Posts tagged with "kaytranada"

FLO – Cardboard Box

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London-based girl group FLO releases the acoustic video for their buzzing single “Cardboard Box.”

Watch the acoustic video for “Cardboard Box” HERE and the official video HERE. In the video, they showcase their love for honeyed harmonies and rich emotion, fusing the classic old school R&B they still obsess over.

When British girl group FLO broke onto the music scene with “Cardboard Box,” their fearless debut single and official video that has captured the essence of a group at the helm of their music and visual identity, the world took note. Receiving love from global superstars including Missy Elliot, SZA, Victoria Monet and JoJo, with one tweet stating “the uk girl groups are coming hard,” featuring a clip of “Cardboard Box,” has led to over 3 million views.

Already receiving critical praise from, i-D, NME, Complex, and more, “Cardboard Box” is a staggering introduction to the world of FLO. The lyrics are harmonized over an immaculate MNEK production that fuses early ‘00s R&B, complete with irreplaceable-esque guitar figures and dancehall flavors. With an ethos of self-love, female empowerment and supporting women in music, FLO have already built a loyal fanbase on TikTok (over 150k followers and 4.1m likes) having been called “the future of R&B” (Complex) for their stripped back acapella sessions, giving new life to their favorite tunes with unbreakable chemistry.

FLO’s origin story speaks to their name—it flowed. Stella spent the first few years of her life in Mozambique before moving to the UK aged five, and met Renée at school in London, where they bonded over their joint love of singing and were familiar with Jorja via social media. Jorja was born in Germany and grew up in Hertfordshire and was on her own musical journey, but it was a chance meeting at an audition where they all locked eyes: “I saw the girls and we screamed across the room. I knew from that moment we were about to start something big,” says Jorja.

For the past two years FLO have honed everything from their sound to their look (“Us but elevated,” as Stella succinctly puts it), working with the likes of LOXE (Grammy-nominated, NAO), KABBA, Aston Rudi (Mahalia), newcomer Jamal Woon, and KAYTRANADA collaborator Lauren Faith. The sisterly bond within FLO runs deep, having all been raised by powerful single mothers and understanding the gravity, hustle and tenacity of picking this career path. It is clear that FLO’s natural bond is crystalline, and the life situations they are beginning to navigate have only brought them closer and stronger together. Join the story NOW of our next big homegrown girl group.

Milk + Cookies Atlanta

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Milk + Cookies is thrilled to announce Atlanta-based rap artist and record executive Gucci Mane and DJ, producer and singer Alison Wonderland as the headliners for the spring Block Fest. The headliners will be joined by DJ collectives WERC Crew and Perreo404, with more local and national acts to be announced. With an expected guest count of over 5,000 attendees, Milk + Cookies Atlanta will blend various music genres, tasty food selections, and creative activities to curate a meaningful, multi-sensory experience for Atlanta’s flourishing creative community. Milk + Cookies Atlanta will take place outdoors Saturday, June 4, 2022, at Atlanta’s famed Centennial Yards from 2-10 PM.

The dessert-themed music festival’s venue is a cultural hub in the heart of Atlanta in between the State Farm Arena and the Mercedes Benz Dome. Attendees will be treated to a diverse musical lineup; headlined by Atlanta’s own Gucci Mane and directly supported by national and local talent. Guests will also enjoy treats from some of Atlanta’s best eateries such as King of Pops, Phew’s Pies and more.

Throughout the year, Milk + Cookies offers a line-up of established and up-and-coming artists, resulting in unique live music experiences where cultural tastemakers, industry creatives, and music enthusiasts converge to experience the rich cultural and musical offerings of Atlanta. Past Milk + Cookies performers include Kaytranada, Summer Walker, Masego, Tokimonsta, SAINt JHN, Polo G, RL Grime, Queen Naija, Jack Harlow, Ella Mai and more.

In addition to the Atlanta festival, Milk + Cookies and RenderATL are coming together this June 2022 to bridge the music and tech community with a week full of events and experiences. RenderATL, the largest tech conference in the southeast, is a four-day, all-inclusive experience where technology meets Atlanta’s Southern Hospitality. Having sold out the 2021 event and expanding for 2022, it has become the go-to event where front-end engineers can connect with the community, share ideas, and meet potential employers.Lastly, Milk + Cookies is presenting smaller, more intimate shows leading up to Saturday, June 4th including Bathe at the Eastern Rooftop, Amber Mark at The Loft and Fivio Foreign at Believe Music Hall.

