Slicky Williams

Songs for a Mosh Pit at Creatives Drink 10 (Playlist) by Alex Young

IMG_7056.jpg

Pittsburgh could have a rage on its hands. The city’s hottest rappers have a chance to rock a notable venue with mosh pits and good energy from a packed audience. Music will motivate people to attend the show on July 25, 2019, thanks to Creatives Drink 10— a free-of-charge culture consumption fair.

Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey, the founders of Creatives Drink, repeatedly create environments conducive to positive interactions with cool people and businesses to consumers.

With music at the forefront this time, they partnered with music sharing database Songlink for a local artist showcase where Pittsburgh hip-hop has a place to celebrate. Other local aspects of C.D. 10 are compelling, like the event’s sponsorship by streetwear stalwart Shop412, or the funny hosts Drinking Partners. The potential energy already emanating from this event just off the musical star power highlights here though.

Flyer by Hounds

Flyer by Hounds

Rappers like Pk Delay, My Favorite Color and Slicky Williams should navigate their catalogs to present themselves and excite the crowd. Fans should hear Choo Jackson’s upcoming hit, “Chevy.” LiveFromTheCity has an opportunity to back up his statement as the best rapper in the ‘Burgh. Benji., Clara Kent and Mars Jackson should create a winning streak tying together sold-out hometown shows at acclaimed venues such as Stage AE for C.D. 10. The co-founder of Soulection Andre Power will headline a DJ set too.

Listen to this playlist to anticipate the event. The selection is charged with a party in mind where mosh pits open up and we all smash together in a ring of fun when the bass drops. Every C.D. 10 artist in the showcase features on the playlist, so let the party ensue.



Pk Delay and Slicky Williams are the Best Duo Since Martin Lawrence and Will Smith by Alex Young

Pk Delay (left) and Slicky Williams (right)

Pk Delay (left) and Slicky Williams (right)

Pk Delay has dropped a new song every single day this month. Apparently, he works towards a full 365-song catalog by the year’s end. He wrote an Instagram caption two weeks ago, “Day 4/365.” That’s a lot of music.

Somebody needs to tell Pk the gumbo he’s cooked with Slicky Williams is fire though. The rappers are friends. “Slick Will, yeah, that’s my twin. I think he me now,” Pk said. ITR heard they were on to something back in 2016 once they put out songs like “Ain’t Nothing” or “Here.” Now, their latest tunes just snap. The guys are smooth, nifty rappers. From neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pk from the Hill District and Slicky from Homewood, they can thug out representing their hardened hoods. “Blood rushing watching niggas kill they cousins. Shady,” Pk said in his new track “How I’m Comin” with Slick. “Retaliate. Do a nigga greasy Imma fry him,” Slick finished. Or the duo has fun with music like their new party record “Temple Run.” Faint ad-lib ‘shhs’ turn the song on its head getting you to dance thinking about the playful arcade app called Temple Run.

It’s safe to say the people want to hear more from Pk Delay and Slicky Williams. Listen to more of Pk’s 365-day project here.

10 Cool Songs From Pittsburgh by Alex Young

Music videos and tracks featuring Hardo, Josephine, Nizzy and more.

IMG_2594.jpg

Josephine | Photo by Alex Young

1. Jordan Montgomery - Black Folk 4 Life (Bad Boy For Life Remix)

It was Jay tracks only. Slim Tha DJ proved up to the task combing through Jay Z’s music catalog to entertain a crowd at the Boom Concepts gallery venue in Pittsburgh. Rapper Jordan Montgomery was there as Hov’s super fan spitting every lyric bar for bar with acute cadence. Montgomery’s music could play at intermission during a Jay Z concert. He rhymes around the beat like Hov. His wisdom speaks to other young, black Americans and that deserves more attention. The classic flavor on Montgomery’s “Black Folk 4 Life” tastes fresh from the cut’s cool music video directed by Jordan Armstrong. Artists’ cameos by Jaybee Jackson and Livefromthecity are hype.

2. Slicky Williams - Remain Humble

A sensitive trap tale from Homewood, Pittsburgh rapper and singer-songwriter Slicky Williams. Buy his new EP on iTunes.

3. Josephine - I Need Teeth

Super chill song from an Irish-Jamaican songstress from the ‘Burgh. Any DJ worth any finesse could play Josephine’s track at the function. She has more music on the way so, don’t sleep.

4. The Keymakers - Tell Me Something

When we observed The Keymakers at the Always Money studio in Toronto, it was clear, Rome and Rederic had a plan to roll out their music. The assist from the Always Money collective, engineer B.C., writer Jesse Christophr and Cash Money Records representative Anshuman Sharma, boosts The Keymakers’ quality. From prep school life in the ‘Burgh to radio ready, introduce yourself to The Keymakers. If not, you may come across the group in a Spotify playlist.

