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(02/15/18 1:26pm)
We've all been there before. You wake up feeling like today's gonna be a great day, but reality comes in and gives you a curveball. It could be a rough exam, a breakup, or a bad day at the gym. It could even be something small, like getting cold called in lecture when you have no clue what's going on. Whatever the cause, there are lots of reasons why your confidence might need a little pick–me–up. If you're looking for some uplifting hip–hop full of self–confidence, Street's got you covered. Just remember The World Is Yours, and sometimes you just gotta make sure to Keep Ya Head Up.
(02/08/18 5:58am)
Each year, XXL Magazine reveals a roster of its top 10 up–and–coming hip–hop artists, appropriately titled the “XXL Freshman” class. The magazine has been doing it since 2007, and many artists lucky enough to be welcomed into the XXL Freshman roster end up rising to international fame. Since only 10 artists are selected each year, it’s a highly venerated achievement, and some notable former XXL Freshman include Lupe Fiasco, KiD CuDi, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Schoolboy Q, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Uzi Vert. 2017’s Freshmen make up an interesting roster of up–and–comers, but there are some notable names on the list. Kamaiyah, Philadelphia’s own PnB Rock, MadeinTYO, Playboi Carti, Aminé, and Ugly God all made the cut. The list, which is annually released in the middle of the summer, has been out for over six months at this point — which means it’s time to take a look at some of the highlights of the selections.
(02/01/18 1:02pm)
Ahh, Super Bowl 52 is finally almost here. While the game may not kickoff until 6:30, it’s also a great day to start drinking at noon. And what better way to pregame for America’s holiest sports day than with the Street–sanctioned playlist? Including everything from Justin Timberlake (to get you hyped for his halftime performance) to classic pregame anthems and football–themed song titles, this playlist will help you prepare for the joy/misery of watching your team win/lose.
(02/01/18 1:09pm)
When founders Steve Beckett, Rob Mitchell, and Robert Gordon came together to form Warp Records in 1989, they likely didn’t realize they were about to form a record label with one of the most cohesive sounds and artist rosters today. The time and place of Warp Records’ origins undoubtedly influenced their aim for its future musical sound. The three came together in Sheffield, UK in 1989. Beckett and Mitchell were record store workers (Gordon, a producer) who aimed to replicate the atmospheric techno sound that was starting to boom in Sheffield at the time. Warp quickly began to gain traction not only in Sheffield but in the United States as well as they began getting music from similarly industrial areas in the U.S. such as Chicago and Detroit.
(02/07/18 7:49am)
One could say Kygo has managed to avoid a musical step backwards in his latest album, Kids In Love, but that’s exactly the issue—he hasn’t moved anywhere at all. When he first began releasing tracks publicly in 2014, Kygo’s melodic, tropical, and atmospheric remixes on Soundcloud of popular tracks took many by storm. His remixes of “High For This” by Ellie Goulding, “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye, and “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran had racked up 12 million, 30 million, and 60 million plays on Soundcloud, respectively.
(01/22/18 7:42pm)
If you like NAO or Jorja Smith, make way for the next great R&B artist from England: Mahalia Burkmar, better known by her stage name Mahalia. The Birmingham–based artist is just 19, but she has shown repeated glimpses of brilliance in her small discography.
(01/17/18 11:03pm)
Outside the realm of sampling, the Isley Brothers are an extremely popular R&B and soul group even to this day, despite their mid–20th century beginnings. They have hits like “It’s Your Thing,” “Shout,” and “That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2.” While “Shout” would later be remade by artists such as Marvin Gaye and the Beatles, one of their lesser known (but equally impactful) influences in music has been The Isley Brothers’ sampled tracks, particularly in hip–hop. From their hit “That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2” which peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976 to “Between the Sheets” and “Footsteps in the Dark, Pts. 1 & 2”, the Isley Brothers' samples might not be as widespread as other hip–hop influencers such as James Brown, but their samples have packed a stronger punch in recent hip–hop than most. Many think of James Brown as one of the godfathers of hip–hop, and this is indisputable given the sampling of Brown’s 1970 hit “Funky Drummer” by artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Public Enemy, Jay–Z, Mos Def, LL Cool J, and Raekwon or his 1974 record “Funky President (People It’s Bad)" by Kanye West, Childish Gambino, Rick Ross, Pusha T, Naughty by Nature, Ghostface Killah, and N.W.A.
