GRUNGECAKE

Category: Premieres

  • Premiere: Billy Porter’s ‘For What It’s Worth’ cover remixed by GRAMMY-nominated duo King Garbage

    Back in April, singer, television star, activist and fashion extraordinaire Billy Porter released the timely cover of singer-songwriter Stephen Stills’ ‘For What It’s Worth’, performed by Buffalo Springfield. That version had a “soulful spin” and kept the relevance, and today’s version produced by GRAMMY-nominated producer duo King Garbage has a Hip-Hop vibe to it, which may appeal to younger audiences.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5agFfHf6A&h=315]

    Urging for change in the hook of the record, Billy Porter encourages you to vote, whether you believe it matters or not. Our ancestors fought, bled, and sacrificed their lives for us to be able to. If it didn’t mean anything, the American voting structure wouldn’t be as it is. The tragedy of what happened in Atlanta this week during primary voting wouldn’t have come to pass. As New York City sees its third day since Phase One reopening, I hope we do not share Atlanta’s experience.

    If you are terrified of voting for fear of getting COVID-19, fill out the absentee ballot. It takes two minutes. If you are not registered to vote, click here to register today.

  • Premiere: Baltimore artist Antoine Bishop shares short love song ‘My Loves Easy’ about unwavering commitment

    Never one for long-drawn-out compositions or uninteresting storylines, Baltimore-based artist Antoine Bishop returns with the type of love song, only he can make. Commenting on the fullness one experiences when they find a soulmate, he asks, “You ever had something so sweet, that it don’t even feel real? Somebody pinch me.”

    Assuring the love of his life that he wants to her to be in his life, he says “If it ain’t clear, I’m trying to see you next year”. Is there love easier than that? Who wouldn’t a lover that is transparent and communicative? To me, Antoine Bishop is on his DJ Khaled tip, not allowing any other godforsaken creature to get in the way of his happiness. “You ain’t gotta worry about them faces. My loves easy.”

    Your life and perspectives are different when you’ve found someone who completes your soul, making the holes and gaps you felt with others seem non-existent. It’s the sweetest form of adoration in this world. Hear the wonderfully-crafted jazzy Hip-Hop production below.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXT1Z_ngzn4&h=315]

  • Premiere: St Panther shares video for the vibrant ‘Infrastructure’ from Insecure: Music From the HBO Original Series

    St Panther, an unassuming California-based musician with a strong vocal palette, whether she’s singing or rapping to the warmth of live instrumentation, is straightforward in her songwriting and intent, which is what drew me to her being. In her new song ‘Infrastructure’, she talks about love, looking like a fool, and not getting it right. Not reaching for perfection nor is she selling you traditional polished Pop songs, she is relatable and appears to be someone you could say hello to on the street; she might embrace you. At the attractive space in Los Angeles, Gold-Diggers, she performs the relatable lyrics to her new incredible single ‘Infrastructure’, which has been picking up steam.

    The audio for ‘Infrastructure’ originally premiered through the first episode of ‘Insecure’ on Sunday, April 12 on HBO alongside fellow new artists like Cautious Clay’s ‘Reaching’ featuring Alex Isley and Yung Baby Tate’s ‘Never Lonely’ featuring Jozzy. Today, the official music video shot at Gold-Diggers in Los Angeles exclusively releases through GRUNGECAKE.

    I had the chance to catch up with St Panther to discuss the release, how she feels about being featured on the soundtrack, her musical skills, the effects of the unprecedented COVID-19, and more.

    Photo: Courtesy of Raedio, Atlantic Records, and HBO

    GRUNGECAKE: ‘Gold-Diggers’ looks like a pleasant creative space. What is it? How did you get connected?

    St Panther: It’s a real unique spot. GD is a bar/venue/hotel/recording studio on Santa Monica Blvd introduced to me through Nice Life/How So Records. First as a venue for a Leon Bridges show, then as a studio for a writing camp. I still leave feeling like I’ve been to more than one place

    You are a musician, someone who plays as well as uses their vocals to tell a story. I dreamed of being a drummer in a band as a teenager. When did you learn to play the drums?

    Back in 2003, I was nine when I got my first drum kit and did 4 years of private instruction with Matt Westfall, a drummer at Westcoast Drums which was a local percussion store at the time.

    Did you grow up listening to an array of music? Mostly Jazz music? If so, where would you say is the starting point for someone who listens to other genres?

    I grew up listening to anything from Joao Gilberto, Astrid Gilberto, Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim to Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince to Ray Charles, Nina Simone to Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, to OutKast, The Notorious BIG., Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye West, Theophilus London to Radiohead, No Doubt, Madonna, Altered Images. I named my first dog after ‘Lucky’ by Britney Spears and ‘Supermodel’ by RuPaul is still one of my all-time favorite songs. I think the way into multitude is really just being keen to music as a whole.

    What inspired the songwriting for ‘Infrastructure’? How long have you been singing and rapping? When did you know you had the gift?

