Indie Hip Hop

Interview with Roman Stark – Visible Side

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman March 5, 2018 10:45 am Tagged With: Europe, Hip Hop, New York City, rap, Ukraine, United States

It was in 2012, when then-student Roman Stark popped on a Soundcloud beat his friend had posted to Facebook, and for the first time, reached for a note-book and a pen. An immigrant from Ukraine, Stark channels the stories of his country, and his new home of NYC, on the brand new single Visible Side. […]

Interview with Ernest K. – Cuss Fight F**k

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman March 1, 2018 9:58 am Tagged With: Funk, Hip Hop, Nashville, R&B, rap, Soul, United States

Ernest K . is a genre-defying artist from Nashville who prefers to look at the brighter side of life. Adopted at three weeks old, the victim of a freak heart attack at age 19 and overcoming a battle with addiction in college, Ernest K. embraces surmounting ridiculous odds as a gift, not a curse. “Cuss, Fight, […]

King Gheno Taps Into The Subconscious Mind On New Single, Plan In Motion

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 27, 2018 11:24 am Tagged With: Hip Hop, rap, United States, Washington DC

Washington, D.C. based Hip Hop artist King Gheno has released a series of conscious singles he refers to as “brain train tracks”. Plan In Motion is the newest release. In Gheno’s words, Brain train tracks are meditation tracks that are strategically crafted with affirmation to retrain the subconscious mind. The hypnotic hip-hop beats will help […]

Interview with C.Shreve the Professor – Free The Optimus

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 22, 2018 9:03 pm Tagged With: Hip Hop, North Carolina, rap, United States

Chris Shreve (aka C.Shreve the Professor) is a Deep Gap, North Carolina MC and founder of the award winning hip hop collective Free The Optimus (FTO). A senior lecturer at Appalachian State University by day, this veteran emcee brings unique and dynamic perspective to both the studio and the live stage. C.Shreve defines Free The […]

Interview with My’Key Iso – Blessings

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 15, 2018 3:09 pm Tagged With: Hip Hop, Houston, rap, Texas, United States

The post-Hurricane Harvey rap song, Blessings, is an uplifting track to remind us to count our blessings in life. After a period of misfortune and being displaced from his home due to flooding, My’Key Iso slipped into a slight depression. The country’s relief efforts and the abundance of support he received from loved ones revived […]

ChillP Releases BigHeadOnTheBeat Produced Single, Snakes

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 14, 2018 12:13 pm Tagged With: Hip Hop, rap

Upcoming rap artist ChillP has delivered his BigHeadOnTheBeat produced single, Snakes, now streaming on Soundcloud. Featuring a haunting piano sample, deep bass hits and crisp snares, Snakes maintains a darker atmosphere as ChillP flows through his storytelling lyrical style with a healthy amount of confidence. A very raw and organic track, Snakes lends itself for […]

Interview with TeawhYB – Take You There

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 7, 2018 5:29 pm Tagged With: Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, United States, Wisconsin

TeawhYB is an alternative R&B/Hip-Hop artist who ignites emotion and positivity through his music detailing relationship culture, personal identity, and mental health. Using a harmonic dialect, TeawhYB disguises intimate ideas with a mainstream sound that is curated for inspirational road trips, chill pre-games, and precious alone time. In this interview spotlight, I chat with TeawhYB […]

Interview with Hibru – Tea For Otakus

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 6, 2018 9:56 am Tagged With: composer, Electronic, Hip Hop, house, Instrumental, Jazz, producer

In this interview spotlight, I speak with MTSU alumnus Hibru about his latest project (Tea For Otakus), challenges, motivations and more. Full Q&A along with links and music below. Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.) […]

Sy Delivers Rueben Wood Produced Soulful R&B Jam, Get Out of My Dreams

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 5, 2018 6:35 am Tagged With: Hip Hop, Pop, R&B, singer, songwriter, Soul

Singer/songwriter Sy has delivered her newest Rueben Wood produced, soul-infused, R&B single titled Get Out Of My Dreams. Fresh off the writing and publishing of two self-help books “A Swan Among Ducks” and “Saying Yes to (No): Learning the Power of (No)“, Get Out of My Dreams is the first single written by this multi-faceted […]

Interview with Tachichi – Chico’s ’90s Project

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman January 30, 2018 6:20 pm Tagged With: Canada, Hip Hop, rap

Tachichi is a Halifax Hip Hop legend whose resume is as superb and as big as his talent, with his fingers in everything from writing to production to video directing. Tachichi has released 11 albums to date and played hundreds of live shows across Canada and the U.S. While much of his previous catalogue has been alongside Canadian producer and DJ […]