be on the lookout for the video, coming soon.

https://soundcloud.com/zelly-883556916/we-can-have-it-all

Moose – “Vegas is a MFKA (Feat. Trade Voorhees, G. Reed + Blair Norf)

Keeping it in the City of Sin, the next artist on the list is the multidimensional rapper/producer Moose and his ode to the 702 with “Vegas is a MFKA“. Produced by Freddie Gibbs‘ secret weapon Blair Norf, “Vegas is a MFKA” really should replace whatever weak melody that’s currently labeled as Nevada’s state song. In an effort to keep the authenticity, Moose recruits local legends Trade Voorhees and G. Reed, who seem like had a friendly competition with the way they spit their rhymes. Voorhees opts for the “Big Homie” lane with bars like, “There’s no better than Veteran Voorhees, zero” while Reed narrows his lyrical bullets toward the fashion lane, stealing the show with lines like, “My pants Australian, my fleece Canadian/ The weed that I’m blowing still louder than the stadium.” In all, the track highlights Moose’s best quality as a musician, which is the ability to bring people together to create magic. Check out the new track below, fresh off of Moose’s City Never Sleeps project, and stop sleeping on Vegas. There’s a movement here.

Supreme Ace – “Make a Play (Feat. Michael Christmas)”

Rounding out the list this week is Denver, Colorado native Supreme Ace with his dusty new track, “Make a Play“. Featuring Boston rhymeslinger Michael Christmas, it would be easy to assume without listen that the wordsmith Christmas may have the upper hand on the track, but the decision is harder than you may think. Having never heard of Ace before this track, he instantly made me a fan with his laid back cadences and suave demeanor. “You just storytelling about sh*t you never had, sh*t that could’ve happened now it’s in the bag,” rhymes Ace over the soulful, sample driven production that sounds straight from the Just Blaze vault. Never the one to be outdone, Christmas still delivers that heat, though, spewing off bars like, “I’m on a boat wylin’, too close to home so the Coast Guard profilin’/ I need a different island, I’m in the part where you become a legend/ They start a movie, I’m looking goofy in a rusty hooptie.” Check out the ode to rooftop parties in Miami and L.A. below and be on the lookout for Ace’s Layovers in NYC, slated to be released later this year.

There you have it! Let us know how we did, did we get it right? Are we still sleeping on your favorite local artist? Let us know in the comment section below!

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