5. Rome Fortune & Toro Y Moi - Hoodrich Disco (Music Video Directed by Glasshead)

Media production company and music group, Glasshead adds to their clientele with this music video direction for well-known musicians Rome Fortune and Toro Y Moi. Glasshead rises out of The Steel City to meet opportunities across the country because they entertain with whacky, flattering content kind of like a meme. Whether its hip-hop mimicking Doja Cat’s “Mooo!” song with The N word or general comedy about the culture, Glasshead shoots straight. Feature article on that squad soon.

6. Camp Yola x D Clak - Home Invasion Part 1

50 Cent got people wanting to turn their lives into TV like “Power.” It goes to show the inner-city underbelly really tries people. What’s perceived as entertainment is survival mode.

7. Hardo - Fame or Feds

Hardo follows up his 2011 “Fame or Feds” mixtape with OG Pittsburgh rapper Deezlee. This time, “The Fame or Feds Story” album illustrates Hardo’s trap origins, while paying respect to the relationships that affected him most. Hardo’s latest project culminates his development as a rapper to those who’ve watched his rise.

8. BIG BEE - WON By WON

“But I got this little dream team called B.C. What the fuck we gonna do?” The B.C. rap group is prowling. BIG BEE pouncin’.

9. FlatLine Nizzy - Watch

Next out of the trap. Watch his video for “Dey Don’t” too.

10. Stoneith - The Thought of Mine

“You keep switching up your ways moving lane from lane.”

Slicky Williams Gives Acapella Freestyle and a Message to Lost Youth by Alex Young

Slicky Williams photograph by Alex Young

Slicky Williams photograph by Alex Young

Slicky Williams stands on pride rock speaking to InTheRough. This thing is huge, the rock sits in Pittsburgh's Highland Park. Walk down a path next to the picnic pavilions and hope to find it under a canopy of trees. Slick tucks away from his native Homewood neighborhood to smoke blunts back here. "It's a nice way to start the day," he says.

The blunt passes back and forth, and the 22-year-old R&B talent named Sh'mi White describes his music. "My music is just me. It's how I'm feeling. It's soulful. The only way I can describe it is like Bryson's shit, Trap Soul."

Which means sensitive and raw qualities of 'trap soul' present in Slicky's newest song, "Fake Moves" produced by WavinLane.

Further, balance is the key element to Slicky's music. Past tracks like "My Wrist" smash with stories of riding around in a Mitsubishi Lancer with rap friend Pk Delay. Though the tales of mobbin' around the city are fun, Slick shows compassion too. He touches on a romance with his songs "Fiend For You" or "Me You Us." Sincerely, Slicky tries "to talk about how I survive the situations that could damn near break people," he says.

Hardships in the city leave people stuck choosing between "the good and bad shit," Slick says. Right now he's pondering buying a gun 'cause "too many niggas out here dying I can't be another one," he raps acapella for ITR.

A post shared by InTheRough (@intheroughstyle) on

I paint the picture for the troubled kids, the kids in the mix between good and bad who everyday have to figure out which way to go.

Purposefully, he speaks for lost youth, and Slicky also champions the 'Burgh's hip-hop community. "The scene in Pittsburgh is coming around. Artists need to support each other," he says.

In 2015, Slicky's mate in The Company Only rap collective, Joel Kellem (Pet Zebra), won The King of The 'Burgh rap competition. That title gave notoriety to everyone in The Company Only like Deem, Fat Corey, Pk Delay, and Seas. "Things started poppin' off" after the collective got their first headline called the "Hotbox" show in Downtown Slicky remembers.

Since then the trap-soul artist finds his sound. Great tracks like "Ain't Nothing" will appear on the Slicky Williams SoundCloud account and disappear months later if he's not satisfied. The substance is important to his messages. "I live life in between the music. This is a lifestyle," he says.

Altogether, Slicky wants his fans to know that regardless of the circumstance, "you're not alone."

 

 

Slicky Williams - Fiend For You by Alex Young

"In your ocean, I just want to swim... She make me want to have a junior."

Slicky Williams photograph by Alex Young

Slicky Williams photograph by Alex Young

Primarily, R&B artist Slicky Williams separates himself from the pack because his music confidently explores intimacy, love, and relationships. He isn't "stuck in the stigma of being a hood nigga" making trap music he said in a forthcoming interview with InTheRough. The Homewood, Pittsburgh native has bangers and soul with some funk in between.

Enjoy Slick's new song "Fiend For You" below, and look out for an acapella freestyle along with the Slicky Williams profile soon here.