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DMX, Sean Paul, & Mr. Vegas Repped “Belly” On “Top Shotter”
There are some who would declare Hype Williams’ 1998 flick Belly, starring DMX and Nas, to be the greatest hip-hop movie ever made. And though there are some heavy hitters in that particular category, from Juice to 8 Mile to Hustle & Flow, the stylized nature of the DMX-led crime-caper continues to resonate with modern audiences. It doesn’t hurt that Belly’s soundtrack boasts an incredible lineup, with DMX in particular making his presence felt in a major way, especially on “Top Shotta.”
Alongside Sean Paul and Mr. Vegas, DMX opted to pay homage to the flick’s heavy Jamaican presence, culminating in one of the most original tunes in his discography. Off the top, X easily adapts to the percussive instrumental, catching a slick pocket as he spits typically menacing bars. “Get ’em where it counts and, hit em like a mountain,” he raps. “Spit ’em have em spittin’ out blood like a fountain / Don’t look at me like that, we just might fight black / And that fight might end up in me takin’ your life back.” Be sure to revisit this classic today, and show some love to Belly on the film’s twenty-second anniversary.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Get ’em where it counts and, hit em like a mountain
Spit ’em have em spittin’ out blood like a fountain
Don’t look at me like that, we just might fight black
And that fight might end up in me takin’ your life back
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Kyle Ashen’s sun-drenched recollection with new release “That Local Girl”
Kyle Ashen’s latest release, “That Local Girl,” is a gorgeous trip down memory lane, a country single that explores that golden glow of memory, like flipping through old photographs touched by salt air and summer sunlight. It’s warm, cinematic, and deeply relatable, a song about the kind of love story that never quite goes away, even as time moves on.
“That Local Girl” is filled with imagery that quickly takes the listener into a world they can walk right into. You got a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl on a boardwalk street by the ocean, a souped-up truck driving through town, neon lights reflecting off the ocean breeze, and the electric innocence of young love burning in the background.
But under all that cutesy trapping is something more than that, longing. Some people, some places that leave permanent marks on Kyle Ashen and us know that. What’s so brilliant about this song is that it marries those two ideas, making love and hometown memory feel beautifully inseparable. Sometimes you miss a person. And with that person, you miss an entire version of life. “That Local Girl” is more than a country love song from Kyle Ashen. He is a living postcard from the past, sun-faded, bittersweet, and glowing with feeling. A reminder that summers pass by, but some memories stay with us forever.
Connect with Kyle Ashen on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube
Artist Spotlight
ECHOFLIP inspires faith and fire with triumphant anthem on “Kingdom Rise”
ECHOFLIP marches forward with commanding purpose on “Kingdom Rise,” a single that not only demands attention but also commands it. Driven by pounding drums, soaring melodic textures, and full-conviction lyricism, the song arrives like a battle cry with the heart of worship. Bold and energized and spiritually charged from beginning to end.
“Kingdom Rise” is street realism meets kingdom vision at its heart. It’s got grit in its pulse but grace in its message as well. Each bar rings with resilience with ECHOFLIP, a record that embodies struggle, perseverance, and steadfast faith in the face of adversity. The result is music that is rooted in reality while reaching for something much larger.
What makes the single particularly compelling is how seamlessly it combines high-energy Christian trap with uplifting spiritual themes. The hard-hitting production has edge and urgency, and its faith-centered focus gives it soul. It’s motivational without being pushy. Worshipful without momentum loss, without losing authenticity. Ideal for trap gospel, inspirational rap, and urban playlists that aim to uplift as much as energize, “Kingdom Rise” delivers on all fronts. It moves the body, it sharpens the mind, it stirs the soul.
Connect with ECHOFLIP on Spotify
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