(11/29/17 6:28pm)
When it came to determining the album of the year, Street Beats were up in arms about everything except for one thing: it wasn't Reputation by Taylor Swift. But that's as far as we got in crowning the best of 2017. Baby steps.
(11/21/17 4:48am)
You might already be aware, but for those of you who aren’t, Big Shaq’s “Man’s Not Hot” is not a track meant to be taken seriously. However, here’s some quick maths (Ed. note: Yes, maths) for you: Man’s Not Hot is currently #8 on the US Viral 50 and the Global Viral 50. The hit single, whose beat sounds like one of many current rap songs coming out of London’s hip–hop scene right now, is anything but one of those braggadocious UK grime tracks. In reality, “Big Shaq” is actually a character created by Michael Dapaah, a British comedian. While this article tries to seriously analyze some of the UK rap stereotypes that Dapaah utilizes for his parody, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, the nature of Man’s Not Hot’s tone is closer to a song from the Lonely Island than to one from Skepta.
(10/27/17 11:12pm)
If you polled a random sample of Americans about which reggae artists they could name, the most popular answer would undoubtedly be “Bob Marley.” After that, it’s anyone’s guess—Damian Marley? The Wailers? Ziggy Marley? The reality is that traditional reggae hasn’t had a true “face” since Bob Marley’s passing in 1981. Many dismiss it as a genre for hippies, potheads, and Rastafarians, ignoring the storied and unique subculture of the genre.
(10/13/17 9:38pm)
While Moon Boots’ previous discography consists of reliably strong singles, his debut album, First Landing, represents more of a giant leap than small steps. Throughout his entire career, Brooklyn’s Pete Dougherty, or Moon Boots, has consistently churned out groovy music that blurs the line between disco and electronic, and First Landing is no exception. The opening one–two punch of the song "Fortune Teller," followed by "Keep the Faith," could not be a better leading act for the album. While the former begins the album with a dreamy and flirty R&B–esque track headlined by the featured King Kona, the latter follows it up with a return to Moon Boots’ traditional form—a hypnotic, funky background (Nic Hanson’s ooh ah, ooh ah) that grabs your attention and demands—not asks—you to dance.
(09/22/17 7:22pm)
Stop me if you’ve heard this producer tag before: if young Metro don’t trust you, I gon’ shoot you. Of course you have, because producer Metro Boomin’s tag has achieved meme–like fame with Boomin’s chart–topping hits like “Jumpman” by Drake and Future, and “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” by Kanye West. Current hip–hop producers in the new wave of rap like Metro Boomin, MikeWillMadeIt, DJ Mustard, Just Blaze, and others love their production tags, so much so that some producers—such as Metro Boomin—have curated more than one tag to let you know that you’re listening to their beat. However, one producer would rather you recognize their beats by the sound itself, not through their tags—Kaytranada.
(10/19/17 7:59pm)
With midterm and paper season coming up fast, we could all use a little extra motivation to study. If this intense classical music can’t give you any inspiration at all, you’re probably screwed for the exam anyways.
(10/21/17 1:16am)
Bask in the last few days of the warm sun with this playlist before there’s a sudden influx of flannel on Locust Walk and the seasonal affective disorder starts kicking in.
(09/22/17 7:08pm)
Streaming is a touchy subject here at Street Music. There are those among us who'll be on Spotify until they die, some who have hopped on the Apple Music bandwagon, and others who have made the switch. Street Beats Paul Litwin and Noah Kest explained the pros and cons of their favorite streaming services.
(10/19/17 8:06pm)
We’ve all been there at some point: it’s been a wild night out, you’ve picked up and devoured your Allegro/Wawa munchies, and now you need some hazy music while your mind wanders. This playlist has saved me on those nights many times. It’ll probably do the same for you.
(10/21/17 1:21am)
Between piano keys sampled in the background, the snare drums that kick in within a few seconds, and the bass that soon after blasts through your speakers, at first listen you would believe Higher Brothers’ “Yahh” to be a Zaytoven–produced track off Migos’ album, Culture. However, once the lyrics start flowing, most people do a double take. That’s mostly due to the fact that while these four rappers rap in a similar fashion to Migos, the Higher Brothers rep Chengdu, China, not Atlanta, Georgia.