It is no wonder why Nashville is known as “Music City”. Being the stomping grounds of the legendary Johnny Cash, abode of country music, and nexus for nightly, sonic stimulation; this capital of Tennessee has most definitely earned its epithet. Naturally, one would assume the residents of those tuneful, Volunteer streets equally live up to its legacy; and you would be right. Especially when it comes to QUAI. Of all of the Nashville artists out there, this titan seems most ambitious in representing the “Music City”. The tracklist alone, of his 2019 drop, “Regime”, makes that easily seen. It is twenty tracks in length, cut with bangers galore. With this project, QUAI is throwing a forty-minute trap party to which we are all invited; complete with monstrous anthems and 808-driven smashes, alike. The dividing line between “Regime”, and every other modern-trap project out there, however, is how uniquely its creator uses melody and rhyme. On his biggest records within the long-player, QUAI barely uses melody as a driving force for the song. Instead, he croons in the background; centering our focus on the lyrics he’s spitting, and the versatile flows they’re delivered through. This style assigns an especial sound to QUAI; and that specialty flows through every one of “Regime”’s veins. Without a doubt, in crafting this comprehensive body of work, QUAI has done Nashville’s legacy proud; and made himself heir to the “Music City” crown.
Obviously, the anticipation for K3’s latest project, “LoveTape” has been at an all time high. That much can be gathered from the mixtape’s opener, “#LoveTapeOTW”, wherein a plethora of locals and fans of the Cleveland rapper alike share praises of his talent and yearning to hear his upcoming work. Once the opus gets rolling, we know exactly why. Both lyrically and productively “LoveTape” is astronomical. For fifteen tracks, spanning approximately fifty minutes, K3 gives a sensual, yet Hip-Hop take on Midwest love. With an instrumental style that blends R&B with fragments of Trap and old-school Hip-Hop, plus a flow that flirts along the border between conversation and rap, this Ohio artist cranks out a list of bangers that both Drake and Bryson Tiller would have to admire. “Midnight Thoughts”, “In Too Deep”, “Ashanti”, “Let Me Know” (feat. TYuS) and “LoveTape” (feat. Ye Ali) are just a few examples of that astonishment. Truly, K3 has crafted a perpetual mood with “LoveTape”; and that type of artistry is precisely what separates the rookies from the greats. As far as this LP goes, greatness is definitely within this man’s reach.
Some people travel so much, they become an amalgamation of every place they visit. They journey to a new region and easily assimilate into that culture, amazingly making it their own. East Coast rapper, Ray Reaves is one of those people. After a recent move to Toronto, Canada (likewise attaining permanent residence), the chameleon artist offers us “The Only One”; a passionate bop that is more Toronto than your favorite Toronto act. At the very least, it comes dangerously close. “The Only One” is teeming with melody. In crooning to a special someone, Ray Reaves bares the dint of his melodious soul. Certainly, the track upholds a Hip-Hop bounce: colorful synths backed by pattering trap drums. A verse from the emcee even channels his East Coast heritage: raw with lyrical aggression. However, the atmosphere on “The Only One” is insanely alt-R&B. The same alt-R&B forwarded by the stars of OVO Sound. With this record, Ray Reaves adds his own flavor to the sound of his newfound home. What comes of that is an astounding, radio-hungry banger. Give “The Only One” a play, and you too will be counting down the days until Ray Reaves is Canada’s next heralded star.
Immediately, at the start of Tru Def’s hit “Fed Up”, you are struck with a banging instrumental. A kick unapologetically stomps into the mix, accompanied by hihats, snares, and an orchestrated vocal sample. In the background there is a trace of a sinister synth, but this is expeditiously snuffed out by the Texan rapper’s rhymes. Without hesitation, Tru Def attacks the track; and after a couple bars, it is cemented that the Dallas spitter is tiers above his competition. You’ll have to look elsewhere for a thoughtless trap record, because this is not one of those. Each line by Tru Def is penned with a glint of conscious rap; focused subtly on black empowerment. “All we do is win, win, win...” he reminds America, humbly flexing his songwriting and ability to build energy through a hook. There is no bass permeating throughout this record. The emcee’s bars are heavy enough. In wielding his struggles, ambition, and dedication to prosperity, Tru Def has crafted an inspiring trap anthem. It’s unignorable, he’s been “Fed Up”.
“We are really looking forward to 2017” said [Dro of The Fanatix]. 2016 was a great year full of progression, we have been involved in a number of high profile projects scheduled for release in 2017 which we are extremely excited about, along with a new release at the end of 2016 with E5Records, we would encourage everyone to check out Popcaan's latest single, Nah Idle” he added.
Riding something of a wave, Popcaan is now also linked with Drake’s OvO, recently appearing in an advert for the clothing brand meets Jordan, featuring production by The FaNaTiX.
The FaNaTiX have received widespread industry praise for their dynamic approach to each artist, capturing the individuality and creativity of whoever they work with. With an intricate understanding of the music industry, both in the UK and internationally, The FaNaTiX have a key knowledge of what it takes to not only succeed but also stand out, and have so far applied this successfully.
The FaNaTiX have worked with a host of musical icons such as Beenie Man, and have also produced for Stylo G, Geko, Sneakbo, Chipmunk and Paigey Cakey.
