Author: Lee Hawthorn

Hello. I'm Lee; a nineteen year old with a dream of conquering the music industry in any and every way possible. Started out blogging as a hobby, now I'm becoming better known for my citizen journalism and branching out into different things such as working as an executive producer for a mixtape recently. Studying Film and Media at University, just in case it turns out I'm not all I'm cracked up to be.
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AGE: Toe Tapping With Angels (Single Review)

“Do You Even Care About The Kids That Die From Hunger? The Numbers Growing Every Day Do You Even Wonder?”

Last month I was scouring my MileHiMusic email account for music submissions in the hope of finding a new artist I could take an interest in that wasn’t affiliated with Squizzy Gang. As much as I like Colorado’s hottest music group, I needed something else to write about. It disappointed me that some of the submissions I received were embarrassingly bad, others were okay but I wouldn’t have too much to write about and there were even a couple that had submitted and weren’t from the state of Colorado. Then I came across two songs which grabbed my attention and stood out above the rest, and I noticed they were both submissions from the same artist: AGE.

Listening to “Toe Tapping With Angels” and “Misunderstood I Might Be”, neither were flawless by any means, but not many tracks are. The factor which grabbed my attention was that AGE managed to sound alike to a plethora of artists I was already a fan of. The opening bar of “Toe Tapping With Angels” in which AGE announces “I’m not dancing with devils, I’m toe tapping with angels” sounds like KeL iLL infused with fellow www.rap-royalty.com member Nell assisted by the melancholic beat both of those artists excel under. From a lyrical standpoint, AGE is reminiscent of An0maly, a rapper I have been a fan of for many years, as the Colorado emcee opts for a multi-syllabic rhyme scheme without venturing into overly-complex lyricism in order to showcase a level of skill whilst remaining clear on what he is talking about, rather than opting for a polysemic, ambiguity laden approach which may have put listeners off. Thematically, AGE manages to maintain a style synonymous with Mood Muzik Entertainment as the track is darker than the “all black” dress code AGE describes in the opening verse.

A plethora of paranoid, conspiracy, thought provoking bars are awkwardly interrupted by the mention of “bitches”. There is absolutely no need to mention “bad bitch” in this song, and the fact that AGE deemed it necessary to do so, destroyed my love for the song. I was able to overlook the overly melancholic tone sometimes becoming monotonous up until the young rapper spat out “gold-digging bitches”. Those five syllables alone stopped “Toe Tapping With Angels” being an incredible song. There are other flaws in the track but none half as bad as the poor placement of misogynistic lyrics which are better suited to generic club-hop than a track which in preceding bars was questioning the listeners thoughts on social issues and exploiting societies apathy.

Overall, I would still recommend that Hip Hop fans gave “Toe Tapping With Angels” and other AGE tracks a listen. Chances are you will either love or hate the Colorado emcee just like the other artists I likened him too. Personally, I love him; there are some parts I hate about him too, but as he develops and matures, he can only get better. You can follow AGE on Twitter (Click Here) and watch his YouTube videos/Listen to singles (Click Here). Make sure you comment below and let me know what you think of this review or the “Toe Tapping With Angels” track itself. You can follow myself on Twitter (Click Here) and the MileHiMusic account (Click Here). Thank you for reading.

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Jimmie Murphy: Guilty Conscience (Single Review)

“Your Guilty Conscience Got You F***** Up”

Colorado’s hottest R&B artist, Jimmie Murphy, is back with another terrific track ahead of the impending release of the highly anticipated “Descendre 2“. “Guilty Conscience” features Murphy’s fellow Squizzy Gang artist Trev Rich, who recently released his own “Heights 2” mixtape, last week. Whenever these two collaborate, they never disappoint and “Guilty Conscience” is no exception.

