Music

Boogie Co-Signs Detroit Rapper Courtney Bell In Their Defiant ‘Lion’s Den’ Video

The rebellious video finds the two rappers turning the tables on violent cops. …

Courtney Bell is an up-and-coming rapper from Detroit whose gift for witty wordsmithing in singles like “Say You Wanna” and “Ice” has put him on the radars of traditional rap fans this year and garnered him a respectable following for a rapper without an official album out yet. Bell’s talent has secured a trustworthy cosign from Compton’s Boogie on his latest single, “Lion’s Den,” ensuring that his underground credibility and profile will grow before too much longer.

The song’s lyrics find the conscious-minded Bell and the street-centric Boogie taking on a topic that’s been at the forefront of the news cycle throughout 2020: The ongoing pattern of racially-motivate police brutality that has turned so many Black people’s names into hashtags and reasons for protest. Drawing on his religious beliefs, Bell defies the conditions that oppress Black people, while Boogie maintains “my heart is not on auction.”

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Welcome 2 The Lions Den 🦁🔥 me & @ws_boogie dropping @ 3pm tomorrow ‼️‼️‼️ PROD. By @paycash 🎹 Directed by : @directedbydiego 🐐 📸: @theonlysolus 🔥
A post shared by COURTNEY BELL 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 HEBREW (@officialcourtneybell) on Nov 9, 2020 at 6:42pm PST
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In the video, the duo and their crew surround and bully a police officer who pointed his gun at them, hammering home the idea that officers are meant to protect and serve the people, who should hold more power than them. It ends with a list of names of people killed by police in recent years, including Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Breonna Taylor, and more.

Although it’s been a relatively quiet year for Boogie, who is billed to appear on LVRN’s Home For The Holidays Christmas album later this year, he did have appearances on Reason’s “Trapped In” and Guapdad 4000’s “Hairless Horseman.”

Watch the “Lion’s Den” video above.

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Album Review

Paul Terry, Aptøsrs & Cellarscape unite on bold new album “Alternative Piano Club”

Combining his three artistic alter egos, Paul Terry presents an awe-inspiring new 12-track album, “Alternative Piano Club,” written in collaboration with Aptøsrs and Cellarscape. This is an album-length voyage of music that blends acoustic, rock, and piano-driven cinematic sounds.

Torn between this complex emotional spectrum, all the while the piano remains at its core throughout. Paul Terry opens his “Memento Mori (Chromogenic Phase)” contemplatively, creating a solemn, reflective mood. Cellarscape’s “Three Years Of Roses“ is warmer and more acoustic, whereas Aptøsrs’ “Questionnaires“ is much more textured as a large, sculptural post-rock.

“Dave’s Theme,” written by Paul Terry, musically expands the narrative with a touch of cinematic elevation that aligns well. “We Shape The Clouds” by Cellarscape is fluffy and heart-warming, “Writers Behind The Curtain” is somber, more narrative. We are all together in “A Place We Made,” an honest, intimate, emotionally grounded space.

The project contains vocal warmth and cultural depth in the song “This Is My Home“ by Silas Miami & Lana Crowster. Proceeding in a totally different direction is the stronger emotional clarity of Paul Terry’s acoustic storytelling on “Any Time You Want To Fly” and “No Sleep Has Come.” Cellarscape presents a wide, spacious atmospheric moment in “Cygnus,” while Aptøsrs ends with “Rust Mountain (Monochrome Piano Version),” a simple gem that brings the project full circle.

The mixing of Sam Okell and Adam Noble, the mastering of Alex Wharton and Robin Schmidt have, in many ways, brought their polish to it while still making it feel human. “Alternative Piano Club” is a work entity, where three musical personalities met and talk mind in the same emotional language.

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Artist Spotlight

LAST ALEX! balances precision and pulse on the electrifying track “Plus 1”

LAST ALEX!, a Chicago-based artist and producer, comes out with “Plus 1,” a high-energy release that combines technical prowess with an undeniable melodic instinct.

LAST ALEX! puts both craftsmanship and creativity on display here. The song’s strength lies in its balance, in detailed execution without sacrificing feeling, and in complexity without losing momentum.

LAST ALEX! doesn’t fully lean into the cold technique or loose emotion, but finds the sweet spot where skill and soul meet. This yields a polished, vibrant, and musically confident track.

Connect with LAST ALEX! on Spotify