Category Archive: Music

Ray BLK: On the Rise

In the last few months, grime and R&B songstress Ray BLK has been making headlines for her pulsating beats, sweet caramel voice, and most of all, her boldly candid lyrics.  The Nigerian born, UK-raised singer was recently named the winner of the BBC Sound of 2017, a list that is dominated by #BlackGirlMagic this year and a title previously held by artists like Adele and Sam Smith. Unlike her predecessors, Ray BLK is not yet signed to a major label, but that hasn’t stopped her from grinding and releasing music on her own terms.

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Slim Thug: Buy Back the Block

In hip-hop, it's commonplace to hear someone refer to themselves as a boss. The term in itself just sounds cool, and it's pretty uplifting, but it can also be misleading. The true definition of a boss in the terms that we use it, is someone that puts others in position to succeed and become bosses. Not too many people have the wherewithal or the heart that it takes to be a boss. Of the handful of bosses in the game, or who've come up in the game and graduated to other endeavors, Stayve Jerome Thomas aka Slim Thug has managed to continue to stand out amongst them all.

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Laura Marling: Coffee Shop Folk

Lyricism is somewhat of a lost art in the modern age. The music industry is enveloped with a legion of major recording labels and manufactured artists shoveling vapid lyrics to the public. Alas, there is a shining beacon of hope. Laura Marling’s complex use of mythology and folklore communicates innocuous subjects such as young love and heartbreak brilliantly. This English singer-songwriter's silky vocals combined with her clever lyricism has made for a lasting career in Britain's modish nu-folk scene.

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Ab-Soul: Tis the Season

It was once said that Santa Claus was going straight to the ghetto. Along the way he put it on a couple of guys’ hearts to close the year out with some thought provoking music. With all due respect, I am not talking about the R. Kelly Christmas album. I'm talking about J. Cole and TDE's Ab-Soul. Here at VA Mag we've discussed Cole's album in conversations surrounding the best album of the year, yes, already. While Ab-Soul's project may not be the top album, I think it should definitely be mentioned among the top 10 hip-hop albums of 2016.

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