Jimmie has proven he can rap in the pairs’ most recent collaboration prior to “Guilty Conscience” on Trev’s “Eat” from “Heights 2”, but I am pleased to hear his soulful vocal on this song because his singing is on another level to anything you can hear on the radio at the minute. Although the new Prince, an idol of Jimmie’s, track may get a couple of spins just to prove me wrong.

As Jimmie serenades the microphone about a lover who “thinks theres bitches in this studio” although she is “fucking with these other niggas thinking” Jimmie is “to blame”.  In the background there is a repetitive ad-lib of “Yeah Hoe” which is reminiscent of Justin Timberlakes “Cry Me A River”, albeit less discreet and much more aggressive. I’m not sure how much I like the ad-libbed “Yeah Hoe” because it feels out of place in contrast with Jimmie’s smooth vocal, but it adds an extra level of depth to the track, and there is no complaints about that.

I’m almost getting sick of singing Trev Rich’s praises but it seems like anything coming out of Colorado at the moment is courtesy of, or featuring Trev. It just goes to show how hot Trev is right now, and yet he still has time to collaborate with his fellow Squizzy Gang affiliates. Consistent as ever, Trev delivers another, in a long line of solid verses. Although it doesn’t sound as personal as some tracks from “Heights 2”, which may disappoint some fans, he makes up for that with wonderful word play and an unparalleled delivery.

Whilst these two aren’t quite the same style of Dr. Dre and Eminem who released a song of the same title, they are arguably of the same standard. They deserve that level of fanfare too. I don’t think this is Jimmie and Trev’s greatest collaboration to date, but it is well worth a listen. Make sure you follow Jimmie Murphy on Twitter(here) and await any news on the “Descendre 2” release, or download the original (here) in the mean time. Follow myself (here) for more of my views on music and links to my latest blog posts.  Please comment below any thoughts you have on the song, this post, or in anticipation of “Descendre 2”!

 

Listen to “Guilty Conscience” on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jimmiemurphy/guilty-conscience

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Adam Duncan: Same Wave (Single Review)

 

“Do It Big Like I’m Sean, Do It Big Like I’m L, Do It Big Like I’m Pun”

After the release of “Don’t Wanna Go Home” Volume 1,  Adam Duncan has released “Same Wave” which features as the closing track on the EP. The track features frequent collaborator and fellow Colorado native Trev Rich, who has recently released his own mixtape “Heights 2”. Prior to “Same Wave”‘s release I had only heard of Adam Duncan through his collaborations with Trev and consequently had no idea he could rap in addition to sing.

Duncan’s skills with rapping allow him to keep up with one of the hottest rappers out at the minute, although his accent may put some fans off, his lyricism and “hottest flow around” makes up for it. “I do it big like I’m Sean, do it big like I’m L, do it big like I’m Pun” Duncan spits after explaining how he’s blew his advance on “strippers and Louis Vuitton” in a style similar to those repeatedly played on major radio stations like 2Chains or Lil Wayne but the references to Hip Hop legends and a Yelawolf-esque rhyme scheme indicates a level of knowing intelligence above throw away club-hop artists.

“Same Wave” has an aggressive  rock vibe to it’s chorus as Adam’s vocals sound fit for an anthem found in early The Killers discography over a phenomenally produced instrumental which could have been created for One Republic’s “Dreaming Out Loud” album. I’m not saying Shawn Kang, as talented as he is, is on the same level as Timbaland, but he does show potential to be a great cross-over producer in the not-so-distant future. Off the back of his “Heights 2” release, Trev Rich continues to impress as arguably the most consistent emcee of all time. Not since “Stoners” from the original “Heights” mixtape have I not enjoyed a song Trev Rich has been on whether it is in collaborations with AP, Tsu Surf and Jimmie Murphy or in freestyles, remixes or solo marterial.