This Ain’t No Picnic Festival

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Goldenvoice is thrilled to announce their newest festival for 2022: This Ain’t No Picnic, coming August 27 and 28 to the Shady Oaks and Parkland of Brookside at the Rose Bowl. The team behind Coachella, Stagecoach, Cruel World and Just Like Heaven have an unrivaled talent for crafting eclectic line-ups and unique destination festivals, and the magic continues when This Ain’t No Picnic returns to Los Angeles, featuring six stages of artists from the past, present, and future spanning cutting-edge indie, hip-hop, dance, underground and everything in-between.

Headliners The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem are joined by Le Tigre, who are reuniting for their first performance in 12 years, hometown hero Phoebe Bridgers, IDLES, Courtney Barnett, Caroline Polachek, Honey Dijon, Four Tet x Floating Points in a rare, combined DJ set, Yves Tumor, Descendents, Wet Leg, Genesis Owusu, Turnstile, Hana Vu, and many more, plus a sixth “stage” for Despacio, a custom-built disco sound system designed by James Murphy and team. This Ain’t No Picnic offers a unique setting for both icons and new discoveries, bridging multiple genres, and mirroring the wide but discerning tastes of Los Angeles music fans.

The name is a nod to one of Goldenvoice’s earliest festivals, launched in Irvine, California in 1999, the same year as Coachella. The youthful exuberance and energy from that festival lives on, as This Ain’t No Picnic 2022 brings together the talent buying team of Goldenvoice’s Stacy Vee, Jenn Yacoubian, and Rene Contreras to celebrate all of the artists they love across one glorious weekend. This Ain’t No Picnic’s lineup is the perfect combination of the best cutting edge, up-and-coming artists alongside iconic bands who continue to create boundary-pushing new music.

2-Day GA tickets start at $299 + fees and 2-Day VIP are $799 + fees. Secure your ticket at only $49.99 down. Choose the payment plan at checkout to break your total into monthly installments.

Experience The Clubhouse at Brookside: the best festival experience featuring an indoor air-conditioned hideaway, adjacent parking, private entrance, welcome tote bag with specialty items, festival concierge service, panoramic views of multiple stages, food and beverage tastings, and more. This ticket also grants you exclusive access to an intimate upfront guest viewing area at multiple stages. The Clubhouse ticket provides an abundance of the top-offerings the festival has to offer. 2-Day Clubhouse tickets are $1,199 + fees. Clubhouse access is 21+ only.

The festival’s stellar line up will include performances by (in ABC order):

Lightning in a Bottle

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Do LaB, originators and creators of the boutique festival experience Lightning in a Bottle, have revealed the lineup for the event’s 2022 return to Buena Vista Lake in Southern California. For five days on Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-30, LIB will gather a unique blend of torchbearers from an array of genres and origins to its renowned creative tapestry. Each artist will play their own role in igniting the long awaited reconnection of the LIB community.

Since 2006, Do LaB has acted as a curatorial beacon for the west coast festival movement, going on to inspire a global movement within the larger festival movement. LIB remains a prized destination for artists around the world to showcase their unique crafts within creative stage environments built for immersion and wonder. The result is a deep connection between crowd and performer that paves the way for peak musical experiences and genre-defying discovery.

LIB’s Lightning Stage remains a central artery through which live and electronic icons thrive. In 2022, the stage will showcase performances from British indie-rock phenoms Glass Animals, Canadian-Haitian beatsmith Kaytranada, American bass music’s prodigal son GRiZ, plus crossover leaders SG Lewis, Purity Ring, and Chet Faker. British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz and singer-songwriter Empress Of will make their LIB debut, while Monolink makes a triumphant return to center stage with a new album and global notoriety in tow.

Thunder, known traditionally as the event’s bass music enclave, will transform into a tree-lined theater where multiple genres will be showcased in the open-air with its biggest lineup to date. It remains the perfect container for a melting pot of styles topped by electronic composer and vocalist Big Wild, the cinematic tones of CloZee, and Los Angeles bass icon Ekali. Excitement for fans of the low-end continues with the experimental soundscapes of G Jones B2B EPROM, LSDream, Mr. Carmack and OPIUO. In line with the event’s mission to inspire cross-genre pollination, American rapper and singer GoldLink will take center stage alongside Jamaican reggae singer and rapper Koffee, and New Orleans bounce legend Big Freedia.

