Cover, Pop, Videos | Timeflies Tuesday – Rather Be
Posted by Grubeats on September 14, 2014
Cal and Rez may not always outdo the original artist’s work on any given Timeflies Tuesday episode, but their ability to cover and remix such a diverse blend of genre’s is unsurpassed by few. This week they rolled through yet another viral hit, “Rather Be” from Clean Bandit x Jess Glynne’s. Rock on and grab tickets to see these Timeflies live this fall/winter!
Indie, Pop, Videos | Jon Bellion – Carry Your Throne
Posted by Grubeats on September 11, 2014
Wait, this is all for a free album? F-R-E-E. Seriously though, Jon Bellion is making lazy artists on major labels look SILLY. He’s single handedly carving his niche in this industry and independently putting more work into one video than a lot of artists put into an entire project. Thought, creativity, collaboration, talent, a tenacious hunger to innovate, and an immaculate focus contribute to the art which was gifted to us today.
“The record was produced and recorded in an actual castle cathedral in France. Live orchestration and all,” Bellion tells Complex. “Me and award-winning country producer Chris DeStefano looked at each other after the final playback and just hysterically laughed for about an hour. We knew how progressive and incredible this shit was.” [via Complex]
If you thought “Simple and Sweet” was cinematic, you might lose your pants when you watch this. Sonically, I’m not sure there is any other artist in the business consistently delivering music of this caliber – mainstream or indie. Channeling a combination of his inner Wolverine and Kanye West, Bellion rocks his heart out for the girl of his dreams. No, I don’t think you understand, he’s going to war for this girl. The creative direction, the lighting, the angles, the scenery, the tone, the wolves – everything was on point. This marks the last release before Jon’s FREE album, The Definition, which drops on 9/23. I’m hoping all of you will accept my recommendation to add it to your library when it comes time.
Progressive House, Videos | The Chainsmokers ft. SirenXX – Kanye (Video)
Posted by Middy on September 8, 2014
Like Kanye the person, The Chainsmokers are used to playing shortened festival sets (E Zoo last Sunday). The similarities end there. The Chainsmokers rendition of Kanye has become a hit, not on the accidental and obnoxious level of #SELFIE, but impressive considering it is just their second original to hit the interwebz. Peep the video and feel like Kanye.
Hip-Hop, Pop, Videos | Jon Bellion – Luxury ft. Audra Mae
Posted by Grubeats on September 2, 2014
Coming off his last abstract visual production, “Simple and Sweet”, Jon Bellion returns with a track which counters his first single, “Munny Right”. It brings me back to my middle school days when I would thrash on my trumpet. The sweet sound of brass…that hardly ever came out of my instrument, but that’s besides the point. Stringing together an anthem-esque production over slightly deeper, slightly raspy verses & the signature JB hook sound. The OKC folk singer (previously recognizable from Avicii’s “Addicted to You”), Audra Mae, lends her powerful vocal chords for four very heavy lines to complement Jon’s effort.
2moros Record Is A Response To MUNNY RIGHT…. BUT It's Also The Score To My First Animated Short Dropping Days After.
— Jon Bellion (@jonbellion) September 1, 2014
You can hear Jon battling Miss Luxury in his head. He continues to grow, but it’s a constant battle to keep his feet grounded and retain his roots. This marks the third single off The Definition due out 9/23 and will also be followed with a short animated film later this week (likely Thursday) entitled “Jon Bellion’s Luxury”.
“We’re not sad at all We know you have to leave and we’re not mad at all You’ll be back in town and we’ll play basketball And if you fall off track we’ll be your adderall We won’t let your soul drown in luxury”
Hip-Hop, Videos | Tarik – Everything I Am Part 3
Posted by BIGLIFE on August 20, 2014
Tarik just released his next single Everything I Am Part 3. His mixtape, Here To Stay will be release independently on September 22. Follow him on his social media to stay updated.
Hip-Hop, Pop, Videos | It’s a #VMGSummer and There’s Nothing You Can Do About It.
Posted by Grubeats on August 13, 2014
Follow VMG: QuESt | Jon Bellion | 6ix | Logic | Team Visionary
The artists over at Visionary Music Group have been delivering consistent heat this summer – to the point where the Grubeats of old would even have trouble keeping up with blog posts. QuESt, Jon Bellion, & producer 6ix have been carrying the load thus far while Logic puts the finishing touches on his debut album – release date and title TBD. Fortunately for Logic, Mr. QuESt and Mr. Bellion have diverted the spotlight from the young hip-hop don by dropping highlight reel material of their own.
The video above is the latest release from the VMG squad; a cinematic performance by Jon Bellion himself titled “Simple and Sweet”. You might see the parallels between the song title and the structure of the record. It’s very, well, ‘Bellion-ny’. The lyrics say it all – “You won’t need no big production, the synth and just my voice is fine”…then all of a sudden Jon channels his inner Kanye and breaks out with a tremendous production. Like that time Kanye broke out with his live rendition of “Runaway” at the 2010 VMA’s – that kind of g.o.o.d.. Anyway, prior to this single, Jon dropped “Munny Right” in which he illustrates past vs. present emotions. I highly suggest watching the behind the scenes making of video. Bellion’s junior album, The Definition, will be available for free on 9.23.14.
On to QuESt. The honest, riveting rhyme-sayer unavailing his story one track at a time. Deep into the promotion of his new free album, Searching Sylvan, we as fans stay on our toes eager to hear the next chapter in Q’s journey. It’s real, it’s dark, it’s bright, it’s raw, it’s numbing, it’s inspiring, it’s just the beginning. Four singles in and many of you are finally taking an ear to the Miami native. He’s battled adversity but he’s visibly hungry and determined which is why he will be successful. He’s passionate and we hear something new in every single. Did I mention that snake 6ix has produced or co-produced every new song thus far? Listen through the singles below and prepare for his VMG debut project being released on 9.2.14.
Hip-Hop, Videos | Fences — Arrows (Feat. Macklemore) [Music Video]
Posted by jeffwbaird on August 11, 2014
It’s been almost two years since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released The Heist to a small group of core fans, and saw their lives transform alongside the newfound stardom. Last December, in the midst of a small touring break, Macklemore penned these two verses for his good friend and collaborator, Fences—whose latest project, Lesser Oceans, comes out October 14th. It’s the writing we’ve gotten from Macklemore since he became a household name, and it serves as an intimate and introspective view into the challenges he’s faced grappling with fame.
Between hip-hop culture’s reactions to Macklemore’s Grammy victories and Drake’s call-out at the ESPY Awards, Mack’s received quite a bit of disdain for the popularity of “Thrift Shop”. In a recent Reddit AMA, he said that he went through a great period of fear when he thought that was all the world would ever know him for. Here he addresses this by saying, “He makes mistakes, tells stories to his paintbrush/And when the world finally sees his art/He wishes that he never would have made it.”
The video is at-once symbolic of this dilemma, as he’s seen climbing a sky-high diving board filled with his Rolling Stone covers, given the choice to make the plunge or back away. Regardless of your thoughts on the artist, this is a powerful and engaging look into the past two years through Macklemore’s eyes, and the latest narrative about the difficulty adjusting to fame.