KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
lowkey listens
The winter months — December to February — are the dark months of music. I've always felt this way.In the winter of 2013 into 2014, we had Childish Gambino's "Because the Internet" and Young Thug's "Bloody Portland."
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy
Kevin Abstract — "Echo
Kevin Abstract's first album "MTV1987" is in my top favorites of 2014. This album was produced entirely by Romil, and so was this song, but sonically, this track completely shifts away from the rap-heavy 2014 record and into a more sing-song Abstract sound. This song reminded me of Kanye West's "808s and Heartbreak" on first listen, and the lyrics, paired with the
melodic production, cut hard just as they do on West's 2008 album. With the track, Kevin Abstract announced that his sophomore album "They Shoot Horses" will be released in 2016 after focusing on the Brockhampton collection for most of 2015.
Best line: "I'm afraid I'll be just like my friends / I'm afraid I ain't gon' have no friends"
Allan Kingdom - "Hypocrite" ft. Jared Evan
before some woodblock and bass kick in as the energy slowly rears itself up. Kingdom is the type of rapper you have to warm up to - his voice is a bit harsh, and his flow bites hard.
Allan Kingdom is one of the most successful artists to come off SoundCloud. He boosted his clout with a Kanye West co-sign on "All Day" and has sort of spidered across the internet since. This track was my favorite off of his newest album "Northern Lights." The track starts with hymnlike instrumentation
Best line: "I'm all up on your neck like Dracula / Then Imma tell you this isn't bad for us"
In 2014-15, the winter months were quiet until Drake saved it with the surprise drop of "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" in mid-February. This year, it's much of the same, except this time we're waiting on Kanye West.
G. O.O.D. Fridays have made that wait a bit less painful, but underground music can too. Here are some tracks that have helped me through not only winter break but also through the wait for
Kanye West's album.
Nova - "I Just"
Produced by a 16-year-old, who has been part of Lowkey Listen playlists before, this trap-infused beat really goes. Both of these guys are grinders — selling beats, regularly releasing new stuff, having a nice base in a handful of different rap styles. The first half of this track is bling hiphop with hi-hats, drums and some glossy synths riding in the background, but the second
is where the bass gets even heavier and Nova pounds you with every word he says. The second half is rattling, jarring, with more realistic lyrics than in the first half.
Best line: "I show the red in my eyes / I let them I let them know I got nothing to hide / I let them know every time that I'm high"
Lund - "Broken"
This is the third time Lund has showed up in Lowkey Listens; I really can't overstate how talented he is. "Alone" was arguably one of the best SoundCloud tracks of 2015 - a year where Lund really grew. This track was actually a response to reaching 10,000 followers on SoundCloud. And he didn't only produce it, like some of his other
stuff, but he wrote and performed it as well. It's a very chill instrumental featuring guitar and, of course, drums and hi-hats, both Lund staples. It's one of my favorites that he's made in his time on SoundCloud.
Best line: "Will you take my soul / In the midnight rain / While I'm falling apart / While I'm going insane"
Brick Grillins — "SkinnyScumbag"
It's hard to learn much about Brick Grillins. He's from Toronto, Canada. He's part of the collective, People and Places. He's expected to release an EP titled "BiPolar" soon. That's about all I could gather. I mean, really, I know very little about him. But I do know this about his music: It mostly sticks with trap-infused beats that progress slowly until Grillins' voice comes in. And Grillins' voice
is probably what stuck with me the most with this track; it's grimy, it projects confidence and it doesn't seem phony. That's all so important if you're trying to make music you'd play at a party. With this track, Grillins does just that.
Best line: "Sick of the kids who be smiling when nothing when nothing is funny / Ain't got to tell me that my time is coming"