Those in the know will tell you tales of LIB’s famed house and techno hideaway, the Woogie stage, which will expand to a full day of Thursday programming for the 2022 event. The international lineup is topped by South-African forerunner Black Coffee, the inimitable Four Tet, globe-trotter Seth Troxler, and purveyor of deeper shades of UK house Maya Jane Coles. Jon Hopkins returns to the event with a new album designed for psychedelic therapy alongside fellow electronica pioneer Max Cooper, while melodic flag bearers Hernan Cattaneo, Yotto, WhoMadeWho and Innellea bring their emotive flavors to the show. Modern shades of house will too have their place at the Woogie, with next generation stars like VNSSA, Lubelski, SOHMI, HoneyLuv, and Carlita joining storied bellwethers like Kyle Watson, Detroit’s DJ Minx and LA’s Marques Wyatt.

LIB 2022’s truly five-day experience will be kicked off by none other than the Desert Hearts Crew’s Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky for a picturesque return of their famed Lakeside Launch Party, this time taking over the new sandy enclave appropriately dubbed LIBeach. Adding to this, there will be a 4-hr Joe Kay Experience (Soulection) set on Thursday night at The Stacks. Do LaB is also premiering a new stage at LIB called The Junk Yard, which will be the home of the Junk In The Trunk art car. Seen at Burning Man, Junk in the Trunk will act as a stage backdrop and be mobile around the festival at times. The Junk Yard will replace Favela Bar as the event’s host for California’s favorite native house and techno artists.

Furthering this mission to reconnect the LIB community early and often, Do LaB continues its creative partnership with LIB alumni RÜFÜS DU SOL around the band’s upcoming November 12-14 triumph at downtown LA’s Banc of California stadium. Do LaB will bring an immersive sound reactive video sculpture that is 150 feet long to the grounds outside the stadium during all three days, which will provide a preview to the installation appearing at LIB. They have tapped The Glitch Mob’s Boreta to soundtrack the experience and LA media house Strangeloop Studios to create audio-reactive visuals for fans to get lost in. Come experience something that feels distinctly Do LaB in its original breeding grounds of Downtown Los Angeles. Known as an early supporter of RÜFÜS before the band went on to play some of the world’s most famed stages, Do LaB remains ingrained in their Los Angeles identity and beyond.

For those looking for the joy of a camping festival with expanded creature comforts, LIB will for the first time offer a new VIP experience only Do LaB can dream up. VIP pass holders can get off their feet in backstage lounges at Lightning, Thunder, and Woogie, grab a quick drink in these areas at full bars, and watch headlining performances at the elevated Lightning Stage viewing area. For more info on VIP tickets, click HERE.

LIB is also excited to reveal a new boutique camping experience, Atlaswyld, a festival-within-a-festival featuring glamping options and elevated content ready to be explored. Wake up each morning in a luxurious Bell Tent, Kodiak, or Airstream to be met by tailored yoga and wellness classes, culinary programming, Happy Hour mixers, and other high-end encounters aimed to dazzle alongside the festival’s immersive landscape of wonder and discovery.

These new elements will complement the event’s nearly multi-decade commitment to bringing together forward-thinking music across many distinct stages, educational and cause-driven discussions and activities at The Compass, intriguing immersive programming from favorites like The Grand Artique, Unicorn Palace, The Mixtape and so much more.

Lightning in a Bottle is ready to return home to the beautiful shores of Buena Vista Lake in Southern California and reclaim its traditional Memorial Weekend date – May 25-30, 2022. Buena Vista Lake immediately brought comfort and familiarity to the LIB community thanks to its swim-friendly waters, abundant grassy topography and thick shade trees. 2022 will see this wondrous playground come further to life, creating an idyllic container for the reconnection we all need so deeply.

Lightning Stage

Thunder Stage

The Librarian

Zebbler Encanti Experience

Woogie Stage

Jeremy Sole & Nickodemus

Caleesi & Sarah Kreis

Liam Fitzgerald

J. Gill

VanJess × Lucky Daye – Slow Down

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Nigerian-American sister duo VanJess release a slinky new rendition of their song “Slow Down” featuring Keep Cool/RCA Records labelmate and fellow R&B heavyweight Lucky Daye. An undeniable standout in what Rolling Stone calls one of the best projects of 2021 (‘Homegrown’ EP), the Top 15 R&B radio single that has amassed nearly ten million global streams exemplifies their glimmering, nostalgic sound.

Listen to “Slow Down” Ft. Lucky Daye here.

On “Slow Down,” VanJess’ on-point harmonies are accentuated by a brassy saxophone line and romantic production from Snakehips & Jonah Christian. In May they made their national television debut on the Tamron Hall Show performing the “sultry ballad” (NPR Music).

Watch the performance here.

‘Homegrown’ – the short yet expansive project – was released February 5th via Keep Cool/RCA Records and is the follow up to their debut album, ‘Silk Canvas,’ which caught the attention of critical gatekeepers for its unique soul/funk integration and careful collaborations.

The project hosts a robust group of collaborators, including KAYTRANADA, Devin Morrison and Jimi Tents. VanJess takes the listener through an alluring sonic journey that weaves through groovy, high energy beats and slowed down, sensual harmonies. From start to finish, the nine-song collection is a showcase of VanJess’ elevated vocal and visual stylings – a testament to the incredible heights they’ve reached since their debut album in 2018.

Read More On ‘Homegrown’ Ep

Vogue | Refinery29 | Buzzfeed | LADYGUNN | Galore

About Vanjess

Growing up between Nigeria, and California, VanJess have brought an entirely new take to contemporary R&B, one that pays tribute to 90’s greats like TLC, SWV, and Aaliyah, while instinctually inciting an inimitable style. The sisters cut their teeth online with a string of viral covers, bursting onto the scene with their self-released debut album, a definitive R&B statement, and a smooth, seductive record that took the R&B world by storm.

VanJess have previously worked with KAYTRANADA, Ari Lennox, and Xavier Omgr, to name a few, and recently collaborated with some of their most acclaimed peers on songs including “Stickin’” (Sinead Harnett and Masego, who appeared on VanJess 201 – debut LP), “Say Yes” (TOKiMONSTA), “I Had A Love Song” (Ant Saunders), and “Floating” (Mannywellz).

THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK MUSIC MONTH

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By: Andrew Shibuya

For many, June is a month of celebration. Between Pride Month and the official start of summer, June’s thirty days are chock-full of various festivities and commemorations. And still, one of June’s national designations in the United States is almost wholly overlooked annually: African American Music Appreciation Month.

Though this coining of June as African American Music Appreciation Month was first introduced by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, originally dubbed Black Music Month, its current name was given by President Barack Obama in 2009. From its initiation, this commemoration was intended to serve as most generally as a celebration of all African American music in the United States.

And in a recent official White House press release, President Joe Biden voiced his own sentiments behind the importance of Black Music Appreciation month: “During Black Music Appreciation Month, we honor the innovative artists whose musical expressions move us, brighten our daily lives, and bring us together. Across the generations, Black music has pioneered the way we listen to music while preserving Black cultural traditions and sharing the unique experiences of the Black community.”

It would be premature, though, to celebrate Black Music Appreciation Month by solely celebrating a handful of the most prominent Black artists. Because what is Black music exactly? While many companies and streaming platforms have taken to commemorating various iconic artists or works, the goal of this commemoration ought to be to acknowledge and celebrate the vast influence and impact of African American music in the United States as a whole.

Of course, to even begin to fathom how to track this influence, one must attempt to define Black music itself. And inherently, the phrase, and the genre, if it can be put under a singular one, evade definition. Is Black music music simply made by Black artists? Yes. But is music inspired by or influenced by Black artists Black music? This answer is not so clear.

One of the many issues with the distinction and defining of Black music in the music industry is that oftentimes Black artists are often pushed into genres such as R&B or hip hop, which is both reductive and limiting to the artists and their work. Singer-songwriter FKA twigs spoke about this phenomenon in an interview with the Guardian in 2014: “When I first released music and no one knew what I looked like, I would read comments like: ‘I’ve never heard anything like this before, it’s not in a genre.’ And then my picture came out six months later, now she’s an R&B singer.”

For years, high profile award shows such as the Grammys have only helped to perpetuate this boxing in of Black artists. Take, for instance, the confusingly and formerly titled “Best Urban Contemporary Album” category. It was only last year that the category was renamed to “Best Progressive R&B Album”. The change was born out of the award show’s desire for more inclusivity and to better reflect the fluidity and scope of the category. In the past several years, many in the industry and in the media have called for an end to the use of “urban” in describing music, arguing that the term is a vague and limiting generalization for Black music as a whole.

And even in genres that are considered to be most influenced or dominated by Black artists, there has historically been underrepresentation in the industry. For example, just last year, producer Kaytranada became the first Black artist to win the Grammy for “Best Dance/Electronic Album”, though the genre has been unarguably most influenced by traditionally Black dominated genres such as disco and hip hop.

With these inequalities and failures of the music industry in mind, the necessity for Black Music Appreciation Month is most evident. To celebrate Black music is to acknowledge its importance in the history of American music, with respect to both Black artists and otherwise. It is likewise clear that a rigid distinction between what is Black music and what is not is not necessary–for in reality, so much of contemporary American music has been in some way touched or influenced by so-called Black music. It is an undercurrent that has served as the foundation for all of contemporary American music, and has been, in fact, so integral to all of American music.

