Music

Blxst Exhibits His Love For Art In The ‘Got It All’ Video With Dom Kennedy

Blxst’s breakout year gets a co-sign from a local superstar. …

LA rappers Blxst and Dom Kennedy visit an art exhibit in the video for “Got It All” from Blxst’s deluxe No Love Lost EP. After the video opens with a close-up of one of Blxst’s portrait subjects, we see the emerging West Coast star sketching another young woman who poses and primps inside a glass case. Later, the two rappers display a collection of modern art in a gallery as onlookers peruse paintings of Tupac, Aaliyah, and more.

Blxst’s 2020 has proven to be a breakout season for the rapper-singer, who made his bones over the previous year with guest appearances on other Los Angeles stars’ projects, from fellow newcomers 1TakeJay and Bino Rideaux to long-established vets like Eric Bellinger. After releasing his debut project No Love Lost, he increased his reach with the deluxe version which includes even more local superstars like Ty Dolla Sign, who appears on “Chosen.”

Meanwhile, indie vet Dom Kennedy has made a comeback of sorts thanks to his Half A Mil projects with Hit-Boy and his appearances on tracks like Nas’s “City On Lock” from the latter’s comeback album.

Watch the “Got It All” video above.

No Love Lost (Deluxe) is out now via Red Bull Records. Listen to it here.

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Artist Spotlight

Lisa Jo turns feeling unseen into self-acceptance with latest release “Oddball Gem”

Lisa Jo captures that feeling of being outside the crowd in “Oddball Gem.” The song is about feeling invisible, misunderstood and determined to be yourself. The emotional core is visceral. So many thoughts, not enough words, the draining effort of trying when the fight still feels unfinished. The writing gives you that feeling, makes isolation a familiar, personal thing.

The song then moves to images of becoming ‘a shadow’ and ‘a ghost’ before arriving at a stronger sense of identity. The emotional feeling of not fitting in is at the heart of this song, with the lyric “I was built this way” changing the tone from pain to self-acceptance.

“Oddball Gem,” is a declaration from someone learning to stand comfortably in their difference. The line “I don’t fit in I’m an odd ball gem” is a direct and memorable encapsulation of what the song is all about. Lisa Jo turns that feeling of being left out into a portrait of individuality. She provides the track with an emotional message of staying true to yourself when belonging seems hard today.

Connect with Lisa Jo on Spotify || Facebook || Instagram || Youtube

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Artist Spotlight

Temidayo Balogun bridges tradition and modern expression on latest release “Ori I “Concept of Democracy”

Temidayo Balogun‘s latest release, “Ori I “Concept of Democracy,” blends African musical traditions with contemporary jazz to explore identity and community. “Talking drums, native instruments, but there are also passing notes on the piano and a saxophone for another dimension to the musical language,” the song is characterized by.

The track isn’t rooted in one musical planet, but in the relationship between its different elements. Talking drums are part of African musical traditions. The piano and saxophone add a jazz-oriented dimension. That contrast lets the song explore its themes of identity and community as much through sound as concept.

If you like genre-bending work, “Ori I’ Concept of Democracy” is a thoughtful musical experience. Temidayo Balogun mixes indigenous instrumentation with contemporary jazz textures to keep the focus on the relationship between people, culture, and community. The track works because the sounds come together. It invites the listener to dwell on the musical ideas rather than just pass through them.

Connect with Temidayo Balogun on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube