The Company Only

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.

Pet Zebra - Ferris Wheel by Alex Young

Today is history for Pet Zebra, a fun rapper from Pittsburgh, as he celebrates his birthday and the release of his new album.

Zebra spent the weekend hyping his "Ferris Wheel" project with his fellow rap friends The Company Only, Fat Corey, Pk Delay, Seas, and Slicky Williams. They engaged a loyal audience for the album's listening party at the Social Status streetwear boutique on Saturday, August 5. Notable hip-hop artists showed up in support, like Jiggy and Heem of The Knuccleheadz and producer Bill$up. Pet Zebra stood on the sneaker display case and performed "Ferris Wheel." When he played his new song "Plexico," people in the shop gave the stank face. The beat bops and Zebra's lyrics hit on comedic nostalgia, "Bring them straps to New York like I'm Plexico," he says in the hook.

After the listening party, Pet Zebra and his mates brought glitz to Pop Style, a party at The Brillobox for contemporary hip-hop run by Cody Baker and DJs Pete Butta and Preslav. The crowd was jumpin' when "Plexico" came on. Pet Zebra rocked his brief set, and his presence placed attention on the new album. Before he left he played a cool jam in "Dads Benz."

Officially, "Ferris Wheel" is out now, August 6. People can stream the album on iTunes here and keep up with Pet Zebra on his SoundCloud. Wish him a happy birthday on Twitter if you're real.

 

Slicky Williams - Ain't Nothing by Alex Young

Via @slickywilliams Instagram

Via @slickywilliams Instagram

Part of Slicky Williams' "#SaturdaysWitSlick" campaign, during which the musician of rap crew The Company Only releases new music, he presents "Ain't Nothing."

The new song follows Williams' run of pleasant tracks like "Eastside," produced by Madeintyo and K Swisha, as well as "Here" with Pk Delay, who features on Slick's latest record.

Creating and building out of Pittsburgh, Pa., Williams looks to attract support for his forthcoming extended play, "The Slicky Williams EP." The collective creative effort of everyone in The Company Only, Deem Trill, Fat Corey, Joel Kellem, Pk Delay, and Seas Supreme, by default promotes Williams and his future endeavors.

Listen to "Ain't Nothing" from Slicky Williams below and keep tabs on #SaturdaysWitSlick

Joel Kellem - Lance Vance by Alex Young

Joel Kellem photographed by Jordan Beckham Studio

Joel Kellem photographed by Jordan Beckham Studio

Joel Kellem, also known as the chill god of rap collective The Company Only, proves his ingenuity and fly in his newest song.

Kellem raps about how he has felt in the last couple days, like "Lance Vance," a stylish character from the Grand Theft Auto video game.

The music captures Kellem's cool, described as sauce, which he gets from killing the rap game. But also, the song "Lance Vance" has a hazy feeling, a credit to the beat Kellem downloaded from YouTube by MTF MOB and to the copious amounts of weed smoked around the artist. Tapping into his D.I.Y. spirit, the Pittsburgh rapper also designed the cover art to this particular record.

To broader news, Kellem and The Company Only will perform on July 15 at Boom Concepts as they open up for Chuck Inglish, and on July 31 at South Side Event Center as they open up for Young Thug. All together, see what Kellem and his crew have been up to in the latest "Just Chilling" episode here and listen to "Lance Vance" below.