Because for centuries now, Black music has been a keystone of the American music identity. Antonin Dvořák, a Czech composer, once cited the late nineteenth century African American spirituals he encountered in America as a great inspiration for his “New World Symphony”. Even more than simply citing these spiritual hymns as inspiration, Dvořák similarly recognized their power, importance, and place in the future and legacy of American music: “These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America, and your composers must turn to them.”

And just as Black music cannot simply be a subgenre of music, it can likewise never be defined as any one thing. Thus, Black Music Appreciation Month ought to celebrate the protean nature of Black music as well as to acknowledge the historical injustices to Black artists and musicians. From folk to the blues, from jazz to hip hop, the influence of Black music on American music as a whole is both undeniable and wholly remarkable. And just as Dvořák was prescient to recognize, Black music has become the indelible foundation and promising future of American music.

H.E.R. – Back Of My Mind

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We’re halfway through 2021, and H.E.R. (who is halfway to EGOT status), has not let her foot off the gas! Today, the Grammy and Academy Award winner releases her highly-anticipated full-length album, Back of My Mind, via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Click here to listen.

Clocking in at 21 tracks, Back of My Mind includes a star-studded lineup of guest features by Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, Cordae, Lil Baby, Thundercat, Yung Bleu, DJ Khaled, Bryson Tiller, and YG. Producers Hit-Boy, KAYTRANADA, Cardiak, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Camper, and more provide lush and repeat-worthy productions, leaving adequate space for the four-time Grammy Award winner’s pristine vocals (and guitar shredding skills) to shine throughout. R&B at its core, Back of My Mind showcases H.E.R.’s unique versatility as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

“This collection of songs comes from feelings and thoughts that I’ve had in the back of mind,” says H.E.R. “That’s where I live sometimes. Some things I talk about in my music and other things I may have been afraid to say or admit. I’m finding freedom in being truthful with expression.”

H.E.R. kicked off 2021 in the most stellar of ways by winning two Grammy Awards – Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe” and Best R&B Song for her contribution to Robert Glasper’s “Better Than I Imagined,” plus an Academy Award for her powerful song “Fight For You” from the Warner Bros. Pictures’ film Judas and the Black Messiah. Her recent show-stopping performance with Chris Stapleton on the CMT Music Awards was proceeded by equally impressive performances on the Billboard Music Awards with DJ Khaled and The Migos, iHeartRadio Music Awards’ Elton John Tribute, Oscars: Into The Spotlight special, Super Bowl LV, and more.

Currently gracing the cover of Variety, H.E.R. is starring in her own special episode of Amazon’s Prime Day Show, featuring music from the new album. On June 21, iHeartMedia will host the iHeartRadio Album Release Party with H.E.R. featuring an exclusive performance and an intimate conversation with Angie Martinez. The event will stream on the FOXSOUL YouTube channel and FOXSOUL.tv., and broadcast across iHeartMedia’s R&B, Rhythm and select Hip Hop radio stations at 9pm ET/6pm PT.

The dynamic performer will return to NYC’s Rockefeller Center on June 25 for her second Today Show summer concert, followed by performances at the BET Awards on June 27, and her first-ever concert with the LA Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl on August 13 & 14.

Listen to Back Of My Mind and stay tuned for more exciting news from H.E.R.

Back Of My Mind track list:

01 We Made It

02 Back of My Mind feat. Ty Dolla $ign

03 Trauma feat. Cordae

04 Damage

05 Find A Way feat. Lil Baby

06 Bloody Waters feat. Thundercat

07 Closer To Me

08 Come Through feat. Chris Brown

09 My Own

10 Lucky

11 Cheat Code

12 Mean It

13 Paradise feat. Yung Bleu

14 Process

15 Hold On

16 Don’t

17 Exhausted

18 Hard To Love

19 For Anyone

20 I Can Have It All feat. DJ Khaled & Bryson Tiller

21 Slide feat. YG

Connect with H.E.R.:

Carly Gibert QxA

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Carly Gibert is a 19-year-old house, R&B, and pop music artist, who recently was signed to 10:22PM/Def Jam Recordings. The bi-lingual, Spanish born singer just released her groovy single, “Interstellar,” which reflects on her move from Spain to LA. The disco-inspired bop appears on NOW Volume 79, and can be listened to HERE. Gibert has been making music since the age of four, and her passion for creating is evident in all of her releases. We sat down with the rising house star to speak about the inspiration behind her latest release, her songwriting process, and whats to come next in 2021.

What inspired you to write “Interstellar?”