    At the time, I was in a post-Stevie Wonder kick headspace – who always has impressive chord progressions and pop songs with a funk edge – I tried my best hand at that. I’ve been singing since I was little, and rapping was second nature to what I was starting to produce in high school.

    Do you produce your records with your band?

    I write/produce all of my records at home, this upcoming EP being the first time I take my records beyond that setting and into How So/Nice Life Records to further engineer them with Nate Mercereau/Ricky Reed. I hope to put together a band to tour the music with, but for now, St Panther is just me.

    How has COVID-19 affected you?

    COVID-19 has made me that much more mindful with our environment/everyone included. Working as of late has all been virtual and from home. It’s been a productive time despite the changes, but more than anything has been a reminder of how to treat our environment when we get back to it.

    How did it feel to have your song played on the premiere episode of the fourth season of Insecure? Are you excited to be featured on the forthcoming soundtrack?

    It’s always rewarding to have your work be of use to another artist. When it comes to Issa Rae and Insecure, I think her/her team along with the show and soundtrack give new music a life beyond being released. It finds a life in someone else’s work and it’s genuinely humbling and beyond exciting to be considered as an accessible collaborator in our community and look forward to doing much more.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRrBXSepj4&h=315]

    About the collaboration, Kevin Weaver, Atlantic Records President, West Coast, shared Atlantic Records is excited to partner with Issa Rae, Raedio and HBO to break new ground together by releasing an array of exclusive music each week in connection with this season of Insecure.

    He continued, Issa Rae is a cultural icon, a unique tastemaker and a creator of tomorrow’s trends. We believe this series, and this new season of the show, are the perfect vehicle to support her musical vision to curate and A&R music from a diverse arsenal of incredibly special artists that speak so uniquely to the series she has created.

  • Premiere: Pop/Latin/R&B artist Poe Leos shares ‘Look At Me’ featuring Kay Dinero from Insecure: Music From the HBO Original Series

    Poe Leos, a gifted Mexico-born Rockford, Illinois-raised artist with a bilingual flow most artists can only dream of, celebrates new fame and new money with the release of her new song ‘Look At Me’ featuring Kay Dinero. Inviting her doubters and haters to look at her glow up, the twenty-year-old multifaceted artist didn’t have her new life handed to her. Like most new artists before signing a major record deal, she worked to gain a following by singing at local birthday parties, quinceañeras, and sweet sixteens, one of which happened to be for the daughter of a top music industry executive.

    If you’re in tune with real-life (and how the music industry) works, singing at a birthday celebration for an executive’s daughter guarantees a good time, not a record deal. I want to bet that Poe Leo’s extraordinary confidence, communication style, appeal, and deep determination are responsible for her current success. Not to mention, she comes from a line of performers and musicians, so it comes natural to her, and she’s been writing since she was fifteen, and taught herself how to play the piano, guitar, and ukelele. Leos also produces and engineers.

    Photo: Courtesy of Atlantic Records

    The ascendent song is part of HBO Insecure’s exhilarating soundtrack for Season 4. Will you watch? The bouncy track will feature on episode 3 of ‘Insecure’, set to air April 26. Raedio, Atlantic Records and HBO’s ‘Insecure: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 4’ will feature brand new tracks from a diverse array of major artists and rising stars.

    If this is your first time hearing about the unique artist, take the time to check out last month’s release ‘Pop Star’, which has over 390,000 views and counting. You’ll be able to see the petite rising star in motion and hear her impressive vocal range/effortless bilingual flow as she sings about wanting to be a pop star and what that takes to foster.

    I was deep in thought reflecting on financial hardships, thinking of all the times my mom would motivate me, notes Poe on the creating of ‘Pop Star’. She would say ‘as long as you work hard, you can be whatever you want to be.’ I want to send that message to anyone listening to my song and remind them that their dreams aren’t out of reach.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1i0vdzzEsU&h=315]

    I want people to know that they can do it too, says Poe Leos, especially seeing someone that looks like them doing it. Being from another country and moving here, things were never handed to me. I worked hard and you can too – dreams aren’t out of reach.

  • Premiere: Canada’s rising singer-songwriter Myles Castello shares visualiser for ‘Blue’

    In a cheeky way to promote his new single, Myles Castello shares the official visualiser for ‘Blue’. Throughout the video, the artist reveals how his life has been affected by COVID-19, making life difficult to manage. From the strain on relationships to furloughs and the closure of small business, we are all affected. Castello shows he’s human and relatable. Not letting a global pandemic stop him from getting work done, he multitasks between conversation with his manager, creative team, and his girlfriend. It is those types of skills that will take anyone further along.

    After he purchases pizza for the love of his life, he heads to social media to promote his new single.

