Cherry - Lost EP / January 4, 2019 by Alex Young

It’s only a few hours into 2019 and the New Year’s Eve party is leaving from a house on the North Side headed towards Oakland, Pittsburgh’s college town, to the after-hours spot Ritual. But, this young music artist who just dropped out from U. Pitt as a Freshman also lived and recorded songs on Meyran Ave where the club was. He told me to pull up on him to listen to his stuff after we met at the NYE house party.

I passed on Ritual, I’d been before, and I appreciated the artist’s invite to the press to listen to unreleased music. Cherry, a 19-year-old from Fox Chapel, showed me his flat, aptly lit with deep purple considering the time was past 2 a.m. Cherry is part of a larger community of college students who make music in Pittsburgh.

“I have the lowest amount of support right now,” Cherry said. He recognized he’s at the start of his career ready to build his act. His first step, the debut “Lost” EP, which is available for your listen now.

In his apartment, Cherry played various tracks he produced, as well as others like Wali. Sometimes, Cherry sounds like a mix between Lil Peep and Trippie Redd. His lyrics lovely, melancholic, generally emotional but it’s refreshing because of the pop beats and riffs. I caught his lyric. “You’ll never find me ‘cause I’m lost in the dark.” Check out the song “Rainy Days.”

This year, Cherry plans to followup “Lost” with his “Found” EP. Follow his social media for updates here.

Creating Infrastructure at Eaton Hotel, 'The Turn Around' Featuring Nag Champa / December 22, 2018 by Maxwell Young

A Weekly jam session hosted by Jamal Gray and Nag Champa Art Ensemble. Flyer via Wild Days

Since its grand opening in September, Eaton Hotel has leveraged traditional hospitality models to amplify arts and social change. The boutique, mid-century modern hotel—once a bus terminal located on K Street—has quickly become a community hub for locally-based artists thanks to the activist mindsets of its cultural coordinators including Sheldon Scott and Sebi Tayac.

Starting this Sunday, Eaton is opening its doors to Nag Champa Art Ensemble for a weekly jam session, live at their rooftop lounge Wild Days, called The Turn Around.

Anyone familiar with Nag Champa (and if you’re not, check out their performances at The John F. Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian American Art Museum) knows how integral their improvisation and live sets are to their musicianship. Although listeners are patiently waiting for a full-length project, or at least something consumable via streaming platforms, it’s a real treat to hear how they adapt and contort their catalogue for each performance. No two sets sound the same.

We asked the band leader and producer of Nag Champa, Jamal Gray, about how The Turn Around will be different from past performances. “It’s a chance to give listeners more of an insight into our creative process, and watch us build themes from scratch,” he said. “We’re going to be using this time to work out material for the album and other production work.”

Nag Champa band members from left: L.D. Lee, Jamal Gray, Dajando Smith, and Allen Jones with Anderson .Paak (center), (Not pictured: Elijah Easton and Kwesi Lee). Photograph by Maxwell Young

The series will be an exploratory body of work as Nag Champa is set to also feature notable friends, musicians, vocalists, and DJs from D.C. and beyond. Their first guest is Dreamcast who recently received a profile in the Washington Post ahead of his album dropping January 2nd. Gray equates the upcoming jams to the Soulquarian movement that is highlighted by works from Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and others.

“It’s a similar vibe to when Questlove and The Roots began hosting weekly jam sessions in the mid 90s. A lot of great artists came through those sessions,” he said.

Ultimately, The Turn Around is about fusing together the rich musical context of Washington, D.C. with the jazz energy of New York while keeping contemporary roots. “We’re aiming to bring back that vintage U Street vibe and mix it with the jazz loft energy of New York,” Gray explained.

Enjoy the first session of The Turn Around tomorrow at Wild Days at Eaton Hotel from 2pm until 8pm.

Wild Days (top floor)

Eaton Hotel

1201 K St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20005

The Souljah's Playlist Featuring Wifigawd / December 8, 2018 by Maxwell Young

Wifigawd photographed by Maxwell Young for the Uptown Interview. — Wifigawd photographed by Maxwell Young for the *Uptown Interview.*

Below is an excerpt from tomorrow’s Uptown Interview with Wifigawd, the underground rapper from Northwest, Washington, D.C. who’s navigating the social media/SoundCloud side of the music industry alongside performances with the internet’s next crop of rising artists like CHXPO, Warhol.SS, and Thouxanbandfauni. Ahead of his album slated to release on Wednesday, InTheRough also presents a selective offering of the Uptown Souljah’s vast music library, including a track from his old rap group, PortalBoyz (more on that in part two of the interview), as well as his smashing hit that premiered on No Jumper several weeks ago, “Sippin’ on Drank.”

Part one of the Uptown Interview featuring Wifigawd drops tomorrow morning. Enjoy the playlist at the end of the article.

On “How I Feel”

Wifigawd: That’s what I like to call arena music, stadium music. When I’m making songs like that I’m thinking about ten thousand people knowing the words to that jont in the stadium and me not having to say nothing, just standing right there like, ‘Damn.’ Some big epic-ass shit.

MY: What do those sets look like if that’s a Wifigawd tour? Is that a stage and a mic?

