Music

Russ Sings The Blues On ‘Hard For Me’

‘Hard For Me’ caps a year that saw the New Jersey rapper drop two projects and give away his streaming money to fans. …

Russ flat-out refuses to stop making new music and it’s kind of hard to argue that it’s not endearing. Just weeks after dropping his Chomp EP and rapping alongside legends like Black Thought and Busta Rhymes, the New Jersey-born rapper is back on his solo grind with the soulful “Hard For Me,” crooing his blues over a melancholy piano loop with a nifty guitar noodle in the background. It’s a return to the heartbroken, world-weary persona in the mode of early Drake that made him a fan-favorite capable of racking up platinum plaques independently.

Russ has had himself busy year, releasing not just one but two projects beginning with January’s Shake The Snow Globe. He followed up in May with the deluxe version, adding features from Ty Dolla Sign and Westside Boogie, all while pulling down a reported $100,000 a week from streaming. He also contributed verses to projects from the likes of Trippie Redd, made his television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and worked with Kehlani on “Take You Back.”

But his arguably most impactful move of the year wasn’t even a new music release, it was giving away $20,000 to his Twitter followers to boost their spirits during the rough early months of the pandemic. 2020 may have been trash for most of us but Russ turned that trash into treasure and in this process, may have changed some minds about him as well.

Listen to Russ’s “Hard For Me” above.

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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.

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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.

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