“Interstellar” is about trying to make someone care for you as much as you care for them. You would do anything for the other person, but they only think about what’s best for them. When I moved to LA from Spain–where I was born and raised–I kind of started a new life, it felt like living in another universe. “Interstellar” actually means “living between stars,” and that is how LA felt to me. It only took me moving to the other side of the planet to realize that I wasn’t taking care of myself. It also references the movie Interstellar (which is one of my favorite movies of all time) with its theme of leaving your life behind and starting over in an entirely different setting.

How would you describe the sound of “Interstellar” in three words?

Futuristic, disco and progress.

What musicians influence your music style the most?

Not specifically for this song, but I grew up with and have always been very inspired by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Mac Miller and Tyler the Creator. I definitely grew up on house music as well, since my dad would play it at home all the time; and I think you can actually hear that on “Interstellar.” The song has a kind of house vibe to it.

What does your song writing process usually look like? Was this process the same for the writing of “Interstellar”?

I usually start off with one of the 100,000 notes on my phone. I write notes every single day–anywhere, anytime. You never know when the inspiration is going to hit, so this is how I keep track of my thoughts. When I find a lyric idea or a concept that resonates with how I’m feeling, I start writing random lines around it. At first, it honestly doesn’t make any sense and nothing rhymes. At that point, it’s all about placing the right lines in the right places and making them fit into a melody. This was also the writing process of “Interstellar.” I sometimes like to start with the melodies, though, and just build the lyrics based on the melody.

If you could design your dream music festival where you were the headlining act, who would you choose to perform alongside?

If we’re talking about VERY ambitious dreams, I would obviously say Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kanye. Then, of course, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, A$AP Rocky, Doja Cat, Audrey Nuna, SZA, BIA, Anderson .Paak, Rosalía, Saint Bodhi, Little Simz, Kali Uchis, Kaytranada, Rico Nasty, Tinashe, Ryan Beatty, Daniel Caesar, Miguel, Jorja Smith…there are too many great artists.

What has it been like being signed and working with 10:22PM/DefJam?

If someone told me 3 years ago that I would be working with the people I’m working with today, I wouldn’t believe them. The people I’ve met and am surrounded by are some of the people I look up to the most, and I’m so grateful for everyone who made it possible. I have a very close relationship with everyone on my team. I speak to my A&R literally every day, and I’m so lucky to be able to talk directly to the label if I ever need something. I’m super involved in all aspects of my career, so having a direct relationship with the label is very reassuring.

What is something about you or your music that fans might not expect?

I would definitely say singing in Spanish. It’s something I’ve never done before, and I’m so excited to do it. I don’t have any full songs in Spanish at the moment, but I do have some verses here and there. The next song I’m releasing actually includes Spanish verses. Growing up, I was very insecure about singing in Spanish because I thought my accent was weird. It didn’t flow as naturally as English did, even though Spanish is my first language. Through the years, I’ve been practicing improving my diction and I feel a lot more comfortable now. I guess I just had to make it my own and embrace the “Spanish person who can’t articulate Spanish” aspect of myself.

What is next to come from you in 2021?

I have two more songs that I really love coming out in the next couple of months. Hopefully an EP by the end of the year? (Nobody confirmed that—I just made it up—but I’m putting it out in the world). To be honest, all I want to do this year is release all the music I’ve been working on for the past 2 years. These songs are so special to me, and I can’t wait for everyone to listen to what I have to say.

BUKU: Planet B

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BUKU Music + Art Project Reveals Lineup for BUKU: Planet B

A One-Time-Only Alternate Take on BUKU Taking Place October 22 and October 23 2021 in New Orleans

Featuring Megan Thee Stallion, ILLENIUM, Machine Gun Kelly, Playboi Carti, Kaytranada, Zeds Dead, Alison Wonderland, Jamie xx, Pooh Shiesty, Chris Lake, Still Woozy, EARTHGANG, Ghostemane, Ashnikko, Subtronics, SVDDEN DEATH: VOYD, Arlo Parks, Flo Milli, LSDREAM, Purple Disco Machine, Remi Wolf, slowthai, $NOT, Yung Baby Tate, and many more

Register for Presale Now for Access to Lowest-Priced Tickets

Presale Begins Thursday June 10

General Onsale Monday June 14

BUKU Music + Art Project, New Orleans’s premiere multi-faceted boutique music festival, announced the lineup for BUKU: Planet B, a one-time-only fall iteration of its flagship spring event. Planet B offers up an alternative way to dance through the rabbit-hole of BUKU on the banks of the Big Easy. Aiming to celebrate the resiliency of New Orleans and the triumphant return of live music, BUKU: Planet B is purposefully boutique in size but captures the expansive multi-genre curatorial ethos of BUKU, welcoming over 50 acts to its creative playground on October 22-23, 2021.