Wifigawd: Honestly, I would always want the crowd in front of me, so I could interact. I just need a gate so niggas can’t rush me, I won’t have on any jewelry, I don’t know, just flexed out. I want to be close and intimate and have a split stage through the crowd so I can get every part of the jont turnt.

MY: Have you seen ‘Astroworld’ footage?

Wifigawd: Yeah, that shit is wack to me.

MY: How so?

Wifigawd: It’s just too much. It takes away from the music--nigga’s on some circus shit. If the music is hard you don’t need anything.

J.I.D Releases "DiCaprio 2" with help from producer Christo / November 30, 2018 by Alex Young

J.I.D left Christo right via J.I.D’s Instagram

We’re watching Christo on TV. Not really it’s BJ The Chicago Kid, Thundercat with a Mac Miller tattoo on his arm, and J.I.D, an Atlanta rapper who’s sound in part comes from the mind of producer Christo, performing on late-night television with Jimmy Fallon. If you’re from Pittsburgh, you know how to support a moment like this when a hometown kid like Christo gets significant placements on a mainstream, number one hip-hop album being played live on national television. This feels like watching your star jock friend from high school ball out on ESPN with some pass deflections while beating the number two college football team in the country (aside because J.I.D got a scholarship to play football at University of Georgia).

Christo is Pittsburgh sound to the international audience. Christo has been out here productively and consistently producing music. What have you been doing?

“Christo, aka ‘bounceman,’ is a Pittsburgh musician with a recognizable sound and a hand in a lot of songs from the city’s hip-hop artists. He has hits with majors like Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and even Atlanta’s Ludacris. Christo’s crisp sound supports up and coming acts Choo Jackson and EarthGang.”

— Me from an ITR article three years ago

(left to right) Christo, Johnny Venus of Earthgang and Zeke

His catalog amplifies local hip-hop talent from around Pittsburgh although Christo has built success elsewhere too. “I made a conscious decision to build with J.I.D and the whole Since the 80s camp,” Christo said in a November Instagram story. “DiCaprio 2” is an album by J.I.D, but the project has a lot to do with Christo. “Dicaprio 2 is the best work I’ve done with any artist to date… no cap lol,” he finished. In total, Christo has credits on six songs from “DiCaprio 2” as a composer, engineer, lyricist, producer, and studio personnel. Listen to “Westbrook.” J.I.D and A$AP Ferg feature, but Christo also wrote it says rap Genius.

Headed to Keith.wav and Zende’s album release party at The Bushnel back in October, Grace (DJ) played an early copy of “DiCaprio 2” off the aux in my Volkswagen Tiguan, whipping through Penn Hills, Pittsburgh. This was a clouted car honestly with Grace, My Favorite Color (slickest tongue in rap), and Taylor Babushka (media personality/artist) processing the new music. Listening to J.I.D is “like reading a book,” Grace said as she broke from the 14-song album to play a more rhythmic “Immediately” by Mystro and Wizkid. You do have to pay attention when listening to J.I.D. You can get lost in the Christo bounce, and J.I.D’s intelligence comes across so clearly in his records that his words and flows make you think almost too much.

At any rate, that’s what makes J.I.D great. “DiCaprio 2” deserves your support for all mentioned here. Shout out to more Pittsburgh influences on the record too, like Nice Rec musicianship on “151 Rum” and management from Zeke of Since the 80s. Read a good DJBooth article about the bunch. Listen to music below.

Baby Keem - The Sound of Bad Habit / November 12, 2018 by Alex Young

Baby Keem brand heats up as days go on and people discover his music online. Watching his Instagram live from Pittsburgh where InTheRough’s caught the Los Angeles rapper with questions, Baby Keem said he has more success with streaming platform Audiomack over SoundCloud. His newest mixtape, “The Sound of Bad Habit” amassed 10.6 thousand plays in 14 days on Audiomack alone. “I woke up and hit the lotto,” he raps in “Opinions.” The line is such a mood for how the Internet age can affect the popularity of rappers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by InTheRough (@intheroughstyle) on Nov 12, 2018 at 5:29pm PST

One blog reported a Tweet that said, “Baby Keem gave CPR to the hip-hop game.” Save yourself and stream “The Sound of Bad Habit.” It’ll have you “shaking like strippers,” former Taylor Gang producer Cardo says in the “Gang Activities” track. Cardo Got Wings production and influence juices Baby Keem’s product. You may be familiar with Keem’s work from “Redemption Interlude” from “Black Panther The Album.” I know you heard Jay Rock’s “Knock It Off,” yeah, that’s a Baby Keem beat.

With cosigns from prominent hip-hop actors, like those aforementioned and even notable A&R Brocky Marciano liking Keem’s pictures on IG, the rapper’s music is what makes his stock rise.

Baby Keem produced four songs on his “The Sound of Bad Habit.” He touched “Xmen,” “Miss Charlotte,” which he just released a music video for, “Check Please” and “Extra.” Cardo gets credit for beats on the album too. The hard bass kicks and cool lyrics make this Baby Keem record something to share with your friends. “I like having fun,” he exclaims on the project. Listen and read good lines from his music below. “Next project coming 2019. We on,” Keem finished.

Good Baby Keem Lines