2020 was a year to forget in many aspects, that's why here at UKUR we've decided moving forward this year that every couple of months we want to celebrate some positive artists and highlight our favourite music releases as we navigate this exciting coming era...
ZINO VINCI - BABY BLUE
02/01/20
With a solid display of several singles released back last year, Zino Vinci (the latest MC hailing from Newham) kicked the door open to his 2021 with the alternatively, hip-hop inspired E.p 'BABY BLUE'.
Opening with an audio voice recording, Zino launches himself into the first track 'Baby Blue', with a funk-infused boom-bap beat instrumental. You can really hear the hip-hop influences in his delivery yet his British terminology and accent brings a refreshing twist to the style.
The whole E.P is very strong lyrically and Zino is not be taken lightly when it comes to his raw barring. Finally beginning to garner the attention he deserves, this year is going to be huge for the MC, check out the full E.P now!
LE3_BLACK featuring DXVL - COLD WINTER
08/01/20
Le3_Black is renowned for his melodic niche and spacey production, everything he touches seems to sound like gold.
His latest track 'COLD WINTER' is no exception. Produced by GoodbyeChase and featuring DXVL, this track brings a really unique spin to an already progressive sound.
An experimental, drill inspired beat is laid out for Le3 Black to showcase his trademark boundary-pushing deliveries. What sets him apart is his willingness to never sacrifice any poignant lyricism amongst his longer, melodic notes, 'Cold Winter' is a true testament to his more technical side.
Big shout out on this hook too, Le3 Black absolutely murders it. It's a big enough reason alone to check the track out. To complement this DXVL swings in with a brutal verse to round things off perfectly. Already a real highlight of ours already from this year and clearly a fan favourite as Cold Winter has surpassed 100k streams!.
JAYDON CLOVER featuring DANNY SANCHEZ - CALLME
15/01/20
A real mellow one from the unbelievable vocalist and R&B talent Jaydon Clover. 'Callme' really puts you in a reflective mindset when consumed properly. Real kickback and vibe feelings. Once again we're gifted by a variety of expressive flows from Jaydon.
Danny Sanchez comes through! As per, performing with another silky flow that captivates you into his story. Another great mixture of storytelling, wordplay, flows and rhymes from the lyricist. His artistry is really something to admire...
Top visuals with this one too, courtesy of Milky!, hopefully, we're going to get to see this trio link up again sometime in the future!
KAM-BU - ARE YOU ON?
15/01/20
The epic intro to this track alone is enough to entice you in. A dramatic, eerie section that doesn't seem to really settle. As it builds, you're warped into the track as Kam-Bu emerges amongst the strings chanting the hook; ''Are you on ten yet?
Have you made friends yet?''.
You can really feel the energies in the track, Kam-Bu is renowned for spitting his vices atop of progressively alternative production and 'ARE YOU ON' showcases that on another level.
Notably: since this release, Kam-BU has upped the levels again with the February drop 'Black on Black' originally produced by long time collaborator and associate; Pullen. 'Black on Black' flips the usually negative phrase into something momentous and grand. Both tacks really exhibit the capabilities Kam-Bu's music really has...
TOBI ADEY - WALK IN SPIRIT
29/01/20
An angelic vibe painted by piano notes, slow drums and complemented with Tobi's voice. Reminds us of some kind of alluring, tropical paradise.
What I particularly love about Tobi's music is the variety of sounds he can effortlessly delve into whilst still consistently delivering complex melodies and lyrics.
Having dropped a project in 2018, 19 and 20, it was onnly right Tobi kicked off the year with his strongest most in-depth body of work yet 'Frequency'.
FEUX featuring ASHBECK - CLOUD NINE
05/02/20
When we first saw that Feux and Ashbeck had linked up to drop some music we were ecstatic. Two of the most exciting outright artists coming out of London right now.
Feux comes right through, blessing us with his trinity of singing, production and rapping talents. Since his album release, this man has gone from strength to strength whether that be dropping music, merchandise or content across various online platforms.
Co-produced by Marow, the beat lives up to its name, transporting you through a cloudy atmosphere. Feux switches it up into French, setting Ashbeck up for his feature verse to finish.
NPHIL - ABC's
05/02/20
This is surprisingly our first time featuring Nphil on the site! The articulate lyricist has been steady away working hard, already dropping a freestyle and announcing an E.P dropping this Friday!
Dropping a slick flow and his usual sharp tongue, Nphil glides across the beat tearing everything down in his away. He begins calmly and slowly applies the pressure, continuing to flow straight through until he arrives at his original bars once again.
Definitely, one to watch out for this year, this new E.P is going to be explosive! Be sure to run up 'ABC'S' and follow Nphil on the socials for all his music-related updates.
IDYLL - SWITCH
06/02/20
The Brighton MC has been pushing and pushing since his album release back in 2020 with a succession of profound singles mostly accompanied by a series of alike visuals.
'SWITCH', the latest edition, also released through Cult Deep Records this time comes produced by King Girl. The artists that make up the label, work very close between themselves and it's evident with the sound they are carving out. Recent tracks have all been written, recorded, mixed, mastered, shot and edited in house.
Idyll's lyrics will really resonate with all kinds of people, he brings an honest and open approach to his writing with some brilliant wordplay placements throughout all his tracks. Combine this factor with the visionary, smooth sounds of both Guami Beats and King Girl and you have some intensely raw and unique music such as 'Apples and Pears' and 'Fully Buddha'.
Be sure to check out their movement some really exciting things going on over there, we'll be sure to cover all their upcoming releases and hope to bring you some collaborative content in the future.
MALLY - EGG YOLK
12/02/20
It's impossible to pick an outright favourite from Mally's highly anticipated recent E.P 'ARCADE'.
Each and every track bring its own sound from Mally, his voice alone is enough to carry his music, matched up to his general artistic vision and music talents, he is a serious force to be reckoned with.
Egg Yolk had to be a stand out track being number 2 on the tracklist it was at this point I knew he was going to murder the entire tape. Produced by the wizard on the buttons himself SKT, from the hook to beat switch-ups and drops to the wordplay, this tune pops off from start to finish.
KISH! - AUDIO SERVICE
20/02/20
Having dropped a snippet teaser of 'Audio Service' the day of its release, the track lands on streaming services with a crazy impact.
Having previously linked up with producer MANNY DUBBS frequently, you know when these two link up it's an unstoppable combination.
This surprisingly comes as Kish!'s first solo release since his game-changing tape 'The Fantastic Preservation Society' back in May of last year.
Kish! subsequently dropped the official music video and a 237 BTS visual on his ever-growing YouTube channel, be sure to hit the subscribe button there too for top quality content such Vlogs, Music and more!
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Words by: Jack Slade / @jsld_____
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