Overall “Same Wave” is a great track which represents Colorado better than most, but at the same time it is not the greatest Adam Duncan / Trev Rich collaboration. That isn’t to say this is a poor song by any means, but songs like “Young Forever” and “Red Cup Blues” are on another level. Both of these artists are inevitably going to go on to bigger and better things and I can’t see past them to be the first major, internationally recognised artists to come out of Colorado since One Republic or 3OH!3. Following this track and “Please Explain” featuring Rhias of Air Dubai, Adam Duncan has lead me to believe he has a must-listen EP in the form “Don’t Wanna Go Home” Vol. 1 and I eagerly await to see if an album is to follow.

Listen to “Same Wave” via SoundCloud  (Here) and follow Adam Duncan (@OfficialDuncan) on Twitter for more terrific tracks or download the “Don’t Wanna Go Home” EP (Here). Follow myself (@MrHawthorn) for more of my opinions on Hip Hop, links to my blog articles and other relevant tweets relating to the Hip Hop industry. Please leave comments on what you think of this review, have you downloaded “Don’t Wanna Go Home″? Does “Same Wave” sound like a great song for you? If you are reading this after listening to the track do you agree/disagree with me? Let me know!

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Trev Rich: I Would Have Told Her (Single Review)

“Most Important Of All, I Would Have Told Her, I Love Her”

Never has an artist ripped their heart out of their chest and packed into a song this good since Eminem released “Difficult” or Joe Budden released “Mood Muzik 4.5”. “I Would Have Told Her” epitomises what ‘mood music entertainment’ is all about as Trev Rich delivers an account of what he would have told his daughter if he had of know “the last time, was the last time” he would see her and it is genuinely touching how much love he has for his children. His love for his son and daughter aren’t clear just because of Trev’s emotionally resonating lyricism packed with a plethora of pathos but the tone in which Trev delivers each syllable. You would be forgiven if you expected Trev to be bitter, aggressive maybe even genocidal in his delivery of a song about not seeing his children, but Trev isn’t any of those. Frankly, Trev is heartbroken on this track.

Rather than focus his attention on his children’s mother, a typical approach by many Hip Hop artists to address the issue and threaten her with what usually ends up as nothing more than empty threats, Trev focuses the entire 128 seconds on his children. Trev acknowledges he has done wrong in the past and shows more than a fair share of remorse whilst sharing his story as he admits “I know I ain’t the best person, but that wouldn’t matter if she felt I was the best pops”. More importantly however, he explains how he wants to make amends with lines such as “I would have told her its okay to be weird, its okay to be smart” and “I would tell her every nigga that come in ain’t worth it, at the same time every nigga ain’t cheating” which may be an indication as to what has happened between Trev and his ex-partner.

Move over Joe, we have a new ‘mood God’ if “I Would Have Told Her” is any indication of what is to come from the future. “Most important of all, I would have told her, I love her” might be the most touching line in Hip Hop history. If “I Would Have Told Her” doesn’t pull at your tear ducts and heart strings then you musn’t have a heart. For my own personal taste nothing will ever top “Dear Ma” for me, but if I had a daughter, I can imagine I’d align with this track just as much. If you’re a parent, you might want to keep a tissue at the ready before pressing play on this song.

If you want to hear the song, you’re going to have to download the “Heights 2” mixtape when Trev Rich releases it on the 7th of June 2013. Follow @_TrevRich for a download link, the second that the mixtape is available. Follow myself (@MrHawthorn) for more of my opinions on Hip Hop, links to my blog articles and other relevant tweets relating to the Hip Hop industry. You can read my review of the entire “Heights 2” tracklist at www.therootmusic.blogspot.com. Please leave comments on what you think of this review, are you looking forward to the release of “Heights 2”? Does “I Would Have Told Her” sound like a great song for you? If you are reading this after listening to the track do you agree/disagree with me? Let me know!

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Trev Rich – Heights 2 Interview

With two days to go until Heights 2 drops, I grabbed Trev Rich for a second interview to grab his thoughts on how he’s handling the new found fame, whether he believes he takes the second installment of Heights to a new height and if we can expect an album any time soon. 

