Entertainment

In Conversation With Dogan, The Hip Hop Artist Who Just Dropped His Debut EP Dolce

How long has music been a part of your life? How did it all start for you?

Music has always played a big role in my life from the days of ridin around with my mom blastin our favorite artists, when I was a child, to spittin random freestyles with friends. I felt like music was a tool I could use to fully express myself which stemmed from being around my musically talented friends. Music really began to pique my interest when people close to me started to gain a little traction in the industry. At that point I had the “if they can do it, so can I” mentality.

What is your most powerful skill when it comes to rapping?

Many people will tell you it’s my flow for sure. I spent countless hours in the studio perfecting my flow although it’s still not 100% where I want it to be. To me, an artist’s flow is the most important aspect of the song and it’s all about finding that pocket. Once you find that certain pocket in the beat, you could honestly say just about anything, and it will sound great.

In what way do you aim to make a difference in urban culture?

I plan to put my people on game with how to win in life. African Americans have always gotten the short end of the stick in this country. Not only that, but we were also brought here against our will to build something for someone else. They don’t like to give us the “life hacks” such as investing in stocks, how to pay little to no taxes, or how to get ahead in life in general. I want to even the playing field as best as I can and that’s what I aim to do. That’s why I talk about stocks and “money moves” in my music. I want my people to realize there’s more to life than waking up, going to their 9-5, and going home to sleep.

How do you put words on paper? What is your creative process like?

I normally use the notes app on the iPhone. I tried to write in a notebook when I began to take music seriously, but it ended up being a page full of crossed out phrases and that was annoying. Most of the time I’ll shuffle through a catalog of instrumentals I rock with, then get to work off the random. Other times I’ll be on a trip or something crazy happened and I’m like “I need to put this in a song” or “I need to make an entire song about this”. So, I’ll write down what happened or what I did that day(s), find an instrumental when I’m free, then get the process going. It always depends on my mood.

Celebrity

Meek Mill Draws Mixed Reactions With Drill Take on Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong”

Meek Mill has released a couple of songs that leaked online recently, giving fans a proper way to hear the tracks after they popped up over the weekend. “Philly Heathens” has been praised for its attention to street culture and youth affected by violence, but his other new album, “Am I Wrong,” has received a much more divided response.

“Philly Heathens” has been praised for its lyrics about street culture and the young people who get caught up in violence. “Am I Wrong,” however, takes a vastly different approach, remixing the song of the same name by Nico & Vinz as a drill centric interpolation.

“Am I Wrong” is now 12 years old, and its connection to the EDM sound of the time makes it especially recognizable to those who grew up with it. So Meek’s take is built on a familiar musical reference, but the response has been far from universally complimentary. A lot of the criticism has been directed at the hook. The production has also been called dated, but the track was leaked, which may explain its sound. But the strongest reactions have focused on Meek’s chorus vocals.

Some of the responses have been good, though. Some listeners felt the track was a throwback to the blog era, while others thought the criticism targeted almost entirely the hook, not the song as a whole. One Reddit commenter wrote that the track was good, but the chorus was bad, suggesting that Meek’s performance on the rest of the song was better than the reception to the hook may suggest.

The different reactions demonstrate the contrast between Meek’s two new leaks. “Philly Heathens” has resonated with audiences for its subject matter, while “Am I Wrong” has sparked discussion due to its interpolation and vocal approach.

Both songs are now officially available on YouTube so that fans can decide for themselves. The response to “Am I Wrong” shows how difficult it is to reinterpret a well known song, especially when a recognizable hook becomes the centerpiece of the new version

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Celebrity

Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”

Drake made a surprise appearance in Houston this weekend, joining Karol G on stage for the first-ever live performance of their collaboration, “Ahi.”
The surprise appearance took place during Karol G’s show in Houston, where Drake jumped out from the bottom of the stage to perform the song with her. “Ahi” is the latest from Karol G’s project No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto, and the Houston show marked the first time the pair had performed the collaboration together on stage.

Drake made his entrance to a loud reception from the crowd. The rapper popped out from under the stage, bowed to Karol G, hugged her, and launched into their collaboration. With “Ahi,” the performance was not over. Drake stayed on stage and carried on with the set, performing “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” and giving the Houston crowd a long set from the Canadian rapper.

The collaboration also sparked speculation about Drake’s upcoming music. A rumor started that Karol G was one of the collaborators on the project, along with Molly Santana and Future, days before ICEMAN is expected to drop. Future and Molly Santana were among the names on the rumored list, and Future ended up on “Run To Atlanta.”

Drake’s Houston appearance comes as he continues to promote music outside the traditional album release cycle. He released FOMO, a visual YouTube project featuring visuals for several songs from Habibti and Maid Of Honor nearly two weeks ago. The project also featured a couple of unreleased songs, including new material with Yeat and new unreleased music with Don Toliver.

Drake and Don Toliver have also dropped a remix of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” The remix has recently sparked speculation about the artists after re uploaded visuals allegedly erased all footage of Langley.

But the Houston show shifted the focus back to Drake and Karol G. The surprise appearance turned the stop into the first live showcase of “Ahi” for the audience, while Drake’s renditions of “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” extended his surprise time onstage. It also gave fans their first chance to see the two artists perform their collaboration together, adding a live chapter to the release of “Ahi. “

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