Momma! I Made It!!

Chan. Lo is Growing Up.

Ha. I've been dabbling with freelance writing for some time and I've finally found a place where my voice, and my pen, fit.

I have now teamed up with the wonderful folks at Underground Appeal.com and I shall lend my voice in an effort to spread the wealth of great music, fashion and all that is FRESH to the masses.

My "Mixtape Monday" posts will appear on both Underground Appeal and SBNP. Check out the site. Familiarize yourselves. Support the positivity.

More love. More music. More Chan.Lo. ;)

P.S. Follow the mastermind behind Underground Appeal, @truthxspeaks .

Mixtapes, Pt. II

Tongue and Cheek...Cheeki Pow Pow Hear Me Roar

Mixtapes provide a great venue for artists to put their own creative spin on existing hits. Cheeki Pow Pow capitalized on that very concept within her Hear Me Roar release. Three of the eleven tracks are "She-mix's" of such hits as "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz, "Day N' Night" by Kid Cudi and "Say Something" by Drake.

Production quality isn't completely up to par however, the lyrical content is both thought provoking and flat out funny. For example, on her she-mix of "Say Something", Cheeki takes a stab at a rhyming about a boyfriend who came out on the other end of the 80/20 rule:

"...You took us off our grind for a b----- without a bachelors/That's like trading in Vuitton for a clearance Baby Phat clutch."

Cheeki's wit and originality make this a mixtape worth the listen.

Business Worthy Tracks:
"Not U Itz Me"; "Day N Night"; "Hurt U Gud"; and "Say Something (She-Mix)"

Click HERE to listen to Hear Me Roar on DatPiff.com

Mr. Everything: Marty B.
Oreos, Kicks, & Video Games

The second Moonshine Kid featured in this series may be a name you are familiar with. Martellus Bennett, also known as Marty B, is a constant Youtube presence, creator of 'Hyperbole' clothing and, he's pretty good at football too. ;)

Nonetheless, the man who seems to have a talent for pretty much everything has released his second summer mixtape entitled, Oreos, Kicks and Video Games. Self described "patio music", Oreos combines a host of witty Marty-isms with a plethora of catch hooks and nod worthy beats. If you take a moment to listen to the lyrics, you'll also note a consistant play on words that would typically go unappreciated. An example of this can be seen in the track, "Velvet Ropes":

"Flows just dope/You would know if you listen/But, Khalid not my DJ/So, they don't hear the things we say/Tom Hanks my tapes/Just Cast Away/Hoping they'll last a day on their list of things to play/ok f--- it/I'll play my own s---/...my life just real my n----/no skits."

To check out more from Marty B and the Moonshine Kids, and to view and purchase Hyperbole apparel, visit www.dacoolsociety.com

To download Oreos, Kicks and Video Games click HERE

Business Worthy Tracks:

"Hearts and Love" ft. Micah Seth

"Better Place" ft. Shaud Money

"What More Can I Say?" ft. Dessie Lee and Shaud Money

"Velvet Ropes"

Honorable Mentions:

"Taxi" ft. Shaud Money

"Hello, Good Morning" ft. Shaud Money

"Sky Talk"

*Side note: You may be wondering who did the fantastic art work for the Oreos, Kicks and Video Games cover. None other than graphic designer/Photographer/All around know it all Ashley B. Nguyen. Hit her up on twitter @AshleyANP and on her website at: www.ashnguyen.com

And I'm Gone.

Peace. Love. Music.

xoxo

Chan.Lo.

You Ain't Nobody Until...You Make A Mixtape...Part One.

Here a Mix Tape, There a Mix Tape, Everywhere a Mix Tape.

The mix tape phenomenon has been prevalent for years. Unsigned artists or DJ's compile songs and distribute to the masses without the promo and traditional hoopla created with the release of commercial LP's. However, the art of releasing freebies is no longer limited to those without massive contracts and has become somewhat of a necessity to stay relevant in a game that releases (and leaks, i.e. Drake, Thank Me Later) more new music per day than Tupac did post mortem.

While I feel it safe to say that the beloved Mix Tape, and free music in general (hooray!), are here to stay, I find it quite intriguing that this tool is primarily used to hype commercial releases. Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, and the aforementioned, Mr. Drizzy Drake, have emphasized this with massive downloads of free music prior to the releases of their big label projects. The buzz created by the free-ninety-nine tracks pretty much secured chart worthy release figures.

With that, anyone trying to launch a career as an MC or songbird would do well to respect the Mix Tape hustle. I took to my twitter loves (follow me: @Chan_Lo) for advice on new business worthy artists. I received such a great response that I've decided to give you two a week...so much music, so little brain power. So, check below for installment one of independent joints worth checking out.

Happy Downloading.

Leirow Presents...Euphoria


Originally from Harrisburg, PA, Leirow brings a sweet voice to the table in this compilation. Eight songs complete the tape, three are definite downloads: "Blow Over", "Micromanagement" which is reminiscent of A. Keys' "Karma" and "Happy Now" which finds us with a familiar track made popular by Melanie Fiona with "It Kills Me."

Leirow's tone is brilliant and the tracks are well produced. Lyrical content left a bit to be desired however, the songs above help the tape recover nicely.

Click HERE to listen to Euphoria on DatPiff.com


SOLO DOLO: $haud Money
Solo Flight

Have you ever met a Moonshine Kid? Say hello to Shaud Money, aka, Reshaud Bennett, who happens to be 1/3 of the Moonshine Kids, other members include singer Chris Jobe and Bennett's older brother, Martellus. Originally from Louisiana, Shaud Money brings a unique, distinctly southern sound to his tracks. Solo Flight allows listeners to hear a glimpse of a fresh, young MC whom, with growth, could create quite a name for himself.

Though his flow is slightly raw, witty anecdotes and laid-back delivery make it easy for Solo Flight to cruise through your head phones.

Peep a few of my favorite cuts from Solo Flight:
"Forever Love" (the hook on this joint will stay in your head for hours.);
"Find My Passport"; "Lights, Camera, Action"; "Ear Dope" (production credit to Johnny Juliano. Beat is a wonderful blend of guitar and synth); and "Text Her Back" feat. Denali Nova.

Want more from Shaud Money? Check out his next mixtape in collaboration with another Moonshine Kid Marty B, entitled, Audio Tutorials, set to drop June 25th.

I've included a few of his free-styles below. Make sure you check out his flow on both the "Deuces" and "Rude Boy" instrumentals ...irony, huh? :)

Download "Deuces" Freestyle - Shaud Money
Download "Rude Boy" Freestyle - Shaud Money

Click HERE to download Solo Flight on LimeLinx

Till Pt. II...Peace. Love. Music.

XoXo,


ChanLo.