 

On “Dream Killers” you claim you have no time to answer questions, so thanks for finding the time for a Q&A with me. It’s been three month since our last interview…What’s new, how have you been?

Trev: I’ve been working probably the hardest I’ve ever worked to not only find new motivation but to be consistent enough to complete a quality project. That’s not the same as the last one! It got more personal.

I was a little irritated that days after our interview, someone from MMG retweeted one of your songs, did anything come out of that? How does it feel knowing your fan base and exposure is growing daily?

Trev: It feels good to know that I stayed true to myself and people appreciate and support that. Now I feel like I cant go wrong with just giving them me

One of your fans drew a picture of you, that has got to be an overwhelming feeling right? I tweeted to you at that time it was a sign of you making it. What were your thoughts when you seen the drawing?

Trev: Shock. Someone really took the time out of their day to do a chalk drawing of me. It was a humbling experience. Shout out Chase by the way.

Now that you’re undoubtedly a major figure in Colorado’s Hip Hop scene, where do you go to escape from the pressure of dropping such high quality mixtapes?

Trev: My room. [Laughs] Really that’s the only getaway I can find in it all. It’s an overwhelming lifestyle and it really can take control of you if you let it. I figure out what works for me and stick to it!

In the last interview, you claimed you were going to take it even higher with Heights 2, do you think that goal has been achieved?

Trev: Of course I do. I opened my my mind and gave you more of me. Heights was just a story of one day. 2 is more of a battle within myself. There’s really a thin line between insanity and genius and i wanted this project to be that thin line. You get rapper Trev, lover Trev, fed up Trev, spiritual Trev, everything. You see the balance of a career and a relationship. In most situations rappers would want to choose between love and a dream I’m not. Heights 2 was the process of trying to make everything work at the same time.  You’ll either love it or hate it. No in between in my opinion.

What is your personal favourite track of the mixtape?

Trev: Can’t choose. They’re all my children no favorites.

You’ll see in my review of Heights 2 that I loved the mixtape, but there was one thing which disappointed me. No MME features? Why?

Trev: Everybody is really busy doing their own thing. We all live in different states on different schedules. There are a few things in the works though. I feel like all the features on the project were actually perfect fits. I just didn’t want to throw songs together because of a name.

Despite his vocal absence on the tape, was Joe giving you much advice behind the scenes or is this a tape managed solely by you with no outside influence?

Trev: Nah this was just me and a close knit group of people in Denver with me. I didn’t want a lot of input i just wanted to do what i felt. They agreed.

Are we going to get a Trev Rich / Joe Budden collaboration any time soon?

Trev: You never know with Joe. Its a hit or miss. Maybe one day.

You’ve been getting a load of attention from plenty of blogs recently. Notably 2DopeBoyz, AllHipHop.com and of course MileHiMusic and TheRootMusic which I write for. How much do you value the blog sites supporting you? Is there any blog you aspire to feature on?

Trev: I love it! the blogs are definitely apart of this machine and we appreciate all of them that support the movement. No single one stands out. It all counts.

Two successful mixtapes, three including the Special Edition of Heights 1. Is it time for an album yet? 

Trev: That’s what New Forever is. Already working on it.

When can we expect New Forever?

Trev: September.

What else can we expect in the next six months from Trev Rich? Any tours or features we should particularly look out for?

Trev: All of that! But I promised the fans more visuals this time so I’m really gonna buckle down do a lot of artwork, videos, etc. It’s time for it.

Thank you for the interview, any last words?

Trev: Heights 2. 6/7 Thanks for your support. Shoutout to everybody rocking with me. Special shoutout to KMG STUDIOS! They did a lot for this project. It sounds amazing.

 

So its official! We have Trev Rich’s debut album, “New Forever”, coming in September. For now you can enjoy a stand out track from Heights 2 in “Red Cup Blues”. Heights 2 will be available Friday the 7th of June, follow @_TrevRich on Twitter for the link and my review of the tape will be available on www.therootmusic.blogspot.com soon too.