Subcultures of cities speak to diversification of ideas and the many people inhabiting the area. No matter the destination music always provides a vibrant, relevant, and meaningful scene transitioning from genre to genre. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is no different and while Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller serve as the town's landmarks, the current culture is examined through contemporaries like Choo Jackson. The Remember Music affiliate operates in The Burgh's collaborative environment crafting a unique sound for himself using other talents the city offers. Yesterday Choo's Broken Hearts Make Money album released boasting a truthful narrative on emotion and his constant grind. Pittsburghers like producer Christo, ID Labs, and even Mac Miller on "HD" strengthen the rapper's sound. Take a listen to BHM$ in full below and catch Choo on September 20 at Stage AE with Mac Miller.
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GoldLink added to GO:OD AM's pro team /
Last week GoldLink announced he will accompany Mac on his GO:OD AM tour starting in October. No doubt he will add a lively energy to the stage and atmosphere, so if you can make any of the shows don't pass up the experience. Showing out and introducing himself to those who didn't know him prior to the tour release, he and producer Louie Lastic teamed up on single "Movin' On". Lastic, also a DMV native, backed two of the hottest tracks on Link's debut album, and samples 2Pac's "I Get Around" to add a much needed bounce to the end of summer melancholy. Link's delivery is strong and unique, and his post-dub production style should have a home in any back to work and school playlist.
Along with GoldLink, Mac has Domo Genesis and Tory Lanez accompanying him on his 55 venue warpath. There's serious artillery here. Tory Lanez just murdered the 5 Fingers on Sway last week, and Domo has more than some experience killing it with his involvement in OF and his notable solo Under The Influence mixtape series. So to be very clear, crystal ball clear, visine clear, this is the concert to go to this fall. Diverse flows and just an honor for craftsmanship and detail, they will leave a trail of bodies in their wake. Check below for a playlist featuring ITR's favorite tracks of these artists.
F*ck, That's Delicious Returns: Action Bronson's Hawaiian Getaway /
After riding the success of his second studio album, Mr. Wonderful, and completion of the first leg to his world tour Action Bronson is cooking again in "F*ck That's Delicious". A past trip to the Hawaiian Islands inspires the rapper to whip up two variations of Poke against his native New York's skyline. The new episode's visuals flashback to Bronson's time on North Shore, Oahu and Kahuku where he takes in a surf competition, curates a barbecue for RVCA surfers, and treats himself some Kahuku Superette-- home of the best Poke bowl in the region. Take a look at Action Bronson's entertaining trip below and catch him on the road again beginning September 10 in Dublin, Ireland.
Observations Prompted by Roy Wood$ /
I was listening to Roy Wood$'s Exis project and found my thoughts venturing toward the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The OVO Sound member has an appropriately placed endorsement by the boss man in the catchy track "Drama", but other songs on the LP caught my ear in an unsuspecting way. The singer/rapper from Toronto has the trademark melodic [lullaby] flow that is apparent in other artists under the label, like PND and the excommunicated The Weeknd. He elevates this trope a notch with the heavy-breathed passion and intensity Michael exuded. Songs "All of You" and the chorus of "Go Go Go" particularly seemed like derivations of his iconic sound that for a minute I thought I was playing "Jam".
Hip hop and pop are essentially cousins. When Michael Jackson was at the height of his career recording platinum record after platinum record (Off the Wall, Thriller, etc.) hip hop was in its infancy. Rap groups like the Sugarhill Gang and Run DMC were just starting to enter and sort of popularize the movement. Their impetus was the celebration and lamentation of the streets and the hustle, setting hip hop down a raw path that could be revered for its honesty and loathed for its commercial sell-outs. As hip hop has expanded into different sub-genres, we've arrived at the point where both rap and pop have begun to intermingle, culminating with Taylor Swift inviting the likes of Fetty Wap to play his hits at her shows.
Whether it was Roy Wood$ intention to utilize Michael's eccentricities, it's interesting to listen to how sounds and genres morph and influence future sounds. When you think about it, the intersection of hip hop and pop was inevitable. Artists run in the same crowds; Madonna dated Tupac, Ye and Hov are 03's Bonnie and Clyde—some have connected and collaborated. It was bound to happen. The difference is it's 2015 and the young singer-songwriters who are entering the industry are millennials, so they grew up listening to not just Nas, Biggie, or Mos Def, but also Michael Jackson and even Nirvana--artists who helped revolutionize the sounds in music we hear today.
Teyana Taylor drops The Cassette Tape 1994 /
The 90s vibes are quite apparent in Teyana Taylor's The Cassette Tape 1994. The five song project plays with sounds that epitomize the decade in which R&B and hip hop became the center stage of popular culture. Boom bap production, riffs and melodies that were championed by the likes of Janet Jackson and Aaliyah, while also sampling the classic "Poison" all round out this nostalgic mixtape. Listeners are also privy to a single feature on "Who's Gonna Make it Home" in which boo/Cleveland Cavalier shooting guard, Iman Shumpert, showcases his emcee skills, kind of resembling an Andre 3000 flow. Production of the mixtape stems from G.O.O.D music founder Kanye West, Sham "Sak Pase", and others. The tape is available for download now on Audiomack.