For the past decade, BUKU has fostered a boutique festival experience that proudly reflects the diverse and progressive subculture of New Orleans. It’s birthed the #BUKREWE, a community of festival lovers, carnival kings and queens, ragers and twerkers, that come in all shapes and sizes, flowing together along the banks of the Mississippi. Those in the know can attest to the wild costumes, unhinged self-expression, and myriad of personalities that set the BUKU vibe from start to finish and have made it one of North America’s most authentic places to party.

Continuing its melting pot approach to curation, BUKU: Planet B welcomes a lineup that spans genre and style. Topping the bill are some of modern music’s biggest stars like powerhouse hip-hop icon Megan Thee Stallion, melodic bass music’s ultimate champion Illenium, pop-punk vocalist Machine Gun Kelly, experimental rapper Playboi Carti, and Memphis rap chart-topper Pooh Shiesty.

As you would expect in New Orleans, dancing takes center stage at Planet B with the cutting-edge eclecticism of producers Kaytranada and Jamie xx, Australian dance music producer and vocalist Alison Wonderland, and the trio of bass titans Zeds Dead, Subtronics, and SVDDEN DEATH: VOYD. Adding to the diverse vibe, Chris Lake and Purple Disco Machine will also treat the #BUKREWE to their discography of genre-defining house heaters.

Forward-thinking live performances remain in focus at Planet B with feel-good frequencies from singer Still Woozy, bone-crushing vibes from industrial rap/metal artist Ghostemane, next gen star British singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks, genre-bending rap/electro-pop performer Ashnikko, and high-energy rappers EARTHGANG, Flo Milli, slowthai, Yung Baby Tate, and $NOT.

As a barometer for the sounds taking over tomorrow, BUKU: Planet B welcomes breakout stars like Remi Wolf, Dua Saleh, Moore Kismet, VNSSA, 박혜진 Park Hye Jin, TVBOO and others, plus over 20 local New Orleans acts in an effort to showcase and support the local arts community, including the first festival performance by Pell’s GLBL WRMNG collective.

“For the past year, we’ve watched our fans step outside of their comfort zones and persevere through weird times,” said Dante DiPasquale, BUKU’s co-creator. “PLANET B is the result of us being inspired by them to do the same, and all of us at Team BUKU are excited to finally party with them again.”

Set against the uniquely New Orleans backdrop of the haunting Market Street Power Plant and the historic grounds of the old TwiRoPa venue, Planet B aims to harness the chaos of the last year and release it in the form of raw creativity. Attendees will be guided between multiple stage environments, a dizzying landscape of art installations, street-artist performances, and a multitude of surprises. Fans may find themselves mesmerized by a local graffiti artist, enhancing their costume with a custom face painting, joining a marching band procession, catching a pop-up breakdancing crew or just hanging with friends while gazing at the New Orleans skyline. It’s an urban oasis as much about oddities and community as it is about the headliners.

Civic duty too remains at the heart of the BUKU spirit, as the event organizers continue their Social Responsibility Commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment geared towards social justice, reducing the environmental impact of the event, and supporting New Orleans community organizations. BUKU doubled down on this commitment in 2020 alongside its charitable partner Upbeat Academy by launching their Take Action Project (“TAP”). Thus far, the project has completed three fan-mobilizing campaigns raising over $10,000 for racial justice, voting rights, and environmental sustainability organizations. BUKU will continue this mission in 2021 alongside Upbeat Academy, a non-profit that inspires and empowers New Orleans youth through music education, who also act as the beneficiary of proceeds from every ticket sold to BUKU or Planet B. Learn more about these programs here.

BUKU: Planet B will be the ultimate release for music fans in dire need of connection and creative exploration. It will continue to provide an inclusive home for the technicolor characters that call New Orleans home while welcoming #BUKREWE far and wide to experience the city’s eccentric culture for themselves. Come and get it.

FULL LINEUP:

Megan Thee Stallion

ILLENIUM

Machine Gun Kelly

Playboi Carti

Kaytranada

Zeds Dead

Alison Wonderland

Jamie xx

Pooh Shiesty

Chris Lake

Still Woozy

EARTHGANG

Ghostemane

Ashnikko

Subtronics

SVDDEN DEATH: VOYD

Arlo Parks

Flo Milli

LSDREAM

Purple Disco Machine

Remi Wolf

slowthai

$NOT

Yung Baby Tate

Chee

Dua Saleh

Lucii

Mize

Moore Kismet

박혜진 Park Hye Jin

Pears

Pell presents: GLBL WRMNG

ssgkobe

TVBOO

VNSSA

504icygrl

ANTWIGADEE!