    Watch it below exclusively on GRUNGECAKE. Then, tune into our live interview with the Warner Music Canada artist on our Instagram at 7 PM EST tonight. The visual will be available everywhere at 7.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd6oBLHXbuE&h=315]

  • Premiere: New York emcee Mel Doro ensues ego on new release ‘Nobody Fucking Wit Me (NFWM)’

    With a sense of superiority, the lyrically-gifted, Mel Doro, lets it be known that he has no competition when it comes to rap. On this new release, ‘Nobody Fucking Wit Me (NFWM)’, he steps outside of his normally cool, calm, and collected character to deliver some aggressive lyrics. To anyone who thinks that they can even attempt to keep up with him or dare to battle, he lets it be known:

    I don’t beef with these wack rappers, only spar with the best, so if I decline a feature, know it’s outta respect.

    To complement his sound, he enlists the help of AE Beats to provide very intoxicating, and soulful production. Mel Doro is calling out all rappers and wants them to know that none of them can compare. Take a listen.

  • Premiere: Harlem’s UFO Fev teams up with Dancehall artist Spice for fiery single ‘Nightclubs’

    With a collaboration that we didn’t know we needed, but we’re glad we have, UFO Fev has teamed up with Jamaican Dancehall superstar Spice to release this crazy single with the crazy visuals to match. ‘Nightclubs’ is a true fusion of pure Hip-Hop and Reggae, giving an island vibe to this authentically New York type tune. Spice is gorgeous and intense, as usual, as are the beautiful women dancing along to the beat. UFO Fev does what he does best–delivers pure bars, reps his hood, and rides the beat effortlessly. This collaboration is lit and we definitely want to see more.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abYSeOnSI_U&h=315]

  • Premiere: Hear UFO Fev’s new potent record ‘Nightclubs’ featuring Jamaica’s top female deejay Spice

    The Spanish kid from the East got Grace (Spice’s first name) to bless the Grace Jones original. Fun fact: Both Grace’s were born in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica.

    UFO FEV, one of the first New York City-native artists to leap from grinding through email pitches to mainstages all over the globe, returns with a potent feature from one of Jamaica’s baddest deejays, Spice. The flawlessly produced ‘Nightclubs’, inspired by Grace Jones’ classic ‘Nightclubbin’ sees the Harlem emcee with the high-grade descriptive lyrics, which plants its listener in the seat or room of his mind. If you weren’t born in the 70s, but you were rocking with Hip-Hop music when Puffy dated J Lo, you know the flip of this beat for Shyne’s debut album was a problem.

    The year was 2000: the beginning of a new millennium and a new decade. The Barrington Levy-sampled single was a breath of fresh air. Music fans treated him like he was the second coming of Biggie because of his big baritone voice. ‘Nightclubs’ is a sweet ode to those times, and the classic ‘Nightclubbin’ by Grace Jones from her fifth studio album. Play this one loud, baby.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsavdkv_DlE&h=315]

  • Premiere: Cardi B co-signed artist Kierra Luv announces forthcoming mixtape ‘Take It or Leave It’ featuring Iann Dior, Tory Lanez, and Ray Moon

    [media-credit name=”Courtesy” width=2560 align=”none”][/media-credit]

    Being co-signed by Cardi B is a dream come true to any fellow female rapper in this world. And that’s something that Kierra Luv has under her belt. Hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the young talent has announced the release of her forthcoming mixtape ‘Take It or Leave It’. Although the artist is known for her freestyles and covering top-charting originals, she knows how to make an album cut. Check out the cover art and her tracklist below featuring ‘WWD’, the Kyle Van Riper and Geoffro-produced track, Tory Lanez feature ‘Can’t Stand It’, ‘Good Day’ with Ray Moon, and one with her labelmate iann dior. ‘Take It or Leave’ is set to come out April 10 on 10K Projects/Electric Feel Entertainment.

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    Kierra Luv’s freestyle laid over Cardi B’s ‘Money’ has been viewed more than fourteen million times. XXL also named her one of the hottest teen rappers out.

    Take It or Leave It Track Listing:

    1 Work It Out
    2 Don’t I
    3 Why
    4 Good Day (featuring Ray Moon)
    5 Can’t Stand It (featuring Tory Lanez)
    6 Bands On The Way
    7 WWD
    8 Worth It All
    9 Run Away (featuring Iann Dior)
    10 Out of Bounds

  • Premiere: Shamon Cassette and Japandrew drop joint project ‘WARDROBE’

    ‘WARDROBE’ is no doubt the kind of project we need in the midst of chaos. It’s chill, nostalgic, and high quality. Shamon Caseette and Japandrew’s collaboration is relevant and necessary for all true Hip-Hop lovers. As the tracks progressed, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Wu-Tang Clan, The Pharcyde, etc. The artist describes the project as ‘AN ANALOG AUDIO VISUAL SCI-FI ANTIDOTE..’–accurate. This project is artistically advanced; every beat, bar, and even down to your visual experience with album art being extremely intentional and cohesive. This is what you want to listen to if you miss that pure Hip-Hop feel.

    by SHAMON CASSETTE x JAPANDREW