BluShakurX

Bouffant Bouffant

DJ Heelturn

Don Peyote B2B BuckTen

GØ PNIK

Lady Lavender

Lango

Legatron Prime

Lil Iceberg

Malik Ninety Five

Odd the Artist

Rob49

Stone Cold Jzzle

Treety

ZiggMonster

About Winter Circle Productions:
Winter Circle Productions began in 2009 as an independent promotion and production house to attract music that its founders felt was missing from a post-Katrina New Orleans. Creator of BUKU Music + Art Project and five-time recipient of the Offbeat Best Promoter Award, WCP is now celebrating its 12th year anniversary as one of the most trusted tastemakers on the Gulf Coast, having produced thousands of shows across many musical genres in dozens of venues. WCP joined AEG Presents in 2015 to run its new Gulf Coast regional office and in 2020 became the operator of Hangout Music Festival. In addition to concert production, the members of WCP founded the Upbeat Academy Foundation, a non-profit organization providing New Orleans youth with opportunities to study hip-hop and dance music production.

Lexus IS Wax Edition: Madlib × KAYTRANADA

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Madlib and KAYTRANADA Take Lexus IS Wax Edition for the Ultimate Spin

Artists’ first joint record debuts in custom Lexus with fully functional turntable

“Driven by Sound” video series documents ambitious collaboration and engineering feat

The Lexus IS Wax Edition hits all the right notes. The custom concept vehicle, a modified 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan, has a fully functional turntable built into the dashboard that is capable of playing vinyl records while the car is in motion without missing a beat – even on a bumpy road. To celebrate this innovation, Lexus and Pitchfork brought together legendary DJ and producer MC Madlib and chart-topping artist and producer KAYTRANADA for the first time to create a brand-new double-single on vinyl and debut it in the Lexus IS Wax Edition, giving a whole new meaning to “taking it for a spin.”

This impressive fusion of music and cars was captured in a two-episode documentary series, “Driven by Sound,” created in partnership with Pitchfork. Episode One offers a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process of Madlib and KAYTRANADA. Episode Two documents the creation of the in-dash turntable and reveals the Lexus IS Wax Edition. It features music from the highly anticipated release of the artists’ joint double-single. Vinyl Me, Please (VMP), a monthly record subscription club that curates and creates vinyl packages, will distribute the exclusive 7″ vinyl to select members as part of their subscription.

“When I make music, I usually do it in headphones, so I hear everything clear,” said Madlib. “And I take it to the car, test it out. Every time. That’s the big test. To have the turntable in a Lexus? That’s beyond.”

“When Lexus said they wanted to build this car, I didn’t think it was possible,” added KAYTRANADA. “It was amazing to see and hear vinyl playing while cruising in a car.”

With vinyl listening once again on the rise and the Lexus IS attracting drivers with a passion for authenticity and amazing experiences, creating an in-car turntable that works flawlessly with the vehicle in motion was a challenge worth pursuing. To bring the concept car to life, Lexus commissioned SCPS, a world-renowned creative technology and custom fabrication studio based in Los Angeles. For over a decade, SCPS has been behind the marketing innovations of consumer brands and Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

The record player, created with a 3D printer and modified with carbon fiber and machined aluminum, fits snuggly into the vehicle’s glovebox and is large enough to play a full-size 12-inch record. Once the needle hits the grooves, a rotating motor helps stabilize the turntable to avoid skipping while the vehicle is in motion. The enhanced suspension system of the Lexus IS and fine-tuned handling provide a smooth and stable ride, which are critical for the needle of a record player. The Lexus IS Wax Edition offers an ideal environment for appreciating the warmth and depth that vinyl records give to recorded music. The modified vehicle, designed to celebrate the launch of the 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan, will not be for sale, but will be on display at future Lexus events.

“Like audiophiles who go ‘all in’ to create the purest listening experiences, we went ‘all in’ to design the new 2021 Lexus IS as the purest expression of a sports sedan,” said Vinay Shahani, vice president of Lexus marketing. “The Lexus IS Wax Edition exemplifies the ultimate union of our respective passions, bringing together vinyl and cars in a fresh new way.”

Featuring the Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound Audio System, the new 2021 Lexus IS boasts one of the best sound-listening spaces for music lovers. Its 17 speakers and new amplifier offer 1,800 watts of power for a 7.1 surround sound listening experience.

For more information on the new IS, visit Lexus’ website.

About Lexus

Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its guests. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 243 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With six models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models and two F performance models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.